Sustainability – Local Farm Photography

Spinach harvest, Stratham, New Hampshire. Heron Pond Farm greenhouse. January. (Jerry and Marcy Monkman)

Spinach harvest, Stratham, New Hampshire. Heron Pond Farm greenhouse. January. (Photo: Jerry and Marcy Monkman)

Sustainability is a word being used a lot by conservation groups these days. Typically they use the word in conjunction with forestry, energy, agriculture, corporations, communities, etc. – all human activities.  Of course, nature on its own is inherently sustainable, but here we are in the 21st century, dealing with a host of environmental problems, from climate change to cancer causing chemicals persisting in our soils and water.  By creating sustainable industries and living more sustainably as individuals, we have a chance of solving these problems.

This year, I am planning on shooting more images that relate to sustainability.  I’m still figuring out how to do this well, beyond shooting wind turbines and compact fluorescent light bulbs.  Recently, I began photographing work at Heron Pond Farm in South Hampton, New Hampshire.  Marcy and I have been members of Heron Pond’s CSA for a few years now.  We love eating food grown close to home, as well as supporting local farms and the open space they protect.  To me, this is all about sustainability, and I am really looking forward to telling the story of the farm and the CSA this year.

Spinach harvest, Stratham, New Hampshire. Heron Pond Farm greenhouse. January. (Jerry and Marcy Monkman)

Spinach harvest, Stratham, New Hampshire. Heron Pond Farm greenhouse. January. (Jerry and Marcy Monkman)

Of course, not much is growing in New Hampshire this time of year, but Heron Pond Farm provides its members with winter veggies, both stored root vegetables and food grown in greenhouses.  These photos show a recent spinach harvest as well as some seed planting for future harvests.

Planting onion seeds in a greenhouse in South Hampton, New Hampshire. Heron Pond Farm greenhouse. February. (Jerry and Marcy Monkman)

Planting onion seeds in a greenhouse in South Hampton, New Hampshire. Heron Pond Farm greenhouse. February. (Phjoto: Jerry and Marcy Monkman)

Onion seedlings in a greenhouse in South Hampton, New Hampshire. Heron Pond Farm greenhouse. February. (Jerry and Marcy Monkman)

Onion seedlings in a greenhouse in South Hampton, New Hampshire. Heron Pond Farm greenhouse. February. (Photo: Jerry and Marcy Monkman)

More to come…

-Jerry

2 thoughts on “Sustainability – Local Farm Photography

  1. Pingback: The Importance of Personal Photography Projects. – Jerry & Marcy Monkman

  2. Pingback: The Importance of Personal Photography Projects. - EcoPhotography

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