The Real Dirt on Farmer John

This film was just shown at the Beloit Film Festival and was lauded for its charm and heartfelt presentation. I have a friend who works on that farm, and I live only 15 minutes from that farm in Beloit, WI. Yes, it may be a collaboration between John and the filmmaker, but I can assure you that everything in that film is entirely factual and real. It is upsetting to see that, after seeing this great film, somebody would slander it like this. Go see the documentary if you have the chance, it is quite spectacular. It has a great story, it is humorous, tragic, and wonderful. Good commentary on urban sprawl, crisis in the farming industry, and Midwestern society.

A strange story for sure, but one that made me cry in public, which doesn't happen. Farmer John is a very unique soul, but a good one. Even if you don't dig the cross-dressing or the purity of his vegetables, the tales of farmers, the land, and the love of the good earth is incredible and one we should not forget. When the old farmer explains how once good farmland has been covered up by asphalt and subdivisions, if your eyes don't at least water then there's something wrong with you. I am a computer science professor who can't go without email for more than eight hours, but this film reminded me that my father was a farmer in the 1930's and made me remember how much I loved having a little garden on my parents' 5 acre garden when I was a little kid.

This is a work of a man's lifetime, and the lifetime of a man who has done good work all his life. I'm a bit biased because I'm fortunate enough to know Farmer John a little, but I only came to know him after I saw this film and realized what a good guy he is. If it helps just one person or (more importantly) one farm, I'm sure he'll be happy.

This film made me want to be a good guy again. I highly recommend it to anyone who eats food or longs for a reason to continue doing so.

I didn't see it as a literal documentary, obviously certain liberties were taken to tell the story on a limited budget. It was both touching and true to its time. I'm hoping that it will get into distribution and certain that it will create a buzz. The story of the family farm still needs recounting even though it was a media darling twenty years ago. His struggle to succeed and to keep the family business going is universal...The underlying "hippie" mentality was also keeping with the times, having been a student in Wisconsin in the early 70's. When you laugh and cry and root for the underdog, it becomes personal. What else can you ask for from a movie?

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I had only a vague idea of what it was about beforehand. After an interesting beginning it seemed to lose some steam in the middle, but by the end it coalesced into a wonderful story. John's life is inspiring on many levels and I left the theater with more energy and determination. If you have any interest in individuality, community or farming, this movie is for you.

On a side note, I saw this film at the Wisconsin International Film Festival and was seated in the theater behind John, the filmmaker, and John's girlfriend. It added an extra element to watch a man's life story while the back of his head was right in front of my face!

I knew I would love this movie and the character of Farmer John from the opening scene where he tastes the soil in his fields and says it's tasting good today.

Having myself been steeped in west coast Burning Man culture, I immediately recognized and honored John Petersen as a true Burner - even if he's never been to the desert festival himself. He's an artist, a entrepreneur, a dreamer and a builder. But what's more, he's a real person. His story is really our own story. He's a regular joe with a real heart, real fears and real stumbling blocks. His repeated failures... and then eventual success, through perseverance and love, is inspiring to every one of us because that's how it really happens!! This story isn't full of cinematic glorification!

I loved this movie because it isn't a fantasy about creating intentional community or CSAs or going back to the land or any of that. It's about the hard, slow, steady and arduous process of the development of a human being who wants to make something good in this life. It's about years of trying and failing and trying again. It's about working through that feeling of failure to finding out what successes lie on the other side of failure. We've all been there. Disillusioned by our current lives and world situations. Can we really do what we envision? Can we really make a difference and make our ancestors proud? Do we really have what it takes to be the caring stewards of this land we were given? Do we have what it takes to provide for our future generations?

I felt this movie is a story about how to *really* be successful, find happiness and make a difference. We can't control what the world may do around us, but we can chose our own paths. This movie reminded me that it's okay no matter where we're at along our path, so long as its focus comes from a true place within. If we do that, we, like Farmer John, may realize one day that we've finally worked our way into the idealized vision we always had of our lives - we may find success and happiness.

Plus, you just can't beat that bug song music video where they're in the bee costumes!!!

I LOVED it.

See it. Rent it. Buy it. Give it as a gift to loved ones.