Between 1948 and 2015, more than four million farms disappeared in the United States. And in the recent decade, more than half of all farmers said they lost money doing it. As the corporate farming model benefits from government subsidies and economies of scale, small-scale, family-run farms are facing stiffer challenges than ever, while receiving little or no support. This dissolution of a centuries-old relationship to farming is chipping away at America’s rural communities, where young, would-be farmers say ‘no thanks,’ and the last generation of seasoned holdouts are faced with two options: adapt, or be gobbled up.

The Last Generation is a developing portrait of the Allen family, and others like them, who represent the last generation of small-scale, family-run farms in America. It’s a document of an evaporating way of life, a record of what stands to be lost, and most importantly, a reflection on America’s ever-changing relationship to the land.

This project is ongoing.