''Fresh'' is a 2009 documentary film directed by Ana Sofia Joanes. The film focuses on

sustainable agriculture Sustainable agriculture is farming in sustainable ways meeting society's present food and textile needs, without compromising the ability for current or future generations to meet their needs. It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem ser ...

, and depicts farmers, activists and entrepreneurs who are changing America's

food system The term food system describes the interconnected systems and processes that influence nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients ...

Synopsis

Joanes sets out to profile people who are breaking away from conventional models of agriculture and food production. In the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Joel Salatin Joel F. Salatin (born February 24, 1957) is an American farmer, lecturer, and author. Salatin raises livestock on his Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley. Meat from the farm is sold by direct marketing to consumers and res ...

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 Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, we meet Will Allen, who is turning three acres of industrial wasteland into nourishing farmland for his neighborhood. In

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

, David Ball breaks away from the standard concept of a supermarket by stocking his stores with produce from a

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

of local farmers.

Reception

Critical response

Jeannette Catsoulis of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' 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. ''Food, Inc.'' is a 2008 American documentary film directed by Robert Kenner

''." Mark Feeney of the ''

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' 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."

Awards

Official Selection

* 2009 Environmental Film Festival * 2009

Newport Beach Film Festival The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) is an annual film festival in Newport Beach, California, typically held in late April. In 2022, it was announced that the festival have permanently changed its date to be held in October, as the festival beg ...

* 2009

Maine International Film Festival The Maine International Film Festival, or MIFF, is a 10-day film festival held annually in Waterville, Maine. The festival usually runs in the third week of July at Railroad Square Cinema and the Waterville Opera House. Founded in 1998, the festiv ...

* 2009

Kerry Film Festival The Kerry Film Festival is an annual film festival that takes place in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland, during October / November. The Kerry Film Festival is funded by Kerry County Council, Fáilte Irelandthe Arts Councilas well as having corpor ...

References

External links

Official Website
* * {{YouTube, KwR44T69_Is/, Film Trailer 2009 films Documentary films about agriculture in the United States American documentary films 2009 documentary films Sustainable agriculture 2000s English-language films 2000s American films