Working Land refers to two facets of rural landscape: the idea of working the land as a vocation and as a description of productive ground. My family tree includes immigrant ancestors who made a living from working the soil and some of their descendants who carry on this work to the present day. That personal connection to working land inspired the project.

Marlys' farming lineage

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Kubitz farm 2015: Marlys descends from farm families working in Otter Tail County since 1865. I cannot be sure, but I suspect that her Norwegian and Swedish immigrant ancestors also came from generations of farming people. While photographing at the Kubitz farm, I imagined that her love and aptitude for farming must have passed to her though this long blood line.

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