By Andie Hagemann
They’re back! This Earth Day, revisit the enchanting Apricot Lane Farms with National Geographic’s all-new special, The Biggest Little Farm: The Return. Get reacquainted with Molly and John Chester, the stars of the 2018 award-winning documentary film, The Biggest Little Farm, as they chronicle the next chapter of their unique journey. The special premieres on Friday, April 22, exclusively on Disney+, as part of the streaming service’s Earth Day celebration.
In The Biggest Little Farm, viewers watched the Chesters channel the classic sitcom Green Acres as they abandoned their big-city life in Los Angeles in favor of living on a then-barren farm in Ventura County, California. A few years later, Apricot Lane Farms is thriving, and it’s not so “little” anymore. Over 75 different fruit varieties, including mandarins, grow in the farm’s diverse orchard aptly referred to as “The Fruit Basket.” The special will introduce the adorable animals who reside at Apricot Lane Farms, including Emma the pig and a lamb named Moe, as well as educate viewers about the importance of soil health for growing nutrient-dense food.
For The Biggest Little Farm: The Return, the couple partnered with National Geographic to effectively share the many stories of Apricot Lane Farms, including Emma welcoming her newest litter and Moe integrating himself as a member of the Chester family. The farmers felt it was ideal considering the brand’s renowned storytelling of the animal kingdom. “National Geographic is really into what we’re into: the importance of every little creature from the microbe to the coyote and mountain lion, or a giant 650-pound pig named Emma,” John Chester said. “All those things coming together and their support for the way we tell stories has been just a perfect partnership for us.”
Despite the overwhelming success of The Biggest Little Farm, jumping back into filmmaking whilst working as a full-time farmer again was no easy feat. Molly Chester confessed that filmmaking was the furthest thing from her husband John’s mind before they signed on to film the update. The dynamic couple shared the motivation behind the special and more while on a virtual panel during the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour. “The farm is a microcosm of the planet—it all works the same way, so that was really important,” shared John Chester. “It wasn’t an easy thing to do for our marriage—to go run a farm and also tell a story, and then another one. I’ve never felt more motivated to suffer in the way of making a film than I did in making The Biggest Little Farm, and with this special [too].”
Molly Chester said one of the biggest, unexpected blessings of the documentary’s success is how it has inspired others to follow their lead. “We do weekly farm tours here and [visitors will say], ‘I watched the film and now I’m taking over my aunt’s farm,’ or ‘you inspired us to go out and buy 10 acres,’” she shared. “It does feel like there are these little seeds that have spread across the world due to this.”
John Chester added that the documentary and Apricot Lane Farms hope to galvanize a new generation of farmers from the young and young at heart who are looking to be stewards of the Earth and farm in a way that heals the planet. To succeed in doing so, the couple stressed, requires being fearless in the pursuit.
“It’s really just about taking the things that we normally would be afraid of and flipping that on its head by being incredibly curious about how it all works, because curiosity is essentially the antidote to all of our fears, especially as farmers and as human beings facing any conflict,” said John Chester.
The Biggest Little Farm: The Return is available for streaming on Earth Day, exclusively on Disney+.
