Home Winds

Description from Planthouse Flat File

A collaboration between photographer Benjamin Swett, and musician Heather Woods Broderick, published by Planthouse, Inc.

Home Winds, unites the photography of Benjamin Swett with the soulful music of singer and songwriter Heather Woods Broderick in an elegant call to environmental awareness. The publication, which includes a foreword by Elleree Erdos, was born of a desire to support environmental causes. In that spirit, proceeds from the release of the song Home Winds will benefit institutions devoted to fighting climate change.

Planthouse founder Katie Michel conceived of the idea for the book when her mother, Betsy Michel, decided to leave the family farm, Home Winds Farm in Gladstone, New Jersey, and preserve a significant portion of the land for agricultural use under the New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program. Over the course of a year, photographer Benjamin Swett sensitively captured the essence of Home Winds Farm through a series of portraits of the maples, beeches, lindens and black cherry trees that have populated the land for decades, many originally planted by the Michels. Heather Broderick’s tribute song is a haunting ballad inspired by memories from her own upbringing on forested land in the Northeast. Broderick composed and recorded an additional song, entitled Shoreline, to complete the B-side of the vinyl record that is bundled with the book.

In Spring 2017, an exhibition at Planthouse will feature Swett’s photographs from the book and Broderick’s vinyl recording. Visitors will be able to listen to the songs on a record player in the gallery. The show Home Winds will be on view April 28 through June 22, 2017.

Heather Woods Broderick is an American musician and composer. She has released two solo records under her own name: From the Ground (Preservation, 2009), and Glider (Western Vinyl, 2015). She has also worked in collaboration with many musicians over the last decade. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon.

Benjamin Swett is a photographer and writer. His previous books include New York City of Trees (winner of the 2013 New York City Book Award for Photography), The Hudson Valley: A Cultural Guide (2009). Route 22 (2007) and Great Trees of New York City: A Guide (2000). He lives in New York City with his wife and sons.

Publication Date: April 28th