The Real Dirt on America’s Counterculture

Still from “The Bug” music video
photo courtesy of AngelicOrganics.com

In honor of Burning Man—which I’m reluctantly skipping this year—I’d like to talk a little about the counterculture in modern America.

After leaving Chicago, I stopped by Angelic Organics: a bastion of creativity in conservative Northern Illinois, a leader in organic and biodynamic agriculture, and the subject of a PBS documentary entitled The Real Dirt on Farmer John.

Teen John
photo courtesy of Angelic Organics

John Peterson grew up on this farm in Caledonia, near the Wisconsin border. His father died when he was young, and he wound up running the farm himself by the time he started college.

“To me, farming is poetry, drama. It’s a source of infinite fascination.”
- Farmer John Peterson

In school he met the counterculture: 60s idealists and artists, revolutionaries and back-to-the-landers. Farmer John believed in the importance of agriculture, and he was astounded that some of the city kids had never touched hay; he was also enamored of the free-spirited creativity they brought to his life. He opened the farm up to friends who wanted to visit and work, and created a place where openness, artistic expression and creativity mixed with hard work and good food. His farm, in many ways, realized the dreams of a million hippies—and it worked. For a while.

But the 60s ended, and times got rough for Farmer John. By the 1980s, he’d lost most of his land and had been ostracized from his community by a series of nasty rumors about his lifestyle and friends.

For small-town kids like me, the rumors sound familiar: it’s a cult! A satanic cult! They’re a bunch of gays and druggies doing animal sacrifice! I heard the same rumors about members of my own community, and accepted them as fact. So did many people in John Peterson’s hometown.

In the film, he talks about the pain of living as an outsider when you’ve done nothing wrong—which, in his case, was compounded by massive debt. Over the course of several years, Farmer John was forced to sell nearly the entire farm: he found himself destitute, hopeless and friendless in a town where his family had been pillars of the community.

Farmer John sniffs an onion
photo courtesy of Angelic Organics

I’ll let you watch the documentary to find out what happens next: we’re skipping to the end.

These days, Angelic Organics is a vibrant, thriving farm that grows beautiful organic produce using biodynamic methods and the occasional bout of healthy mud-worship. Farmer John and crew produce enough veggies for over 800 CSA members. They run a learning center for kids and families; an internship program for prospective farmers; and an urban initiative in Chicago. And in 1999, they hosted the King of Uganda.

Farmer John would probably tell you that he’s just happy he saved the farm. But for people like me, Angelic Organics is more than a farm. It’s a place where counterculture meets tradition, where creativity and “outsider” culture are seen as opportunities instead of negative influences. It’s a place where anybody can participate, no matter who they think they are. Farmer John understands that freaks work hard too, and by letting his own freak flag fly, he sets an example for the rest of the world.

In fact, openmindedness has made this farm what it is. Farmer John’s belief that chemicals were harmful led him to adopt organic agriculture long before it was in style; that early adoption led directly to the current success of Angelic Organics. Too, his inclusive attitude allowed him to connect with an extended community of like-minded individuals—which eventually became the key factor in the farm’s expansion.

photo courtesy of Angelic Organics

The 1960s and 1970s in America were a time when people dreamed big; some were able to make their dreams come true, but in most cases, idealism was trumped by reality. Nonetheless, some of the best ideas of that time are returning decades later with stronger foundations and wider public support. In particular, organic and natural products are finally in popular demand, while sustainable development and alternative energy are booming.

In many cases, some of the original champions of those ideas never stopped laboring to make them real. Mike Reynolds of Earthship Biotecture and Larry Harvey of Burning Man are only two of the visionaries who still work tirelessly for cultural change; Farmer John Peterson is one of the legion of lesser-known radicals who gave up everything and worked themselves sick, only to see their efforts pay off decades later than they expected.

This is one of the most important things I’ve learned in meeting cultural outsiders from Burning Man to Fire Island, Earthships to eco-villages: if you really believe that something is right, you’ve got to be brave enough to try it and strong enough to work at it as long as you have to.

If Farmer John hadn’t stuck with the dream of running the family farm his way, he would’ve had a much easier life—but he wouldn’t now be reaping the benefits of his foreward-thinking attitude. Throughout his life he’s been a farm boy, a hippie, an artist, an outcast, a near-failure, a big success, an innovator and ultimately a leader. Through it all, he’s never stopped working toward his ideals. That’s more than most people—even the most outspoken idealists—can say.

The Real Dirt on Farmer John was written and narrated by the man himself, and includes footage shot by him and his mother. He’s a fantastic writer: read more of his stories here.

Watch the trailer here.

Come back soon for photos from Angelic Organics’ main farm and from their urban teaching farm in Chicago’s South Side.