July 2020

As a photographer I was tempted to pull a Jersey U-ey for about the fifth time this morning. The rising July sun was casting a warm misty glow across every humidity-laden farm field that I passed. But today’s photo shoot had my full attention. You see, I have been photographing a seventh generation cranberry farming family during their fall harvests for almost ten years now. What started out as a desire to see bogs full of blazing red cranberries had turned into a full-blown agricultural photography project. And, in spending more and more time on that farm, I began to see beyond the beautiful cranberries. The project evolved into learning the stories and capturing the personalities of that close-knit family of growers. The cranberries had become the backdrop. I was imagining what kind of backdrop a flower farm could provide…

I was headed to Ford’s Nest Flower Farm on Waln Road, just outside of Chesterfield’s cozy little town center. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing new farm owners Kelsey and Chris for quite some time now. I was even a guest at their beautiful wedding two years ago, so I am familiar with their love for the outdoors and that quiet little slice of life. I had heard the initial ideas about starting a flower farm from Chris during our common time in the New Jersey State Park Service. More recently I’ve been seeing the leaps of progress through Kelsey’s social media feed and her weekly e-newsletter. Having been around flowers my whole life as a wedding photographer, I was eager to see and hear what went into the birth of a first-generation flower farm.

Arriving early as it seems I do for every shoot, I was encouraged via text to let myself into the half acre flower field. A short stroll under some old apple trees led me to the gate, clipped closed with just a dog chain clasp. I half expected the gate to pleasantly creak as I opened it, but then I remembered Chris’s mechanical diligence, and realized a squeaky gate would never happen around here. Just inside, tucked between a V-shaped grove of native New Jersey pines, was Kelsey’s labor of love, practically bursting at the seams with green, despite the fact that the first planting had been just two months prior. My eyes were drawn to splashes of every color and tone I could think of. I had brought my 85mm with me, but noooo… this scenery was screaming for the intimacy of my 60mm macro! I quickly changed lenses.

I had just found the most amazing floral feature ever and was delicately trying to photograph it as the Ford family appeared through their gate; Kelsey, Chris, and little August, just one year old, but already taking in the world with wide and wise eyes. He studied me for a few moments as Chris sat him down in the grass. I imagined for a second that he was trying to figure out if he knew me, but then guessing he was as inquisitive as his parents are, I decided that he was taking in my big camera, and will probably have all of its features figured out within the next ten minutes. Either that or how to take it apart. I decided to leave my camera on my shoulder, either way.

Greetings ensued, along with the now customary reassurances and rule-checks associated with the current state of coronavirus in the world, but then I couldn’t wait any longer. I quickly steered over to where I was photographing the plant that had grabbed my attention with perfectly round dew drops collected on its leaves. Dew drops that would roll off the leaves like greased ball bearings if you tilted them. “Lemon bush eucalyptus,” Kelsey identified. “If you rub the leaves they have a really strong lemon citronella smell.” I rubbed, of course - the leaves smelled amazing! I need one of these for my porch! Knowing my skill with plants, I asked her in a casual way if they died easily.

Kelsey had worked on a New Jersey vegetable farm during summer college breaks. The farm owner also had flowers planted, as many vegetable farmers do. The colorful blooms are an excellent way to attract pollinators. Kelsey recalls that she loved growing and preparing the flowers on that farm, even more so than the vegetables. “It was something to do with my hands,” she says happily, “after sitting in school I wanted to do something with my hands.”
So inspired by, and so capable with fresh flowers, Kelsey grew her own summer blooms for her July wedding bouquet. I had noticed on that day how the bold yellows, fuchsias, and purples she had chosen brilliantly accentuated her bridesmaids’ dresses (even though I was a guest and not the wedding photographer for a change - thank you very much, you two!)

Now, just two years later, Kelsey was preparing to show me around her very own rows. August was occupied now that he had completed his hunt for a strawberry, whether wild or cultivated. He was carefully examining his prize. This kid will know everything there is to know about strawberries by the time he’s five. But not this particular one, as it’s already popped into his mouth. Chris scoops him up and they head off to get a wagon and buckets as Kelsey, clippers in hand, dives into her flowers.

Kelsey glides effortlessly up and down the narrow rows of flowers while I straggle behind, my macro lens practically buried inside a gorgeous violet zinnia I stop to photograph. “Any weeds that you can stomp on will really help me out,” she calls back cheerfully from up ahead. I catch up to her as she starts cutting positively glowing sunflowers that are easily a foot over her head. “See those short thick stalks over there,” she asks, pointing with her clippers three rows over and to the right, “those are from June’s sunflowers. You want to plant at different times, so that the flowers grow and bloom throughout the summer, not just as one crop.” This supports her first-year involvement with a curbside pickup market in Rancocas Woods. Folks can order online at the Ford’s Nest website and have a fresh flower bundle waiting for them on select Friday mornings.

Farmers Markets have become a regular event in many small towns, and a fascination of mine this summer. Local farmers and merchants can gather weekly to set up colorfully packed tables of fruits, vegetables, foods and crafts to sell. Residents, some within walking distance of urban markets, now have fresh produce available to them while they also support local businesses. It’s a pretty sweet deal! I was attracted to the outdoor markets with the thoughts of photographing the gorgeous colors of the produce, but I’m finding myself drawn more and more into meeting the farmers and hearing their stories.

Husband Chris has returned alone with the wagon. Mr. August, it seems, had had an early morning and, lucky for him, he gets to take a nap. Four buckets of colorful flowers are gathered as the morning temperature speeds into the high-eighties. I help load the wagon, mostly because I figured the quicker it’s loaded, the quicker we can get out of the sun, and I notice the cooler parked in the front. Chris has loaded the cooler with iced water, seltzers, and (hey!) microbrews with farmy-like watermelon and orange flavors.
Across the yard at one of their larger sheds, Kelsey and Chris pull out a work table and set it up in the shade of a massive oak tree, where Kelsey gets to work selecting, cutting, and bundling her zinnias, marigolds, celosias, and cosmos. As she deftly arranges flowers by color shades, I sip on a cold Hell or High Watermelon Wheat (don’t judge, days start early on the farm) and ask her about some of the more uniquely named flowers. She smiles widely as she identifies scabiosa, strawflower, and gomphrena. Bundled together and gently wrapped in craft paper they are all beautiful. Each bundle, I think to myself, could be a bouquet for a really cool and rustic farmhouse wedding. Ironically, I learn that one of Kelsey’s goals is to grow for and deliver to local florists for just that purpose.

The wrapped flowers are taken out to stock the roadside table, where passers-by can grab their favorite bouquet from the burlap-draped buckets and then drop their payment in the honor box. Finally, we each carry a chair and a microbrew to some shade by the edge of the woods, where we can sit and just chat for a bit. I ask Kelsey if there is any part of the flower farm work that she dreads. She thinks. She even looks to Chris for help. “Well… laying row cover is annoying,” is all she has. I ask if she has plans to expand beyond her initial half acre, and she confesses that she’d love to be successful at this first stage of growing and then “do it better” before expanding. I smile in admiration.

As it gets close to noon and the temps settle firmly into the nineties, I organize my cameras and lenses back into my photo bag to head home. It was nice to be outside photographing in a farm environment again, to catch up with friends, and to envision in my mind what Ford’s Nest will look like in ten years time. But, it is Sunday after all - time to take in a day of rest.
Before I turned out of the driveway onto Waln Road, I paused to look left and then to look right. I looked right at the table full of bright and colorful flowers. Cheerful flowers as you arrive, cheerful flowers as you leave - not a bad way to live each day.

Contact Christopher to photograph YOUR farm… christopherH@christopherHstudios.com

Visit Ford’s Nest… https://fordsnestfarm.com/

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Days Start Early on the Farm