Resource Pointer #391 (The Fate of Small Farms)
July 26, 2005

For copies of the following resources, please contact the appropriate publishers or organizations directly.

*The Real Dirt on Farmer John*
2005. Taggart Siegel (director). Documentary film about John Peterson, visionary farmer and early developer of subscription based, Community Supported Agriculture. Reveals the challenges of small farms and the emerging models for sustainable and community-supported agriculture. 82 minutes. Contact Collective Eye, 442 Shotwell Street; San Francisco, CA 94110; phone (415) 647-2049; email info@collectiveeye.org; website http://www.therealdirt.net.

*Transformational Farm Policy: Will It Work?*
2005. Chuck Hassebrook. A speech by the Executive Director of the Center for Rural Affairs on the need for a new type of farm policy that recognizes the the cultural, economic and social importance of small farms, acknowledges farmers as entrepreneurs, and rewards environmental stewardship. Available online at http://www.cfra.org/resources/speeches.htm. Contact Center for Rural Affairs,145 Main St – P.O. Box 136; Lyons, NE 68038-0136; phone (402) 687-2100; fax (402) 687-2200; email info@cfra.org; website http://www.cfra.org.

*The Future of Food*
2004, video. Lily Films. Examines the changing nature of food as multinational corporations increasingly exert control over food systems in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. Looks at the rise in patented, unlabeled genetically engineered food, explores alternatives to industrial agriculture, and offers organic and sustainable agriculture as the solutions to the ecological, economic and cultural crisis facing North American farms. 88 minutes. Playing in New York City and other U.S. cities in September and available on DVD later in the year. Contact Lily Films, P.O. Box 895, Mill Valley, CA 94942; email info@lilyfilms.com; website http://www.thefutureoffood.com.

*The Fate of Family Farming: Variations on an American Idea*
2004. Ronald Jager. Explores the history and future of U.S. family farming the agrarian values on which it’s based-the fundamental good of nature, local communities, and simple living. Discusses the work of Louis Bromfield, Victor Hanson, and Wendell Berry, as well as the economic and ecological challenges of small farms and their strategies for survival. 244 pages. $17.95. Contact University Press of New England, Order Department, 37 Lafayette Street, Lebanon, NH 03766; phone (800) 421-1561; fax (603) 643-1540; website http://www.upne.com.

* Broken Limbs: Apples, Agriculture, and the New American Farmer*
2004, video. Bullfrog Films. As apple growers by the thousands are going out of business and facing bankruptcy, filmmaker Guy Evans seeks to determine what has gone wrong in this natural garden of Eden. In this documentary he finds hope in sustainable agriculture and outlines ways in which individuals can play a role in saving America’s farmers. 57 minutes. $35. Contact Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547; phone (800) 543-3764; email info@brokenlimbs.org; website http://www.brokenlimbs.org.

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