by Elise Goitia '18

For her honors project, Knox College senior Zoe Marzluff '15 journeyed to Vashon Island, off the coast of Seattle, Washington, to film a documentary that looked at the sustainability of small-scale farming from a financial, environmental, and social perspective.

Marzluff, who has a self-designed major in sustainable agriculture and a minor in international relations, worked on a farm on the island last summer. During that time, she also interviewed and filmed workers from the surrounding farms.

"I believe in farming, especially farming on a small scale as an act of revolution, as opposed to corporate farming," Marzluff said. "I think that it's important to bring the farmers' perspective into focus as a way to challenge what we think of as normal, in terms of how our food is produced."

Assisted by advice from her advisor at Knox, Biology Professor Stuart Allison, Marzluff completed the documentary, "Farming for the Future," almost entirely on her own and screened it on campus at the end of spring term. Fusing creativity and academics, she worked to provide information through an eye-opening lens.

"I wanted to put a face to the farmers and communicate in a way that is physical, in a movie," added Marzluff. "This project was really challenging, but I've never felt more rewarded for an academic pursuit that I've done at Knox."

She hopes to use the documentary as a tool to engage people in conversation, spreading knowledge about how small-scale agricultural farmers work to produce food.

After graduating from Knox, Marzluff will return to Vashon Island to work in a managerial position at a farm. She plans on eventually obtaining her own land to pursue farmwork in the future.