The Real Dirt on Farmer John

“The Real Dirt on Farmer John,” opening Sept. 7 in wide release, is a telling portrait of John Peterson, a curiously eccentric Indiana farmer who eats dirt straight from the ground and drives a tractor in a dress and a pink-feathered boa.

In following some four decades of home footage and documentary film, we get a glimpse into the life of a man whose firm individualism, passion for the land and artistic creativity take him down a bumpy road from near-bankruptcy to modern-day agricultural success.

Director Taggart Siegel brings together professional footage and home movies in a cohesive—if not fluid—presentation. John does double duty as writer and narrator and gives us an intimate glimpse into the nearly defunct Midwest lifestyle with his characteristic flamboyancy and wry sense of humor. Despite his tendency to overdramatize, John comes across as a man crazy enough to be likeable; we realize in the end, though, that the man himself remains somewhat of a mystery.

John’s success story is a bittersweet one, and his journey closely parallels the radical transformation of the American agricultural industry from the 1950s family-style American farms of John’s youth into the commercialized, consolidated agricultural industry that began in the 1980s.

His desire to express his passions for the arts and nature became evident early on in his life. After his father’s early death from diabetes, John took over the family farm and he brought the hippie movement from college to the fields—quite literally. The students’ reputation for Bacchalian parties jarred John’s conservative neighbors, who would later associate the farm with devil worshipping and animal sacrifice.

However, most of John’s grief would come from a much more widespread development: like many Midwest farmers in the 80s, John faced financial hardship and was forced to sell most of the farm and its equipment as larger companies took over most of America’s farming needs. A decade later, however, he was able to make a surprising comeback as a pioneer of organic farming with the assistance of the Community Support Agriculture, and transform the former family farm into a volunteer-driven community farm specializing in organic products.

Those hoping for an objective look at the role of organics or the farming industry in general will be disappointed; despite the movie’s title, the documentary is noticeably dirt-free and stays clear of the controversy over organic farming. Casting community farming as the savior of American farms over evil big business, Siegel glosses over certain questions—for instance, what is the role of the wealthy urban “shareholders” who apparently fund the operation?

Despite these flaws, Siegel’s extensive film is a stirring testament to the resiliency and independence of Farmer John. While “The Real Dirt” may not contain the meat of serious organic food debates, it does make for a tasty appetizer to snack on.

—Staff writer Andrew E. Lai can be reached at lai@fas.harvard.edu.