This documentary tells the story of one farm in Illinois and the man who was responsible for its evolution from a failing single-family farm into a lively and successful community farm.

“Farmer John” is actually John Peterson, son and grandson of hardworking Illinois farmers. His family worked the land for generations and it was their unequivocal home. It remained John’s home, even after the rest of the family moved away. The Real Dirt tells the story of his turbulent but ever evolving relationship with his neighbors and his land and with the farm legacy that he ultimately decided was worth preserving -- even when preservation meant sweeping change.

The film begins with his childhood – one of tractors and pitchforks and a rich family life. When his father dies, a teenaged John takes over the farm responsibilities and begins to navigate the complexities of bad harvests, aging equipment and farm loans. He runs the farm even while attending college in a nearby town. A free spirit, but a hard worker, John does his best to keep the large farm alive in the face of rising costs and a severe shortage of farmhands. His best efforts are not enough and he is forced sell off most of the farm in 1982 to pay off accumulating debts.

A common theme in the eighties, debt left many farmers landless and hopeless. John was no exception, and his family and friends magnified the disappointment he felt after the sale of the farm.

Most of the farms in the area were swallowed up soon after and the emptied community became bitter and intolerant. Bigger farms relying on bigger subsidies – this was the start modern farming. Still, there was room for smaller operations if a farmer was willing to be creative and brave and go their own way.

John decided to do just that and started farming organically under the name Angelic Organics on May Day 1991. It was an incredibly hard process. Whereas the farm had grown 4 crops before, he was now growing over 30 different crops – and he didn’t even know the names of all of them! When he started collaborating with a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group in Chicago, the farm really began to evolve. As people signed on to share in each season’s harvest, John began to see the immense possibilities in community-supported farming.

John Peterson’s farm, once a difficult-to-run single-family operation, was now a successful community project with hundreds of people willing to share in the challenges of growing organic food.

The Real Dirt does a beautiful job of showing how the love and dedication of one man can combine with the hopes of so many others in a desire to preserve farmland and produce food that is healthful and delicious. Visit the Angelic Organics website for more information on the farm and the documentary!