Burnt Sugar
Belle Glade, FL
Nikon F100
50mm Nikkor f/1.4
Ilford FP4+
Rodinal (1:25) 9 mins
It seems counterintuitive to watch a farmer set their crops ablaze, but these controlled sugar cane burns ignite the leaves around the stalks which burn off like newspaper and make the crop more efficient to harvest. During harvesting season, when we're out and about, we'll see multiple smoke plumes as we drive through the area. It's a controlled process and they flame out and disperse surprisingly quickly considering the size of the smoke plume. Sometimes you get a hint of burnt caramel on the beeze.
The practice is controversial though and is at the heart of a class action lawsuit at the moment. Local neighborhoods are claiming the smoke, soot and ash causes asthma, difficulty breathing and other illnesses.
Sugarcane can actually be harvested green but it's less efficient. It will be interesting to see if harvesting practices change in the future.
Burnt Sugar
Belle Glade, FL
Nikon F100
50mm Nikkor f/1.4
Ilford FP4+
Rodinal (1:25) 9 mins
It seems counterintuitive to watch a farmer set their crops ablaze, but these controlled sugar cane burns ignite the leaves around the stalks which burn off like newspaper and make the crop more efficient to harvest. During harvesting season, when we're out and about, we'll see multiple smoke plumes as we drive through the area. It's a controlled process and they flame out and disperse surprisingly quickly considering the size of the smoke plume. Sometimes you get a hint of burnt caramel on the beeze.
The practice is controversial though and is at the heart of a class action lawsuit at the moment. Local neighborhoods are claiming the smoke, soot and ash causes asthma, difficulty breathing and other illnesses.
Sugarcane can actually be harvested green but it's less efficient. It will be interesting to see if harvesting practices change in the future.