FILM ABOUT PA'S ENDANGERED FARMERS TO AIR ON WHYY-TV 12

PHILADELPHIA (June 14, 2000) -- "Farming on the Edge," a documentary about the plight of Pennsylvania farmers as they work to preserve some of the richest farmland in the country, will play on WHYY-TV 12 in Philadelphia on June 18 at 3:00 pm.

The film delves into the lives of three PA farming families-one losing its farm to sprawl, one struggling to adapt to development changes, and one able to preserve its farm. It presents an inside look at how economic and societal changes are negatively affecting our food providers.

"'Farming on the Edge' puts a human face on the challenges confronting family farms in suburbanizing communities throughout Pennsylvania," said Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) Vice President Andrew Johnson. "The award-winning film's sensitive portrayal of these farm families-and the fate of their land and their livelihood-conveys the richness of Pennsylvania's agricultural heritage and the beauty of our land and the threat posed by suburban sprawl."

"Farming on the Edge" was produced by Timothy Schlitzer and Gabrielle Mahler for GreenWorks Productions, a program of the Environmental Fund for Pennsylvania (EFP). The June 18 airdate will mark GreenWorks' debut on public television.

Since its completion earlier this year, "Farming on the Edge" was already accepted into the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema, Festival of Independents.

"We're really pleased with the success of 'Farming on the Edge,'" said Schlitzer. "We filmed it in 16 mm film to show the beauty of Pennsylvania farms and to clearly show that we are losing more and more local farms to sprawl."

Lancaster Farmland Trust Executive Director Tom Stouffer said, "'Farming on the Edge'" features real farm families, who like most farmers face a constant balancing act. On one hand, to stay on the farm, they must ensure that they grow, market and receive fair value for their product. On the other, they are expected to be good stewards of the land-an increasingly difficult task in a society that has too long looked on farmland as vacant land ready for a so-called better use, and not as land that will provide food for our children and grandchildren. These farmers recognize first hand the fact that our land is not inherited from our ancestors, but on loan from our descendents."

More information about "Farming on the Edge" and VHS copies are available by calling 1-877-PA-GREEN, or by visiting the website at http://www.greenworkschannel.org.

CONTACT:
Environmental Fund for Pennsylvania
215-545-5880