Memorial The defunct nature of the chamber brings into question changes that have taken place in the agricultural industry of Iowa. Larger populations and higher demand for food has made it impossible for family-sized operations to continue, resulting in leftover spaces like the seed-drying chamber. A shift in scale from family farming to corporate farming has caused a disconnect between production and consumption. The Black Seed Farm, which was once the largest parent seed company in the nation, is obsolete as a result of this shift in scale. The scalar disconnect has prompted a backlash in the form of organic food, the slow food movement, and farmers’ markets. “Knowing your farmer” is a common term now being used as a marketing tool for these movements. A “recalling” has been made: a revival of past practices, closer to the farmer. The seed-drying chamber, now empty, is an artifact of a prior, more intimate way of life.
Image 04_Seed Dryer Plan
Image 05_Section Through Chamber
Image 06_Seed Dryer Section