The Disney+ Earth Day special “The Biggest Little Farm: The Return,” from National Geographic, is based on the 2018 award-winning feature documentary film that tells the story of John and Molly Chester, who abandon their urban life in Los Angeles to live on a barren farm to grow delicious food in harmony with nature in Ventura County. The new documentary follows the farmers’ 10-year tireless journey as they transform the land into a magical working farm and document the whole process in this heartwarming special that is akin to a real-life “Charlotte’s Web.”
Apricot Lane Farms is a beautiful, complex world that reflects our planet’s biodiversity, and this documentary introduces audiences to animals that will quickly burrow into their hearts, like Emma the pig who welcomes her newest litter and an adorable lamb named Moe who befriends the family. This Earth Day, see how the farmers utilize the interconnectedness of nature to help build soil health, maximize biodiversity, and regeneratively grow the most nutrient-dense food possible.
Molly Chester is co-founder and farmer of Apricot Lane Farms, a 214-acre regenerative farm in Moorpark, California, and the subject of the award-winning documentary “The Biggest Little Farm.” Molly’s farming journey was driven by her years as a personal chef and realizing that the health and flavor of food directly connect to the health of the soil. She lives on the farm with her husband John, son Beaudie, dog Blue, and a menagerie of farm animals and wildlife. Her new cookbook, “The Apricot Lane Farms Cookbook,” releases fall 2022.
John Chester has been a wildlife cinematographer and filmmaker for the last 25 years, winning five Emmy® Awards for his short films for OWN’s “Super Soul Sunday,” including Outstanding Directing, Writing and Cinematography. He’s also a farmer and the co-founder of Apricot Lane Farms, a 214-acre regenerative farm in Moorpark, California, which he and his wife Molly started in 2011. It became the subject of his latest film, the critically acclaimed feature documentary “The Biggest Little Farm,” which chronicles the epic 8-year story of endeavoring to build one of the most diverse farms of its kind in complete coexistence with nature.
“The Biggest Little Farm” premiered at the 2018 Telluride Film Festival and screened at more than 50 film festivals worldwide, including the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, 2019 Sundance Film Festival and 2019 Berlin International Film Festival.
