Food Tank Arts

 

Food Tank Arts develops documentary films, theatre productions, live storytelling events, and multimedia projects focused on food systems, farming, climate, labor, and rural life.

Documentary Films

Irish Farmers: A Love Story

Irish Farmers: A Love Story is a 2026 documentary short film produced by Food Tank and directed by Haven Worley.
Separate from the live Voices of Farmers: A Love Story stage productions, the documentary follows three Irish farmers across three generations: Ailbhe Gerrard of Brookfield Farm in County Tipperary, Carina Roseingrave of Burren View Farm in County Clare, and Sophie Bell of County Cavan.

The film premiered at SXSW’s All Things Food and Ag Short Film Festival in 2026; in Nairobi, Kenya alongside the Rockefeller Foundation; at the Ballymaloe Festival of Food 2026 in Ireland, and was also named an Official Selection of the Bentonville Film Festival. A private screening and conversation around the film was also presented at Dublin’s Light House Cinema.
Through the eyes of women at the forefront of Irish agriculture, farmers Ailbhe, Carina, and Sophie reclaim the Irish landscape through the love of land, soil, animals, and the gift of giving to the next generation. Interweaving intimate portraits of their lives, the film offers awe in the natural discovery of the everyday.

The film was directed and produced by Haven Worley alongside producer Brian O’Riordan. Executive producers include Jeremy Eden, Lillian Long, Terri Long, Danielle Nierenberg, and Bernard Anthony Pollack. An original score was composed by Crea Sullivan. “Rain,” an original song featured in the film, was created by Reylta. Cinematography was led by Director of Photography Alfie Hollingsworth and editing by Nathan Campion, ISE. The film was sound designed and mixed by post production house First Element, Rob Flynn.

Theatre Productions

Voices of Farmers: A Love Story Series

Beginning during Climate Week NYC in 2025, Food Tank launched Voices of Farmers: A Love Story, a live storytelling series featuring farmers sharing first-person stories on stage.

The project combines theatre, documentary storytelling, live music, photography, projected imagery, conversations, and audience tastings connected to featured farms and producers.
The series has been presented at WNYC–NPR Studios during Climate Week NYC, Sundance in Park City, the Scene + Heard Festival in Dublin, the Adelaide Fringe Festival, SXSW, and other festivals and convenings.

Featured participants across productions have included regenerative livestock farmers, dairy farmers, grain growers, urban farmers, Indigenous fishers, aquaculture producers, wine makers, mushroom growers, and food sovereignty advocates from the United States, Ireland, and Australia.

Collaborators and participating organizations have included Stephanie Hsu, David Moscow, Rachel Ward, Whole Foods Market, Niman Ranch, Organic Valley, OzHarvest, the Broadway Green Alliance, Huston-Tillotson University, the Australian Conservation Foundation, and major journalists.

Climate Week NYC: Voices of Farmers: A Love Story

In 2025, Food Tank launched Voices of Farmers: A Love Story during Climate Week NYC at WNYC–NPR’s The Greene Space in collaboration with the Broadway Green Alliance, Niman Ranch, and Now Partners.

The evening brought farmers to the stage to share first-person stories about land, climate, stewardship, labor, and rural life through live storytelling, music, and conversation.

Featured farmer storytellers included Karen Washington, Patrick Holden, Bob Quinn, Ron Mardesen, Sabrina Servais, Sea Matias, Brian Mattingly, Olivia Fuller, William Dennehy, Azeem Zakir Kareem, Caroline Radice, and April Wilson.

The production was hosted by Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu and also featured a musical performance by songwriter Joey Contreras alongside Nick Potocki and Hannah Verdi.

The evening combined live storytelling, theatre-inspired dramaturgy, music, projected visuals, culinary tastings, and audience gathering experiences connected to the featured farmers and producers.

During Sundance 2026: Voices of Farmers: Growing the Future

In 2026, Food Tank and Niman Ranch presented Voices of Farmers: Growing the Future during Sundance in Park City, Utah.

The production featured farmers sharing first-person stories connected to regenerative agriculture, migration, Indigenous food systems, urban farming, livestock production, and regional food economies.

Featured participants included Elle Gadient, Lynsey Gammon, Hannah Greenshields, Paula Swaner Sargetakis, David Chen, AJ Kanip, and Albert Betoudji. The evening also included appearances by actor and producer David Moscow, Dr. Lisbeth Louderback of the Natural History Museum of Utah, and chefs Bleu Adams and Johanna Hellrigl.

The program combined live storytelling, spoken word, conversation, chef-curated tastings, and a reception connected to the featured farms and food traditions.

Dublin: Voices of Irish Farmers: A Love Story

In 2026, Food Tank presented Voices of Irish Farmers: A Love Story at the Scene + Heard Festival in Dublin, Ireland.

Adapted and facilitated by Irish actor and writer Lucy Holmes, the production featured Irish farmers sharing personal stories connected to farming, food production, stewardship, and rural life in Ireland. Participants included Ailbhe Gerrard, Carina Roseingrave, and Sophie Bell. The evening combined live storytelling, projected farm imagery, audience tastings connected to the featured farms, and original music by Irish musician Reylta.

Adelaide Fringe: Voices of Australian Farmers: A Love Story

In 2026, Food Tank presented Voices of Australian Farmers: A Love Story on opening night of the Adelaide Fringe Festival in partnership with OzHarvest.

Hosted by actress and regenerative farmer Rachel Ward, the production featured Australian farmers sharing first-person stories connected to land stewardship, regenerative agriculture, aquaculture, Indigenous food systems, and regional farming communities.

Participants included Hannah Greenshields, Derek Walker, Georgia Beattie, Matt Ryan, and Matthew Haggerty.
The evening combined live storytelling, projected imagery, music, and tasting experiences connected to the featured farms and producers.

SXSW: Voices of Female Farmers: A Love Story

In 2026, Food Tank presented Voices of Female Farmers: A Love Story at SXSW in Austin, Texas as part of the festival’s “All Things Food and Environment” programming.

Presented in partnership with Huston-Tillotson University, Organic Valley, and the City of Austin, the evening brought women farmers and food leaders to the stage to share first-person stories about land, soil, animals, family, health, and community through live storytelling.

The program combined live storytelling, conversation, and a reception featuring food and drinks connected to the farmers and themes featured on stage. Featured participants included Elle Gadient of Niman Ranch, Kimila Lee Miller of Hot Spell Farm, Hayley Painter and Stephanie Painter of Painterland Sisters, Courtney Schuster of Rio Fresh, Benina Montes of Burroughs Family Farms, and Victoria Coleman of Jovia Wines. The evening also included conversations with Jason Buechel, Caitlin Leibert, Cathy Strange, and Danielle Nierenberg.

Little Peasants / Catalyst Coffee

Little Peasants is an immersive theatrical production by playwright Bernard Pollack and director Dori A. Robinson exploring labor organizing, workplace surveillance, and corporate power inside a fictional coffee chain.

Set inside Unicorn Coffee, the production follows workers navigating a union campaign while balancing economic insecurity, relationships, burnout, and management pressure. Audience members participate directly in the performance and vote at the end of the show on whether the coffee shop unionizes. A one-act version premiered at SXSW in 2023, receiving multiple standing ovations followed by two sold out workshop reading in Boston, MA.

The project later evolved into Catalyst Coffee, a workshop reading presented on stage during Climate Week NYC at WNYC–NPR’s The Greene Space in collaboration with the Broadway Green Alliance. Catalyst Coffee was named by The Arts Fuse as “one of the best new shows of the year”

Collaborators and dramaturgs connected to the project include Lakisha May, Elena Morris, Kristen Osborn, and more.

WeCameToDance

WeCameToDance is Food Tank’s interactive original musical about the climate crisis developed by Bernard Pollack.

The production featured choreography by House of Jack, original language created by David Peterson of Game of Thrones, original music by Grammy-nominated artist Rocky Dawuni, and scientific collaboration with Dr. Steve B. Howell of NASA Ames Research Center.

The musical tells the story of extraterrestrial visitors arriving on Earth to warn humanity about climate collapse based on their own planet’s experience. Audience members participate directly through movement, music, dance, and immersive staging.

After workshop presentations in New York City, the production debuted with a month-long run at the 2021 Edinburgh Festival Fringe before later being commissioned to perform at the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.

The production was featured in The New York Times, The Scotsman, The Herald, The List, and Edinburgh Reporter. Cast members also appeared on Good Morning Britain, Al Jazeera, and the BBC.