If someone was to ask you to name a farmer, I’m guessing 99% of people would say Old MacDonald, or at least that’s what I would have said before watching Farmland, the documentary that is shedding light on a decreasing population of individuals who are responsible for much of the meats and produce we consume every day. Academy award-winning director James Moll gets his hands dirty as he travels across the country to talk to the next generation of farmers, all between 20-30 years old, who may be some of the most underrated yet hardworking people in the business.
Beautiful imagery of vast landscapes fill the screen from the very beginning. There’s a peacefulness to the open air and early morning sun. We meet the farmers one by one, each from a different part of the country and each specializing in their own product, some meat, some produce, some strictly organic. During their conversations, Moll discovers that these people love what they do and wouldn’t want any other career, however, the constant scrutiny from outsiders and people who consider farming to be a lower class profession does take its toll. But the judgement doesn’t deter these farmers from pursuing their passion, and the grit and determination they possess will leave audiences inspired.
The most sobering takeaway from the entire film is the fact that the average age of a farmer today is 65, and because of unfair cultural judgement, fewer and fewer young people are going into farming and the agricultural business in general.
As other food documentaries before it, Farmland takes an honest and often unsettling look at the gritty process of how our food makes its way to the table and a lot of times, it’s not pretty. While the farmers shown in this documentary do not participate in inhumane practices, there’s no denying that these practices still exist almost everywhere. Undercover cameras capture male baby chicks being thrown into trash bags for garbage, pigs being boiled alive, and other very hard to watch realities. It’s not an easy watch, but a necessary one.
Farmland exposes the reality that this industry is still a male-dominated one, Margaret Schlass is the only female farmer profiled. However, that’s not the main issue. The most sobering takeaway from the entire film is the fact that the average age of a farmer today is 65, and because of unfair cultural judgement, fewer and fewer young people are going into farming and the agricultural business in general.
When this last generation of farmers passes, who will cultivate our food? It’s a serious issue that needs to be raised, and Moll does a great job of making these farmers relatable to audiences, even those of us who have never planted a seed. The best part about Farmland is that at the end, you really feel like you have personally met a farmer.
