The Biggest Little Farm

When we first heard about The Biggest Little Farm from the folks at Neon we didn’t initially think it would be a good fit for Docs/ology. How is a movie about one couple’s dream to resurrect an abandoned farm in California going to resonate with the faith communities we represent. But after watching the film it was more than apparent — this isn’t just a film about a farm, it’s a film about hope, rebirth, creation, struggle, overcoming and ultimately redemption. It’s essentially the Gospel told through the journey of the Chester family (and a pregnant sow named Emma).

We focused our work on connecting with the Creation Care movement that is happening in the church. Creation Care sits at the intersection of the environmental advocacy and Christian social justice based upon God’s commandment in Genesis to care for creation, and became a great vehicle for us to motivate people of faith to see this film. We worked closely with some of the largest creation care ministries in the US like A Rocha, BioLogos and Catholic Ecology who all crafted wonderful editorials in support of the film.

We also hosted advance screenings at Children & Nature Network’s national conference and Trevecca University’s Urban Farm initiative among others. And Fuller Seminary, one of the most influential religious institutions in the United States, visited the Chester’s Apricot Lane Farms to produce this glowing piece about the film in their Fuller Studio publication which reaches thousands of leaders, pastors and Fuller alumni across the country.

All in it was a successful campaign for a film that became one of the year’s highest grossing docs.