Documentary casting call for small farmers’ stories
An Irish documentary production team is looking for small farmers to share their story.
Looking for "small farmers", an Irish documentary team is looking to tell the history of one of Ireland’s oldest occupations.
Taking inspiration from the 2022 National Farm Survey conducted by Teagasc, producer Brendan Phelan, a Laois native with his own background in farming, wants to give a voice to the small farmers of Ireland.
Following the Teagasc figures for the 2022 survey, Mr Phelan wants to reach out to the approximately 20,000 farmers aged 65 and older with 25 acres or less to their names.
“We want to get our heads around it. What’s good about farming? Bad about it?” Mr Phelan told the .
Explaining his drive to get in touch with this demographic of Irish farmers, Mr Phelan said: “I’m interviewing farmers now, they’re smart people, they know their business, but unfortunately, they are in the global food business, which is a very fickle thing and can flip in a second.
"They are ships in a very large ocean, and we want to get out with these people and find out how they are managing that.”
Currently in the early development stages of the documentary, the team is hoping to get in touch with and meet interesting men and women who represent the overall reality of the small-farmer population in Ireland.
Once, the social and cultural core of the rural population, the series aims to capture the reality of that small farmer’s life, and to learn more about it firsthand from the people on the ground.
Understanding small-holding farmers have diversified due to necessity, Mr Phelan also acknowledges a major element is the pride in Irish agriculture and the work they do that drives these farmers on despite future uncertainty.
Wanting to tell the story of small farmers before it's too late, Mr Phelan’s series will look at how Irish farming is evolving, exploring the tension between tradition and progress, and asking what the future holds for those who have dedicated their lives to the land.
If you or someone you know fits the criteria, the documentary team wants to hear from you. Whether you yourself are a 65-year-old or above small holdings farmer or there is a character in the town who is still tipping away on the farm, interested parties are encouraged to get in touch by email at smallfarmseries@gmail.com or call Mr Phelan directly on 087 292 5294.
