FARMER

An American Farmer

My first serious documentary project as a photographer began when I was a teenager and photographing my father’s life as a farmer. Later as a young adult, I farmed with him and kept my camera handy as we worked side-by-side. He sometimes posed for a portrait; at other times I’d catch him on the fly. He never minded seeing me photograph him and seemed to know what I was up to. 

The result is this portfolio, compiled over some 30 years, of the life of an American farmer. Don Dodge started farming the family farms near Truman, Minnesota, after his service in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He farmed hogs, corn and soybeans until he retired in the late 1980s. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 87. 

Dad always said, the best thing about farming was that you never had to answer to anyone, or anything…besides the weather.