About John
When he's not with his wife Molly and son Beaudie fumbling through the riddles of farm life, filmmaker John Chester can be found filming the interconnected web of nature.
Current Projects
Feature Film (2018)
The origin story that started it all.
The Biggest Little Farm tells the story of John and Molly's journey leaving city life behind to follow their dream of building a biodiverse farm and growing food in harmony with nature.
The film chronicles their near decade-long attempt to create the utopia they seek — planting 10,000 orchard trees, hundreds of crops, and bringing in animals of every kind, including an unforgettable pig named Emma and her best friend, Greasy the rooster. When the farm's ecosystem finally begins to reawaken, their plan for perfect harmony takes a series of wild turns, and to survive they realize they'll have to reach a far greater understanding of the intricacies and wisdom of nature, and of life itself.
The film screened in more than twenty countries, won 25 awards, and was shortlisted for an Academy Award.
New Series (Coming Soon)
The official sequel
A new series from John Chester and the FarmLore Films team, continuing the story of life, resilience, and discovery as the Chesters and their team continue restoring farmland, working in collaboration with a biodiverse ecosystem.
Sign Up To See It First!
Conversations
Podcast
Rich Roll
John and Molly joined Rich Roll for a deep and wide-ranging conversation about farming, finding purpose, and reflected on the interconnected web of life we all belong to.
Listen now
Podcast
Goop
John joined Gwyneth Paltrow to talk about a decade in deep relationship with the ecosystem of his land, and how he and Molly reframed roadblocks into opportunities when the end goal was nowhere in sight. They also cover soil health, reading a food label, and the future of American farming.
Listen nowBooks
Children's Book
Saving Emma the Pig
Saving Emma the Pig is a heartfelt picture book with gorgeous illustrations from Jennifer L. Meyer. It tells a tale of Emma the pig, and reminds us what is most important—for pigs and for humans: love and friendship.
Get the children's book
Cookbook
Molly's Latest Cookbook!
Nourishing recipes rooted in ancestral cooking and stories from life on the farm — living and eating in connection with the land, and all of its seasonal offerings.
Get the cookbook