Some say you're born into it.
Some say it's in your blood.
But when you grow up here, this is your home.
And even if you leave, this is where you belong.
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I grew up on a farm not far from the perimeter of Winnipeg. It is, and always will be, my home.
Not many people understand what farming, let alone family farming, is really all about. I remember going to high school with people who thought cow-tipping was real, and that my house couldn't possibly have electricity. I remember that I wanted to show them what farming really was. I wanted to prove to them that it was more than a bunch of hick people who wore a lot of plaid.
In 2012 I had the opportunity to do just that. My family farm was in the beginning stages of transition: my dad slowly starting to get out of farming and my brothers deciding if they were wanting to take it on. And I had a major assignment that needed to be considered enough work to earn a years credit - so why not take the two and create something for everyone to enjoy?
It was a long year of standing in fields and interviewing family, but the result is something I'm truly proud of. To me Family to Farm captures not only the transition of the family farm (a challenging decision that many farms are facing right now in Canada), but the heart of what makes a family farm. It shows the beauty of the prairies, the struggles of doing what you love even when it comes a great cost, and the joy of a hard days work. It is my love-letter to my farming home, and to the family that makes it the place where I belong.
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Family to Farm is a 35 minute documentary on the transition of the family farm, from one generation to the next.
It will be premiering mid April 2013.
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