Hay You! Farm Local! Spend a season with a few Canadian family farms and get a window into local food production while tackling issues of sustainability, stewardship and food security.
In its journey across the majestic Canadian countryside, The Family Farm explores the diverse agricultural pursuits of earnest farm families, and serves as a window into the food production process that modern day consumers have become estranged from.
The film begins in Nova Scotia with egg farmer Aaron Hiltz, who was confronted by the provincial egg board and asked to get rid of the majority of his flock. Hiltz’s story highlights the issues many farmers face and the flaws associated with what he considers an outdated system. The Morgan farm crew of Quebec draws attention to another issue—land cost and inaccessibility—which is encountered by many young farmers, and discuss their proposed solutions to these problems. On the other side of the country, organic farming pioneer, Raymond Loo discloses his dream of creating a chemical-free Prince Edward Island, full of clean, organic food and demonstrates how his farm serves as a stepping stone towards realizing this goal. The exploitative side farming is also exposed through Manitoba farmer, Carlyle Jorgensen’s retellings of his experience working with an oil company who dug a well on his prime farmland despite his disapproval.
A season spent with these farmers and others reveals the key role they play in sustaining traditional farm knowledge, promoting environmental stewardship and maintaining food security. As 2014 marks the International Year of Family Farming, The Family Farm focuses on imbuing the importance of understanding where our food comes from and emphasizes the crucial role family farms play in ensuring the survival and well-being of local communities and environments.
Join the Thunder Bay Environmental Film Network for The Family Farm on Wednesday January 21, 7:30 pm at the Finlandia Hall. Admission is free, donations are appreciated and the post-film discussion will be lively.
The Environmental Film Network are now in their 8th season; learn more at efilmnetwork.wordpress.
