EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – A collaboration between A Meaningful Purpose at Reed's Farm and Stockton University is continuing in its third year. On Wednesday, Dec. 10, Communication Studies Professor James Chairman brought some of his Brand Documentary students to the farm for a screening of several new short films they created about the work being done at the farm.
The mini-film screening featured several new three-minute films created by the students that the farm can share on its social media page to educate the public about what the sustainability-focused farm does for the community and its culture.
One video featured a longstanding program that brings special education students from Mainland Regional High School to the farm for a work study program that gets the students ready for the workforce. A second video featured how the farm is working to make Atlantic City a “food hub” instead of a “food desert.”
“This is the fifth semester we have partnered with the farm, and the work just keeps getting better,” Chairman said. “I thought the screening went great and I am very proud of my students.”
The Communication Studies program focuses on how mass media, including film and video, open conversations and allow students to see how they fit into society. The curriculum includes media production and journalism as well as advertising and storytelling.
“Our mission in the brand documentary class is to shine a light on what is truth, which is difficult, and it’s the job of the documentarian to parse that,” Chairman said as he opened the film screening, which was held in the farmers market building at the farm. “This is brand documentary about our wonderful partner at Reeds Farm that is doing wonderful things. You are shining a light on the key truth of our partners at Reeds Farm.”
There were seven groups working on two projects this semester with 14 videos submitted. Several of them were shown during the screening.
“The students did the best job of any class I’ve ever had taking feedback and implementing it into their work,” he said.
In addition to offering fresh locally grown organic foods to the community, the farm collaborates with various other non-profit organizations to enhance sustainability in farming. Sustainability means not only growing a variety of local vegetables with less waste and chemicals and bringing it to markets throughout the region, it also means creating jobs and positive lifestyles for the people who live there. A Meaningful Purpose, a non-profit created by Margate restauranteur Cookie Till, works with other non-profits, such as CROPS (Communities Revolutionizing Open Public Spaces) and ARTeriors to ensure sustainability.
Student Mia Matis has been involved in the filmmaking program for several years and assisted students with editing their work. She is now a senior at Stockton and is passing on what she has learned in the program.
“We get the B-roll (unedited video clips), review it, label it, and find clips that are usable for us to create the story we want to tell,” she said. “Then we add the music and captions at the end.”
Student Taylor White has worked on other films featuring the people who work at the farm, such as herbalist Leah Martin, who is learning and growing from the land after years of substance abuse. Growing herbs and flowers and turning them into natural products that can be used to improve health, wellness and mindfulness, has been instrumental in her own healing. Every growing season, she learns new things, Martin shares in a video short.
“I wanted to delve into that and her transition into healing,” White said.
Till said the collaboration showcases what sustainability is really all about.
“We now have a YouTube channel to showcase what we’re doing here,” Till said. “Working with these young adults has been phenomenal and I see their passion. Every year, it just gets better and better.”
The film, “Building Community Through Inclusion: Stockton x Reed’s x Mainland”by Mia Matis, Julian Carruolo, Javier Vega, Jo Kelly, Cole Burdek, features Mainland Principal Dave Jacobs and Special Education teacher Deana Ekstrom talking about the work-based learning program for 18-21-year-old students with Individual Education Plans. Not only is the work therapeutic for the students, it helps them develop life skills to carry them through life and careers. Till is hoping the Reeds Farm-Mainland connection will be an economic driver that gives students life and career skills while improving the health of the community.
https://youtu.be/wIFIbCfQJwI?si=B_4vWdTgqSyjR1Y6
A second film, “Feeding Atlantic City: Reed’s Farm x CROPS x ARTeriors,” by Kaitlyn Roberts, Joel Castro-Reyes, Taylor White, features how CROPS is tackling the Atlantic City food desert and giving residents the opportunity to get nutritious locally grown fresh vegetables and herbs grown at the farm delivered to the community at Farmers Row, the CROPS outlet, and at special events and public art gardens. The collaboration unites the community to address its own food insecurity, Till said.
“Food is what brings people together,” she said.
https://youtu.be/-LrQQyXbFfw?si=jEvG_Q0KOOEmvSOU
Other videos will be posted later this week, Chairman said.
View more video shorts at A Meaningful Purpose at Reed's YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@AMeaningfulPurposeatReeds
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