Regular Folk, Rural Folk

Ian Cumming is a journalist who pays attention, who helps us understand what's going on.

Ian Cumming, journalist.

Ian Cumming has been writing for the Ontario Farmer newspaper for nearly 30 years. He writes about regular folk, especially rural folk - documenting their triumphs and their tragedies.

Ian was out there in the cold, talking to out-of-province truckers the night before they arrived in Ottawa. He was out there in the morning talking to farmers in their tractors as they headed to the nation’s capital to stand in solidarity with the Freedom Convoy. He did what reporters are supposed to. He paid attention. He helped the public understand what was happening.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ian in person at the beginning of my Atlantic Canada road trip. After buying me lunch he drove me through a field to introduce me to Cathy - a Convoy supporter who had hay to rake that day. I snapped the above photo as we arrived.

A journalist who writes about farm life. With a farmer framed in his window. I consider it one of my best captures ever.

Closeup of what appears in Ian’s window, above.

The following guest posts were written by Ian:

• Tractors in Ottawa: Farmers reinforced the truckers on the 2nd weekend of the protest. More than one attempt was made to stop them. (June 2023)

• Calloused Hands & What Used to be Called Journalism (May 2023)