Farmland movie review & film summary (2014)

Of course, all propaganda contains portions of accurate and interesting information, and "Farmland" is no exception. Starting from the incontrovertible premise that most Americans today live far from the farm and know little of the people who produce their food, Moll interviews and observes young ranchers and farmers who talk in detail about their decisions to take on this kind of work (most have returned to family businesses after college) and both the difficulties and the satisfactions it entails.

These folks all come across as real and credible, dedicated to their livelihoods and thoughtful about it too. Of the six main subjects, all are white and five are males whose families have been in the business for four or more generations. Some practice organic farming, a small but booming niche in the overall farming picture. The lone female in the bunch, spunky and determined Margaret Schlass, is also the only start-up, having been steered toward her vegetable growing business during college.

Although their remarks mainly concern challenges such as money, shifting market prices and the weather (droughts, one farmer notes, have come along in the ‘30s, the ‘50s, the ‘80s and more recently, but in patterns that can’t be predicted), the film does venture into a few controversial areas, including cruel treatment of animals (publicized via videos on the internet) and the use of antibiotics in animals and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture.

In all of these discussions, but perhaps especially the latter, the film’s provenance inevitably generates suspicions. Not only do the farmers who use GMOs naturally agree that they are fine, but even the organic farmers don’t criticize them. Of course these particular organic farmers may believe exactly what they say here. But would they be in "Farmland" if they believed or said otherwise?

In effect, Moll’s film is a cheery billboard that beckons consumers to fix their eyes on sincere and, in some cases, very admirable individual farmers while the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance and similar groups mount campaigns in Congress to weaken regulations that protect the environment and public health if they threaten corporate profits.

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