In 1993 I was commissioned by the Vermont Folklife Center as project photographer for Families on the Land. Changing economic and land use policies at the state and national level are currently re-shaping the character of Vermont's agricultural landscape. But this is nothing new: since the period of settlement in the late 18th century, farmers have continuously faced the need to adapt field use and building patterns to respond not only to such outside forces as markets, technology, and regulations, but also to accommodate shifts in family structure. While the picturesque qualities of Vermont farmsteads have been effectively promoted, there is very little public awareness of the dynamic evolution of that farmscape and the tradition of change that characterizes its history. Through words, images, and artifacts, this exhibition evokes the trials and triumphs of Vermont farm families trying to live on the land and stay in agriculture.

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