American agriculture takes on many faces in many different places; one farmer’s experience differing greatly from another. These differences, in conjunction with shared similarities, are highlighted in D&E’s 2014 documentary, Farmland, which the AGNR Student Council publicly screened in Adele H. Stamp Student Union’s Hoff Theater on Thursday, February 26.
Approximately 70 students from a variety of majors attended the movie, enjoying free pizza while simultaneously learning about the experiences of six 20-something American farmers and ranchers. The event was organized and funded by the AGNR Student Council, led by President Rebecca Creighton and Vice President Nicholas Millington. Special guest Suzanne Zilberfarb from the Delaware Soybean Board made an appearance to emphasize the importance of American farming, as is exhibited in the documentary.
“This documentary is a good reminder to be more appreciative of our farmers and ranchers and to not take the agricultural industry for granted,” Creighton, a senior agriculture science and technology major, said. “Many consumers make assumptions about agriculture from hearsay and it is good to get a first-hand opinion from the American farmers and ranchers featured in the film.”
Millington, a junior animal science major, echoed Creighton’s thoughts, saying, “It will always be important to understand how food works, how it affects you, and how it affects the environment. Students can learn to be more open-minded, to ask more questions, and to do research before making judgments and picking sides in today's agriculture issues.”
As Millington expected, movie attendees did just that.
“It is of the utmost importance for consumers to know where their food comes from, but Farmland went beyond that and not only portrayed where food comes from, but also the process through which plants are grown and animals are raised,” freshman animal science major, Annie Tavera, said. “The movie depicted the hardships endured by farmers that consumers might not think about when they purchase the readily available food from the grocery store.”
“I think people can learn that it takes hard work, time, and money for quality food to make it to the shelf,” Tavera concluded.
Johnathan Cohen, a sophomore animal science major, had a different takeaway.
“This movie is significant because it really brings the viewer into the daily life of a farmer, and that is helpful to us in that we are able to see what farming is really like,” Cohen said. “I learned a lot about the daily struggles of being a farmer, as well as the differences between types of farming practices (ranching, organic farming, etc.).”
Tavera says she would recommend the film to “anyone who wants to ensure that future generations have real, unprocessed, healthy food available for consumption and the land resources available to support their agricultural efforts. As long as agriculture is threatened, so is our future.”
For more information on Farmland, visit www.farmlandfilm.com.
