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Farm Crime

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Farm Crime
GenreDocumentary
Directed by
Narrated bySarah Treleaven
Country of originCanada
Original languages
  • English (18 episodes)
  • French (1 episode)
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes18
Production
Executive producerGeoff Morrison
Producers
  • Geoff Morrison
  • Christina Carvalho
  • Lucy Cameron
Production locations
Production companyBig Cedar Films
Original release
NetworkCBC
ReleaseAugust 17, 2018 (2018-08-17)

Farm Crime is a Canadian true crime documentary series which premiered on CBC's online streaming service, CBC Gem, in August 2018.[1] Created by Geoff Morrison and produced by Toronto-based production company Big Cedar Films, the series investigates unconventional crimes in the world of farming and agriculture.[2]

The series was one of the first to be commissioned exclusively for the CBC Gem streaming platform, and was reported by CBC to have been the most-streamed original unscripted series over a seven-day period and a twelve-week period when its first season premiered. In December 2020, it was announced that Warner Bros. Unscripted Television optioned the format rights to the show, and that an American version of the show is in development.[3]

Showrunner Geoff Morrison described the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist as the inspiration for the show in a 2023 interview.[4]

Episodes

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Series overview

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The series documents the stories of people who have been victims of agricultural crime. Each 10-25 minute episode examines a different incident, usually a theft, and how it affects the victims both emotionally and financially.[5] The series also explores the many diverse aspects of the agricultural industry in Canada, with each episode taking place in different provinces across Canada. The first season of the series tackles crimes such as cattle rustling, oyster poaching, livestock theft, and cargo theft.[6] The second season looks at crop, lobster, and horse theft, elver poaching, and invasive species that threaten agriculture.[7] The last season of Farm Crime covers timber poaching, agricultural fraud and scams, industry sabotage, and a case that involves the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.[8]

Season 1 (2018)

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No. in
season		TitleDirected byOriginal air date
1"Cattle Cops"Geoff MorrisonAugust 17, 2018 (2018-08-17)
RCMP livestock investigators round up a cattle rustler who stole cattle from his employer.[9]
2"Hive Heist"Ryan J. NothAugust 17, 2018 (2018-08-17)
An investigation into the biggest bee theft in Canadian history, where five million bees are stolen from a family-run apiary in Quebec.[10]
3"George of Green Gables"Christina CarvalhoAugust 17, 2018 (2018-08-17)
A PEI aquaculturist is robbed of oysters while dealing with a family tragedy.[11]
4"Pigeon Pincher"Geoff MorrisonAugust 17, 2018 (2018-08-17)
After 300 fancy pigeons are stolen from a pigeon fancier in Abbotsford, BC, the theft is suspected to be connected to a rash of livestock thefts in the Fraser Valley.[6]
5"Black Market Butcher"Victoria LeanAugust 17, 2018 (2018-08-17)
Free-range farmers in Nova Scotia are victim to a thief who butchered animals on their property.[12]
6"#BlueberryBandit"Geoff MorrisonAugust 17, 2018 (2018-08-17)
$100,000 worth of blueberries are stolen from a transport yard in Hamilton, Ontario.[13]

Season 2 (2021)

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No. in
season		TitleDirected byOriginal air date
1"Invasion of the Murder Hornets"Kathleen JaymeApril 1, 2021 (2021-04-01)
Dedicated beekeepers in British Columbia discover the first "murder hornet" nest in North America, and wage war against the honeybee's deadliest natural predator.[14]
2"The Million Dollar Baby Eel Deal"Stephanie JolineApril 1, 2021 (2021-04-01)
After hundreds of kilograms of baby eels turn up on the black market, fisheries officers launch a sting operation to break up the trafficking ring.[15]
3"Missing Mare"Alexandra LazarowichApril 1, 2021 (2021-04-01)
Struck by illness, an Ontario woman entrusts the care of her beloved horses to another horse owner, but when she goes to retrieve the animals, they're nowhere to be found.[16]
4"Canola Caper"Maya Annik BedwardApril 1, 2021 (2021-04-01)
A determined mountie and innovative grain scientist team up to investigate a string of suspicious canola sales, and build a case against a notorious suspect.[17]
5"The Lobster Looting at Long Cove"Geoff MorrisonApril 1, 2021 (2021-04-01)
While a Nova Scotia lobster fisherman rings in the New Year, thieves make him the next victim in a growing rash of lobster thefts.[15]
6"My Father's Horses"Conor McNallyApril 1, 2021 (2021-04-01)
When a Nakoda Elder discovers three of his beloved paint horses missing, he turns to his daughter, who has her own unique connection to the animals, for help.[18]

Season 3 (2023)

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No. in
season		TitleDirected byOriginal air date
1"The Cedar Culprit"Conor McNallyNovember 3, 2023 (2023-11-03)
When Guardians from the Wei Wai Kum First Nation discover evidence of timber poaching in their territory, they sound the alarm to protect the remaining old growth and bring the poachers to justice.[19]
2"Pigeon Ponzi"Maya Annik BedwardNovember 3, 2023 (2023-11-03)
An entrepreneurial farmer known as the Pigeon King comes up with a proposal for farmers to make money by breeding pigeons, but investigative journalists suspect his deal may be too good to be true.
3"Fate of the Feral Rabbits"Kathleen JaymeNovember 3, 2023 (2023-11-03)
An infamous colony of rescued rabbits from the University of Victoria face execution after they escape from their sanctuary onto a nearby farm, putting themselves and the farmer in the crosshairs.[20]
4"The Farmer & the Fraudster"Alexandra LazarowichNovember 3, 2023 (2023-11-03)
Following a string of bad cheques across Alberta and Saskatchewan, an RCMP Livestock Investigator must pin down a prolific fraudster and deliver justice to the farmers who were deceived.
5"Sabotaged Spuds from the Bright Red Mud"Stephanie JolineNovember 3, 2023 (2023-11-03)
When sewing needles start turning up in world-famous Prince Edward Island potatoes, the island’s farmers, industry leaders and RCMP race to catch the culprits before they strike again.
6"Shropshire Sheep Scandal"Maya BastianNovember 3, 2023 (2023-11-03)
Ontario shepherd Montana Jones fights to protect her flock of rare Shropshire sheep from a government agency that alleges the animals are diseased– until the sheep mysteriously vanish in the night.

Reception

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The show has been praised for looking at the crimes with intelligence and respect. At the end of 2018, Farm Crime was named as one of the “25 most binge-worthy TV shows of 2018” by NOW Magazine.[12] It also received positive reviews from Canadian entertainment websites, and was cited for its unique spin on the true crime genre.[2][6][21]

Awards and nominations

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The first season of Farm Crime was nominated for the Best Web Program or Series in Non-Fiction under the Digital Media category at the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards.[22] The first season was also nominated for Best Web Non-Fiction Series at the Banff World Media Festival in the same year.[23] At the T.O. Webfest in 2019, the series was nominated for the IWCC Canadian Spotlight and Best Cinematography awards, and won the Best Canadian Series and Best Documentary Series awards.[24]

The second season of Farm Crime won the Best Web Program or Series, Non-Fiction award in the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards, and director and writer Kathleen Jayme was nominated for the Best Writing, Web Program or Series award for Invasion of the Murder Hornets.[25] [26] In the 2022 T.O. Webfest, it was nominated for best documentary series, best editing and best cinematography, and won the award for best original score.[27] [28]

The third season of Farm Crime was nominated for the Best Web Program or Series, Non-Fiction award in the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, and director and writer Maya Annik Bedward was nominated for the Best Direction, Web Program or Series award for Pigeon Ponzi.[29] In the 2024 T.O. Webfest, season three was nominated for best English Canadian series and won the genre award for best documentary series.[30]

References

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  1. ^ staff, N. O. W. (2018-08-16). "What to watch in theatres and online this weekend: August 17–19". NOW Magazine. Retrieved 2018-12-19.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b "True crime in agriculture and farming is the focus of CBC's excellent, unique Farm Crime | TV, eh?". www.tv-eh.com. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  3. ^ Pinto, Jordan (2020-12-15). "Warner Bros. Unscripted Television options CBC Gem original Farm Crime". Playback. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  4. ^ Blandy, Curtis (2023-10-31). "CBC docu-series features two Vancouver Island-based crimes in upcoming third season". Victoria Buzz. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  5. ^ "This week in Toronto: The Bentway celebrates its expansion with a block party | The Star". thestar.com. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  6. ^ a b c Simes, Jeremy (2018-09-06). "Documentary shows farm crime is no joke". The Western Producer. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  7. ^ Lines, Madeline (2021-04-04). "Farm Crime Is Truly Canadian True Crime". POV Magazine. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
  8. ^ Davies, Jane (2023-10-30). "Watch Farm Crime Season 3 outside Canada on CBC Gem". Streamingrant. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  9. ^ Fernandez, Fernando (November 19, 2018). "FARM CRIME IS HEART HEAVY". FERNTV. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  10. ^ "The Current Transcript for September 3, 2018". CBC Radio. September 3, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  11. ^ "CBC doc series chronicles how 'Farm Crime' hits vulnerable family businesses". CBC Radio. September 3, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  12. ^ a b staff, N.O.W. (December 5, 2018). "The 25 most binge-worthy TV shows of 2018". Now Magazine. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  13. ^ "CBC documentary looks into case of $100K worth in stolen blueberries from Hamilton". CBC News. August 19, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  14. ^ Dart, Chris (March 31, 2021). "This man was stung seven times by murder hornets while trying to save Vancouver Island's honeybees". CBC. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Farm Crime Season 2 Streaming on CBC Gem April 1". Farms.com. March 19, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  16. ^ Izzo, Kim (April 14, 2021). "'Farm Crime': From Stolen Livestock to Bees and Blueberries". Horse Canada. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  17. ^ Langen, Kim (April 1, 2021). "CBC Gem series 'Farm Crime' features an intrepid Killarney cop". The Killarney Guide. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  18. ^ Griwkowsky, Fish (March 30, 2021). "Local director saddles up with Farm Crime's search for three missing horses". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  19. ^ St.Pierre, Crystal (October 31, 2023). "When a poacher made off with cedar trees from Wei Wai Kum territory the thief took more than just timber". Windspeaker.com. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  20. ^ Devlin, Mike (November 3, 2023). "Vancouver Island featured in CBC docuseries on rural crime". Times Colonist. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  21. ^ "Now Streaming: 'Farm Crime' – Point of View Magazine". povmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2018-12-20. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
  22. ^ "Farm Crime". Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. 2019. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  23. ^ "Rockie Awards International Program Competition". Banff World Media Festival. 2019. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  24. ^ Malyk, Lauren (2019-07-15). "Terreur 404, Farm Crime among T.O. WebFest winners". Playback. Retrieved 2021-05-12.
  25. ^ Mullen, Pat (2022-02-15). "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees for Documentary". POV Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  26. ^ "CBC/RADIO-CANADA CELEBRATES 52 WINS AT THE 2022 CANADIAN SCREEN AWARDS". CBC Media Centre. 2022-04-10. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  27. ^ "2022 Winners". T.O. Webfest. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  28. ^ "Award Nominees 2022". T.O. Webfest. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  29. ^ Mullen, Pat (2024-03-06). "Canadian Screen Award Nominees in Documentary and Factual Categories". POV Magazine. Retrieved 2024-09-19.
  30. ^ "2024 Nominees & Winners". T.O. Webfest. Retrieved 2024-09-20.
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