Documentary · Video · Research

The Farmer's Value

A short documentary exploring the economic challenges facing small American farmers — and a mathematical framework for how we can fix it.

Role

Director, Writer,
Editor

Timeline

May 2024

Deliverables

Short Film, Research
Report, Campaign

The Brief

In late 2023, Well’s Potato Farm left Long Island after hundreds of years — selling 236 acres in Suffolk County to purchase 1,000 in Maine because they could no longer afford the land they cultivated. The Long Island potato, once a regional staple, is no longer grown on Long Island. Their story is one example of a systemic crisis facing small American farms.

The goal was to create a documentary that traces this problem from a single farm to the national scale — using USDA data, carbon math, and subsidy analysis to build a clear, evidence-based case for structural change.

The Challenge

When the Wells were in Riverhead, every truckload of potatoes sent to NYC produced roughly 440 lbs of carbon per round trip. From Maine, that number jumps to approximately 3,000 lbs — over 6 times the original output, from just one farm. Local produce is both an economic engine and a carbon solution, and losing it has consequences most people never see.

Meanwhile, the federal subsidy system meant to help is deeply skewed: of the $10.4 billion forecasted in direct farming subsidies this year, the top 9% of farms receive 60% of all funding while the bottom 78% receive just 10%. The challenge was to make this math accessible without losing the human stories behind it.

The Approach

The film examines three potential solutions. First, the University of Vermont’s research suggests consumers must pay more for local produce — a non-solution for the majority of the population that cannot afford any price increase. Second, hoop houses could extend a farm’s growing season from roughly 90 days to 365, multiplying yield by over 5 times, but face resistance from communities that reject the aesthetic of greenhouse farming.

The most promising path is vertical farming within existing farm structures. A standard 3,200 square foot barn could use vertical growing to increase output by up to 240 times while using 70–95% less water — maintaining the classic American farm silhouette while making the economics work. The film builds this argument visually, pairing agricultural landscapes with precise data graphics.

Hoop houses, vertical farming, and the structures that could make it work

The carbon cost of moving farming 600 miles north

The people, places, and structures at the heart of the story

The Outcome

The film argues that none of these changes can happen in isolation — we cannot expect farmers to suddenly invest in new infrastructure alone. It requires collective investment in the systems our most important industry needs. The accompanying research report makes the economic case with USDA data and carbon modeling.

6×

Increase in carbon output when Well’s Farm moved from LI to Maine

240×

Potential output increase with vertical farming in existing structures

95%

Less water usage with vertical farming vs. traditional methods

Next Project

The Creeping Body →