Telling the Rural Story - a Hackberry Farm Nature Photography Workshops College Course
- Russell Graves
- Mar 30
- 3 min read
When I walk into the lobby, I'm a bit surprised that I'm not the first one here. In fact, except for one person, I am the next to the last one to arrive. I am not late. I am about five minutes early for our meeting. Nonetheless, eight college students, their graduate assistant, and the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Tarleton State University are waiting here. The last one walks in behind me as I say good morning.
Of all these places these students could be on their spring break, they chose to be a part of the college class I'm teaching titled Telling the Rural Story. It's an extention of our Hackberry Farm Nature Photography Workshops and this class is an offering for students who are majoring in agriculture communications. It goes without saying that this group is impressive.
Six days ago, we started our adventure across the state. The class format is pretty simple: we'd visit rural places and meet rural people around the state and lay out "breadcrumbs" of story ideas. In turn, the students would develop images and words around the breadcrumb that appeals to them the most and present it as a final grade.
Our travels span nearly a full week and cover nearly 1,800 miles. We began in Stephenville, Texas, at Tarleton State University, and from there, we headed to East Texas. On our East Texas leg, we visited Caddo Lake and learned about the area's history. We sought out stories in areas that history has forgotten and spent time walking around old woods. The trees there predate the state of Texas, which is noteworthy since so much of East Texas has been logged.
The trees here are 400-500 years old, and they give a glimpse of what East Texas once looked like when the country was unsettled and wild.
As the week wore on, we ended up back in Stephenville, where we spent some time in a classroom proper. We had a discussion about story-telling and the elements that make a good story. The talk was productive.
From there, we visited some local areas of interest, where plant-eating dinosaur tracks are solidified in the stone of the Paluxy River. We also visited a private preserve that specializes in the conservation of endangered species found around the world.
As the week continued, we traveled west to the Texas Panhandle to visit traditional agricultural strongholds. However, fickle weather and dwindling populations make life challenging there. It's important to hear the story, however.
We photograph a family raising their kids in the agricultural tradition and spend time with a rural visionary who plans to bring folks back to an area that's long since emptied out.
Throughout the class, the students are inquisitive and thorough in their attentiveness. It's nice to see, but it necessarily surprises me. I used to teach young people just like them back when I was a teacher in the public school system.
I didn’t t take many pictures on the trip but that’s okay. The whole experience is encouraging for me. Our future is in good hands.
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