Films on the Future of Farming
Farmers for America
As its creators describe it, “the documentary traces the extraordinary changes coming to America’s food system as more and more consumers flock to farmers’ markets, embrace farm-to-table lifestyles and insist on knowing where their food is coming from. At the center of the film are the farmers, young and old, who provide the spirit and energy to bring urban and rural America together over what both share in common: our food. These farmers reflect nothing less than the face of America. With the average age of today’s farmer at 60, and rural America losing population as the cost of land and equipment soars, this film reveals the people waiting to take their place, the practices they’re championing and the obstacles they must overcome.”
So check out the captivating and informative film by Farmers for America taking a deep dive into the future of American farming. Private screening options include buying community, conference or educational licenses; otherwise, there are occasional public screenings. Upcoming screenings are in Keene, New Hampshire, Washington, D.C., Pepin, Wisconsin, and Louisville, Kentucky, but look on the website for more screenings around the country!
2. Farmland
This documentary by award-winning director, James Moll, exposes the lives of American farmers and ranchers in their 20s running their own farm businesses. Most Americans have never stepped foot on a farm or ranch or even talked to the people who grow and raise the food we eat, and Farmland offers a new perspective on the changing norms of family farms and challenges and rewards of being a young farmer today in America. The narrative of young farmers is a crucial one in today’s conversations about American farm politics, so check out the website to see all the online viewing options and instructions.
3. Dolores
When talking about farms, we cannot leave farmworkers out of the conversation. They are responsible for all of the labor that goes into our food, and they are being abused. This documentary about Dolores Huerta exposes her life of activism for farm laborers. “Dolores Huerta is among the most important, yet least known, activists in American history. An equal partner in co-founding the first farm workers unions with Cesar Chavez, her enormous contributions have gone largely unrecognized. Dolores tirelessly led the fight for racial and labor justice, becoming one of the most defiant feminists of the twentieth century.” Watch the trailer above, where you can also rent or buy the full documentary online.
4. food Chains
Everyone who eats is involved in the food chain. But most of the chain is hidden from us: the conditions for the people who grow and pick our food, the process of distribution, and the institutions that hold the power of change. This documentary connects consumers to the food system, explores the disproportional power of supermarkets and the fast food industry, and tells the brave stories of abused farmworkers and their fights for justice, including the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and its hunger strike for the Fair Food Program to eradicate abuse of tomato pickers.