favorite photo story of 2013

This past summer, between assignments for a few hours every week, I documented Appleton Farms farm hands planting and harvesting. I used the Nikon D2HS with the 17-55 and the 70-200 for the story. Enjoy! I did!

Farm field hands Rachel Klepner and Sam Perakis, a part-time employee, right, rides the truck into one of the rear fields.

Freshly washed Eggplants are rinsed before being put in the CSA baskets.

Stephanie Kalinowski, Ryan Donnelly, and Tim McGraw talk as they ride the flatbed truck to one of the greenhouses to pick up some Fennel seedlings for planting Thursday July 25.

Appleton Farms field hands, from left: Ryan Wood (Old Ryan), Stephanie Kalinowski, Lise Holdorf, Alex Matthews, Rachel Klepner, Ryan Donnelly, and Jon Berube pose in the barn after their once a week farm walk.

Ryan Wood plants celery seedlings.

Tim McGraw enjoys a pepper as he chats while weeding a field. He is a Danvers High School teacher.

Farm field hands walk the land at the end of their shift on a recent Wednesday. On Wednesdays they walk the property to figure out what needs to be done the following week.

Farm field hands Alex Matthews and Rachel Klepner hold up the milk they get to take home at the end of the day.

Rachel Klepner separates and washes eggplants. Klepner is wearing an Amber Waves Farm hat.  It is a not-for-profit organic farm in Amagansett, NY, that was started by former field hands at Appleton Farms.

The crew enjoys conversation, lunch, and some leftovers from a class the night before on the back patio of one of the farmhouses.

Farm field hands from left, Ryan Donnelly, Jon Berube, Stephanie Kalinowski, Alex Matthews, and Ryan Wood walk the land at the end of their shift on a recent Wednesday. On Wednesdays they walk the property to figure out what needs to be done the following week.

Lise Holdorf, right, drops fennel seedlings, as Ryan Wood, and Tim McGraw make holes and plant the new seedlings. They planted about 1,800 fennel seedlings in the field. Lise Holdorf said she roasts the fennel.

Field hands Tim Mcgraw, Ryan Wood, and Jon Berube ride the back of a pickup truck for their daily noon lunch break.

CSA Manager, Lise Holdorf, center with pen, holds a meeting with the crew at the end of the day. Above them hangs drying garlic.

Lise Holdorf, second from right, weeds by hand with the rest of the crew on a recent Thursday.

Tim McGraw backs up a truck to get some more seedlings as the rest of the crew de-weeds a row of carrots by hand. The farm grows organically grown food but is not certified.

Stephanie Kalinowski carries celery seedlings to the fields. 

Ryan Wood and Tim McGraw plant celery seedlings Thursday July 25.

Lise Holdorf , in boots, lays down perfect rows of Fennel seedlings for planting Thursday July 25.

Stephanie Kalinowski gets some celery seedlings for planting  Thursday July 25 at Appleton Farm.

Alex Matthews sorts vegetables in the CSA pickup area. Once a week each farm hand organizes and helps customers in the CSA pickup area.