King Corn

About the Project

King Corn is a feature documentary about one acre of corn and its journey into the American food system. The film explores issues of family farm loss, farm policy, and obesity, through the personal story of two recent college graduates who travel to rural Iowa to grow an acre of corn in the town their great-grandfathers came from. It is poised to jump-start public debate about the consequences of America's shift to industrialized farming and eating. It is critical, however, that the film support a larger, ongoing strategy for promoting national debate, and that this debate flourishes not just in cities on the coasts, but in the agricultural heartland.

The King Corn Campaign is designed to jumpstart and enliven farm and food policy review, specifically regarding America’s complex relationship to corn. The campaign aims to spark interest and action in rural and urban settings across the country – particularly among young people.

King Corn is a feature documentary about one acre of corn and its journey into the American food system. The film explores issues of family farm loss, farm policy, and obesity, through the personal story of two recent college graduates who travel to rural Iowa to grow an acre of corn in the town their great-grandfathers came from. It is poised to jump-start public debate about the consequences of America's shift to industrialized farming and eating. It is critical, however, that the film support a larger, ongoing strategy for promoting national debate, and that this debate flourishes not just in cities on the coasts, but in the agricultural heartland.

The King Corn Campaign was designed to jumpstart and enliven farm and food policy review, specifically regarding America's complex relationship to corn. The campaign aims to spark interest and action in rural and urban settings across the country - particularly among young people.

The Campaign launched with the film's theatrical premiere in New York on October 12, 2007. Following the release, King Corn and its ancillary resources reached people "where they are" through a theatrical release, a rural tour, a PBS broadcast, viral marketing and policy forums. Once hooked, individuals and groups found many ways to take action: from the dining table, to consumer choices, through advocacy and more.

The Fledgling Fund Impact

The Fledgling Fund is proud to have provided key support for the development of the King Corn national audience engagement strategy and for the implementation of the first piece of this campaign: the King Corn in the Corn Belt initiative. With this effort, the filmmakers working with Active Voice ensured that King Corn spurred lively debate about the sources of our food, and that this conversation engaged those who make a living on the land, now and in the next generation.

We are happy to report that the film and its associated campaign were able to raise awareness about key food and farm policy, engage the public in dialogue, and serve as a useful tool for leaders of the sustainable food and agriculture movement. We hope it will continue to be a useful educational tool in the ongoing policy debates about farm and food policy.