A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR
“These individuals feed the world.”
The Brummond family on their farm during the early 1990’s.
That picture feels like it’s from a lifetime ago, but I can still smell the scent that rolled off of that old wood burning stove in the back of our small workshop.
“Find something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” It’s been three years now since my father’s passing, but that message still rings loud in my ears and reverberates through my heart. Dad always dreamed I’d be a farmer, but he encouraged me (and my brothers) to pursue every dream we had and my dream was to be a filmmaker.
Today, I’m 11 years into my Los Angeles transplant. Fortunately, my career path allows me to stay involved in my family farm and support my brothers Mitch and Jeff as we work together to transition our farm into an organic operation.
I find that there is an immense gap in the understanding most Americans have of the modern farmer. We’re obviously long past the days of horse-drawn plows and manual field labor, but lesser known dynamics make it a significantly more arduous vocation than commonly known.
To have a chance at survival, today’s farmer has to be a student of agronomy, the economy and marketing. And most notably, regardless of formal education or personal efforts, they are at the mercy of not only their local weather, but the political and macroeconomic climate as well.
The pressures of an ever-changing world are becoming too much for more and more of these proud men and women to bear. Family farms that once flourished, are sinking. These individuals feed the world - yet sadly they are progressively taking their lives at an alarming rate.
My hope is that viewing this film will translate on a large scale into global awareness and action on this issue, but if every viewer simply picks up the phone to call a farmer they know to talk, listen, and let them know they are not alone - a difference will be made.”
— Adam Brummond - Director of Dying Breed.
IN THE NEWS
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