'All of America, Am I' Shows Farmers Are Still Toe-to-Toe With Corporations
new film by the Wisconsin Farmers Union, Ivy Media spotlights regional family farms and their efforts to build resilience, reclaim local control in agriculture
“The whole story of what they're eating, that story starts with a seed.” Opening a new short film from the Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU), Dylan Bruce, a land steward for Driftless Seed Supply in Wisconsin, sets the scene with this reflection: “We are walking in the footsteps of thousands of generations that have come before us.”
“All of America, Am I,” a short documentary made in collaboration with the WFU and Ivy Media of Chippewa Falls, illustrates the industrial markets and corporate consolidation which continues to impact the daily livelihoods of small-scale farmers, rural businesses and the communities which depend on their product.
With the support of Farm Aid and WFU members, the film aims to continue the farmers union’s mission to enhance the quality of life for regional farmers and their communities through educational entry points and civic engagement.
“Corporate consolidation is a wicked problem that has an outlandish impact on so many facets of American life, food and agriculture being the focus of the film,” Layne Cozzolino, the director of special projects with the Wisconsin Farmers Union – and producer for the film – said.
“We chose video storytelling as a compelling way to ground the concept and break it down into relatable vignettes that showcase how farmers and their livelihoods in Wisconsin are impacted and how alternative models of farm operations can be a part of the resistance,” Cozzolino said.
“Market consolidation doesn’t affect just one type of farm it reshapes entire ecosystems ... The film isn’t about telling viewers what to think, it’s about helping them see how market consolidation, efficiency, and distance from production are reshaping rural life.“
kyle lehman
director, “All of America, Am I”
As Cozzolino illustrates, the documentary offers a top-down view of national market forces which directly impact the lived experiences of four Wisconsin agricultural operations: Breitenmoser Family Farms, Driftless Seed Supply, Driftless Tannery and Meadowlark Organics.
Each offers a different lived experience tied to Wisconsin’s agriculture systems – from growing and pollinating to livestock and dairy farming.
“All of America, Am I” offers a distinct taste of home as it humanizes the folks who face economic pressures in an era of consolidation, weaving in regional elements from visuals to the storytelling itself. The film was directed by Ivy Media's Kyle Lehman and produced by WFU – both with roots in Chippewa Falls – and narrated by born-and-raised Wisconsin author, Michael Perry.
For Lehman, the goal of this production was to ensure audiences – and those helping with the film itself – remained engaged: to ask questions about who benefits from the United States’ current systems, where our goods and services come from and “how individual choices and policies ripple through small communities.”
“Rather than explaining markets directly, we let the farmers and makers reveal those pressures naturally through conversations and on-the-job walk-throughs,” Lehman said. “When viewers see similar pressures surface across very different operations, the national story reveals itself organically.”
In an effort to continue the conversations spurred by interviews in “All of America, Am I,” the documentary debuted during the WFU’s 95th annual state convention in December of last year. There, members of the organization and all attendees had the opportunity to inspire further action to foster hope and understanding of farmers’ experiences today.
“One of WFU's biggest strengths is the diversity of perspectives and types of farms represented in our membership,” Cozzolino said. “We are not a monolith and neither are our members' views, yet corporate consolidation affects them all, in both similar and unique ways.
“The release was well timed too; farmers of all sizes and modes of production felt pinched in 2025 and this film served to remind us what we're up against and what WFU has been dedicated to over the past 95 years,” Cozzolino continued.
Documentary filmmaking carries a responsibility which extends beyond mere creativity, Lehman reflected. When crafting stories about real individuals – and the places they call home – his priority remains focused on accuracy, respect and shared trust to continue telling the stories of varied experiences of agricultural workers.
“Because these folks trust the farmer's union, they trusted us,” Lehman said. “I would like to see the next phase of the conversation focus on rebuilding systems, not just critiquing them.”
As market consolidation continues to reshape industries and ecosystems across western Wisconsin and beyond, rural economies have the potential to further their resilience through interconnected relationships, as the film shows.
Cozzolino and Lehman agree, the stories of agricultural workers should be viewed not as individuals of a single industry, but as a living, interdependent system.
“For WFU, hope lies in our members and how they carry on in spite of the pressures of consolidation,” Cozzolino said. “They showcase that there are ways to level the playing field and make it more viable for small farms and businesses to thrive.”
“All of America, Am I,” made by the Wisconsin Farmers Union and Ivy Media, with the support of Farm Aid, is available to view online through the WFU YouTube channel (@WisFarmersUnion). For more information about the WFU membership and organizing, visit wisconsinfarmersunion.com.
