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 Fledgling Fund Impact
We are pleased to provide support for the development of the King Corn
National 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 will ensure that King Corn becomes
the centerpiece of a lively debate about the sources of our food, and that
this conversation engages those who make a living on the land, now and in the
next generation.
