A Day On The Farm; Farmtastic AGtion

If urban kids don't know how to harvest crops and raise chickens by now, it's not for want of on-the-farm videos. In A Day On the Farm, Annie O'Neil, who has excellent camera presence, and a group of kids visit farms in Maryland. The place she visits first is a small spread--small enough to be a farm rather than an agribusiness. We see a fair amount of large scale equipment, but it all looks a little rusty and well-used. There's a humorously photographed section on livestock. And links between the farm, a backyard garden and the supermarket, show children the origin of the food they eat. The show concludes with a segment on grain storage, a review of the names of all the farm equipment, and a heads up on safety and proper behavior when visiting a farm. Professional videography, a good blend of entertainment and information, and a host who cares about what she's doing all add up to a great job. Unfortunately, the program comes in a plain white slipcover, which increases the likelihood that young patrons will pass it over. Still, this is highly recommended. Aud: K, E, I, P. Despite the fact that Farmtastic AGtion will confound any known spell checker (the AG in AGtion stands for AGriculture, get it?), it's a reasonably coherent production. Snappy music and lots of big machines clanking around will appeal to kids. A father and son team talk about spring planting before dad goes out to fire up the monster plow. The younger member of the Sauder family, a boy about 9, stays behind to play with miniature versions of the equipment, made by Nylint Toys. Not coincidentally, Nylint is a sponsor of this program, and there's even a brief plug at the end showing the Nylint Toys product line. Farmtastic AGtion illustrates the planting and growing seasons with an array of hardware and brief animated factual inserts about farms and agriculture. Photography and overall production values are of professional caliber. Recommended for larger collections. Aud: E, I, P. (E. Swanson)