It began with an assignment back in 2011, photographing a 4th generation shrimping family in Darien, Georgia. Since then, Minneapolis-based agriculture photographer Jamey Guy has photographed an ongoing series focusing on family-owned farms has taken him to Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota.
The US Department of Agriculture classifies family farms in three tiers: small, large and very large. However, no matter the size, what they all have in common is a thriving passion and concern for providing quality food. The number of farms in the country currently stands at around 2.2 million, 96% of these being family-owned. Unfortunately, the “factory farms” or those owned by corporations, are the ones with the highest grossing sales–leading the majority of the public to disregard these hard-working families. With that in mind, Jamey explained his intentions with this project:
“I think it’s important to also show the other side of the coin, that there are families and real people that are feeding us. And although they too would like to earn a nice living, they are not sacrificing food quality or using mad scientist genetics to provide that for us. I think it’s important to support them, and give them a face, so that their children don’t give up on us by selling out to the corporations for an easier way of life.”
Jamey has spent time photographing these small farming communities, witnessing firsthand how faithful they are to their industry. The fact that these families are their own employees often goes overlooked. Having to milk cows twice a day, seven days a week is just a small example proving that this culture occupies their everyday lives. Their extreme dedication leaves no room for going out of town or taking a day off.
While in search of potential subjects, Jamey has also been dedicated–making cold calls, asking for referrals, knocking on doors and following all leads. Although he defines the experience as rewarding, it’s also a challenge. Because these farmers take exceptional pride in their work, they’re often hesitant to affirm loyalty of outsiders in fear of being caught in a “gotcha” moment, as Jamey described it. The trial of gaining their trust is a part of what makes these photographs valuable.
While the 98% of the country who are not farm employees enjoy talking about all things under the sun, the 2% that do work on farms are happy discussing just that: the weather.