''Farmland'' is a documentary film about

agriculture in the United States Agriculture is a major industry in the United States, which is a net exporter of food. As of the 2017 census of agriculture, there were 2.04 million farms, covering an area of , an average of per farm. Agriculture in the United States is hig ...

that was funded by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance. Six farmers and

Ranch A ranch (from es, rancho/Mexican Spanish) is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of a farm. These terms are most ofte ...

ers across the United States describe their experiences of and views on modern agriculture. Critics view the farmers and ranchers as sincere and what they do as interesting, but they are critical of what is left out of the documentary and that it was funded by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance.

Plot

The goal of the film is to bridge the gap between food growers and food consumers by presenting farmers' and ranchers' perspectives on producing food. The film aims to do this by focusing on the lives of six farmers in their 20s who describe their experiences of and views on modern farming and ranching in the United States. They each show and explain what it is like to farm and ranch with modern agriculture practices. They express their views on controversial topics such as genetically modified crops, the use of antibiotics in animal feeds, and the treatment of farm animals.

Cast

The main cast of the documentary consists of six farmers and ranchers from different rural areas in the United States. * Brad Bellah from

Throckmorton, Texas Throckmorton is a town in Throckmorton County, Texas, United States. Its population was 828 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Throckmorton County. Geography Throckmorton is located at (33.181399, –99.178173). According to the Unit ...

is a sixth generation cattle rancher. * Leighton Cooley from

Roberta ''Roberta'' is a musical from 1933 with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics and book by Otto Harbach. The musical is based on the novel ''Gowns by Roberta'' by Alice Duer Miller. It features the songs " Yesterdays", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "Let ...

Crawford County, Georgia Crawford County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 12,130. The county seat is Knoxville. Crawford County is included in the Macon, GA Metropolitan Statistical ...

is a fourth generation poultry farmer. * David Loberg from near

Carroll, Nebraska Carroll is a village in Wayne County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 193 at the 2020 census. History Carroll was established in 1886 when the railroad was extended to that point. It is named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the la ...

is a fifth-generation farmer who grows corn and soybeans. * Sutton Morgan from

Brawley, California Brawley (formerly, Braly) is a city in the Imperial Valley and within Imperial County, southern California, United States. The population was 24,953 at the 2010 census, up from 22,052 in 2000. The town has a significant cattle and feed indust ...

is a fourth generation farmer who grows organic onions. * Margaret Schlass from near

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

, Pennsylvania started an

organic farming Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and re ...

business called "One Woman Farm, Inc." * Ryan Veldhuizen from near Hatfield, Minnesota is a fourth generation farmer who raises hogs and grows corn and soybeans to feed them.

Critical reception

Reviewers generally agree that farmers and ranchers in this documentary come across as sincere and committed to their lifestyle. The movie is viewed as presenting an interesting portrayal of what it is like to farm and ranch for family farmers and ranchers across the United States. It has been criticized for giving an incomplete view of modern industrial agriculture. For example, the production of animal products such as

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

and poultry is done mainly by corporate farming and not small family farms. Controversial issues such as the use of genetically modified crops, the use of pesticides, the use of antibiotics in animal feeds, and the treatment of animals on farms are largely dismissed in the film according to reviewers. Finally, reviewers question the aims of the movie because it was funded by U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance.

References

External links

* * {{James Moll 2014 films 2014 documentary films American documentary films Documentary films about agriculture in the United States Films directed by James Moll Films scored by Nathan Wang Sponsored films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films