Bringing Home the Harvest Around the World – In Pictures

We live in a time where AI, lunar landings and virtual reality are mainstream. But we all still have to gather our food, wherever we are in the world.

Not so many of us these days are farmers, but we are still gathering food, albeit in different ways. It might be a trip to the supermarket or even a robot-delivered shopping order, or putting a coin into a dispensing machine.

At the same time, those who are farmers still harvest, families are still picking fruit in their allotments, fishermen are pulling in their nets, shepherds are tending their flocks and bee keepers are carefully extracting honey.

For our latest blog, we bring you the many means of harvest around the world through pictures from our Tenderstem® Bring Home the Harvest category archive: journeying from seaweed in Zanzibar, okra in Turkey and bananas in Bangladesh to goats in Mongolia, salt in Peru and carrots in Sweden. We hope you enjoy the adventure…

Salt in West Bengal, India

‘Salt Farm Workers Harvesting’ by Saurabh Sirohiya, Highly Commended, 2023

This aerial drone shot was taken from Habra, a rural area in West Bengal, India. You can see some labourers working in a salt pan, where they arrange the salt in circular lines using the traditional method of drying salt. This allows for a slow evaporation under the scorching sun. At the end of the day, the salt is collected in baskets and transported to respective sellers. It is a physically demanding job.

Seaweed in Zanzibar

‘The Seaweed Mamas’ by Adrienne Pitts, Shortlisted, 2020

This group of powerful women have created a life and business for themselves, planting and gathering seaweed for use in a myriad of ways. They have become major breadwinners of their families and have secured financial independence for themselves in a country where men are often still considered the breadwinners.

Lychees in Vietnam

‘Lychee Season’ by Thong Nguyen, 2021

A woman is arranging lychee in a store after it is harvested.

Sheep in Carpathian Mountains, Eastern Europe

‘Going Home’ by Marcin Juncha, Shortlisted, 2020

Traditional Carpathian shepherds lead sheep from grazing in the mountains to villages for winter. The Carpathian Mountains form a 1,500km-long range in Central and Eastern Europe. The range between Slovakia and Poland has several peaks above 2,400 metres. More than half of the Carpathian range lies in Romania, where spruce forests are home to brown bears, wolves and lynxes.

Fish in Mandalay, Myanmar

‘The Morning Catch’ by Zay Yar Lin, 1st, 2020

Three fishermen throw their fishing nets in the lake nearby U Bein Bridge in Mandalay, Myanmar.

Okra in Tokat, Turkey

‘Drying Okra’ by F.Dilek Uyar, 1st, 2021

Drying okra flowers in Tokat, Turkey. Women pick okra flowers from the field and arrange them on a rope, then the dried flowers fall and the okra becomes ready to be used in winter.

Garlic in North Yorkshire, England

‘Growing with Grace’ by Jo Denison, Highly Commended, 2021

Growing with Grace is a community cooperative organic farm and social enterprise in North Yorkshire. In this image, Bill harvests garlic, hanging it to dry in bundles inside a large greenhouse.

Sheep in Mandawa, India

‘Farmer in a red turban with his flock’ by Hamish Scott-Brown, Highly Commended, 2017

Returning home at sundown a farmer drives his flock of sheep along a rural road to the town of Mandawa. Recognised by their red turbans which they say change in style every 15km, this was taken on the eve of Diwali and shows a particular style of knot tying. Sheep are looked after each day by their shepherd and a bonding exists between shepherd and his flock.

Fish in the Sea of Galilee, Israel

‘Fishing in Galilee’ by Manos Chatzikonstantis, Shortlisted, 2019

A group of young people living in a Kibbutz by the sea of Galilee are fishing on a boat towed by the main fishing vessel.

Bananas in Bangladesh

‘Green Smile’ by Sharwar Apo, Shortlisted, 2021

Banana is the most important fruit in Bangladesh, comprising 42% of the total fruit production in the country. It is among the top 20 banana producing countries in the world, with its production hitting over 820,000 tonnes per year.

Crops in India

‘Return Home’ by Barun Rajgaria, Shortlisted, 2020

A village woman returns to her home from the field after collecting crops.

Edible flowers in the Dolomites, Northern Italy

‘Chef collecting edible flowers’ by Pal Hansen, Shortlisted, 2021

Norbert is one of Italy's best chefs. This is one of Chef Niederkofler's chefs, collecting edible flowers to serve at their Michelin Star restaurant Rosa Alpina in the Dolomites, Alpes, North Italy.

Fish in Phu Yen, Vietnam

‘Fishing Net’ by Phuoc Hoai Nguyen, Highly Commended, 2021

The fishermen in Phu Yen on Vietnam’s south-central coast, catch fish every morning. The strong fishermen lift the net out of the water. From above, the net looks like a heart of the sea. For the fishermen who live here, a full catch of fish is not only their happiness but also a mental present that nature gives them.

Salt in Peru

‘Salt Mines in Peru’ by Nani Rodrigues, Highly Commended, 2020

An elderly lady carries a heavy sack of salt and a shovel at Salineras de Maras, Peru. The salt mines were built before the Inca civilization but the harvesting process is still the same: the water evaporates, the salt remains. Despite her age, she harvests the salt by herself.

Carrots in Ljusdal, Sweden

‘Is it done yet?’ by Jonas Borg, Shortlisted, 2021

A young boy impatiently checks out the harvest at the home plot in Ljusdal, Sweden.

Shellfish in Scotland

‘Mitchell The Forager and Ghillie The Dog’ by Lynne Kennedy, Shortlisted, 2023

Mitchell is foraging for dulse seaweed to flavour and decorate a dish of cockles which he cooked, after collecting them from the beach we were on, on the west coast of Skye, an island off the north-west coast of Scotland. He harvested the dulse, and also some wild garlic buds, and then washed the cockles in seawater before cooking them in a little camping pot. Ghillie the dog is Mitchell’s loyal companion who is always by his side and loves meeting Mitchell’s foraging tour clients.

Tea in Sylhet, Bangladesh

‘Tea’ by Shimu Rahman, Highly Commended, 2020

Tea plucking in Sylhet, Bangladesh takes place during summer harvest. Humidity would rise up to 75% and the sun comes out with punishing heat, after working all day in heat the best time comes when you take the harvest.

Mushrooms in South Australia

‘Mushroom Crop’ by Duy Dash, Shortlisted, 2022

The farmer pictured inspecting his produce mid-harvest is Michael Wohlstadt. His farm is part of Dairyman Barossa, located in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. Michael is a dairy farmer by trade, but has recently opened up a small mushroom growing operation onsite and sells at local markets and supplies a few restaurants.

Rice in Rangpur, Bangladesh

‘Harvesting Time’ by Abir Abdullah, Shortlisted, 2020

Women farmers husk their paddy rice with a machine after a good harvest in Rangpur, Bangladesh. Women take part in the rice husking in that region, helping the men at home.

Fish in Vietnam

‘In the Storm’ by Khanh Phan Thi, 1st, 2023

Lap An Lagoon in Hue province in the dry season. When the water recedes, the fish are stuck in puddles and when the tide is low, people often go fishing here. When I arrived at Lap An Lagoon, the storm came. The people who were with me were very afraid of lightning, but I stayed to witness the change of the storm when Heaven and Earth seemed to be connected by wind and water. I tried to stay calm, to forget my fear and shoot this moment. I think things that survive in harsh conditions are always great.

Dates in United Arab Emirates

‘Goat Attack’ by Shyjith Onden Cheriyath, Shortlisted, 2022

At a dates farm in Fujairah near Wadi Shees, this farmer was bringing harvested dates to the farm house. On the way, the goats were trying to grab them from him.

Honey in Sundarbans, Bangladesh

'Honey Collection in Sundarbans' by Muhammad Mostafigur Rahman, 2nd, 2023

Traditional honey collectors collect wild honey in Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site in Bangladesh. Honey collection may sound like a normal rural occupation but it is perhaps the most dangerous job in the world. As they move about in search of beehives in the wild, honey collectors run the risk of meeting ferocious and deadly Royal Bengal Tigers, crocodiles, venomous snakes and other wild animals.

Grapes in South Africa

'Dawn Over Darling' by David Silverman, Shortlisted, 2023

Harvesting grapes at dawn in vineyards in Darling, South Africa.

Goats in Mongolia

‘Winter Migration in the Altai’ by Kristyn Taylor, Shortlisted, 2023

Want more information and inspiration? Visit the Tenderstem® Bring Home the Harvest category page.

Looking for another type of food photography? Check out the other categories in the Awards