Apr 7, 2007

Organic Grower Focus of Film, PBS Program

Farmer John Peterson and filmmaker Taggart Siegel stood in the fields of Angelic Organics in 1996, and the only thought going through their minds was, “How did this happen?”

The farm, about 75 miles west of Chicago, had been in Peterson’s family for more than 100 years, but had suffered severely during the 1980s farm crises. In 1983, all but 22 acres were auctioned off, along with all of the equipment.

“The farm died,” Peterson said, “and here we are on this reborn farm. We recognized that as a miraculous story.”

Peterson and Siegel put together a documentary about Farmer John and Angelic Organics. “The Real Dirt on Farmer John” chronicles the early life of Peterson through the lowest points in his life – the death of his father and the failure of the farm – to the highest point: the renaissance of the farm. Viewers see the story firsthand through home footage shot by Peterson’s mom and through footage from one of Siegel’s earlier films, “Bitter Harvest,” about the farm’s demise.

The film was released last year and has received critical acclaim, winning more than 20 awards. At the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Colo., the film won two awards and sold out three venues. Peterson estimated between 50 million and 100 million people worldwide would see the movie.

The movie has a number of themes, which is why Peterson thinks it has become so popular.

“Many things got layered into it, many universal truths,” he said. “Mother. Father. Death. Loss. Food. Land. Farming. It sort of speaks to a wide range of people. Those things concern just about everyone.”

Peterson said the film evoked a wide range of responses from viewers. Some were brought closer to their parents, some closer to where their food comes from. He said others have been able to come to terms with the loss of their own farms.

“Primarily, it’s a message that despair isn’t a good enough reason to give up,” he said.

He knows from experience that not giving up is difficult. During his career, he was ostracized for his sometimes-odd behavior, and at one point he was rumored to be a cult leader who oversaw animal sacrifices and orgies. But Angelic Organics has made a name for itself, and the farm now has a good reputation with its neighbors and open communication with its shareholders.

Perhaps as a result of the film, Peterson said after seeing it many had joined one of the 3,000 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in the United States. That is an area he is particularly excited about, because it is an economic model that works for small farmers, and it brings consumers into a relationship with farmers.

“It’s a very dismal world for agriculture, an enormous struggle for so long. It hasn’t gotten as much attention as the 1980s because there just aren’t enough left to go out of business,” Peterson said.

The CSA model has worked well for Angelic Organics. In 1998, 20 shareholders pooled their resources to purchase a 38-acre tract adjacent to the farm. Peterson said this has allowed for more rotation of crops and has increased yields. After having so many disappointments for so long, Peterson said he was pleased with the great results the farm has had over the last four or five years.

“I love when a large group of people are eating from the same table,” he said. “And I love when a small farmer is getting enough money to stay in business.”

Peterson said about a million people in the United States are fed by CSAs every week during the growing season. Angelic Organics has 1,300 shareholders, so about 5,000 people eat produce from the farm each week, Peterson said.

“That means there are many people in urban settings that have a relationship with the farmer and the farm that they wouldn’t otherwise have.”

Peterson believes the CSA model is a good one for small operations because it is a different socioeconomic model that is not easily exploited. He said it is about different groups of people working together to serve each other.

“For people who can do it and want to do it, it’s a very encouraging model,” he said. “China can’t come in and do it. Wal-Mart can’t come in and do it. All they can do is create a romantic label on their packaging that makes people think that’s where their food came from.”

On the heels of the film, Farmer John has released a cookbook called “The Real Dirt on Vegetables.” He started working on the cookbook in 2000, and he hopes it gives readers a deeper sense of what it means to farm. He said the book takes people out on the farm and fosters a relationship with nature. And it gives people a broader perspective on the vegetables they eat.

One interesting aspect to the cookbook Peterson pointed out is the omission of photos of the finished dishes. Instead, there are pictures of the raw vegetables and people working in the fields. He said this reinforces the connection that readers have to their food, and by extension, those who grow the food.

Peterson has been traveling to promote the cookbook and the movie. While he sometimes gets glimpses of what it’s like to be a celebrity, he said that’s not the way he wants to live his life, and is looking forward to returning to the soil that his family has farmed for a century.

“The Real Dirt on Vegetables” was released in May and is available at most bookstores.

“The Real Dirt on Farmer John” is showing in selected cities, but a 53-minute version of the film is scheduled to air June 13 on the PBS program “Independent Lens.”

For more information on Angelic Organics, “The Real Dirt on Farmer John” and the cookbook, visit the farm’s Web site at www.angelicorganics.com. For broadcast times of “Independent Lens” on PBS, visit www.pbs.org/independentlens/realdirt.