The Biggest Little Farm: The Return Parent Guide

“This is a film of hope, love, joy, and rebirth. It is a secular hymn to the earth – a visual poem, a cinematic psalm.” Such was my opinion of The Biggest Little Farm, a moving documentary about John and Molly Chester’s spectacular success in bringing a dead farm back to life. Released in 2019, that inspiring film shared the Chesters’ commitment to natural farming methods and using biodiversity to solve problems. The radiant conclusion to their movie, wherein a thriving Apricot Lane Farms fully vindicates their philosophy, gives viewers hope for the future of agriculture. Now the Chesters are back in The Biggest Little Farm: The Return.

Fans of the first film need to adjust their expectations for this effort. This sequel isn’t a film; it’s a “special” and runs for just under half an hour. Some of that time is spent recapping the events of the first film before updating viewers on the last few years of happenings at Apricot Lane Farms. There’s good news – 160 different crops are now grown on the farm. And there’s sorrow: some of the Chesters’ animals are aging out of their ability to contribute to the farm. City dwellers may be able to avoid the harsh reality that underpins farming – every creature on the farm must contribute to its viability or their time is up. Thankfully, no animals are sent to the slaughterhouse during the film, but that fate is a dark cloud over the animals’ lives.

If you want to share this story with your children, it carries the same concerns as the previous film: dead animals. Animals are killed by predators and die in accidents. Their little corpses are visible on screen and this could disturb young or sensitive viewers.

Less sensitive viewers will probably enjoy this production, particularly if they watched its predecessor. The Biggest Little Farm is a truly wonderful documentary and I highly recommend it to everyone. As for this follow-up effort, it feels thin due to its short run time. If you are unfamiliar with the farm, please go back and invest the time in the original doc. If you couldn’t get enough of the Chesters’ inspiring story, you will appreciate being brought up to date on their work. You won’t enjoy the same breadth of story the first film featured, but you will find both heartwarming and heartbreaking moments and a sense of hope.

In a world where pandemic, war, and climate disasters can intensify our anxiety, listening to John Chester share his perspective is beneficial. “That resilience that exists within the natural world gives me so much hope. It’s just waiting for us to unleash its full potential….And while our farm may never reach a perfect harmony, it is alive with infinite possibilities. The ecosystem of our planet works the same way.” Spending 29 minutes of your life to soak up that message is likely time well spent.