Farms may be dwindling, but a closer look shows a determined few defying the trend.

"We're at the cusp of something great."

Working on a small farm sounds like the dream life, doesn't it?

Just think about it — you'd spend every day outdoors, get to use your hands and feel the ache in your muscles, and every weekend you'd take your Pinterest-perfect jams and veggies to the farmer's market. Wistful sigh. That's how that works, right?

All images via "Growing Local."

A glance at the statistics paints a different story.

If small farm life were so easy, maybe the stats wouldn't look quite so disheartening. The number of farms in the U.S. has been in a steady decline since it peaked 80 years ago. Just between 2007 and 2012, the farm count decreased by 4.3%.

At the same time, the average farmer is getting older, and new, younger farmers are having a hard time taking over.

Not to mention, in 2012, 75% of farms had sales of less than $50,000.

But look closer — the stories of folks defying the trends may be the most important of all.

"Growing Local," a Seedlight Pictures film directed by Bridget Besaw, tells three stories about committing to local farming despite (or even because of) the trends.

Take Ben and Taryn Marcus, for example, who are featured in the film. The young couple poured endless blood, sweat, and tears into revitalizing an old farm protected by an agricultural easement. They turned the land into a "thriving community food hub." And they've faced challenges, for sure, but what they've done for the land and the community is both impressive and inspiring.

Ben Slayton is the focus of another of the "Growing Local" stories. He's a butcher and an entrepreneur determined to give consumers direct access to healthy, sustainably-raised meat.

"We're at the cusp of something great," explains Slayton. "The local food movement is taking off, and we are part of building that infrastructure and support to sustain it."

"We're at the cusp of something great. The local food movement is taking off, and we are part of building that infrastructure and support to sustain it."

Slayton is pursuing his model at great risk because his success depends almost entirely on regular ol' consumers like you and me. He says, "It comes down to consumers believing that what they eat is a statement. It's more important than just filling their bellies."

They're not the only ones taking a chance — and a stand.

Slayton and the Marcus couple are brave and determined. They've worked hard to create the change they want to see.

But despite what the agricultural census says, they're not the only ones committed to creating a local-based, sustainable food system. Stories of farmers like these can be found all over the country. "Growing Local" is the beautiful film that highlights three such stories — check out the trailer below.

The farming landscape is shifting. It's up to us to shift it in the right direction.

"Growing Local" (here's the trailer) is a film collaboration between Seedlight Pictures and Maine Farmland Trust, directed by Bridget Besaw.