Farmageddon is a documentary about the FDA and USDA’s relentless attacks on small farms and farmers. The filmmakers refer to this phenomenon as “the unseen war on small family farms across America.” We do, too.

Susie at Farmesota.com (Farmesota.com is the Minnesota sister site to our FFFKY.org — looking for one in every state!) wrote a press release for their screenings back in October and describes it beautifully:

Farm + Armageddon = the film, Farmageddon

You may not know it, but your right to access fresh, healthy foods is under attack. The new documentary Farmageddon tells the story of how small family farms and private food buying clubs that provide safe, healthy foods to their communities are being forced to shut down, through harsh, sometimes extreme, actions of the FDA and state and local agencies. The film explores why these extreme actions are taking place across the country, unbeknownst to most Americans.

Taking up where films like Food Inc. leave off, Farmageddon tells the stories of the small farmers themselves, joined by consumers, nutritionists, legal experts and food freedom proponents to discuss these troubling and escalating trends. Armed raids, crippling paperwork and sting operations raise the basic question of why the providers of wholesome, unprocessed foods are being subjected to such things.

Why are Americans not being allowed to grow or to obtain the natural and nutritious foods of their choosing for themselves and their families? The crux of the issue is “freedom of food choice because, without it, we simply aren’t free,” says the film’s director, Kristin Canty. Whereas farm-fresh foods like unprocessed milk are being primarily targeted today, any type of food could be next to be threatened.

At a time of mounting concerns about agribusiness practices such as irradiation, genetic engineering, and chemical spraying, America’s small sustainable farms are being strained under burdensome and sometimes devastating regulatory activities. Following the Saturday, October 15th showing, a panel of local experts will discuss the issue from various angles and what can be done about it. The discussion will highlight the critical need to preserve our access to local, wholesome foods of all kinds, and what local and national eorts are underway to protect these fundamental rights. [We’ve held similar panels at our showings in KY. This blog is our way of continuing the discussion!]

What’s Happening in Minnesota

• Minnesota farmer’s delivery van, storage area and farm raided by MN Dept of Agriculture, theft of thousands of dollars worth of food belonging to ordinary people
• A family’s home raided in Bloomington, the housewife called in for questioning, and the family traumatized by the invasion of their home, all for being a delivery site for products of a dairy farmer
• A private Twin Cities food buying club closed down and tens of thousands of dollars worth of food embargoed and confiscated, despite the absence of member complaints or evidence of illness.

The decisive battle – the Armageddon – to save small family farmers is happening now.
Farmageddon is our rallying cry to act now, lest we be left with nothing but industrial food.

Farmageddon has been shown several times in Kentucky and will be shown again. If you’d like to host a screening in your area, let us know. We are buying a copy of the film and will be right over!