Harvest Time - Palouse, Washington

Most of the photos that are taken of the Palouse are of beautiful rolling landscapes featuring some of the most fertile farmland in the world. If not the landscapes, then it is the many barns in all type of conditions, from brand new to falling down and dilapidated ones. Maybe a few abandoned farmhouses or farm machines that are found down some the roads throughout the Palouse. The one subject that you don't see are many photos of the granary. Why? The simple answer is that most granaries aren't that attractive. They are an essential part of making the Palouse one of the largest producers of wheat in the world but aren't built for beauty. The granary's role in the production of wheat is simple, it is a facility where harvested and threshed grain is stored.

When we came across the granary in this photo, it was in the middle if the harvest season. If not for the beautiful wheat crop in the foreground and the great blue sky and cumulous clouds in the background, I wouldn't have taken the photo of the granary. Taken as a whole, however, makes a terrific statement about the relationship of the crop to grain production process.