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Forgotten Farms
May 24, 2017, 7:15 PM
$5
Dairy farmers remain the backbone of the region’s agriculture but fight for survival in an age of artisan cheese and kale. New England has lost over 10,000 dairy farms in the past 50 years; about 2,000 farms remain. Collectively, they tend 1.2 million acres of farmland and produce almost all of the milk consumed in New England. In our enthusiasm for the new food movement, we often overlook the farmers at the foundation of the regional agricultural economy.
Only 100 years ago, New England produced most of its own food (on 16 million acres of farmland). Climate change will require more of our food to be grown closer to where we live. As we strive to revive local production, we have much to learn from dairy farmers who have been managing most of the farmland and sustaining the farm economy all along. Through conversations with farmers and policy experts, the film reconsiders the role of these vital but forgotten farmers, who will be essential players in an expanded agricultural economy. (Unrated, 65 min.)
Sponsored by Maine Farmland Trust.
Suggested Donation: $5.00