[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_fullwidth_header _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” title_text_align=”center” title_font_size=”60px” background_enable_color=”off” background_image=”https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/GP149_2200.jpg” height=”480px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”96.9%” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_margin=”||-128px|||”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”95%” max_width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_4_font=”|700|on||||||” header_4_font_size=”22px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
American farmers have seen it all \u2013 from the Great Depression to the farming crisis of the 1980s. Through these hardships, farmers have held onto the rugged individuality and strong work ethic that defines them. But now, a dangerous combination of economic uncertainty, isolation, a pandemic, and climate change have led to a mental health crisis that places an essential industry at a dark crossroads, threatening not only the lives and livelihoods of American farmers but our nation\u2019s food supply.<\/span><\/p>\n Greener Pastures <\/strong><\/span><\/em>captures the day-to-day lives of four small, Midwestern, multi-generational family farms over the course of four years. Through an intimate, observational lens we examine the various farm stressors, policies and politics farmers must maneuver to survive, connecting the dots between mental health, industrialization, food production and climate change. It is a story of perseverance, patience and determination that tackles nothing less than the future of farming in the heartland of America.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/GaV_0vxWkl4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” width=”95%” max_width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_slider _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_image=”https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/SkyBackground_1800.jpg” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_slide heading=”JEFF DITZENBERGER ” image=”https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Jeff-in-TUGS-sweatshirt_800.jpg” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_transition=”on”]<\/p>\n Jeff is a corn and soybean farmer in Monroe, Wisconsin. Nearly 27 years ago, Jeff tried to end his own life by setting a building on fire while he was still inside. Today, he runs a farmer mental health nonprofit called T.U.G.S. (Talking, Understanding, Growing, Supporting), traveling across the Midwest and talking to farmers about mental health, suicide prevention, and the stigma associated with depression.<\/p>\n Jeff hopes if he can put a few successful farming years together, he\u2019ll be able to leave farming and devote himself to his nonprofit.<\/p>\n Throughout the film, we follow Jeff\u2019s work with his nonprofit, his passion for community theater, and his battle with the elements.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”CHRIS PETERSEN ” image=”https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Chris-speaking-at-Bernie-event.jpg” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_transition=”on”]<\/p>\n Chris is a livestock farmer in Clear Lake, Iowa, and no stranger to the stresses inherent in modern farming or the danger of ignoring them. At the age of 5, Chris found his mother\u2019s body after she died by suicide when their family farm was foreclosed. As a result, Chris works tirelessly lobbying for farmers\u2019 rights, regularly traveling across the state as an advocate for farmers.<\/p>\n A democrat and progressive liberal, Chris has been connected to nearly every democratic presidential candidate that has come through Iowa seeking the nomination in the past two decades.<\/p>\n With two children and several grandchildren, Chris hopes to slow down and spend more time at home with his wife, Kristi, and his growing family. Before he can do that, he wants to be sure he is leaving a legacy his family can be proud of and a world they can thrive in.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”BECKY HIGGINS ” image=”https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Becky-with-pitchfork_800.jpg” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_transition=”on”]<\/p>\n Becky is Chris\u2019 daughter and is forging her own path for her family. She and her husband, Curtis, run a small sustainable farm, practicing regenerative agriculture and selling their produce at the local farmer\u2019s market. Though she does not see a future in production agriculture like her father, she is determined to carry on her father\u2019s legacy of political activism by running for District Soil and Water Commissioner. In the fall of 2020, Becky won her election as the sole woman, beating all incumbents by a large margin.<\/p>\n Becky\u2019s story follows her work as a small sustainable farmer, her family life, and her run for office.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”JAY AND MELISSA SIMERAL ” image=”https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Jay-and-Melissa_800.jpg” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_transition=”on”]<\/p>\n As a sixth-generation farmer, Jay owns the same land in Ohio that was granted to his family back in the late 1700s and still has the original deed with Thomas Jefferson\u2019s signature on it. But when we meet Jay, the future of his farm is uncertain as falling milk prices, competition from larger farms, and bad weather may force him to sell his cows and close his farming operations. Fortunately, his wife, Melissa, is a skilled baker, and she is able to help support the family with a small cake shop she runs.<\/p>\n Jay and Melissa\u2019s story documents their family’s financial struggles and successes, including the forced sale of Jay\u2019s cows, bankruptcy, the closure of Melissa\u2019s cake shop, the difficult decision to allow fracking on their land, and the eventual reopening of the cake shop.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=”JULIETTE ALBRECHT ” image=”https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/JulietteAlbrecht_800.jpg” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_transition=”on”]<\/p>\n Julie is a dairy farmer in Minnesota. Juliette was once a frequent dairy show competitor, but when we meet her, those days seem long past, and she struggles with alcoholism. As the film progresses, we watch Juliette work to regain control over her life, going through rehab and meeting with her sponsor. But, when the rent on her land increases and COVID-19 fractures the food chain, all her progress is threatened, and she is forced to move to another farm.<\/p>\n But Juliette is resilient, stubborn, and refuses to give in. Juliette\u2019s story speaks to addiction, mental health, the stressors of farming, and the will to keep fighting. Our final scenes with Juliette show her returning to the dairy competitions that once sustained her.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_slide][\/et_pb_slider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An urgent and intimate look at American farming, told through the stories of farmers living at the intersection of climate change, industrialization & a mental health crisis. American farmers have seen it all \u2013 from the Great Depression to the farming crisis of the 1980s. Through these hardships, farmers have held onto the rugged individuality […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/70"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/70\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":396,"href":"https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/70\/revisions\/396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenerpasturesfilm.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}