- Dates: Mar 22, 2026
- Price: Free
- Schedule:
- Sun, Mar 22 · 2:00pm
- Runtime (approx): 92 min
- Age: All Ages
The Hands That Feed Us
The Hands That Feed Us (What It Takes to Be a Farmer or Why You Can’t Be One) follows filmmaker Devon Cooke as he sets out to understand why his dream of becoming a farmer feels increasingly out of reach. Living and working on farms across Canada he immerses himself in the daily realities of agricultural life discovering both its profound rewards and its crushing challenges.
Along the way he reconsiders long held ideas about success wealth and fulfillment as he encounters farmers who are deeply devoted to their way of life yet often rely on off farm work simply to stay on the land.
As soaring land costs threaten the future of farming the film asks difficult and necessary questions. Can farmers afford to feed us and at what cost to themselves. What emerges is an honest portrait of resilience passion and a way of life sustained not by profit but by commitment purpose and love of the land.
About the Show
The Hand That Feeds Us looks closely at the lives of farmers across the country and the quiet, often invisible pressures shaping our food system. It asks what it truly costs to grow food, what kind of life that work makes possible, and what happens when rising land values and economic strain push farmers to the margins. These are not distant concerns. They affect the health, stability, and long-term resilience of our own region.
At Tempest, we believe creative work has a civic role. Food sustains the body. Art sustains the inner life. Both require care, intention, and a willingness to think beyond short-term return. Join us for a compelling afternoon of film and conversation as we gather to reflect on the systems that sustain us and consider what kind of future we want to help build together.
Credits
The full production team of The Hands That Feed Us is available on the film’s website.
