Stony Creek Farm

Adventures in Sustainable Living

An ever-increasing number of Americans are concerned about the food we eat­ – not simply how it tastes or how much it costs, but how and where it was grown. We want our meat to be raised humanely, our produce to be pesticide-free, and our carbon footprint to be as small as possible. In an age of genetically engineered “Frankenstein foods” in which food production is dominated by industrial-scale agribusiness, the bucolic image of the family farm has captured the public imagination. FarmVille, launched on Facebook in June 2009, is the largest and fastest growing social game of all time, boasting 78 million active users. More than 1% of the world’s population is now participating in a farm simulation game, raising virtual crops and livestock, and competing to sell their goods in a cyber marketplace.

In the real world, we can’t all go back to the land, but more and more people are striving to eat locally, honestly, and healthfully. Books and films such as The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Food, Inc. have made us suspect of the mystery ingredients and dubious practices of factory-style food production. “Free-range” and “grass-fed” are the buzzwords of the day; we seek out artisanal cheeses, heirloom vegetables, heritage pork and handmade charcuterie from purveyors we can meet face-to-face.

Much media attention has been lavished on the bright new chefs, winemakers, bakers, and even artisanal butchers who are moving slow food into the fast lane. But what about the farmers who grow the raw material that is transformed into these elegantly presented and packaged foodstuffs? The popularity of FarmVille is clear evidence of the immense public interest in a burgeoning “new agriculture” movement, an amalgam of 60s “back-to-the-land” idealism, artisanal production, health consciousness and environmental concern. New farmers are driven by the desire to forge an agriculture that produces high quality food, is sustainable, ecologically sound, and economically viable for the long term. No easy task. Who would willingly undertake it?

Welcome to Stony Creek, where farming is both a family affair and an extreme sport. This is not Old MacDonald’s farm. It is a complex, ever-changing place where Dan, Kate and their extended family are embarking on the adventure of their lives. Stony Creek Farm, a non-fiction series, will capture a year in their life on the family farm, where three generations forge a new path combining cutting-edge innovations with age-old farming traditions.

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