Project History

We have all heard over and over that weeds are every organic farmer's toughest problem. I heard that again at the Farmer to Farmer Exchange meeting at Breitenbush Hot Springs in the winter of 2002. Many of the farmers had interesting weed management strategies and stories to tell. Some brought still photos of tools, but most didn't have pictures to show - only words to describe - their favorite tools. Someone said that it would be great if each farmer had a video camera so s/he could taking moving footage of favorite innovations in weed control, but only one or two farmers had a camera that could take video. I am a terrible photographer - if the camera isn't totally automatic I am at a complete loss! However, the great company must have gone to my head; I found myself volunteering to buy an inexpensive camera and visit farmers to informally shoot their weed control innovations. And that is how Weed 'Em and Reap was born.

That spring I recruited my graduate student Bonnie Hoffman Cox into the project and she shot the first footage at Persephone Farm, Stahlbush Island Farms, and Ralph's Greenhouse. It looked pretty good to us farmers! Then Michael Bendixen showed up at my door and the project really took off. He took over as videographer and editor and Bonnie and I did the footwork - contacting farmers and researchers, helping them put together a script, and holding scripts and microphones. Oregon State University Experiment Station and Extension Service, Oregon Tilth, and the OSU Integrated Plant Protection Center all kicked in funds to support the project.

Over two years we traveled to Italy, Montana, Virginia, North Carolina, Washington, and to many farms in Oregon; we suffered through bizarre noises such as boats, heavy equipment, pressure washers, dogs, and munitions (!!) while apparently in the middle of 'nowhere'; we all spent a lot of time poring over the audio and video to decide how to shape the footage; and Michael spent many many MANY hours in window- and air-less rooms tirelessly editing the footage. Over the past summer Galen Weston worked closely with Michael on some of the more difficult sections, and right at the end we were helped out by Zach Mull, who put the final touches on the editing, and DeAnn Miller, who designed the covers and inserts. Many thanks to the project team, the farmers of the Farmer to Farmer Exchange who inspired this project, our funders, and the many other people who helped the project along the way.

Alex Stone