Dinner and a Movie and a Pie and a Pint- Portland, OR by Chris

August 10, 2007

I was really excited to see The Real Dirt on Farmer John; I'd heard good things about the movie, and enjoyed watching Sustainable Table's interview with Farmer John back in New York. And after our whirlwind tour of Portland, I welcomed the chance to sit down in one place for a few hours..

The movie was fantastic; I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who haven't seen it yet, but I can assure you that the film is certainly worth watching. It's a great story about a man who struggles to carry on his family's tradition of farming at a time when rapid industrialization of the U.S. agricultural system was forcing small farms into bankruptcy at an alarming rate. In addition to defying the get-big-or-get-out mentality of contemporary industrialized agriculture, Farmer John also challenged the conventional conception of the farmer image - which is no easy feat in a small, rural community.

Ultimately, the movie celebrates Farmer John's success as founder and proprietor of Angelic Organics, which has grown to become the largest CSA in the country. It's really quite an inspirational story.

After the screening, the audience was treated to a Q and A session with the director of the movie, and Farmer John himself. At the end, the audience was treated to a description of Sustainable Table and Eat Well Guided Tour of America by yours truly. It was riveting. Afterwards, we headed over to the Moon and Sixpence British Pub for conversation, pie, and pints.

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