Fresh (2009 film)

Synopsis

Joanes sets out to profile people who are breaking away from conventional models of agriculture and food production. In the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Joel Salatin explains how he keeps his cows, chickens, pigs and natural grasses flourishing without using artificial fertilizers by closing the nutrient cycle. At Growing Power farm in Milwaukee, we meet Will Allen, who is turning three acres of industrial wasteland into nourishing farmland for his neighborhood. In Kansas City, David Ball breaks away from the standard concept of a supermarket by stocking his stores with produce from a cooperative of local farmers.

Critical response

Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times noted that the film "casts a sympathetic eye on farmers under contract to the giants of agribusiness," and is "less judgmental" and "more folksy in tone than the recent Food, Inc.." Mark Feeney of the Boston Globe wrote, "Fresh may be righteous (as well as right), but it’s not unrealistic," and noted that "not once in the course of the movie is the word 'locavore' used."

Official Selection