Ivy League Farmer Movie
NDCA:
Study Guide
_____ points
Directions: As you watch the movie, fill out the answers below. Be as specific and complete as possible.
You may NOT get help from your neighbor, but may ask the teacher to pause the video for a few
seconds if you need time to write down answers.
1. What is the main characters name? (first and last) ______ __________
2. At first appearance (within the first 3 minutes), what type of animals does it appear this farm
has? ______________________________
3. Where is the main character’s great new job located? _______________________
4. What is the party at the farm in honor of? ________________________
5. Who is the girl? ____________________________________________
6. How did he know her? ________________________________________
7. What is the name of the bearded friend? _________________________
8. At the 11:30 mark, we see some piping with mist spraying out of it. Speculate, IN A FULL
SENTENCE, what that is and what it is for.
9. At 12 minutes, what type of animals does it appear this farm has? _____________________
10. Is this (#9), the same as #2? Why do you think that is? ____________________________
11. Describe the old tractor, IN A FULL SENTENCE.
12. At 16 minutes, _________(name) and his dad walk past some long white tubes. What are they?
What is in them and what is it used for? Why do you think that?
13. Who is the band at the Festival, singing “Well, I ain’t first class, but I ain’t white trash …”
(Ok, it never says. But they are a special band! )
14. Correct the grammar in #13. Write it correctly here:
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
What is Holly’s concern for children? __________________, _____________________
Name the song Holly sang at the Festival. ________________________________________
At 27 minutes, describe what the farm produces. __________________________________
Re #17, how many animals and what kind are there? ____________, ___________________
Describe what Joel proposes to get more milk. ____________________, ________________,
_______________________, _________________________, _______________________
20. How does Joel’s dad feel about Joel’s ideas? Why do you think he feels that way?
21. At 30 minutes, what organization does Joel mention when he goes to the feed store?
________________ _________________ ______ ___________________
22. What degree does Walter hold? _______________________________________
23. Where does Joel set up his “office” at the farm? ____________________________
24. According to Lester, farms in New York City grow _________. Is this true? _____ Why do you
think your answer is correct?
25. Holly is concerned about hunger. Fill in the numbers. _____________ people will die this year
due to hunger. Of those, _______________ will be children. By the year _________, we will
need ___________ more food to feed the world. The heroes will be ________________.
Children right here in the US suffer from _______________________ due to malnutrition.
26. What battle is Walter fighting? ________________________________________________
27. What happens to Joel at lunchtime on the farm? ____________________________________
28. What does Joel suggest to his dad? _____________________________________________
29. How does Mom feel about Joel’s suggestion? What clues do you get that make you think that?
30. What does Mom tell Joel about his father?
**
**
31. Describe at least three (3) innovative things that Joel researches on his laptop, hangs on his
board, or talks about on the phone, regarding ways to improve the farm.
**
**
**
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32. What does Holly say about dreams? _____________________________________________
33. Complete Holly’s statement: “Sometimes, the ______________ and the __________ don’t look
all that different.”
34. What dream did Lester have and what happened to it? Answer IN A FULL SENTENCE.
35. At 57 minutes, what plan did Joel propose? _______________________________________
36. What does Holly give to (her student) Kaitlyn’s mom? Why do you think she did that? Answer IN
A FULL SENTENCE.
37. What does Joel call Holly because of what she did in #36? _________ ______________
38. How was Joel’s mom involved in Holly’s work?
**
**
39. Joel and Holly come up with a plan to deal with kids’ hunger. Describe it IN A COMPLETE
SENTENCE (or 2 or 3 )
40. Who spoke at the meeting in the shed? ___________, ______________, _____________
41. Describe AS MANY ITEMS AS POSSIBLE that were discussed at the meeting in the shed.
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42. Describe the farm Joel took his father to on the “field trip”. Use LOTS of details. The more
specific, the better.
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43. Joel says, “Farming is a _____________, Pop.”
44. Pop replies, “Well, I’m not about to wear a ___________.” Does he end up wearing it? ________
45. What does Holly tell her friend is the thing she likes BEST about Joel? __________________
__________________________________
46. What are the banker’s concerns / suggestions? ____________________________________
47. How does Joel respond to the banker? ______________________, ____________________,
___________________________, _______________________, _____________________
48. What does Mom think it means that Joel’s dad is fishing in the middle of the day?
___________________________________________
49. What is Joel’s plan for the farm? _______________________________________________
50. What does Joel show Holly at the school, and when was it made? _______________________,
_____________________________
51. Joel’s dad says the Automated Milk Harvester is just a fancy name for _________________.
He explains to his friends that Joel gave him a ______________ so that he can
_______________________________________________________________
52. What do the feed store guys give Joel as a going away present? ______________________
53. Describe Joel’s “gift” to his dad. _____________________________________________
54. As he leaves, Joel is dressed in a ________. Lester asks Joel about the corn he planted. Joel
tells Lester that _______________ is better for producing _________________.
55. Holly has a hunger outreach day. Fill in this info about hunger. ____________________ people
worldwide go hungry. Hunger is a ___________ and a _______________ problem. In this
country, _______ in __________ children don’t get enough to eat.
56. What is Joel going to do at the end of the movie? ___________________________________
ESSAY: On the lines below, write a FULL PARAGRAPH. Make sure you have an OPENING SENTENCE,
lots of details and good organization, and a CLOSING SENTENCE.
** Describe something that made an impact on you about the movie “Ivy League Farmer”. Make sure you
discuss only ONE topic.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
Extra Credit: Discuss a second topic from the movie.
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______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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Ivy League Farmer Movie
NDCA:
Study Guide
_____ points
Directions: As you watch the movie, fill out the answers below. Be as specific and complete as possible.
You may NOT get help from your neighbor, but may ask the teacher to pause the video for a few
seconds if you need time to write down answers.
1. What is the main characters name? (first and last) Joel Gilbert
2. At first appearance (within the first 3 minutes), what type of animals does it appear this farm
has? Horses
3. Where is the main character’s great new job located? New York City
4. What is the party at the farm in honor of? Joel’s Graduation from college at Harvard
5. Who is the girl? Holly Cramer
6. How did he know her? Joel went to school with Holly
7. What is the name of the bearded friend? Lester
8. At the 11:30 mark, we see some piping with mist spraying out of it. Speculate, IN A FULL
SENTENCE, what that is and what it is for.
** The tubing is a center pivot irrigation system, and is used to water crops.
9. At 12 minutes, what type of animals does it appear this farm has? Dairy or milk cows
10. Is this (#9), the same as #2? Why do you think that is? No. Maybe it wasn’t the same farm.
11. Describe the old tractor, IN A FULL SENTENCE.
** The old tractor is blue, has no cab, and is dusty. It has a tarp on it, but it is dusty under the
tarp also. The tires are in good condition, and no brand name can be seen.
12. At 16 minutes, Joel (name) and his dad walk past some long white tubes. What are they? What is
in them and what is it used for? Why do you think that? **
** The long white tubes are made of plastic and contain feed. It could be hay, grain, or silage.
Since there is baled hay beside it, I think it is silage, as that is common on dairy farms.
13. Who is the band at the Festival, singing “Well, I ain’t first class, but I ain’t white trash …”
Sawyer Brown
(Ok, it never says. But they are a special band! )
14. Correct the grammar in #13. Write it correctly here:
** “Well, I’m not first class, but I’m not white trash …”
15. What is Holly’s concern for children? Hunger and schooling
16. Name the song Holly sang at the Festival. Outskirts of Town
17. At 27 minutes, describe what the farm produces. Milk from dairy cows
18. Re #17, how many animals and what kind are there? 200 cows
19. Describe what Joel proposes to get more milk. Analyze feed, run numbers, look at production
records, and use spreadsheets
20. How does Joel’s dad feel about Joel’s ideas? Why do you think he feels that way? He doesn’t
appreciate it. Maybe he feels threatened, old, or stupid.
21. At 30 minutes, what organization does Joel mention when he goes to the feed store?
Future Farmers of America
22. What degree does Walter hold? Animal Feeding and Nutrition
23. Where does Joel set up his “office” at the farm? In an old shed
24. According to Lester, farms in New York City grow money. Is this true? Yes and No Why do you
think your answer is correct? Farms grow crops, livestock, and fiber. Farmers run a business, so
money is part of the business. The crops produce money, so they kind of grow money.
25. Holly is concerned about hunger. Fill in the numbers. 9 million people will die this year due to
hunger. Of those, 7 million will be children. By the year 2050, we will need 70% more food to feed
the world. The heroes will be farmers. Children right here in the US suffer from brain
development issues due to malnutrition.
26. What battle is Walter fighting? He is trying to get old farmers to keep up with the times.
27. What happens to Joel at lunchtime on the farm? He falls asleep on a bale of hay
28. What does Joel suggest to his dad? Listen to him for 30 days
29. How does Mom feel about Joel’s suggestion? What clues do you get that make you think that?
** She doesn’t think Joel’s dad will go for it because she knows he is stubborn.
30. What does Mom tell Joel about his father?
** Joel’s dad watched the farm break his father’s back, AND his grandfather’s back
** Joel should try a different approach
31. Describe at least three (3) innovative things that Joel researches on his laptop, hangs on his
board, or talks about on the phone, regarding ways to improve the farm.
** Rotary milking parlor
** Agriculture Science
** Dr. Cooper
** Parasites
** Ideal Dairy cow
32. What does Holly say about dreams? Sometimes we don’t know what our dreams look like
33. Complete Holly’s statement: “Sometimes, the skyscraper and the farm don’t look all that
different.”
34. What dream did Lester have and what happened to it? Answer IN A FULL SENTENCE.
** Lester received a college football scholarship. He pretended his knee was hurt because he was
really afraid to chase his dream.
35. At 57 minutes, what plan did Joel propose? Feed each cow a diet tailored just for her
36. What does Holly give to (her student) Kaitlyn’s mom? Why do you think she did that? Answer IN
A FULL SENTENCE. ** Holly gives Kaitlyn’s mom a bag of groceries. She apologizes for not giving
more. The family must be hungry, and Holly is doing what she can to help.
37. What does Joel call Holly because of what she did in #36? Caped crusader
38. How was Joel’s mom involved in Holly’s work?
** Joel’s mom set up the mission trip for Holly after high school
** Joel’s mom makes biscuits and teacakes to pass out to hungry kids
39. Joel and Holly come up with a plan to deal with kids’ hunger. Describe it IN A COMPLETE
SENTENCE (or 2 or 3 )
** Joel and Holly decide to fill backpacks for hungry kids. They decide they can put fruit cups,
crackers, teacakes, and biscuits in them. It might not be enough, but it is better than nothing.
They will ask Joel’s mom to help.
40. Who spoke at the meeting in the shed? Joel, Walter, and Dr. Cooper
41. Describe AS MANY ITEMS AS POSSIBLE that were discussed at the meeting in the shed.
** Carbon footprint for each gallon of milk is down 63%
** Farmers are feeding more people than ever
** The key is efficiency
** Nutrition is important
** Family farms can be any size: small, medium, or large
** Healthy cows make healthy milk
** Farmers feed the entire country, and the entire world
**
**
42. Describe the farm Joel took his father to on the “field trip”. Use LOTS of details. The more
specific, the better.
** Open sided barns
** Tall tanks
** Fans
** Black and white cows
** Rotary milking parlor
** Microchips and computers
** Slatted concrete floors
** Milkers
** 1200 cows per day, 60 cows at a time
43. Joel says, “Farming is a business, Pop.”
44. Pop replies, “Well, I’m not about to wear a tie.” Does he end up wearing it? Yes
45. What does Holly tell her friend is the thing she likes BEST about Joel? He treats her with
respect
46. What are the banker’s concerns / suggestions? Risky plan, wants to loan money against the farm
47. How does Joel respond to the banker? They will NOT accept a loan against the farm, there are
other ways, this is a business, and they can sell a small part of a big idea
48. What does Mom think it means that Joel’s dad is fishing in the middle of the day? There is
something heavy weighing on his mind
49. What is Joel’s plan for the farm? He wants to get investors from New York
50. What does Joel show Holly at the school, and when was it made? He carved “Joel loves Holly,
2003 and a heart, in 4th grade
51. Joel’s dad says the Automated Milk Harvester is just a fancy name for a robot. He explains to his
friends that Joel gave him a smartphone so that he can deal with farm problems no matter where
he’s at.
52. What do the feed store guys give Joel as a going away present? Work boots
53. Describe Joel’s “gift” to his dad. Joel fixed the old blue tractor for his dad
54. As he leaves, Joel is dressed in a suit. Lester asks Joel about the corn he planted. Joel tells
Lester that switchgrass is better for producing ethanol.
55. Holly has a hunger outreach day. Fill in this info about hunger. 870 million people worldwide go
hungry. Hunger is a local and a global problem. In this country, __1__ in __5__ children don’t get
enough to eat.
56. What is Joel going to do at the end of the movie? Stay on the farm, telecommute to his job in NY
ESSAY: On the lines below, write a FULL PARAGRAPH. Make sure you have an OPENING SENTENCE,
lots of details and good organization, and a CLOSING SENTENCE.
** Describe something that made an impact on you about the movie “Ivy League Farmer”. Make sure you
discuss only ONE topic.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Extra Credit: Discuss a second topic from the movie.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________