Laura crouching over with table knife in hand was planting seedlings. Her long curly hair dancing on the breeze. It was a juxtaposition of this beautiful woman and the rough textures of the farmland. I had come to visit George Remington and in the process spent time with Laura West who helps manage his MorningSide Farms.
While Laura worked I inquired how she came to farming and in particular MorningSide Farms.
"I went to college for fashion marketing", she confided and then elaborated. "College didn't prepare me for what the job was really like, I wasn't happy doing what I was doing."
The job was in New York City where Laura lived and worked for a few years before coming back to Ohio and finding George's ad for farm workers.
Laura affirming, "we connected and I have been here for seven years. I like what I do, I like being outside and growing food. You have to like farming because the ever changing weather necessitates it plus the physical labor involved."
A far cry from the fashion world and life in the big city, Laura doesn't seem to miss the clothing or manicures opting instead of dirt under her fingernails and knowing she's grown something that sustains her and a community.
The saying, birds of a feather flock together, might be true in this case. George had come to organic farming through his career crossroads precipitated by an injury. Laura too had navigated a professional and lifestyle transition to find what seems a deeper more peaceful purpose. Each have been able to face the uncertainty of change to find themselves and happiness within the process.
See previous Blog post for the story on George Remington. You can read A Thoughtful Process written by Karen and published by Ohio Magazine Sept 2017 on Karen's website under the Editorial section.
about the author: Karen Ollis is an experienced photographer specializing in studio portraiture, and environmental on-location portraits for editorial stories, PR and marketing testimonials. instagram @ollisphoto