While reading The Winsted Herald-Journal, a weekly small town paper in Western Minnesota, I came across a story about the locally produced documentary “Farming Forward“. Produced by a college student from Gustavus Adolphus College and the Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) of Minnesota. Living Song Farm (in Howard Lake), Riverbend Farm (in Delano), Prairie Horizons Farm (in Starbuck), Loon Organics (in Hutchinson), Big River Farm (in Marine on St. Croix), City Backyard Farming (in St. Paul), Big hill Farm (in St. Peter), and a farmer’s market in St. Paul were all featured in the film.

Marienne Kreitlow, who works on Living Song Farm with her husband Jerry Ford and Willard Krietlow, her 88 year old father, was quoted as saying that “‘The attitude of people who live in the city is shifting. . . . There’s a real curiosity and respect for farming’”. Ford was quoted as saying “‘the disconnect between people who eat and people who grow is getting much smaller now.’” This is good to hear, given a recent guest post that runs counter to this trend.

The article cites Riverbend Farm’s Greg Reynolds in stating that “Organic and sustainable farming has grown 20 percent per year for the past 15 to 20 years.” This increased production of sustainably produced goods provides more choices for consumers. As with Underwood Family Farms in Southern California, some farms do not have the organic label (for various reasons), but engage in sustainable practices. These may include water conservation, reducing or eliminating pesticide usage, or rejecting genetically modified seeds in favor of so-called heritage varieties.

According to the Winsted Herald-Journal, “The one-hour … documentary is an uplifiting way to connect with ‘what food should be like.’” Farming Forward is available for $11.00 on CreateSpace.com.

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