By Dallas Duncan
T
hough its national premiere is two
weeks away, Georgia agriculturalists got a sneak peek of the new agricultural
documentary Farmland at a private
screening on April 1.
 |
Georgia poultry farmer Leighton Cooley
of Roberta, center, with son Lawson, 3,
and Commissioner of Agriculture
Gary W. Black at the Atlanta screening |
“All in all, I thought it was a balanced
presentation,” Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary W. Black said. “I think
it accurately tells the story that our policies shouldn’t be either-or, our
policies should accommodate all types of agriculture.”
The documentary follows six producers,
including Georgia’s own Leighton Cooley, on the day-to-day operations of their
farms. Cooley’s Roberta, Ga., poultry houses were the primary highlight of his
portion of the film, but the other operations showcased row crops, vegetable
crops, swine and cattle.
“The film is so genuine, I think is what’s
so captivating about it,” Cooley said. “We’re certainly not actors, we’re
farmers; we certainly didn’t have a script.”
He said filmmaker James Moll’s focus was
to “capture the American farm in its most pure farm,” and Cooley believes the
final product did just that.
 |
Cooley, center, answers audience questions along with
representatives from the US Poultry & Egg Association and
Georgia Poultry Federation |
“The film was incredible. It gave great
insight,” Bryan Tolar, president of Georgia Agribusiness Council, said after
the screening. “The role you play with sharing your farm with children, what
you do with your family and also the way your family is involved in the faith
part of what agriculture really is – if faith isn’t part of agriculture, then
you’re missing the point.”
The Atlanta audience included about a
50-50 mix of agriculturalists to consumers, who were encouraged to ask
questions of Cooley and representatives from the US Poultry & EggAssociation and Georgia Poultry Federation after the show. Promoting dialogue between
producers and the public was a major goal of the documentary, said Gwen
Venable, vice president of communications for US Poultry & Egg Association.
“The film was made by James Moll to
really give a voice to the farmers and ranchers who produce food for the US,
and provide conversation about how the food is raised,” Venable said. “There
are so many people in the US that do not understand where their food comes
from. The purpose is to really make sure that consumers understand their food
supply and the passion that farmers and ranchers have in growing food.”
Cooley said participating the
documentary allowed his family a chance to demonstrate their love and pride for
their chosen profession.
“I think it’s going to be an incredible
tool, to actually bridge a lot of gaps,” he said. “On our farm, we’re always interested
in the opportunity to share what we do.”
Black said he hopes audiences appreciate
the stars of the show.
“I hope that they embrace the
believability of the characters, because you’re talking about something that’s
totally unscripted,” he said. “You hear the passion in their voice. You can see
the believability in their eyes.”
And though the six farmers have diverse
backgrounds – conventional, small organic and large organic; multi-generational
and first-generation – the film strives to portray America’s myriad styles of
family farms.
“Sure, we have different thought
processes, which is why we farm different things. Sure, we maybe do things
differently or have different production methods,” Cooley said. “But at the end
of the day, we’re farmers. We all have the same goal and task at hand.”
Coming to Georgia theaters:
Atlanta: May 1 at Landmark Midtown Art
Cinema
Macon: May 1 at Douglass Theatre
Macon: May 2 at Douglass Theatre
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