Dairy farmers face losses during COVID-19
It breaks my heart to see the recent reports of dairy farmers dumping milk because of the destruction in demand due to Coronavirus. Some stories have detailed dairy farms in Wisconsin dumping thousands of gallons of milk.
The reports made me think of this portrait of a dairy farmer from several months ago. I was lucky enough to spend the day with her and other family members while they worked. The day I was at their farm, it was cold and damp. The cows flowed into the milking parlor one at a time and found their spot for milking. The farmer methodically attached the milkers one at a time, moving down the line while trying not to think about how cold it was. It's a routine that she repeats twice a day, surrounded by the cows and with other family members at her side. For the past 20-years, they have milked around school schedules, during holidays and even on days, they didn't feel the best.
I hope that COVID-19 subsides soon and consumers can get back to enjoying meals out and grocery store runs so American farmers can continue the work they love. To learn more about her family's dairy farm, you can read an upcoming article in the Spring Fresh Pickings Magazine.
For more than two decades, Joseph L. Murphy has had the pleasure of meeting and connecting with people from all walks of life through photography. He has photographed presidents and heads of state, traversed the winding alleyways of the Fes Medina in Morocco, photographed the sprawling countryside and people that make up Argentina and covered events that have defined the U.S. Most recently, Murphy’s travels have taken him to Cambodia, Mexico, China, Vietnam and Ecuador.
He has spent the past 20 years specializing in agriculture photography for multiple organizations, publications and marketing projects.
A graduate of the University of Iowa, Murphy determined at an early age that his love of photography would shape his vision for life.