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Welcome to //the// "Ladies of the Land" wiki-space!
This site was created in order to present an analysis of a non-fiction digital short film as well as possible contexts for using it into a classroom as a part of a larger lesson. These pages were written by a group of pre-service teachers with the intention that these ideas might be utilized by other teachers to enhance their lessons. We begin below with the video which inspired this project and our analysis of the video.

The short documentary film//, "//Ladies of the Land", presents a number of possible themes for use in the classroom. We have focused on two main themes for exploration in this wiki (other possibilities are listed at the very bottom of this page). The page titled Exploring Gender Roles does exactly that. It presents an analysis of this documentary from the perspective of gender and presents a number of discussion topics to use in the classroom as well as a number of additional resources for further discussion. The page titled Are Organic Foods Better? presents a host of information about organic foods and GMO's (genetically modified organisms), and it presents a number of discussion topics for use in the classroom focusing around farming and consumerism as well as a research activity. It also provides a large section of additional resources to be used with the research activity and for further discussion.

===//**"**'Ladies of the Land' profiles four women who once never thought they'd be in charge of a farm, but today raise cattle, sell goat cheese, and harvest organic vegetables. With commentary from Carolyn Sachs, PhD, one of the nation's leading experts on women in agriculture, and Amy Trauger, PhD, founder of the Pennsylvania Women's Agricultural Network, 'Ladies of the Land' takes us on a journey through America's new heartland."//=== Meet the Featured Farmers from "Ladies of the Land"

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Analysis
"Ladies of the Land" is a short documentary film which focuses on the growth of women in the agricultural industry. The documentary follows the lives of four women in the Northern and Midwest regions of the U.S. and presents a view of the daily routines of farm life. The women provide commentary on the importance of farming, the relationship they have with customers, and the enjoyment they receive from the farming life. While the purpose of the documentary is very persuasive in providing insight into the lives of women farmers, it is one sided in its perspective. The documentary highlights the joys of farming, and the editorial choices in the film depict farming as a serene environment in which all the hardships encountered while farming are overlooked (**00:23:36**). These negatives are mentioned, but they are paired with statements from the farmers and positive images designed to present the sentiment of 'yeah it's hard work, but don't pay attention to the hardships because this life really is idyllic.'

Visual
The images presented, aids in transitioning the audience to the purpose of the film. The location shots are specific to each subject’s story and life of farming, for example there are scenes in which Elly would be among her goats or in the process of making the goat cheese (**00:01:35**). The location shots, such as a garden or the market, are usually a background that portrays the positive and productive farming life. These location shots are incorporated to affirm the purpose of the film and provide the film with the undertone of country living, nature, and environmental conscious feel. The informal diary style mid shot of the subjects gives the audience a connection to the people; the audience is able to relate to the interviewees. The filmmaker uses onsite footage during interview narration; these images show how the farmers work in their environment.

Lastly, the filmmaker uses iconic images for transitions through one farm story to another and time transitions. For example,sunflowers strategically placed between farmer viewpoints and the sun setting over trees and the moon rising through the fields as a day going by. Other images are shown for specific reasons such as a ladybug crawling up a plant during the subject of natural farming and a grey rainy day during the " we have some pitfalls on the farm" subject. It is obvious, the filmmaker paid a lot of attention when using images through the film. They decided to strategically place certain images to convey their message.

Graphics
Graphic are not used very much through the film. The title for the film is probably the most effective graphic piece through out the film. After the opening introduction. the title is presented in the footage of a car going by a large open grassy field. The title appears above the grass as the car travels along side the field. The graphics present a carefree feeling. It makes the film feel comfortable like "a day in the countryside". The other source for graphics include title boxes for locations and name tags. The title boxes are only presented for a few seconds on the screen and are presented in simple white text. The title boxes are only presented as indicators for the viewer to understand what is being presented in the film. Graphics are very simple in the film, but effective for the film's purpose.

Sounds
The beginning of the introduction includes a narrator’s voice and specific images that sets up the tone of the documentary. Throughout the documentary are diegetic and nondiegetic sounds. Diegetic sounds like the subjects voices, the sounds from the animals, and the natural sounds heard in nature. However, there are nondiegetic sounds that are like music that sets the mood for the scenes. For example I hear like country like fast paced instrumental in the background in some parts throughout the documentary (**00:01:24**).

The noticeable sounds during the film are the music dubbed over the back ground noise. The key musical element shifts between guitar and banjo music. It changes from upbeat music for positive or active footage to slow and reflective music for transitions and moments of reflection. Other sounds include on-site sounds through the microphone. Natural sounds include wind, people talking at the market, birds chirping, and farm machinery in the background. These sounds help make the environment more realistic and brings the viewer into the moment on camera. The other large element of sound in the video includes the narrator/ interviewer voice. The film has many moments filled with interviews, but uses the same voice and shows the interviewer "in the farming moment" while creating the same interview voice shifting to a narrator position.

Depiction of Reality
On a scale from 1 to 10, "Ladies of the Land" is given a 6 due to the editorial choices of the film. The documentarian is biased on the perspective taken by only choosing to show a glamorized truth of farming while overlooking the hardships each farmer encounters. Toward the end of the documentary, the images and subjects’ commentary caps off the overall theme of idyllic country life and the transcendental relationship between man and nature (**00:27:25-00:28:08**). The film conveys to viewers that it is vital for humanity to have a connection to nature by appreciating the scenery and not harming the Earth with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In addition, the film insinuates that organic food is better than the chemically processed foods bought from grocery stores and mass production plants. The women farmers filmed transitioned to farming as a second career. The documentary captures the farmers’ pleasure in working with the land, presenting it as preferential to working in an office in the city. Two of the women are presented as trading in the sounds of car horns and traffic for the sounds birds chirping and owls hooting of farm life. Due to the glamorization of farming it suggests that if you have an interest in it or desire to eat organic foods and be outdoors, then go for it; everything will work out for you - people from the community will even come and volunteer their time to help keep your farm running. Well, in reality, it can be a lot more difficult to go after your dreams and interests, particularly from a financial standpoint. The video (**6:46- 8:16**) mentions the the opportunity of leaving the city and beginning the farm life. The son of one of the farmers is interviewed and mentions that life on the farm is better because he can be around animals. It is presented that he is getting a better, more well-rounded education on the farm than he was in the city. This film benefits those who prefer eating organic foods and particularly benefits those who prefer to know the farmer who grew their food, preferring to buy only locally grown foods. Those who value the environment and wish to be surrounded by more green space would certainly benefit from the message of this film.
 * //Who benefits from this reality?//**

Those who benefited from this reality may also be women who have saved money and are able to afford to buy farm land. It speaks to women who are health conscious and afraid of eating commercially processed foods. The film appears to target middle-class/upper-middle-class women over 50 who might be seeking more fulfillment and purpose in life and thinking similarly to the women portrayed in the video.

**A few other potential themes you might explore in a classroom using this film along with other texts:**

 * Country vs. city living: stereotypes, compare/contrast
 * Ethical treatment of animals (PETA): Does it matter if animals are just being raised for slaughter?
 * Economics: why are 'bad for you' foods always cheaper than 'good for you' foods?
 * Grocery stores vs. farmers markets vs. 'health food' stores: does it matter where you shop?