Photographer Juan Carlos Gonzalez showcases 'Longfellow Farmers' portraits of Vermont women farmers at State House and Fleming Museum

Photographer Juan Carlos Gonzalez presented a portfolio of portraits and a self-published book documenting women farmers in Vermont, saying the project aimed to "amplify the woman agriculture industry" by showing farmers' work and stories.

Gonzalez told the State House audience he began the project after moving to Vermont and noticing the same question—"who's the guy that you get the veggies from?"—was often asked of restaurant staff. He said that prompted him to shift focus to the women who run farms: "there is something here that it can be said, and it could be amplified. And it's the agriculture industry that is run by women," he said, describing how his initial plan to document 10 farmers expanded to 45 over two years.

The project, Longfellow Farmers, pairs images with short profiles and an oral-questionnaire that included "why do you farm?" Gonzalez said the responses produced pages of material that later formed a book and exhibit. He described traveling across Vermont to photograph farmers at Billings Farm, Bennington and numerous private farms, and noted the exhibition has been hosted in part by King Arthur and later shown at the State House and the Fleming Museum. "The full show is there until May," he told the committee, referring to the Fleming Museum schedule and naming May 17 as the exhibit closing for the semester.

Gonzalez said the work was largely self-funded, with a modest arts council grant and print‑on‑demand book production through Blurb. He described the project's goals: raise awareness of women farmers, connect restaurants and consumers to the actual people who supply food, and inspire engagement with local agriculture. He also recounted specific moments and subjects—farmers who shared multi‑generational ties to places such as Billings Farm, hands callused by field work, and a rural dedication that continued even during the pandemic.

Committee members and attendees praised the work and compared it to earlier photographic records of Vermont agriculture. Gonzalez said he hopes to revisit many of the farmers in about 10 years to document changes and potential second volumes.

The exhibit includes about 45 framed images; a portion traveled previously to Billings Farm and Bennington Museum, and the full set is scheduled at the Fleming Museum through May 17. Gonzalez said the self-published book is available via his project site Longfellow Farmers and that portions of the exhibit had reception events at the State House.