Wool Growers' Restaurant
Los Banos, California, October 2009
I began my series on the farmers of California's San Joaquin Valley on this particular day, in October 2009. I had begun photographing at the San Juan Reservoir early in the afternoon, and by the time I was finished, I asked the park guide where I could get a good meal.
He directed me to the famous Wool Growers' Restaurant in Los Banos, ten miles away. Wool Growers' is a French Basque restaurant which serves its food - lamb stew, fried chicken, boiled cabbage and potatoes, and tons of bread and wine - family style. I could barely finish half of my meal, though the farmers sitting nearby cleaned their plates. Farming is some strenuous labor.
