Life is Always Better on a Farm

When we first asked Sarah Jones to share her story of the Rye Resurgence Project, she didn’t begin with yields or climate metrics. She began with talking about her family.

In a place like the San Luis Valley, where dust storms are no longer rare but routine, the work of keeping soil in place is personal. Cover crops like rye don’t just stabilize the land, they stabilize what it means to be a mother, a farmer, and a member of a community living in uncertain times.

So when Sarah suggested that her daughter, Opal, tell this story from her own point of view, it felt like a gift. Opal is 11 years old and she filled two (35mm) disposable cameras with what the farm means to her. She sees the world differently, closer to the ground, more curious than conclusive.

This photo essay is Opal’s way of showing us what agriculture looks like when you grow up inside it. They remind us that farming isn’t just about land, it’s about lineage. About what we choose to grow, and who we grow it for.

~Jonnah Perkins, Mad Ag Director of Media

Jonnah
Do you remember the first photo you took for this project?

Opal
Yes, I think it was the photo of rain dripping down the Rye.

Jonnah
What are some of your favorite things to photograph on the farm?

OPAL
Sunsets on the farm, and our new piglets, and my sisters.

Jonnah
What do you think a photo can say that words can’t?

OPAL
Photos can help express emotions

Jonnah
Can you describe what it’s like to live on this farm?

OPAL
It’s very open, lots of space.  It’s breathtaking.  It’s a fun place to grow up.  We have a 4 wheeler and a go cart and animals and lots of potatoes and freshly baked goods.  

Jonnah
What’s your favorite job to help with on the farm? What job do you try to avoid?

OPAL
Herding the calves back in when they get out and helping with the farmers market.  Digging potatoes & putting them in bags.  I can’t think of anything I try to avoid.

Jonnah
What’s the best season on the farm, and why?

OPAL
Summer because of the beautiful flower blossoms on the potato plants, and I like to sleep in, and play outside as much as possible and that’s when the most friends come to visit.  

Jonnah
Do you have a favorite memory that happened in the fields?

OPAL
I landed one of my 1st cartwheels in our field and every summer we do coyote camp where we camp in the field and roast marshmallows and we fall asleep to the coyotes howling.  

Jonnah
If someone had never been to the San Luis Valley, how would you describe it to them?

OPAL
It’s a beautiful place. It’s windy, it’s very dry, it’s big, and there’s lots of beautiful mountains all around us. 

Jonnah
What’s something small that grownups might miss, but you always notice?

OPAL
Ladybugs

Jonnah
How do you think kids see farms differently than adults?

OPAL
Kids don’t take it as serious.

Jonnah
What’s your favorite sound on the farm?

OPAL
I like hearing the trees blow in the wind, and the birds chirping.

Jonnah
Have you ever seen a dust storm? What does that look like from your eyes?

OPAL
Yes, it’s brown out and you can’t see anything.  It’s scary and it’s unsafe to go outside.  It makes me feel sad & frightened.

Jonnah
If you could take a picture of anything in the world, where would you go?

OPAL
On the beach, birds flying into the sunset. California has some beautiful sunsets.

Jonnah
Do you think you’ll still be taking photos when you’re a grown-up?

OPAL
Yes. It makes me happy and I enjoy doing it.

Jonnah
What do you want people to feel when they look at your photos?

OPAL
I want people to see the beauty of the San Luis Valley.

Jonnah
If your photos could talk, what do you think they’d say?

OPAL
Life is always better on a farm