Filmed over five years, Farmsteaders is a story of contemporary rural America. Nick Nolan, his wife Celeste, and their young family are on a journey to resurrect his grandfather’s dairy farm – fighting to keep it from “drying up and blowing away,” something that has happened to about 4.7 million farms in the U.S. as the pressures of corporate-driven food have left deep scars in the region.

Nick and Celeste’s meditations on life, legacy, and resistance offer an unexpected and accessible voice. Pointed at the beauty and hardship of everyday life, theirs is a tender and loving lens. For the Nolans only three things remain certain: family is everything, nothing ever stays the same, and the land holds it all together. They struggle daily to balance fears and hopes when it seems that so much is always at stake. With grit and determination, they show that life in America’s heartland really is about heart.

Key Participants:

Nick and Celeste Nolan, and their children Edgar, Gus, Lilah, and Harlan

Key Issues:

Farmsteaders is an excellent tool for outreach and will be of special interest to people who want to explore the following topics:

dairy farming

family farms

farm kids

farm policy

food security and food deserts

“big agriculture” versus small sustainable farms

farm-to-table / locavore movement

grit / resilience

rural America