July 11, 2017
The independent feature film, “Ivy League Farmer,” will premiere on RFD-TV and the newly launched cable network, The Cowboy Channel, this week, beginning on RFD-TV starting Wednesday, July 12th at 8:30 p.m. ET. The film tells a heartwarming story about Joe Gilbert, a Harvard grad who spends one last summer on the family farm after landing his dream job on Wall Street. It’s a story of a father and son in conflict over the use of modern technology and the future of the family dairy farm. But the family farm isn’t only the thing Joel stumbles onto while home: his school crush, Holly, has planted her roots as a school teacher in town, and Joe finds her fighting battles of her own. She knows students in her school aren’t getting enough to eat at home, and she is adamant on finding the solution.
Produced by the non-profit, Farming to Fight Hunger, “Ivy League Farmer” is co-written and produced by Mark Miller, lead singer for Sawyer Brown who was heavily involved in developing the script and content. Joel Gilbert and Thomas Weber also served as co-writers. Farming to Fight Hunger is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a positive perception of agriculture to the American public through media, while raising awareness of domestic and global hunger.
RFD-TV airdates:
- Wednesday, July 12th at 8:30 p.m. ET
- Thursday, July 13th at 12 a.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET
- Saturday, July 15th at 6 a.m. ET
The Cowboy Channel airdates:
- Friday, July 14th at 8 p.m. ET
- Saturday, July 15th at 9 a.m. ET, 2 p.m. ET, and 8 p.m. ET
- Sunday, July 16th at 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET
Watch the trailer below:
“There are 27,000 people who die each day of starvation and acute malnutrition. Our world is going to need 70% more food to meet the demand of an ever-growing population,” said Randy Shanks of Farming to Fight Hunger. “Our industry does a great job with science and creating new technologies to feed the world in a safe and sustainable manner, but we don’t do a good job of telling our story. We wanted to provide an entertaining way to get our message across, as people are more likely to watch a heartwarming film over a scientific documentary.”
“Randy approached me with the idea because he had seen a faith-based movie that I had produced and thought that we showcased the message in an organic and entertaining way,” said producer Mark Miller. “He asked if we could do the same with “Farming—,” so that’s kind of how the idea came about. And by the end of the project, everyone was on board with the message – from the domestic hunger to the farming issues.”
“Ivy League Farmer” was filmed in Charleston, SC and stars Randy Wayne, Janine Turner, Terry Serpico, Ashley Nicole Anderson, Christopher Knight, and Christopher Douglas Reed as “Lester.” Watch the trailer here and here. You can also watch part one and two of an interview with Randy Shanks and Mark Miller on a recent edition of the “Market Day Report.” For the full program schedule and more information about RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel, visit rfdtv.com and thecowboychannel.com.