I offer farmers a barter transaction: a painting of their farm for a film in which they, the farmers, present their business and their work. My aunt had such a painting of her parents’ farm, done in 1947, at a time when artists made few sales and farmers were popular exchange partners.

I like being a farmer and I would like to stay one was begun in 2000, first in my hometown, Heiligendorf, and its surroundings. 2007-2015, I have been working on this project in cooperation with Thomas Sprenger.

While I stand with my easel on the farm, like a plein air painter of the 19th century, the farmers film themselves and comment on their film. We generally need one week for this. We edit the films along the farmers´scripts.

The paintings remain at the farmsteads. Our archive contains 35 films about agriculture (in 2018), from Macedonia, Romania and Switzerland, from Austria, England and Wales, from the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and South Africa. The most recent film comes from the village Leuenberg in Brandenburg, Germany.

“I like being a farmer, and I would like to stay one” is the final sentence in the first film in our archive. Many farmers could have said the same.


2022
Bleckwenn, Garmissen
Garmissen, Hildesheimer Börde, Northern Germany
September 2022

2019
Behringhof, Leuenberg
Brandenburg (DE)
October 2019

2018
Lütjen-Wellner, Teufelsmoor
Lower Saxony (DE)
June 2018

Agrogenossenschaft Schiffmühle, Gatow
Oderbruch, Brandenburg (DE)
May 2018

Vössing, Neuranft
Oderbruch, Brandenburg (DE)
May 2018

2017
Produktivgesellschaft Dannenberg mbH
Dannenberg, Brandenburg (DE)
October 2017

Sallai János, Kovács Orsolya, Sárosdi Róbert and Judit
Nagykamarás, Szekszárd, Körösszegapáti (HU)
September 2017

2016
Solms Delta, Franschhoek Valley
Western Cape ZA
April 2016

2015
Blanco, Jabáres de los Oteros
León ES
April 2015

2014
Juan García, Cuevas del Becerro + Laureano Rosario / Yniguez Ovando, Hinojosa del Valle
Sevilla, Andalusia and Extremadura
June 2014

2013
A film by Johann and Renate Forstner, Orth, a show, and the first ever Long Night of Farmers´Films
Orth an der Donau (AT), Grube / Prignitz (DE)
August 2013

2010
I like being a farmer and I would like to stay one - in a book
Städtische Galerie Nordhorn & argobooks Berlin
January 2010

2009
Scarlat, Andresieni / Antonesi, Monastirea Humorului / Davitkovi, Mustafino / Tanevski - Gligurovska, Krklino
Macedonia / England / Romania
August 2009

2008
Pinion, Cefn-y-Coed / Tyn-y-Pwll, Lllanidloes / Fordhall, Market Drayton
Wales and Shropshire (UK)
May 2008

2007
Kronlechner / Kuttner / Oppelmayer / Kreitmayer / Veurink / Waterink / Redder
Lower Austria, Styria (AT) and Hardenberg, Overijssel (NL)
September 2007

I like being a farmer and I would like to stay one 2007-2009
Various places in seven european countries
January 2007

This website documents the work of Myvillages from 2003 to 2023.

To find out where Myvillages is working at the moment visit ruralschoolofeconomics.info and villageplay.net.
All our project websites are listed at “about us”.

Contact us at info@myvillages.org