Farms: City Farmers

City Farmers is a journey of hope down New York City's meanest streets where inner-city residents have transformed the rubble and rats of abandoned land burgeoning vegetable and flower gardens. "City Farmers is about as inspiring as they come, a cornucopia of hope, fulfillment and diversity." -- LA Weekly, Paul Malchom In this collective narrative, the gardeners share stories about life on both sides of the garden fence; from the struggle to remove drug dealers and gangs, to the success of the gardens providing food for the community, as well as empowering and educating neighborhood children. As the gardeners tend their rows, they remember childhood days on farms down South, in Italy or Puerto Rico, while others, who've known only pavement under their feet, find new directions for their futures. These gardens are sources of pride in communities that previously had none. In their quest t find dignified and graceful solution for the revitalization of their neighborhoods, New York's urban crusaders are as triumphant as their seedlings - defying the broken landscape with an unconquerable spirit and an intrepid will to survive. Propelled by composer Jack DeJohnette's dynamic jazz score, City Farmers is an intense investigation of the urban experience. Producer and Director - Meryl Joseph Composer - Jack DeJohnette Director of Photography - Anthony Forma Originally filmed in 16mm color Running time is 31 minutes Screenings: Museum of Natural History - NYC, Sierra Club Film Festival - NYC, American Cinemateque - LA, National Museum for Women in the Arts - Washington, D.C., Urban World Film Festival - NYC, Okomedia - Freiburg, Goteborg Festival - Sweden, Amerika Haus - Berlin, MetroChannel - NYC. www.mhjstudio.com Aired on YouTube by Chefs Consortium - www.chefsconsortium.com with written permission by Meryl Joseph. Thank you. A Film by Meryl Joseph. Music by Jack DeJohnette.