Screenings of documentary organized across West Coast

By STEVE BROWN

Capital Press

The "busy-ness" of the growing season and harvest has scarcely slowed the momentum of the young farmers movement known as the Greenhorns.

Alongside screenings of its award-winning documentary film, the nationwide effort has sponsored 39 skill-sharing workshops and other events this year.

Severine von Tscharner Fleming, who founded the organization in 2007, called the growth "organic acceleration."

"It's really amazing," she said. "You start a relationship in a place, then people from other events show up. People in the virtual community show up in person."

The Greenhorns is a nonprofit organization whose mission is "to recruit, promote and support the new generation of young farmers."

The movie "The Greenhorns" carries that message in the young voices of experience.

"People like it," Fleming said. "They're saying, 'I've been on the edge of jumping in. I'm scared. But this gives me some more courage to see how people have overcome these challenges.'"

The film has been shown 12 times in Australia, and Fleming just sent a transcript for translation into Russian and Croatian. It won top prize in the Rural Roots Farm Festival and earned funding to show "in communities we wouldn't otherwise get into," she said.

Fleming directed the movie and manages a 100-acre farm in New York, travels to events around the country and keeps track of the Greenhorns' outreach in books and radio.

Chandler Briggs, who farms on Vashon Island, Wash., is the Northwest organizer for the Greenhorns and the Washington Young Farmers Coalition, a sister organization.

"It's easier to connect with people when they're only a few hours away," he said.

"There's a huge amount of interest in my generation in agriculture," he said. "We see a lot of connection between the food we eat, the environment and the quality of life. Doing diverse, small-scale farming gives us an opportunity to have a positive impact."

Briggs organized several smaller events this year and plans a mixer Oct. 3 in Olympia.

Fleming said the Greenhorns recently received a federal Beginning Farmers and Ranchers grant to improve services to young farmers, develop high school programs and organize land-access information.

"The land-access issue is close to our hearts," she said.

Briggs described what he called the vision of many young farmers: "I believe the food system in the U.S. needs dramatic overhaul."

Online

www.thegreenhorns.net

www.youngfarmers.org

Chandler Briggs: info@washingtonyoungfarmers.org

Screenings of 'The Greenhorns'

Oct. 14-16 - San Rafael, Calif.

Oct. 18 - San Francisco

Oct. 21 - Portland

Oct. 22 - Philomath, Ore. (and mixer)

Oct. 24 - Seattle

Oct. 25 - Bellingham, Wash.

Oct. 26 - Seattle

Oct. 27 - Port Orchard, Wash.

Oct. 29 - Mount Vernon, Wash.

Oct. 30 - Vashon Island, Wash.

Nov. 2 - Moscow, Idaho

Nov. 3 - Walla Walla, Wash.

Nov. 12 - Yakima, Wash.

Check www.thegreenhorns.net for details.