The Real Dirt on Farmer John.

The Real Dirt on Farmer John begins with, none other than Farmer John himself, an Illinois born and bred farmer squishing dirt between his hands and then… eating it?  It’s apparent from the very start that Farmer John Peterson is no ordinary farmer.  He frolics through his fields with wild abandon, dresses as a bumble bee to star in his own anti pesticide video and rides his tractor with a bright orange feather boa swinging from his suntanned neck.  Though he doesn’t necessarily fit the bill of the salt of the earth stereotype, Farmer John certainly reaps the seeds he sows.

Throughout most of The Real Dirt, we follow John’s incredibly unpredictable life as a farmer. The turbulence begins with John’s inheritance of the farm at a very early age after the death of his father and we watch him toil away over many years.  He gets off to a good start, eager and keen to do his best.  His creative, flower power side brings like minded hippies from far and wide and a farm commune of sorts is formed.  The enthusiasm dies away and is replaced by debt and failure to compete with industrialization.  The town turns against him, rumors of satanic worship make John an outcast and he starts making fig Newton pigs and broaches from found objects to try and make ends meet.  He suffers from great bouts of depression and doubts his abilities.  When his mother dies of cancer, John seeks refuge in Mexico before finally returning to the soil where it all began.

The slow demise of the family farm is an all too common story in the U.S today. But miraculously, the Peterson farm is a story of incredible success.  Through struggle and strife, Farmer John eventually finds his footing in the earth.  He starts looking at farming in a new/old way and begins healing the soil.  He goes back to the basics: companion planting, biodiversity, following the rhythms of the sun.  He enlists help from the community and the community gladly digs in.  He begins a successful business called Angelic Organics and with the help of the community, buys the farm next door to expand his flourishing crops.  Before you know it, a good old fashioned barn raising is under way and the Peterson farm is better than it ever was.

The focus throughout is obviously on Farmer John but the film also winds up being a touching tribute to his mother, Anna Peterson – his rock and eternal optimist.  She is the woman who believed that “farming is not lucrative but it’s a way of life”.  She’s the woman John says “there would be no farm without”.

Whether you’re interested in sustainable farming or not, The Real Dirt On Farmer John is a compelling story about love, loss and the fight to re build.  It helps us reconnect and empathize with a people and an industry so far off our radar and yet, to this day, so integral to our every day existence.

Learn more about Farmer John and Angelic Organics here.