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Following an article in COUNTRY LIFE back in 2019 that said fewer than 4% of UK farmers were under the age of 35, Valerie Mather resolved to understand better the world of farming through the lens of her camera. Her subsequent book, Yorkshire Born and Bred: Farming Life, won her associateship of the Royal Photographic Society and led the National Trust to invite her to spend a year with upland farmers in Bransdale, North Yorkshire. The results are on display at the Trust’s Nunnington Hall as ‘Fields, Folds and Farming Life’, from September 9–December 17.
Inspired by the work of James Ravilious (son of Eric), who kept a vital photographic record of rural England in the 1970s, Miss Mather observed and documented the working lives of farmers in one of England’s most difficult, but beautiful landscapes. ‘The theme... is about the importance of balance between Nature and farming/land management,’ she says. ‘Success relies on finding a balance in an ever-changing industry. Photography has the power to capture a moment in history and my hope is that these images paint a picture of the spirit, stoicism and joy of farming families and communities today. I wish to share the joy and inspiration about farming and Nature I discovered in Bransdale.’ An accompanying book will be out in September (www.valeriematherphotography.co.uk)
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