[notes]

1. the charcra or pictured here has been farmed by the same family, Los Colque for 40 years.

2. the land was owned by someone who lived behind the chacra and was described to me as ‘un hombre humilde’ [a humble man], basically a gaucho, who let the Colques work it and make a living.

3. the man, or ‘patron’ wasn’t able to afford taxes starting a few years ago, and the land was reclaimed by the municipality.

4. the town recently began cutting roads into the chacra. they are subdividing it into lots in an area north of El Bolsón called Barrio Arrayanes. the line of dark soil in the middle of the picture is one of the road cuts.

5. the woman here is one of Adela Colque’s 11 children.

6. she’s harvesting arugula.

7. there are wildflowers, wild chicory, mixed into what’s planted. when i asked her about that (i told her where i come from ppl usually clear everything [dejar pelado] then plant) she said ‘asi es como nos enseño mi papa. it helps the land.’

8. this was the first time i’d actually gone out into this chacra even though we live next door.

9. i realize the composition of the photo is ‘off’ and that i needed to give her more space on the right side. but for some reason i get nervous taking pictures of ppl. i just basically held up the camera, felt embarrassed, pretended like i was looking through the viewfinder, then pressed the button.

10. right now as i write this there is the sound of chainsaws cutting down the windbreak of poplars beside the chacra.

11. when i asked the woman’s brother about everything that was happening he looked around and said esta chacra no existe mas. ‘this farm doesn’t exist anymore.’

12. there is something about the way he said it in present tense that made me feel emotional.

13. everyone’s standing outside their houses right now watching the trees come down.