I come from a blue collar neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. The people I grew up with were sincere down to earth, and hard working.
So as I pass farms in the Midwest on jobs and road trips I felt drawn to their life in the fields and the food they grow.
This series of images shows how food connects us to the hard working people who toil in the fields, to the cooks, and to the social rituals of gathering around the table.
I love to photograph life; people in the act of living. Being close to the farmers was especially enlightening. Observing the sunrise washing over the land, gently awakening the plants, animals and farm workers, brought a serene and peaceful feeling. I witnessed passion and joy as workers harvested the crops. Even though the work was hard under the long summer sun everyone was upbeat and happy to be there. It was a labor of love expressed in the connections and joy people shared when they gathered at the table for dinner.
I think the next best thing to eating food is photographing it from farm to the table.
