The Hard Part

Lara

“I think we’re living in the strangest moment in human history,” Lara often says. And she’s not talking about self-driving cars or bizarre internet trends, she’s talking about the fact that fewer people than ever are directly involved with the production of their own food.

Lara runs the 40 acre farm in Washougal, Washington where our movie is set. An unwavering optimist and deep empath, her life’s work is to change the world through small farming.

Derek

“Farming is not in my blood and I didn’t know anything about farming,” says Derek. “But I fell in love with a farmer.”

Derek is Lara’s husband and the supporter of her dreams. He works as a teacher and helps on the farm when he can.

Nate

Artist and explorer, Nate is Lara and Derek’s 9 year old son whose worldview is profoundly shaped by growing up on a working farm. His favorite farm animals are the chickens. He even gets to miss school to pick up the new baby chicks from the post office each spring.

     

Dana deLaski, Director & Producer

Dana is a documentary filmmaker based in Portland, Oregon. She earned her BA in English Literature from Colorado College and her Master’s in Multimedia Journalism from the University of Oregon. She began her career in editorial media, producing stories for platforms including Mashable, Food & Wine, The Village Voice, and Tasting Table. In 2020, she co-founded a production company called Film Snacks, which focused on short films about food. In 2023 she co-produced Remembering York, which screened at several regional festivals and was a finalist for the “Ubuntu: I am because we are” award. Currently, she is producing Our Next Speaker, a documentary series about high school speech & debate.