Honoring Chelan Valley Farmers and Farmworkers
mary on September 21, 2020
With peak harvest season underway now in Chelan Valley, the Ruby invites you to join us to appreciate our many farmworkers and farm owners. These essential laborers have worked hard to grow our food and support our local economy, especially this year during the pandemic and wildfires. Did you know that agriculture is a top economic driver in Chelan Valley? And this time of year we can enjoy the “fruits of their labor”, from pressed apples to crushed grapes to farmer’s market produce. With the ever changing climate, there hasn’t been a better time in history to simplify our grocery list, shop local and truly understand the positive impact that choosing “Farm to Table” can have on our independent farmers. A new appreciation for the simpler yet fresh and delicious lifestyle that might have been out of reach at one point is now the new norm. Thank you, farm owners and farmworkers!
We’ve found a list of noteworthy films that will help you understand, and inspire you to make some changes that support local farmers and farmworkers.
Focusing on the social and cultural components of the coffee supply chain, “Caffeinated” takes viewers on a journey from the farmers responsible for growing a perfect bean to the roasters and baristas responsible for brewing a perfect cup. Working with one of the foremost green coffee buyers in the world, Geoff Watts, filmmakers Hanh Nguyen and Vishal Solanki travel to leading coffee producing countries and America’s most populous coffee-drinking cities, interviewing farmers, researchers, and connoisseurs alike. “Caffeinated” reveals that farmers are the lynchpin to the more than 1 billion cups of coffee enjoyed each day and affirms the necessity for sustainably produced coffee beans.
“Dolores” tells the story of lifetime activist Dolores Huerta, who worked alongside Cesar Chavez for better working conditions for Latino farmworkers and women’s rights. Directed by Peter Bratt, the documentary chronicles Huerta’s time with the United Farm Workers union—which she co-founded with Chavez in the 1960s—and the racial and economic injustices she experienced in California’s agricultural Central Valley. It also captures Huerta’s key achievements, including her central involvement in a national grape boycott and the historic farmworkers march to Sacramento in 1966, as well as receiving The Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2012.
“Farmland” takes an intimate look at the lives of six young American farmers and ranchers, all of whom are under the age of 30 and responsible for running their farming business. Director James Moll travels across the United States to profile those who have not only carried on their family’s profession for generations but are also at the forefront of a new era in American agriculture. The documentary, made with the support of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, aims to tell the farmers’ side of the agriculture production story, detailing the high-risks and high-rewards inherent in getting food from farm to fork.
From Black Bark Films and the United Kingdom’s Landworkers Alliance, “In Our Hands” documents the growing movement of farmers and food workers who are creating alternate, sustainable, and healthy models for food production and distribution in the UK. The documentary explores the quiet revolution of farmers working to build a food system that will bring health back to the soil, a fair wage to the farmer, and more nutritious food for all. Designed to be an open source tool and resource for farmers and activists, “In Our Hands” aims to inspire and educate about the movement for a fair and sustainable food system.
A portrait of 68-year-old Vermont organic farmer, Peter Dunning, “Peter and the Farm” reveals the trials and tribulations of devoting one’s life to farming. Showcasing Dunning’s picturesque hilltop farm in Vermont, the film quickly captures Dunning’s external and internal struggles of running a 187-acre farm on his own. Documenting Dunning’s battle with alcoholism, depression, and the loss of most of his family and friends, “Peter and the Farm” presents the lived-in reality of organic farming from a darker, yet insightful angle.
To see complete list, visit: 18 Films about Food to Inspire, Outrage, and Mobilize
Wishing you a week full of fresh ingredients, insight and perspective!
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