The Midwest family dairy farm. Once an iconic edifice of the American dream has now become the forgotten ruins of the rural landscape. This stop gave me an eerie yet sentient look into the memories of my childhood. While this barn was not in my family, it was where I would spend a good portion of my time when visiting the farm of my great aunt in Falmouth MI. There was never a time when this barn was not a bustling hub of activity. Holsteins in and out all day, instinctively practicing their rituals of feeding and milking. Hay bails being slung from the loft, silage being apportioned in the troughs, the vacuum of milk lines being connected, all accompanied by the custodial task of cleaning the mess left behind by a heard of cows. Walking through the front door of the barn after more than 25 years was more than a step back in time, it was a step into time frozen. So many elements remain unchanged and yet the activity has stopped. No cows, no bails, no silage, and no one busy about. Only the rustling and cooing of a few pigeons, and the creaking of the metal door in the breeze remain. If memories were to be visible, they would once again fill this barn to the rafters where hay and straw once resided.
The farm was found by Gerald DeRuiter Sr. in (?) Milking operations ceased on 2014.
Please view these images as a tribute to the farm and the way of life it procured. They are shot only using available light and not edited in hopes of preserving the authentic feel of actually being there. All are shot with a Sony a9.
