Crawford County’s Cooley takes his star turn in “Farmland” By Jay Stone ___________________________________
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Photo by Andy Lucas
rawford County Farm Bureau President Leighton Cooley is among six farmers featured in the documentary “Farmland,” released nationally on May 1. The film, which includes multiple members of the Cooley family, brought Oscar-winning director James Moll to the Cooleys’ poultry farm in Roberta, and it took Cooley on a cross-country odyssey of film premieres. “It is not every day that we get film crews coming to our farm,” Cooley said during a Q&A following a private screening Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) hosted at Macon’s Douglass Theatre on April 7. “It’s just been an incredible opportunity. You never know
what the Lord is going to bring your way.” “Farmland” offers farmers’ perspectives on what farming is and their responses to criticisms of modern agriculture. “In ‘Farmland,’ audiences will hear thoughts and opinions about agriculture, but not from me and not from a narrator,” Moll said in a press release. “They’re from the mouths of the farmers and ranchers themselves.” Cooley is a fourth-generation farmer who farms with his father, Larry, raising broilers (chickens grown for meat), beef cattle and hay. In addition to Cooley, the film features California vegetable farmer Sutton Morgan, Minnesota hog farmer Ryan Veldhuizen, Nebraska corn and soybean farmer
Pictured from left, Crawford County Farm Bureau President Leighton Cooley, wife Brenda, sons Lane and Lawson and his parents Larry and Terri are among six farm families featured in the documentary “Farmland.” They attended a private screening GFB hosted in April.
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David Loberg, Pennsylvania vegetable farmer Margaret Schlass and Texas cattle rancher Brad Bellah. Moll made multiple visits to each farm, offering a glimpse of the challenges and benefits of farm life, as well as revealing who the farmers are as people. “I love the film. I love the way James put it together,” said Cooley. “I believe it’s going to create a lot of opportunities for dialogue. I hope that when people buy steak at the grocery store, they think of Brad, and when they buy chicken they think of me.” “Farmland” had its New York premiere on April 17 during the Tribeca Film Festival, and competed at the Cleveland International Film Festival in late March, the Atlanta Film Festival on April 6, the Nashville Film Festival on April 19 and the Newport Beach Film Festival April 24-May 1. Cooley attended showings in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, Washington, D.C., Indianapolis, Ind., Atlanta and Macon, Ga. and the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. “Our hope is that for the American public, ‘Farmland’ will truly put a face with their food and help them understand these families really care about their animals and really care about the land,” said GFB President Zippy Duvall, who introduced the film at the Macon screening attended by Middle Georgia community leaders. Cooley was asked during the Q&A in Macon if he could see a future in reality television after the film experience. “I never want to eat my own words. You certainly never know what the Lord’s got in store next, but right now I really like farming,” he said. “I really enjoyed the chance to work with this documentary, but as of right now I really enjoy farming and I want to keep doing it.” Moll’s Allentown Productions produced “Farmland” with generous support from the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), of which Georgia Farm See FARMLAND page 33 Georgia Neighbors • Spring 2014