"Farmer John" to speak at Cornell

MOUNT VERNON – John Peterson, the subject of the documentary The Real Dirt on Farmer John, will visit Cornell College on Sept. 11. There will be a free public screening of the award-winning film at 7 p.m. in West Science 100 followed by an open discussion with “Farmer John.”

Peterson is the founder of Angelic Organics, one of the largest Community Supported Agriculture farms in the United States, a centerpiece of the modern organic farming movement.

The Real Dirt on Famer John has been widely lauded for its portrayal of a unique family farm in rural Illinois run by Peterson. The documentary follows the wild changes of the farm over several decades, changes that mirrored both the times and the farming booms and busts as the Peterson family farm first becomes a commune for artists, collapses in the ‘80s, and eventually becomes Angelic Organics.

More information on organic farming, Angelic Organics, and The Real Dirt on Farmer John can be found at angelicorganics.com.