The Real Dirt on Farmer John – Must See!

So, I’ve been meaning to post my review of this movie, The Real Dirt on Farmer John on my site for a week now, but haven’t had a chance.   My co-worker Heather told me I had to see it because she had just met the main character in person at her local farmer’s market and actually went out to visit his farm.  So needless to say,  I chucked it on my netflix queue and waited for it to arrive.

The film is about John, the farmer + artist, who is an outcast in his community and overcomes adverse conditions in overall life and in his farming experience. What I find to be the most amazing thing about the film is the amount of digital footage that had been captured over the last 25 years.  From 8 mm home movies shot on the farm in the 50’s and 60’s to modern video – you really get this whole-hearted, humorous, heartbreaking and spirited life drama that feels so personal and intimate.  You are basically watching his whole life in video snippets with personal narration.

I really don’t want to give away the end, but he ends up finding his way, transforming his land and building upon Angelic Organics – where people work and flourish providing fresh vegetables and herbs to thousands of people every week.   People like my friend Heather get a box of veggies and a newsletter every couple weeks and enjoy the benefits of one of the largest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in the United States.

You HAVE to watch this movie.