Dispatches from the Margins of Modern Agriculture
For centuries, humanity has benefitted from a generational intimacy with the land. But as farms and ranches continue to consolidate across America, traditional midsize farms – once the majority – are nearing extinction, and those who remain find themselves on the precipice of an ever-widening chasm into which more than four million farming families have vanished since 1948. Dubbed the hollowing out of agriculture, this global phenomenon of a “disappearing middle” is actively shaping the rural communities of our time. And for the thousands of children growing up in this context, the journey of self-discovery has become increasingly complicated.
The Last Generation is a coming-of-age story for these would-be farmers, chronicling their quest for identity as they choose to adapt or abandon a generational legacy around agriculture. By elevating the points of view of young people and their elders, the work illustrates the vital role traditional midsize farms and ranches have played in the preservation of culture over time, and asks ‘what is lost?’ when the forces shaping modern agriculture continue unabated. As a majority of the world’s producers are gradually pushed to the margins, and our collective connection to the land thins, The Last Generation offers a timeless visual record that dignifies those caught in the disappearing middle, and elevates those charting new pathways out of it.
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Bob Miller is an American photographer and filmmaker whose documentary practice has illuminated contemporary social issues in over a dozen countries. Drawn to his home state by the passing of his grandfathers, The Last Generation began as an intimate reflection on the photographer’s own agricultural lineage. As the nature of farming changes rapidly in America and rural communities begin to confront their own post-agricultural identity, he hopes this expanding reportage will encourage audiences of all ages to sit at the feet of their elders, and consider how the mysteries of generational knowledge and skill might be preserved before they are lost.
For centuries, humanity has benefitted from a generational intimacy with the land. But as farms and ranches continue to consolidate across America, traditional midsize farms – once the majority – are nearing extinction, and those who remain find themselves on the precipice of an ever-widening chasm into which more than four million farming families have vanished since 1948. Dubbed the hollowing out of agriculture, this global phenomenon of a “disappearing middle” is actively shaping the rural communities of our time. And for the thousands of children growing up in this context, the journey of self-discovery has become increasingly complicated.
The Last Generation is a coming-of-age story for these would-be farmers, chronicling their quest for identity as they choose to adapt or abandon a generational legacy around agriculture. By elevating the points of view of young people and their elders, the work illustrates the vital role traditional midsize farms and ranches have played in the preservation of culture over time, and asks ‘what is lost?’ when the forces shaping modern agriculture continue unabated. As a majority of the world’s producers are gradually pushed to the margins, and our collective connection to the land thins, The Last Generation offers a timeless visual record that dignifies those caught in the disappearing middle, and elevates those charting new pathways out of it.
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Bob Miller is an American photographer and filmmaker whose documentary practice has illuminated contemporary social issues in over a dozen countries. Drawn to his home state by the passing of his grandfathers, The Last Generation began as an intimate reflection on the photographer’s own agricultural lineage. As the nature of farming changes rapidly in America and rural communities begin to confront their own post-agricultural identity, he hopes this expanding reportage will encourage audiences of all ages to sit at the feet of their elders, and consider how the mysteries of generational knowledge and skill might be preserved before they are lost.
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16 imagesZoey's Dream Beneath the gently rolling Loretto Hills of Kentucky, 11-year-old Zoey Allen rides bareback through fields of corn and soybean while her grandfather, shirtless and leather-skinned, walks methodically through rows of freshly cut hay. “I’m as good as any farmer,” Jackie Allen told me that day. And at 62, he looks the part. The 260 acres under his feet, established by his grandfather before him, are indeed the only world he’s ever known. His face and hands hold the unmistakable texture of someone intimate with hard work. Standing next to him, his granddaughter exudes the same grit. For Zoey, reimagining her relationship to the land means embracing her "natural gift" and helping her grandfather train horses for Kentucky's agricultural elite to offset declining farm revenue. Together, the Allens represent the best that American farms have to offer. They are the summation of generational knowledge and skill, passed down through family lineage. And for centuries the world has benefitted from this tradition of generational intimacy with the land. But as industrialized agriculture continues to grow, the Allen’s find themselves creatively diversifying to stay afloat. From dairy farmer to logger, from horse trainer to professional fisherman, Jackie Allen's role has evolved over the years to meet his family's need. "I wanna keep the farm," he said. "And I do my best to keep it. But you gotta take from this part of your business to pay for that part of your business, just to keep it going. So that's what I'm doing. And I'll do it as long as I'm able to do it." Chapter One of The Last Generation follows Jackie "Jackrabbit" Allen and his grandchildren as they navigate the crossroads of a generational farming legacy at risk. -
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37 imagesThis work is ongoing. A chapter summary TK. Potential Area of Focus #1 – Women... Potential Focus Area #2 – Labor shortages stress producers big and small. As the settled migrant labor population ages out in America, their children are pursuing careers outside of agriculture, contributing to a staggering labor shortage that’s left farmers without the help they need to bring in their harvests. As a result, American farmers are relying more heavily than ever on the federal H2A visa program to bring in immigrant workers seasonally – despite the higher wage and other benefits they’re required to provide. In some states, H2A growth has increased 500% in the past decade. A selection of photographs taken during two shooting scouts to the Hancock farm are presented below.