Falls Church, Virginia--July 5, 2011-- Swat teams, seizures, search warrants, not the kind of things one normally associates with the idyllic family farm. Unbeknownst to most of the nation, American family farms are literally under seige by regulators with rule books. This is the subject of Kristin Canty's documentary film Farmageddon--the Unseen War on American Family Farms which just played in DC and L.A. and now opens this Friday for one week only, in New York City. The film is playing July 8-14 at the Cinema Village on 22 East 12th Street.

The filmmaker was inspired by the work of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF), which was born on the 4th of July, 2007. Concerned about the increasing regulatory burden on small and mixed use farms, FTCLDF defends small sustainable farms which sell their farm products direct to consumers, against government interference.

A first time filmmaker, Kristin is a Massachusetts mom whose 4-year-old son was healed of multiple allergies by adding farm fresh (raw) milk to his diet. Kristin offered to host a fundraiser for FTCLDF, and was horrified as she made posters of the farmers who were experiencing hardship at the hands of government. Kristin was moved into action, alarmed by the FTCLDF reports of armed raids of farm buying clubs and health food co-ops around the nation. Since she achieved near miraculous results by adding raw dairy to her son's diet, she found a film crew and went to work in defense of this nutritious food, which was the primary target in numerous raids.

Farmageddon tells the stories, in the words of the victims themselves, of the numerous trespasses of the health bureaucrats on farmers’ and consumers’ civil liberties. Canty also interviews experts on health and nutrition and leading local foods advocates to give a sobering assessment of the plight of farmers who seek to meet the growing demand for healthy, ecologically grown food. Congressman Ron Paul makes a cameo appearance decrying government's overreach into the health and diet decisions of American citizens.

Kristin Canty is a member both of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nutrition education and activist group, and of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. With the film, she hopes to draw the nation's attention to the hindrances faced by honest farmers and the tragedy of bucolic farm life disturbed by food police run amok.

The NYC premiere runs from Friday, July 8 through Thursday, July 14th. For showtimes and tickets, contact http://cinemavillage.com.

For other screening dates and times, and to see the trailer, visit the Farmageddon website: http://farmageddonmovie.com. 

Learn more about farm raids on the FTCLDF website: http://www.farmtoconsumer.org/farm-raids.html

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund  defends the rights and broadens the freedoms of family farms and protects consumer access to raw milk and nutrient-dense foods. Concerned citizens can support the FTCLDF, a U.S. based 501(c)(4) nonprofit, by joining or donating online at www.farmtoconsumer.org or by calling 703-208-FARM (3276).

Media Contact Kim Hartke 703-860-2711 or 703-675-5557 [email protected].