Women Who Dig Documentary

Anna Kuelken is organizing this fundraiser.

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My name is Anna Kuelken and I am an emerging Edmonton-based filmmaker. Over the past few months, I have been working hard on a documentary project that I am deeply passionate about. The Women Who Dig documentary follows the stories of five remarkable women farmers who are spread out across three different provinces. They are all working tirelessly to combat climate change, food insecurity and sovereignty, social justice, and all while also promoting sustainable regional farming practices.

The impact of women’s work on our world is often an untold story, especially in farming. Through the lens of five incredible women living spread out in Western Canada, this documentary shed light on their powerful and inspiring stories in hopes to inspire others. I am collaborating with Canadian writer, Trina Moyles, author of Women Who Dig: Farming, Feminism, and the Fight to Feed the World (2018, University of Regina Press) to transform the Canadian chapter of the book into a documentary film.

Last summer, we secured funding for initial filming. However, the costs of equipment, travel and other expenses have added up quickly, and I need additional funding to continue this project.

Your donation would help cover the costs of filming and production from March to June, allowing me to capture each woman's life as the growing season starts. I believe that this project has the potential to make a real impact in the world, but I cannot do it alone.

Any amount that you are able to contribute would be greatly appreciated and would go directly towards the costs of filming, equipment, and other expenses associated with the project. I understand that times are tough for many people right now, so please know that any support you can provide, no matter how small, will be immensely helpful.

By making a donation, your name will be featured in the end credits. In addition, you'll receive a secured seat at the premiere.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and support. Your support will not only help us complete this project but also help us share these important stories with the world.

Project Description

The Women Who Dig documentary is inspired by the book, Women Who Dig: Farming, Feminism, and the Fight to Feed the World (University of Regina Press, 2018) by Canadian author, Trina Moyles. Over the course of the changing seasons, the film follows the lives of five women farmers in Western Canada who are using their hands, hearts, and voices to challenge unjust structures of the global food system to sustainably steward land, save Indigenous seeds, and cultivate food in alternative ways that benefit community and the environment.

Worldwide, the small family-run farm is often perceived to be an occupation of the past, one overtaken by large-scale, industrial agriculture. “The reason why they want to get rid of the small farmer is because the small farmer is the last free person on this planet,” said José Antônio Kroeff Lutzenberger, a Brazilian environmental activist, to author Vandana Shiva. As a result of colonization, the world has lost 75% of plant genetic diversity, while 60% of the world’s diet consists of twelve plants and five animal species. Large-scale industrial farming is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, climate change, and biodiversity loss. But in the face of the devastation caused by industrial agriculture and the impending climate crisis, the small family-run farm persists, and women are at the heart of this movement.

The Women Who Dig documentary will feature stories of five women on the front of the fight against the capitalization of the global food system. Audrey Logan is an urban forager and gardener in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She hasn’t been to a grocery store in over a decade and is dedicated to preserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable farming practices in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. Tiffany Traverse is an Indigenous seed keeper who works to handpick, preserve, and sow seeds in order to nurture their nearly forgotten genetic material on Fourth Sister Farm in northern British Columbia. Jenna Butler is a BIPOC homesteader, beekeeper, and author who has spent the last decade rewilding and regenerating degraded hay fields on Larchgrove Farm on the edge of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. She grows organic herbs, vegetables, and heirloom flowers to share with her community. Rachel Herbert of Trail’s End Beef in Southern Alberta is the fourth generation of women ranchers in her family and is actively protesting against the expansion of a coal mining project near her family’s land in the Porcupine Hills. In northern Alberta, Lisa Lundgard and her partner are raising a third-generation of farmers at The Homestead, an organic bison, beef, pork, and vegetable farm that borders the edge of the boreal forest. In recent years, she’s adapted her agricultural practices in the face of the climate crisis, responding to drought, floods, and wildfires. The Women Who Dig documentary is a powerful tribute to the strength and resilience of women in the farming industry and a celebration of their efforts to create a more sustainable future.

More About Me:

I grew up on a small bison farm in Northern Alberta, which has been a significant influence on my work as a filmmaker. My work is rooted in a deep appreciation for the natural world, and I'm inspired by the complex relationships between people and their environment. The importance of sustainable farming practices has been ingrained in me from a young age, and I'm passionate about exploring the ways in which we can create a more sustainable and equitable future.

I have my Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in film and won the BMO 1st National Art Award in 2021 for my documentary Father Like Son. In addition, Father Like Son was featured at the University of Toronto Art Gallery, various film festivals around the world and was top 3 for the Lindalee Tracey award at Hot Docs 2022. The success of Father Like Son fueled the fire to keep making documentaries that capture the environment and the human experience in all its diversity and complexity. The interconnectedness of our actions with the planet and the people who inhabit it can no longer be disregarded or overlooked. My hope is that through my films, I can inspire others to take action and create a more sustainable and just world.

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