About the Film – The Organic Life

• Home > About the Film About the Film Tweet In 1945, the average age of the American farmer was 39; today, it is 55. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of farmers under the age of 45 dropped 14% between 2002 and 2007; thus, as fewer and fewer young men and women choose to return to the land, the EPA seem justified in their concern about “the long-term health of family farms as an American institution.” Nonetheless, despite the statistics, recent media regarding the issue tells of small but growing numbers of young farmers reclaiming American soil. In the face of minute profit margins, it would seem passion alone fuels their commitment to shaping their local harvest, and in doing so, altering America’s agricultural landscape. With its history of supporting alternative cultures coupled with its reputation as a center for agricultural and culinary innovation, California has welcomed many of these new farming pioneers with open arms and has become a major hub for organic and responsible farming in the United States. Most documentaries, films, and news stories present new farmers either as happy, well-meaning people for whom eating healthy produce is satisfaction enough, or as ex-investment bankers who are taking on second careers with an already sizable nest egg. In reality, many new farmers fall somewhere in between, and Austin is one of them. These farmers face increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, shifting markets, pests, and poverty. They work, rain or shine (or in hail or furnace-like conditions), year-round. It’s no small wonder why so few would want the job, and it’s clear that passion alone cannot sustain them. The Organic Life will uncover both the challenges and the rewards of the farming life and will investigate what drives young farmers to take the job. The Organic Life is a yearlong chronicle of life on the farm. The film shows not only who grows your food, but also how it is grown. We’ve all seen the end product at farmer’s markets, grocery stores, and restaurants; however, rarely do we think about what actually transpires in the 200-some days it takes your local farmer to produce that heirloom tomato. The film focuses on one young farmer, filmmaker Casey Beck’s boyfriend, Austin Blair, and tells their story, thus allowing the viewer to delve into this issue and experience over the course of one hour the low points and ultimately the joys that surface over a year of farming. It’s a story that’s filled with sweat, blisters, sun, and rain as well as a compelling passion for life, food, and the earth, which seems unique to farmers. The film questions the financial future of these young people. However, as it shows one such farmer’s 21st-century approach, it demonstrates that this can be a viable and fulfilling profession. In this way, The Organic Life is a look at sustainable farming-not merely how the farm itself is viable, but also how the farm sustains its keepers. Buy the Film Now! DVD
• Environmental Working Group

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