Educational Media Reviews Online

Shaena Mallett’s documentary Farmsteaders follows the Nolan family over a course of five years as they struggle to resurrect the Nolan family’s dairy farm in southeast Ohio. It is a well done, strong documentary with quality cinematography and editing.

Mallet allows the Nolan family’s story to organically unfold. She allows Nick and Celeste to narrate. We learn how they met, as well as how and why they came to farm. We like them and want them to succeed. When the family suffers an economic blow, the audience acutely feels it, just as we feel Celeste’s exhaustion as she sings a song to her children at bedtime before heading out to make the farm’s commodity, cheese.

We see the passage of time based on the actions and growth of their children and the through the seasonal changes in the land: the two eldest sons begin a new school year; the baby grows into a confident 5 year old, who tells us about his grandfather who owned and died on the farm; leaves fall, snow covers the ground, and green buds appear. Mallet’s cinematography is lyrical and poetic as she showcases the farm and land.

The film is not only about the struggles of a small family farm and business in a world dominated by big agriculture, and high-volume production; it is also a film about family and partnerships. Nick and Celeste work together: keeping the house, the farm, raising their children, marketing and selling their products, sharing their hopes and dreams for themselves, their children, and community.

I recommend this film for high school through adult viewers. It would be a wonderful enhancement to courses or discussions on the American Agrarian movement, agricultural business, small business, food science, regional, and family studies.

Awards:

Best Feature Film, Audience Award, Indie Grits