National Ag Day Activities was special this year because of of two great documentary films about farming. Last night it was a private advance screening of Farmland, directed by James Moll, with major support from USFRA. In the photo (l-r) is Randy Krotz, CEO, USFRA, James, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Bob Stallman, President of American Farm Bureau Federation. There were a lot of dignitaries on hand including two of the young farmers featured in the movie. Both Sec. Vilsack and Bob Stallman who is Chairman of USFRA made opening comments before we watched the movie. I spoke with Bob and James and you can listen to their comments below.

The movie gives you a very close and personal look into the lives of six very different types of young farmers who talk about the challenges of becoming farm owners/managers. There is no narration. The story is told completely by the farmers and the imagery of them at work. It is a real family story too and there are some very emotional scenes in the movie. If you haven’t been able to see it yet please do when you get a chance.

Farmland has a deal with D&E Entertainment for the film to first be distributed to 60 major market theaters beginning May 1. Keep an eye out for it in your area and think about calling your local theater to see if they would schedule it.

In case you’re wondering, the film features these farmers:

Leighton Cooley, Georgia
Brad Bellah – Texas
David Loberg – Nebraska
Sutton Morgan – California
Margaret Schlass – Pennsylvania
Ryan Veldhuizen – Minnesota

You can listen to my interview with the Bob here:Interview with Bob Stallman

You can listen to my interview with the James here:Interview with James Moll

You can find photos from all National Ag Day activities, including the Farmland premier, online here: 2014 Ag Day Photo Album