Bug Farm uses the premise of unusual livestock to focus on new economic opportunities in agriculture, the future of our food industry, and most importantly, the people that will shape insect farming. This character-driven documentary focuses on four individuals—Maria, Dorinda, Porscha, and Tequila—who come to insect farming with disparate backgrounds and motivations. 

The film follows them over the course of a day at the farm, exploring their personal reasons for working with insects and the unlikely community they find at their workplace. The film portrays the way four women exist in an industry that is on the fringe of both big agriculture, technology, and traditional occupations in LaBelle.

Director’s Statement: Lydia Cornett

As a filmmaker who grew up in Baltimore, a city often portrayed negatively by outsiders, I am continuously interested in how media perception of a place can contrast the perspectives of its residents. When I started researching insect farming, I felt that there was more to understand about who was leading this movement on the ground. 

Media coverage of insect farming often depicts the movement as an obscure agricultural trend, a boutique edible delicacy, or a Silicon-Valley-backed experiment. I knew this skewed depiction was excluding a larger narrative, so I focused on digging deeper into the people at the center of this industry. It is my hope that Bug Farm offers a deeper look at the disparate and powerful motivations that drive the individuals who find purpose in an overlooked industry.