"Deeply sympathetic to all farmers and to rural culture." Making a Difference

One of the farmers is the father of the filmmaker. Herbert Smith was a hero of his age: dedicated, innovative, a champion of the new miracle sprays of the 50s. His fate is the heart of this film. The other, Fred Kirschenmann of North Dakota, is a hero for our age. Faced with a shattered economy and the devastating environmental effects of conventional chemical farming, Fred steered his land through the transition to organic farming. Twenty years later, the Kirschenmann farm is a thriving testament to ingenuity, hard work, and a reverent understanding of nature.

Fred proves that sustainable agriculture is a viable alternative on any sized farm and that we can bring health and beauty back to the Garden.



Grade Level: 7-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 1995     Copyright Date: 1995
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-106-1     VHS ISBN: 1-56029-636-4

Reviews "For the past 25 years I have searched high and low for a film that captures all of the elements of the crisis and promise of agriculture and now I have found it...it is one of the most respectful and honest looks at the current situation that many farmers find themselves in, and the positive ways that some...are recreating the future." Mark Ritchie, Executive Director, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy "Deeply sympathetic to all farmers and to rural culture. It encompasses the issues of farm history, industry and ecology and can be viewed as both a cautionary tale and a powerful story of hope." Making a Difference "Kirschenmann is unequivocal in his view of the agricultural world: either you approach a farm as a machine, assuming nature is flawed and in need of a bio-agricultural shot in the arm (a losing battle in the long run), or you approach a farm as a garden and nature as a partner." Gary Handman, Video Librarian