The Real Dirt on Farmer John (2006)

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Absolutely Fantastic

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This may not be the most polished documentary you'll see. It may be only one person's side of his story. It covers all the emotions. The telling is not sentimentalized (that I can tell), it is clear, concise, and the ending is a fascinating example of what can be accomplished.The film speaks for itself, and the down-to-earth style of the telling may not be everyone's cup of tea -- It seems to reflect both the tale and the people in the story. Some aspects would have to be re-enacted. There are some examples of 'historic' material such as a tape recorder that seemingly was used to record a conversation during an auction. I would have liked to see more input from the family and friends and less just shots of the farm or scenery. BUT, that is probably not the world "John" lives in.

A few days after the New Year I caught this film on TV while I was lying on the couch lazily. What kept my attention was how Farmer John ate the soil at the beginning. This I thought was weird, and Farmer John is a very unconventional character. His story, which spans his whole life from childhood to today, is incredible. It was interesting to watch how paranoid some of John's neighbor and the community became because John is very unconventional. The disappointing behavior of these people contrasts to the CSA shareholders from Chicago who are willing to take time off from their presumably urban lives and get dirty in a farm. John believes there is a character or a soul to his farm, that it is more than just dirt, plants, and buildings. Although I don't find this idea particularly sensible, I appreciated his enthusiasm and optimism, and it's good to see the city folks giving him a hand.What I would like to know about this film is why many farms in America were closing. I'm guessing it was because of tariff reductions.

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.

I had the good fortune of previewing this remarkable documentary while visiting Farmer John with my son this past summer. Having spent my sophomore year in high school living and working on the Peterson farm, I was able to cultivate a unique friendship and level of respect for John that has lasted for the past 35 or so years. John tells his story in a way that captivates the pure essence of mans relationship with the earth. The transformation of the farm from its roots to what it is today is nothing short of incredible. He has brought together two completely different worlds and instilled in them a love of mother earth and how we all must change in order to survive as a generation.