About the Author
CORBIN T. LANKER (they/them)
Corbin Lanker is an undergraduate fellow in the Global Arts and Humanities' 2021-22 Society of Fellows cohort. Lanker is pursuing majors in Earth System Sciences and Oceanographic & Marine Sciences. In the earth sciences, they research ocean carbon dioxide content modeling and its variation over space. Lanker’s future plans include working with Grow Ohio Valley, an urban farm program in Wheeling, West Virginia, as a part of their education team.
Project Overview
The soul of this project was learning about the lives of Ohio farmers. To do so, I went into the homes and barns of three Ohio farmers and interviewed them about their lives, their communities, and how farming is changing under their feet. The interviews were edited to create films that provide a snapshot into the lives of these Ohio farmers.
“We're always balancing safety with visibility. We have to be careful. You know, it can be life or death.”
MARJORIE LEE, Sunday Creek Sanctuary
Parks Farm
Tiffin, Ohio
The Parks Farm is a family farm in Tiffin, Ohio that is in its third generation. The patriarch, John, has been farming for 60 years and has brought his whole family together with it. Their story tells of a family passion for farming and the financial burdens of growing and maintaining a family farm today.
Rusty Winland
Jerusalem, Ohio
Rusty is a second-generation member of a family dairy farm near Jerusalem, Ohio. Rusty is an active community member, serving as a science teacher, volunteer firefighter, and township trustee. Rusty describes his love and efforts to ensure a future for farming and his community.
Sunday Creek Sanctuary
Millfield, Ohio
Sunday Creek Sanctuary is a small vegetable and goat farm near Millfield, Ohio owned and coordinated by queer farmers Dustin and Marjorie Lee. Their farm is focused on creating a safe space for themselves and others. Their story is marked by the joys and difficulties of building a sanctuary in a farming space. (Check out Sunday Creek Sanctuary's work on Instagram!)