The American Dream

           Many small farms in the United States have struggled to make it in the new economic system. There is a small Maine company called Maine’s Own Organic Milk, or MOO Milk, that recruited those who lost their previous jobs to produce fresh, organic milk. This is one example of how farmers made it through the economical struggle. In the film, Betting the Farm, it depicts the life three dairy farmers and their struggle to keep their farms. The film is effective because it shows the American public how dedicated a farmer is to their profession and the hardship they have to endure to do the thing they love.

            In 2009, ten dairy farms in Maine were dropped by their milk company and no other companies would purchase their milk. Worried about how they were going to survive, they banded together to start their own milk company. In the film, it focuses on three families and their journey to begin this company. In the beginning, the company really struggles to find new customers to purchase organic milk over the cheaper alternative. Eventually the company does better but still does not break even.

            The film was a documentary following the progress of the milk company, but it did not have any narration. Without a narrator, it made it difficult to follow what was happening in these farmer’s lives. There was a significant amount of time where the audience was viewing it in a third person point of view, during which, it was extremely difficult to hear or understand what was taking place. I assume the filmmakers created it in this fashion to show the public raw, unedited footage of the life of an actual farmer. It is a great idea but could have been improved by adding a little narration to help the audience follow the storyline. The film, also, did not have any account for time other than the occasional subtitle that would appear. It would go from six months to a year in a couple seconds and it was confusing to comprehend what had occurred.

            The farmers in the film were very dedicated to their professions. It depicted several times where the company was not producing enough money to make a profit and to pay the farmer’s back for the milk and expenses that they were sacrificing for the small company. However, the farmers did not deviate in their dreams to keep their farming lifestyle alive. They did many things that most people would deem unnecessary or foolish just to keep this small business growing. One family even let their lease to their house fall behind and was endanger of their whole family being homeless. Another older couple eventually ends up leaving after around 20 months of the company being started because of them not getting their money for their product. The other nine partners stayed in for the whole documentary. By showing these examples, the public is able to see farmer’s commitment to their farms and the extremes they take to continue forward.

            Several of them were third and fourth generation dairy farmers, it is all they know how to do. It is not just an ordinary job where you work during the day and go home at night and not worry about it. It does not matter what time of day it is, they are farmers and it is their life. The film demonstrates, very clearly, how much work is put into a farm. No one truly understands how their lives are literally centered around their farm and this film perfectly depicts it. One farmer was up late into the night taking care of one his cows, even though he still had to wake up before sunrise to get started on his daily chores. The film illustrates how the life of a farmer is unpredictable but they work through those rough times, knowing the reward is well worth it.

            A few months after the company began, they started to get a lot of negative feedback from consumers. They thought it was a pointless venture and not very cost effective. Rumors began to spread that the dairy farmers, who were originally supposed to get 90% of the profits, were not getting any of the money. In a way, that is true but not for the reasons people thought. They were not getting paid for their milk but it was because they were not making enough money for the company to break even. This is a great example of how people have the wrong idea about farmers and the work they do. They do not know what to think of them, mostly because they have never seen what farmers actually do. Even though the film was poorly filmed and directed, it opened the eyes of the public to how difficult it is to put a new product out on the market and how much work goes into being a dairy farmer. It is exactly what consumers need to see in regard to what is in the products they are purchasing.

            The documentary, Betting the Farm, demonstrates to the American public how dedicated farmers are to their farms. It proves how farming is not just an occupation, but a lifestyle. In further research, I discovered MOO Milk was discontinued in May 2014 and disbanded that July. It goes to show that farmers never have an easy life. They never know when their profession is going to go out of business, but that does not keep them from moving forward. As a whole, the film has a great message about the devotion of farmers but it was poorly created and directed, leaving the audience confused and unsatisfied with the ending.