Alex Heckman’s film, This Is Where I Come From, explores how his family’s farm has survived. His parents were never full-time farmers and the video explains how his family has balanced farming while working full-time jobs.
The film project proved personally satisfying to Heckman. At a recent family meeting the film helped him show his family his commitment to the farm.
“I do feel some satisfaction that it’s all on the record now. The next generation will know what I was thinking as a college student and farmer,” Heckman said.
The assignment was part of Virginia Hanson’s agricultural communications class. Hanson, a lecturer in the agricultural education and studies department, asks students to gather photos, shoot video, write scripts and narrate their agricultural story.
Heckman, a senior in agricultural systems technology, has accepted a position as a rotational engineer with HNI Corporation and will continue the tradition of also working on the family farm.