The Real Dirt on Farmer John

"Examines 50-odd years in the life of its eponymous subject -- a most compelling character -- and in doing so literally provides the viewer with food for thought."

"Let it be observed, however, that Peterson is a strange man, and he celebrates his own oddities. He wrote and reads the narration, which is that of a man who has one foot in the counterculture and the other in rich organic soil. He likes to dress strangely, in Dr. Seuss hats or bumblebee costumes. He is taken to dancing wildly in the fields. He is told his speech and body language make him appear to be homosexual, but there is persuasive evidence of heterosexuality in the series of girlfriends who keep him in "relationships" through the decades."

"A touching and entertaining portrait of a slightly oddball farmer is a record of many social changes in America."

"Siegel combines multiple formats -- 8-millimeter home movies, 16-mm film, Video 8 - in crafting a warm visual tapestry that pragmatically reflects on a bygone era. The Rockwellian experience of growing up on a Midwestern farm, the calamitous failure of family farms in the age of corporate farming and the rise of Community Supported Agriculture form a rich backdrop for Peterson's personal evolution."

"Peterson is an undeniably eccentric and compelling figure, and his narration, not to mention the extensive use of family home movies, gives the film a personal quality that will make it of interest even to those not particularly interested in the subject of farming."