Photo Gallery: Photos: Faces of American agriculture 2012

Nov. 21, 2012

Graydon Flowers, Wolf Lake Farms, Mattson, Miss.
Mike Funderburk, Heaton Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Mark Agostinelli, Agostinelli Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Billy Goss, Goss Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Servando Dias, N. Rios Trucking, Duncan, Miss.
Brian Martinez, Heaton Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Brian Harris, Clint Williams Co., Clarksdale, Miss.
Harry Flowers, Wolf Lake Farms, Mattson, Miss.
George Gammill, Big Creek Gin, Lyon, Miss.
Thomas Neblett, Sunrise Planting, Clarksdale, Miss.
Chuck Tuminello, Heaton Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Brandon Walton, Omega Farms, Lyon, Miss.
Scott Flowers, Wolf Lake Farms, Mattson, Miss.
Manuel Morales, center, with wife Elizabeth and son Jonathan Lee; Bobo-Moseley Gin Co., Lyon, Miss.
Tracy Walton, Clint Williams Co., Clarksdale, Miss.
Robert Ordonez, Bobo-Moseley Gin Co., Lyon, Miss.
Clint Walton, Rodgers Planting Co., Clarksdale, Miss.
David Jackson, Rodgers Planting Co., Clarksdale, Miss.
Johnny Brown, right, and Danny Fly harvesting beans for Omega Farms, Lyon, Miss.
Graydon Flowers, Wolf Lake Farms, Mattson, Miss.
Turner Massey, Massey Planting Co., Rudyard, Miss.
Jon Jackson Bennett, self-appointed crop analyst, Lyon, Miss.
From left: Donald Wiley, Richard Wheeler, Jeremy White and Tracy Walton; Clint Williams Co., Clarksdale, Miss.
Ramiro Arias, Heaton Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
James Ranson clearing cotton fields for Omega Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
From left: Jared Ross, Limerick Farms, Tunica, Miss.; Peyton Fiser, DowAgro Sciences; and Clint Walton, Rodgers Planting Co., Clarksdale, Miss.
Tommy Lee Rucker, Massey Planting Co., Rudyard, Miss.
Elbert Stribling hauls in polypipe for Heaton Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Robert Gary (foreground) and Antonio McCullough; Omega Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Marc Perez, Big Creek Gin, Lyon, Miss.
Johnny Williams, Heaton Farms, Lyon, Miss.
Brian Fyfe, Heaton Farms, Lyon, Miss.
Donald Henning, Massey Planting Co., Rudyard, Miss.
Cody Earnest, Big Creek Gin, Lyon, Miss.
Trandon Brown clearing cotton fields for Omega Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Pete Agostinelli, Agostinelli Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Gerald Gammill, Big Creek Gin, Lyon, Miss.
Daniel Morales, Bobo-Moseley Gin Co., Lyon, Miss.
Steve Ferri, Ferri & Ferri Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Rodney Conley, Bobo-Moseley Gin Co., Lyon, Miss.
Maurice Washington, Agostinelli Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Scott Flowers, left, and Graydon Flowers; Wolf Lake Farms, Mattson, Miss.
Nath McClain, Rodgers Planting Co., Clarksdale, Miss.
John Agostinelli, left, and Pete Agostinelli; Agostinelli Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Antonio Garcia, Bobo-Moseley Gin Co., Lyon, Miss.
Steve Ferri, Ferri & Ferri Farms, Clarksdale, Miss., stands between John Agostinelli, left, and Mark Agostinelli; Agostinelli Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Steven Portillo, Clint Williams Co., Clarksdale, Miss.
Jimmy Brown, Mattson Gin, Mattson, Miss.
Tom Fyfe, Massey Planting Co., Rudyard, Miss.
Ellington Massey, Massey Planting Co., Rudyard, Miss.
Richard Wheeler, Clint Williams Co., Clarksdale, Miss.
Fred Evans, Rodgers Planting Co., Clarksdale, Miss.
Mark Agostinelli, Agostinelli Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Synica Wheeler, Bobo-Moseley Gin Co., Lyon, Miss.
Pete Valle, Bobo-Moseley Gin Co., Lyon, Miss.
Jeremy White, Clint Williams Co., Clarksdale, Miss.
Arnold Moncivais, grain truck operator, 1st Class Logistics, Alamo, Texas.
Rodrigo Hernandez, Bobo-Moseley Gin Co., Lyon, Miss.
Raul Perez, Bobo-Moseley Gin Co., Lyon, Miss.
Eddie Ross, Mattson Gin, Mattson, Miss.
William Barron, Clint Williams Co., Clarksdale, Miss.
Robert Brown, Omega Farms, Lyon, Miss.
Tony L. Brown perched high on a boll buggy, Agostinelli Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Mike Funderburk, Heaton Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Billy Goss, Goss Farms, Clarksdale, Miss.
Thomas Neblett, Sunrise Planting, Clarksdale, Miss.
Gerald Gammill, Big Creek Gin, Lyon, Miss.
Turner Massey, right, and Tom Fyfe; Massey Planting Co., Rudyard, Miss.
Robert Ordonez, Bobo-Moseley Gin Co., Lyon, Miss.
Johnny Brown, left, and Danny Fly harvesting beans for Omega Farms, Lyon, Miss.

America is blessed with the most productive farmers and agricultural workers in the world. As Thanksgiving approaches, the United States has been graced with another year of plenty: food, fuel and fiber — all produced through the effort of American farm workers. Agriculture is the backbone of America: From bread on our tables to the shirts on our backs, U.S. farmers are responsible for feeding and clothing a nation of 310 million people. Here are a few of the faces whose toil made it happen in 2012.