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Wenatchee, Washington, "Apple Capital of
the World." This pastoral Valley in the
heart of the Pacific Northwest prospered for
nearly
a century as home to the famed Washington apple.
But the good times have vanished. Apple orchardists
by the thousands are going out of business and
thousands more await the dreaded letter from
the
bank announcing the end of their livelihoods
and a uniquely American way of life.
 After his own father receives just such a letter,
filmmaker Guy Evans sets out on a journey of discovery
to try to find out what went wrong here in this
natural garden of Eden. Along the way he witnesses
small farmers forced off their land as they struggle
to compete against the Goliaths that populate
today’s global economy.
The future looks grim for the Apple Capital until
Evans happens upon an entirely new breed of farmer,
practitioners of a new model for farming called
sustainable agriculture. They have come to be
known as the New American Farmers and they are
finding success by going against the grain of
conventional agriculture. The ideas that Evans
uncovers define a path of renewal that could save
not only his father, but farmers across America.
BROKEN LIMBS explores these hopeful
stirrings within agriculture, and outlines ways
in which any individual can play a role in saving
America’s farmers. Told from a hometown
perspective, the film presents the stories of
farmers attempting to create this new model for
agriculture and emerging, more sustainable solutions
to the crises of recent years – solutions
applicable not just to apples and not just to
farming, but to nearly any sector of the American
economy troubled by the effects of consolidation
and globalization.
Producers: Jamie Howell and Guy Evans
Written by: Jamie Howell
Filmed and edited by: Guy Evans
Music by: Fathappy; Guy Evans and Jamie Howell
Non-profit fiscal sponsor: The Wenatchee Valley
Museum and Cultural Center
Made possible in part by support from:
The Icicle Fund and The Community Foundation of
North Central Washington
Copyright 2004 Jamie Howell and Guy Evans
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