One Year in the Life of a Kent Fruit Farm - Jo Court LRPS

Having received my first camera at the age of ten and graduating with a BA Hons in Fine Art where, in my final show, I used the medium of photography to tell the story of my city’s homeless, it was only natural that I returned to my passion once the youngest of my five children went into his final years of school.

I left my job and immediately enrolled on the first available adult education course in digital photography, with the aim of refreshing and upgrading my skills; having previously only worked with film. On nearing the end of the final course, I decided that a project was needed. I knocked on the office door of Gaskains Ltd in December 2018 and asked if I could document their farm over the course of a year with my camera. I was surprised by the immediate positive response and on January 2nd 2019 this documentary project was in motion.

My first nineteen years were spent on farms and now living in Kent; ‘The Garden of England’, a fruit farm, was an obvious choice for a project. I am happiest in my walking boots, or wellies if necessary, wearing my camera, meeting all types of people, walking for miles and in all weathers.

Visiting a few days a week, at various times, I immersed myself and found it fascinating, enjoyable and rewarding. The workers all received me happily and it wasn’t long before I became part of the farm life, with my camera and its shutter’s click barely noticeable. This enabled me to see and respond with the camera swiftly. Always alert, even if chatting, ready for those fleeting moments.

The manager was excellent at informing me when something rather unusual was occurring and this saw me visiting at night to photograph the urgent spraying of the apples. It had been continuously wet with more rain forecast and the fruit was in danger of disease. Another occasion saw me lying in wait, like a bandit, at 6am by the road side waiting for a convoy of picking platforms to pass by. This was the first time these new semi-automated picking platforms were to be used and only a few other UK farms own one.

The sense of community which this family business has achieved has resulted in most of the full-time staff remaining for years, even into decades. Many eastern European migrant workers are offered permanent contracts and settle here with their families, working alongside the English staff. It was pleasing to see the arrival of a younger, local man who began work in June of that year. He claims to have been, “one of those naughty kids at school”. He has since survived two winters and enjoys labouring on the farm.

In the February I decided to spend a day working alongside the migrants. We had to reach inside the chicken wire and prune the saplings. It was back-breaking and our gloves were torn to shreds. On arrival home I cooked the family dinner and attended my son’s school music concert. If I was working like that every day those evening activities would likely be swapped for a bath and early bed. Working alongside them helped me to forge relationships and to photograph empathetically.

2020 delayed the culmination of this story as the Covid 19 pandemic struck, and in September of that year Lioness Publishing released my first book, ‘Canterbury City Centre through the lockdown’. I also worked towards my Licentiate with the Royal Photographic Society and was awarded the distinction in July 2021.

Now, a year overdue, I am preparing for this farm exhibition which commences on the 5th of October and runs for two weeks. The farm office walls are covered with large prints. My self-published, 234 page, in depth book, ‘One Year in the life of a Kent Fruit Farm’ is at the printers and should be released at the opening night. The book will be available from the exhibition, Canterbury Makers shop and my Etsy page.

Daren’s mum and 2 aunts worked on the farm so he played here as a child during the summer. “I remember instead of picking strawberries, I used to lie down, away a bit, and eat them. I started work here in 2002.”

Elena from Romania. My husband in Romania. He working fuel. My one son manager of ... like ASDA. He gets married next year. I work here 8 months a year. For ten years I’ve been coming. I like everything. Life!

Kane from Faversham. I was one of them naughty kids. I’ve bought a car and play bass in a band. I like it on the farm. I really do enjoy it. It’s challenging at times but I’m learning.