‘Recovery’ farm releases trailer ahead of film premiere
(CNS): A documentary film, three years in the making, about Beacon Farms, the unique working rehabilitation farm in North Side, is set to premiere on 8 February and a trailer has been released ahead of the full screening. Directed and produced by local filmmaker Candy Whicker, it follows the trials and tribulations of the experimental farm, which employs people in recovery from substance abuse as they learn new skills, experiment with innovative farming techniques, rebuild their lives and break new ground in local agriculture.
Speaking about the movie, Whicker said she wanted to record how 34 acres of bush were transformed into an organic working farm while retaining aspects of the wilderness as a haven for the Cayman Islands’ flora and fauna. What began as a video diary idea spanning a year became a three-year project, not least because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film is about the transformation of the people and the property into a successful project and an honest behind-the-scenes picture of daily life on the farm.
“It would have been impossible to capture all the many things that happened in those three years, but I hope this film shows how much hard work, innovation, kindness and money has gone into creating something quite remarkable,” Whicker said.
The farm is not only unique in its approach to those in recovery but the team had to be technically innovative to overcome the challenge of not having any soil, which drove the creation of the Cayman Islands’ only genuine composting system. As well as selling a range of fresh produce, Beacon Farms, which is run by Chief Operating Officer Sandy Urquhart, is now making its own range of products, from cigars to cosmetics, out of a diverse array of things grown on the farm.
Founded with the support of the Haugh family in 2017, Beacon Farms has emerged as an important contributor to Cayman’s small but growing agriculture sector. The land was recently formally donated to the Beacon of Hope Foundation, the Cayman-registered non-profit that runs the farm, and it is now moving into the phase of independent fundraising ahead of its hoped-for self-sufficiency.
The premiere of the film, which will be an important fundraising event for the farm this year, will premiere on 8 February at Camana Bay Cinema and will open to the public on Wednesday, 15 February, for three nights.
Watch the movie trailer here.
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Category: Local News
Hats off to the Cayman Community Farm on Hirst Road where local sponsors and residents grow produce that they give away to seniors and those in need. Thanks also to the owner who has generously allowed her land to be used for this purpose. It is a true community effort and an example of days of old.
Where have you been? Have you never been to the farmer’s market here? The government has offered technical support to local farmers for about 15 years now! Most things that can grow in our soil and climate conditions are already grown here. The local supermarkets sell it most of it, too!
I hope and pray that this film details how local nutrients can be grown and harvested. The previous offerings left much to be desired.
I know that we can all grow many fruits and vegetables here. CIG should create a fund to support us in these endeavours. Of course, that’s not as shiny as their other endeavours. So it goes. Selah.