A black man in a field of wheat, smiling and holding a notebook.
The Depth of Field project has been initiated and supported by the National Farmers Union, alongside grants from the federal government. Credit: Canva Credit: Canva

The great thing about communications these days is that with ingenuity, creativity and hard work, community investment, and the occasional governmental grant, it is possible to get the story out.

Meanwhile, the hard part of getting the story out is not only in the telling and documenting of it, but also in the distribution and promotion of the same.

Social media channels abound. Meanwhile, not many of us are often watching the same channel.

My channel this week is watching a series of free mini-docs that makeup an interesting and important agrarian project that you should consider viewing.

Recently Depth of Field, a documentary project, launched its complete series of 40 mini-docs on YouTube. These documentaries tell the story of small farmers across Canada whose agrarian operations are dedicated to sustainability. Each story is about the possibilities and importance of farming with an eye towards climate change, environmental sustainability, and community building. These are also stories about dedication, and how to make a difference farm by farm by farm.

This project has been initiated and supported by the National Farmers Union (NFU), alongside grants from the federal government. Throughout the past year there have been single film launches across the country, many initiated by individuals or small organizations. All of these “soft” launches have helped to get the word out about these 10 to 14-minute docs.

When the project was announced and the initial productions of the series released, this rabble.ca column included background on the project.

From a handful of productions, the series of documentaries has multiplied many times and now totals 40 mini-docs for viewing free-of-charge on YouTube. The diversity of stories covers farms as small as a few acres, to single farmers on rented land, to agrarian worker cooperatives, to an urban micro-farm which grows traditional Indigenous crops, through to larger generational family farms that are transitioning to younger farmers. Throughout this diversity the message is clear: we need farm operators who practice sustainability and we need to realize that farming is not a one-size-fits all occupation.

As one farmer noted: “It’s not just about what’s on your plate. It’s also about the ground you are standing on.”

And another added: “Farming comes in so many shapes, sizes and scales.”

These documentaries touch on the background of each farmer, the crops grown, soil management and how it impacts food density, the challenges facing our food system, seed sovereignty, right through to the health of the planet and individuals. There is plenty of fodder here.

“Through Depth of Field, viewers will gain a deeper understanding of the many aspects of farming, including seed sovereignty, farm labour, decisions about farming organically, climate solutions in agriculture and access to farmland,” notes NFU president, Jennifer Pfenning, who farms in New Hamburg, Ontario. “We hope schools, families, universities, and communities will watch these films and know that their food choices matter to producers and their farms.”

The final trailer for the project and all films are now available for free streaming on the NFU’s YouTube playlist “Depth of Field: Films About Farming“ and on the NFU website. Lots of great viewing and learning here!

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Lois Ross

Lois L. Ross has spent the past 30 years working in Communications for a variety of non-profit organizations in Canada, including the North-South Institute. Born into a farm family in southern Saskatchewan,...