Siegel, Taggart. The Real Dirt on Farmer John. New York: CAVU Pictures, 2006. Super 8, 83 min. https://youtu.be/0egeHh1_Sb4.
After taking over a farm from his father in the late 1960s, John Peterson turns it into an experiment of art and agriculture, making it a haven for hippies, radicals, and artists. Demonized by his community for his radical new appearance and approach to farm life, Peterson suffers a crippling setback when he is forced to sell off his farming equipment, much of his family’s acreage, and dairy cattle in the debt-ridden 1980s. But in the early 1990s, Peterson returns to what was left of the farm, determined to bring it back to life. Noticing the ongoing multinational takeover of American farming and betting instead on the future of organic produce, Peterson turned the old farm into an organic operation, naming it Angelic Organics, one of the largest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in the United States, a beacon of today’s booming organic farming movement. A multi-faceted enterprise, the farm now provides fresh organic produce for 1,200 shareholder families, on-site educational programs, and vast employment opportunities for local people. (Source: Independent Lens)
© 2006 Tiberius Film GmbH. Trailer used with permission.
