Photographer captures the essence of Welsh hill farming
16th March 2023
Rural and action photographer Jac Williams will be exhibiting his photography project ‘Honest Agriculture’ in Llangollen, North Wales, showcasing images that depict agriculture from the working farmer’s perspective.
Photo of Welsh farmer collecting hay from Jac Williams’ ‘Honest Agriculture’ project.
Inspired from a university peer’s comment “I have never seen farming like that before”, Jac set out to bring the culture of traditional mountain farming to public attention through images taken on his four-generation family farm in Denbighshire, Wales.
Now based in Chester, Jac often returns to the farm where his family raises sheep and beef cattle on the mountainside, to help with shearing and other labour-intensive chores.
Speaking to Farmers Guide, he recalled his fondest memory from growing up on a farm, which was being given the freedom and trust to turn hay with a Massey Ferguson 165 while his grandfather watched over him from the shade.
Other than farming, he also takes photos of landscapes and sports, particularly rock climbing, rowing, running and skiing.
Through the images featured in ‘Honest Agriculture’, Jac hopes to educate the public about the hard work smaller family farms do to contribute to food production in the UK.
“I feel with post-Brexit, the Covid pandemic and the recent war in Ukraine, farms like ours will be the subject of difficulties for the next few years which I hope to document and bring to public attention,” he wrote on his website.
Like many farmers, Jac is also concerned about the withdrawal of the basic payment scheme, and the lack of clarity around future income support for producers. He believes diversifying and creating additional income streams will be key to keeping farming businesses viable going forward.
As a member of the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists, Jac plans to carry on documenting the lives of farmers in the future while working on other photography commissions and projects.
“I hope to continue the Honest Agriculture project, to capture memories of my family and my culture, futher informing the public of what family farms go through to produce food for the country all year round,” he told Farmers Guide.
Jac’s work will be exhibited at the Dory gallery in Llangollen, North Wales, from March 25th until May 21st, with prints also available for purchase. A collection of his photos can also be viewed on his website and Instagram.
The images below are samples from the ‘Honest Agriculture’ project. All credits to Jac Williams.
