A documentary about the food economy in Athens is in the works thanks to a Trout and Fisher team.
Two Ohio University alumni — Dan Trout and Barbara Fisher — recently started their own production company and began work in June 2011 to produce a feature documentary entitled Hand to Mouth: The Athens Ohio Food Cycle.
Trout, director of the documentary, is a 2008 media arts and studies masters graduate while Fisher, a writer, is a 1994 journalism graduate, chef and food blogger.
“Athens’ thriving food economy has been going on for 40 years,” Fisher said. “Yet no one has really sat down and identified how it was done, what infrastructures were needed, what started the ball rolling. Our documentary answers these questions.”
Hand to Mouth, a 90-minute film, will include on-site interviews with local farmers, restaurateurs, members of community and rural initiatives and politicians, as well as music by local musicians.
“I grew up on a farm, so locally grown food has always been a big part of my life,” Fisher said. “(Dan and I) have both seen the potential in producing a film about the local food movement in Athens for a while.”
Together, Trout and Fisher are co-producing the documentary and explained how their individual backgrounds have helped make Hand to Mouth a reality. The film will be completed next year.
“Believe it or not, we actually both came up with the idea independently about six years ago,” Trout said. “Between my production skills and Barbara’s background in journalism and knowledge on food, we make a strong team.”
The pair decided to film year-round, which not only serves to accurately display the lifestyle of growers and producers in Athens, but is also a characteristic that sets their film apart from others.
“We made it a goal from the beginning to shoot year-round because (locally grown food) is not just a seasonal thing,” Trout said. “We wanted to show that the farmers market is open all year and that many (Athenians) grow fruits and vegetables in the middle of winter.”
Becky Rondy, co-owner of Green Edge Gardens, is one of the farmers featured in Hand to Mouth. Green Edge Gardens, Rondy explained, cultivates heirloom tomatoes, swiss chard, shiitake mushrooms and other vegetables all year.
“Dan and Barbara’s idea is a great one,” Rondy said. “I’m excited to see how they will show Athens’ commitment to producing locally-grown greens and other foods. I really enjoyed working with them and hope that Hand to Mouth will go far.”
Trout and Fisher hope to enter their documentary into film festivals after it is finished but said they are currently unsure as to what the future holds for both Hand to Mouth and the outlook of their production company as a whole.
“I am confident in our film as I think there is certainly a market for it right now,” Trout said. “It’s doubtful that we will make money off of it, but that’s beside the point. Our goal in creating Hand to Mouth is to continue to grow this local food community in Athens and beyond.”
sl642509@ohiou.edu
