Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Meet Your Farmer

Meet Your Farmer - Broadturn Farm from Pull-Start Pictures on Vimeo.

I've enjoyed watching these 'Meet Your Farmer' videos produced by the Maine Farmland Trust. Aside from the fact that they are beautifully filmed, I think it's important to understand the issues confronted by our local farmers if we want to grow a healthy local food economy. Listening to their stories, it's clear that these farmers are truly passionate about the work they do, regardless of their successes and failures. That in and of itself, in my opinion, is worth rallying behind.

If you'd like to view all 8 short films in this series, click here.

7 comments:

  1. Yay, I am off to watch this. I always love the videos you post.

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  2. I am such a woos, these things always make me tear up. I know people need places to live, but the astonishing rate at which this country is losing small farms is devastating, and then the people that are wanting to change that don't have the capital to do so.

    I really think the convenience factor that the farmer touched on is so key in long term sustainability of eating local. Somehow it needs to be affordable and convenient or why would the masses chose to participate?

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  3. Kelly, I'm a woos for these kinds of videos too. I feel like I can relate to these farmers on a human level...much more so than some of the folks I encounter in Boston's financial district (where I work).

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  4. Our county just announced there will be a tax increase. There is a drought. Peanuts managed to come up without irrigation but pumps are running night and day to try to make sure the corn crop survives. Temps reached triple digits last week. Diesel fuel is as expensive as gasoline and you know what that costs. You want to hear more?

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  5. We really love the flowers. Ours are coming in, in zone 6b. It seems like you're actually a bit ahead of us. Go figure.

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  6. NellJean I hope the peanut crop makes it. The severe weather across the nation (and globe) is a unsettling to say the least. From what little I know, farming was never an easy job- but these days it seems just about impossible for most folks.

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  7. Thomas, thanks for sharing this video with us. Lots of food for thought.

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