Farmland Movie Debuts in New York City
The movie Farmland, which tells the story of 6 young farmers, made its debut in New York City last evening. The movie, produced in cooperation with the US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, has been shown to farmer audiences around the nation over the past few months, but just made its New York city debut at the Tribeca Film Festival Thursday evening. Director James Moll said the film gives the public a firsthand look at life on a farm without preaching, “There are lots of hot button issues in agriculture and there is a good deal of back and forth discussion by groups with different agendas; but I decided I did not want to make an agenda film, I wanted to make a film about people.” He said the documentary focuses on the characters, what they do, and how they live.
Leighton Cooley, a poultry producer in Georgia and one of the farmers featured in the film, said he agreed to participate in the project because it is important to reach out to consumers and show them how their food is really produced, “Any chance we get to respond to misconceptions about agriculture we need to take. This film was not only a chance to tell folks what we do and how we treat our animals, but to show them.” He added the film is aimed at those folks who would never have the opportunity to visit a farm and talk with a farmer.
Ryan Veldhuizen, a pork producer in Minnesota, said the most important message he wants the New York City folks to take away from the movie is that their food is produced by people, “People that have families just like everyone else.” David Loberg, a corn and soybean producer in Nebraska, says it is really exciting to think that, as farmers in the Midwest will be going to the fields planting in the next few weeks, consumers across the nation will be watching Farmland and getting an idea of what life on a farm is like. All of the farmers featured in the film say it is a very realistic depiction of what they do every day.
For more information and locations to see the move visit farmlandfilm.com.