The vast, flat landscape of eastern New Mexico's High Plains provides a canvas for the annual creation of farmers and ranchers.
Agriculture drives the rhythm of work and life here, reflected in the seasonal palette.
Cattle grazing on a verdant carpet of winter wheat are replaced by farmers plowing and planting the red earth, sprinklers making slow circuits over the growing crops and golden-brown fields of grain waving in the wind. One of the last portions of the western frontier, the High Plains was settled only a century ago. Ranchers were attracted to the grassy prairie, while homesteaders pinned their hopes on the promise of water. Through drought and difficulty, a stubborn contingent of settlers succeeded in making a living on the land. Today, the culture and economy of the High Plains are firmly rooted in agriculture.