We Nonfictioners have always had a soft spot for agriculture and sharing the stories of our farmers and those who contribute to our food systems. This summer, that passion has been keeping us quite busy indeed! From projects with our own Washington State Department of Agriculture, to USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service program, to a special trip to the Oregon State Fair.
That's right, do you remember our “inside look” at the egg production operation at Willamette Egg Farms? The video won a Telly in the “Information” category a while back and has been proudly showcased on the farm’s website as part of their transparency to promote healthy hens and good business. Well, the piece was recently screened as part of the first annual Down to Earth Film Festival, hosted at the Oregon State Fair. The festival featured 10 select shorts by northwest filmmakers, to “tell the fascinating stories surrounding Oregon agriculture.”
Excerpt from The Daily Digger:
“Our goal is to stimulate and perpetuate the creative talent of aspiring and professional filmmakers, while telling the fascinating stories surrounding Oregon agriculture and its ability to be economically, environmentally and socially responsible neighbors of the greater community,” ABC Executive Director Geoff Horning said.
Judges voted the North by Northwest Productions film “Willamette Egg Farms” as the runner-up, while the film also won the Audience Choice Award by those in attendance. David Tanner, producer and director of the “Willamette Egg Farms” film, announced at the festival that he would be donating his winnings ($1,500) to the Oregon Food Bank.
In addition to Dave’s ag film fest excitement in Salem, Kim has been hard at work editing a series of educational farm tour videos with our WSDA clients, while Val and Megan were off in Tacoma and Seattle shooting a recruitment video for the WSDA Grain Inspection Program! From late-night time lapse, to climbing atop a transport train, to capturing insights into the expertise and responsibilities of our State’s grain inspectors, it was a very dynamic and educational project (see below):
But our most involved agriculture adventure this summer has to be our sizable project with California’s NRCS office, including the production of 8 individual documentary-style videos for the web highlighting key conservation practices on farms and properties around the state.
According to Jim Cairns of the NRCS office in Davis, CA, who accompanied Dave and Tomás on the shoot, “The primary purpose of the videos is to enhance outreach opportunities to producers with short educational and informational videos that will motivate them to learn more about certain practices.”
The videos were shot over a five-day period in various locations such as Durham, Galt, Nevada City, Sacramento, Sunol, Yuba City and Yolo County. The featured conservation practices ranged from pollinator habitats, irrigation water management, waste storage options, and conservation planning among others.
While these videos are still in post, we leave you with this thought: 70% of the land in the United States is privately owned. Not just farmers, but rather all land owners have a responsibility to be good stewards… to protect and preserve lands as we would a piece of art, as Andy Warhol suggests in his quote above. I for one didn’t fully understand the services provided by the NRCS, or that they have offices in nearly every county in the country! If you are a land owner, and would like to learn more about improving soil, water, air, plants, wildlife, and energy use in your area, visit the USDA’s NRCS Website to find out how they can help you help the land.
