'A story of love, family and community': New documentary film focuses on Pueblo's farmers
A new documentary showcasing the struggles and triumphs of farmers on the Mesa east of Pueblo aims to help Coloradans feel pride in the Pueblo chile and the agricultural community that works to bring food to the table.
"Mirasol: Looking at the Sun" is a 36-minute documentary about water, land and a way of life that puts a spotlight on the importance of preserving farmland. Pueblo farmers, whose families have toiled on the Mesa for many generations, are the main focus of the film.
"It is a remarkable, authentic reflection of Pueblo — the amazing agricultural community, and its history from the steel mill to the families that have farmed on the Mesa," said Kristie Nackord, the film's producer.
Nackord is vice president of external affairs at the Palmer Land Conservancy, which has worked for nearly a decade in Pueblo to help preserve farmland in the face of rapid development and population growth. She has worked on the film for two years with the help of her former neighbor and the film's director, Ben Knight, as well as the support of the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District.
"It is a story of love, family and community that all rural communities are facing. We are losing 2,000 acres of farmland in the U.S. daily," Nackord said.
What do the filmmakers hope to accomplish?
While the importance of preserving farmland is the main focus, Nackord hopes the Pueblo chile will get its due.
"I am tired of going into the grocery store and seeing Hatch chile," she said. "We want Colorado to feel pride in the Pueblo chile across the state."
She said the "conservation and protection of these farmlands is something we want to be at the top of mind for our citizens."
The story is told through the eyes of the Williams family, who's had four generations operating its farm and seed store, and other long-time farming families like the Mussos and the Martellaros. Professor Mike Bartolo and his efforts to cultivate the Pueblo chile are also a central focus of the film.
Nackord said she hopes people are inspired to buy directly from local farmers and start doing things like canning tomatoes again.
"We want people to get involved and embrace what is 15 miles east of Pueblo on the Mesa. Attend a screening and splash it on social media, support our producers, support the work of conservation," she said.
“'Mirasol' has been a dream project for me," Knight said. "It gave me the opportunity to intimately engage with my Colorado neighbors and the Arkansas River watershed in a special way and the more time I spent out in the fields, family kitchens, and digging into archives — the more I started to realize how incredibly vulnerable and precious this sliver of irrigated mesa is."
How to see the film
"Mirasol: Looking at the Sun Pueblo Film Premiere" is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe. Ave. The event required registration 10 days in advance.
Other screenings are set for 10 a.m., Sunday, April 28, during the Pueblo Film Festival at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe; and 5:30-7 p.m., May 9, at the Rawlings Library, 100 E. Abriendo Ave. The library screening is free. However, advance registration is suggested at palmerland.org.
The film also will be shown again during the 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bike the Bessemer event on Sept. 7. Find out more at palmerland.org.
More chile news: On a hot streak: Retiring Pueblo pepper propagator plans to continue chile culture
Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via X, formerly Twitter, at twitter.com/tracywumps. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: New documentary highlights the lives and realities of Pueblo farmers
