Tell Your Story

Everyone has a story. And it is becoming more important for farmers to tell their story before an activist does it for them. At Charleston|Orwig we try to help farmers do that. So a few weeks ago I participated in the Missouri Photo Workshop to sharpen my visual storytelling skills.

I spent seven days with 39 other eager photographers from around the world with two goals to accomplish. The first was to soak up as much knowledge as we could from each other and the 10 world-renowned photojournalists who were serving as our faculty throughout the week. The second was to help in a 62-year-long quest to document life in small-town Missouri.

This year’s workshop was held in Macon, Mo., and I chose to do a story on one of the local family farms. After talking with the vet, John Deere dealer and ag loan officer, I was introduced to the Thrasher family—a family with a progressive hog, cattle and crop operation and a great story to tell. Watch the video below to see how my week went.

And then look through the picture story to see how I helped one rural Missouri farmer tell his story.


Now, go forth and prosper! No really, go tell your story before someone else does.