A call to action…figures

It is a typical afternoon scrolling through the vastness of Facebook; funny posts followed by a share of some interesting recipe or some crazy viral video craving to elicit a strong emotional response. For the most part, at that moment I am bored. Just a few days prior, I finished up an intense photography project and was happy with the results and response, especially considering the subject matter is outside of my norm. There isn’t anything pressing in the pipeline and I am planning on using the next few weeks to rest up after having completed a marathon of editing since my hard drive failure fiasco during the summer. That is until I stumble upon this…

History flies in Poughkeepsie, NY

The Collings Foundation’s aircraft. L/R: B-14J “Witchcraft”, B-25 Mitchell “Tondelayo”, B-17G “Nine-0-Nine”. Photo by Dan Villeneuve.

These days we are so deeply immersed in technology. Smart phones are practically attached to our hands, computer monitors replace daylight and we mindlessly let GPS guide us to new destinations when we do manage to get out of the house or office. But there’s one group that tours the country through most of the year with the Wings of Freedom Tour; The Collings Foundation.

Rock Maple Farm

It’s amazing to me to look back and see the chain of events that gets me to my current place. This past March I made the decision to be a co-sponsor of the Coventry Regional Farmers’ Market. One of the benefits is that I have three dates where I can show and sell my prints, one of which I will be named as an event sponsor (each week has a different theme). That one major event for me is coming up on Sunday, July 17th. And the theme is “Graze Fest”… a day all about farms and those special folks who devote their lives to ensure the longevity of those farms.

Rock Maple Farm – Barn

For those who know me, farming is a large part of my heritage. I grew up in a French-Canadian farming family in Bedford, NH and am no stranger to the responsibilities, hard work, sacrifice and dedication it takes to keep a farm going. So this theme is near and dear to me. The question now becomes, what do I do to really mesh with the day’s theme?

One of the things that the CRFM has reminded me of is the goodness that we have so close to home in our local farms. It’s something easily forgotten when the day-to-day rat race makes it easier to run quickly to the local supermarket and pay a premium for the convenience than to slow down, plan out your meals and travel a bit further to buy local produce. With the recent upheaval of our economy, tightening our belts has become a universal and very necessary task. It’s caused our family to stop and really look at our shopping (and eating) habits. We’ve taken note of the frequent price increases on the available produce… of which many times is of borderline quality and at a skyrocketing price. Wilted lettuce, tomatoes badly bruised, fruit and berries moldy… it’s almost like we’re picking out of a dumpster while mindlessly emptying our pockets at the register. Trying to feed a family of six is just getting too expensive! To top it off, take a close look at the labels/signs and you’ll see that most of the chain market produce is shipped into the country! So much for helping the local economy…