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Today, a couple of audio described super short films I made in summer 2020 at Sunflower Farm. I’ve been volunteering there since shortly after the pandemic was declared. All of the organic produce and eggs get donated to food pantries and shelters, and the farm operates year-round on a fully-volunteer basis. I thought these little gems might be a soothing balm and a welcome break from the hectic, stressful day-to-day world. They are the tiniest peek in on the one-acre city farm. I always planned to make more of these micro-shorts, but I have such a great time getting my hands in the dirt (or just sitting in the dirt with the farm dogs) that it’s often hard to think about filming. You can support the work of this non-profit farm on Give Butter.
Here’s me on my first day at Sunflower Farm in 2020 doing my favorite farm chore. While the two high schoolers hold up the sign for Sunflower Farm and get ready to affix it to the trellis entrance to the food garden, I kneel in the dirt and baby talk Bella, the little dog.
The transcript for today’s episode, as with all my films that I turn into audio-only podcasts, is essentially an enhanced transcript. That means all the captions and the audio description are in one document, written in the order they play in the film.
Here’s a downloadable transcript of Pigeonhole Podcast 36.
Transcript
Pigeonhole Episode 36
[bright ambient music]
Introduction
CHORUS OF VOICES: Pigeonholed, pigeonhole, pigeonhole, pigeonhole, pigeonhole, pigeonhole, pigeonhole, pigeonhole.
[ambient music fades into chill electroacoustic pop]
CHERYL NARRATING: Today, a couple of audio described super short films I made in summer 2020 at Sunflower Farm. I’ve been volunteering there since shortly after the pandemic was declared. All of the organic produce and eggs get donated to food pantries and shelters, and the farm operates year-round on a fully-volunteer basis. I thought these little gems might be a soothing balm and a welcome break from the hectic, stressful day-to-day world. I always planned to make more of these micro-shorts, but I have such a great time getting my hands in the dirt (or just sitting in the dirt with the farm dogs) that it’s often hard to think about filming.
94 Tons
[gentle music]
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: Title: “94 Tons.” Two women in face masks. One shovels compost from a small pile into a wheelbarrow. [a diesel engine rumbles] The second flips a bale of hay, then walks off. A red dump truck inches its way past a green house. It backs up toward the small pile.
DONNA LEE: We ordered seven gigantic truckloads of compost.
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: The driver jumps out, takes a look, hops back in. [air breaks squeal and hiss] Text: “Pour.” Bits of compost slip out the unlatched back. The door is raised, and a flood of dark compost falls onto the pile, raising dust and steam. A second rush of compost falls. A woman gives a thumb’s up, walks to the driver’s side.
DONNA LEE: We’ve spread—this seems unbelievable—our volunteers, 94 tons of compost, one wheelbarrow at a time!
[crunching footsteps]
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: A young man tips a wheelbarrow near the house, and compost rushes out.
Text: “Haul.” Now, he takes another load down a bark chip-covered slope and dumps it with other small piles past the fig tree.
DONNA LEE: The organic compost is made from composted chips, but also organic garden debris.
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: Shovels lie on the shrinking pile. [gentle music continues, engine rumbles]
The red truck is back, door wide open, tipping ever so slowly near a large heap of compost. A deluge of compost spills out to make a new heap. Text: “Keep pouring.” [air brakes hiss] The air is filled with dust and steam, the blinking taillights barely cutting through the haze as the compost pours out. [cab door creaks, closes] The truck lurches forward, keeps pouring. [engine fades away and music soars]
The new heap hanging out in the sunshine, steaming.
The two young men shovel from the newest pile into the wheelbarrow. One breaks out in laughter.
Film by Cheryl Green. Music credit: Kevin McLeod.
Photo of a lush, bright sunflower, a bowl of deep red tomatoes on the table behind it. “Sunflower Farm. Facebook: Sunflower Farm and Focus on Youth. And FocusOnYouth.org.”
Meet the Chickens
[plucky, bouncy music]
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: “Home.” A dark Brahma chicken perched on a tree stump. She casts a glance your way. Buff and gray chickens, a tall light rooster. Dappled sunlight in the yard.
CHICKEN: [flap flap] Cluck!
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: The dark chicken stands, revealing feathered legs like bell bottom pants. She surveys the yard, puffs out her ball gown of feathers.
[happy voices join the plucky music]
Buff and white chickens look around, gently peck at a thick layer of straw on the ground.
A handful of chickens stand about as one by one, others run onto the scene, a playful dash with wings raised. [steppy steppy steppy]
CHICKEN: [flap flap] Cluck!
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: Chickens roaming the yard, a buff one lowers her head, her tail feathers poking up.
CHICKEN: Bok!
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: Then she tucks away out of view.
[plucky music fades into chill lounge music]
“Scratch.” [chirpy chirp] Sun blocked by a striped umbrella. The chickens high step around the yard, dart their beaks to the ground for snacks, and kick their ornately feathered legs back to push the straw away. [little feetsies stepping lightly in the straw] One steps forward, scratches, backs up, snacks. [scritchity scratch] The dance continues.
CHICKENS: Chirp. Cluck. Bok!
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: A couple run a few steps, settle, and wander to new scratching spots.
[mellow music, melody on a double bass]
“Nest.” [light bokking from all over] Past the fava beans and chicken wire, a couple light chickens investigate a small depression in the straw. [crows and other sky birds join the chorus] One saunters off while the other scratches at it, digging deeper. [snazzy piano solo with songbird accompaniment] Pecks a little, shimmies with her digging, explores.
A woman in a handsewn face mask.
DONNA LEE: They’re gonna love this. It’s so roomy…and clean and beautiful.
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: She paints a row of nesting boxes orange with a paint roller. [roller brushes softly along rough wood] The boxes are nailed to the outside of the chicken house, where inside, the Brahma chickens peck at feed near a nesting loft with a handmade, 3-rung ladder leading up to it. [crunching footsteps] One chicken makes a dramatic entrance, joins the crowd near the feed. [content chicken chatter and a crow cawing]
DONNA LEE: I know they’re gonna love their new digs! [chuckles]
CHICKENS: Bok bok. Caw caw. Screech!
Film by Cheryl Green. Music credit: Kevin McLeod.
Photo of a lush, bright sunflower, a bowl of deep red tomatoes on the table behind it. “Sunflower Farm. Facebook: Sunflower Farm and Focus on Youth. And FocusOnYouth.org.”
[bright ambient theme music returns]
Every episode is transcribed. Links, guest info, and transcripts are all at WhoAmIToStopIt.com, my disability arts blog. I’m Cheryl, and…
TWO VOICES: this is Pigeonhole.
CHERYL: Pigeonhole: Don’t sit where society puts you.
[bright ambient music]
Introduction
CHORUS OF VOICES: Pigeonholed, pigeonhole, pigeonhole, pigeonhole, pigeonhole, pigeonhole, pigeonhole, pigeonhole.
[ambient music fades into chill electroacoustic pop]
CHERYL NARRATING: Today, a couple of audio described super short films I made in summer 2020 at Sunflower Farm. I’ve been volunteering there since shortly after the pandemic was declared. All of the organic produce and eggs get donated to food pantries and shelters, and the farm operates year-round on a fully-volunteer basis. I thought these little gems might be a soothing balm and a welcome break from the hectic, stressful day-to-day world. I always planned to make more of these micro-shorts, but I have such a great time getting my hands in the dirt (or just sitting in the dirt with the farm dogs) that it’s often hard to think about filming.
94 Tons
[gentle music]
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: Title: “94 Tons.” Two women in face masks. One shovels compost from a small pile into a wheelbarrow. [a diesel engine rumbles] The second flips a bale of hay, then walks off. A red dump truck inches its way past a green house. It backs up toward the small pile.
DONNA LEE: We ordered seven gigantic truckloads of compost.
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: The driver jumps out, takes a look, hops back in. [air breaks squeal and hiss] Text: “Pour.” Bits of compost slip out the unlatched back. The door is raised, and a flood of dark compost falls onto the pile, raising dust and steam. A second rush of compost falls. A woman gives a thumb’s up, walks to the driver’s side.
DONNA LEE: We’ve spread—this seems unbelievable—our volunteers, 94 tons of compost, one wheelbarrow at a time!
[crunching footsteps]
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: A young man tips a wheelbarrow near the house, and compost rushes out.
Text: “Haul.” Now, he takes another load down a bark chip-covered slope and dumps it with other small piles past the fig tree.
DONNA LEE: The organic compost is made from composted chips, but also organic garden debris.
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: Shovels lie on the shrinking pile. [gentle music continues, engine rumbles]
The red truck is back, door wide open, tipping ever so slowly near a large heap of compost. A deluge of compost spills out to make a new heap. Text: “Keep pouring.” [air brakes hiss] The air is filled with dust and steam, the blinking taillights barely cutting through the haze as the compost pours out. [cab door creaks, closes] The truck lurches forward, keeps pouring. [engine fades away and music soars]
The new heap hanging out in the sunshine, steaming.
The two young men shovel from the newest pile into the wheelbarrow. One breaks out in laughter.
Film by Cheryl Green. Music credit: Kevin McLeod.
Photo of a lush, bright sunflower, a bowl of deep red tomatoes on the table behind it. “Sunflower Farm. Facebook: Sunflower Farm and Focus on Youth. And FocusOnYouth.org.”
Meet the Chickens
[plucky, bouncy music]
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: “Home.” A dark Brahma chicken perched on a tree stump. She casts a glance your way. Buff and gray chickens, a tall light rooster. Dappled sunlight in the yard.
CHICKEN: [flap flap] Cluck!
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: The dark chicken stands, revealing feathered legs like bell bottom pants. She surveys the yard, puffs out her ball gown of feathers.
[happy voices join the plucky music]
Buff and white chickens look around, gently peck at a thick layer of straw on the ground.
A handful of chickens stand about as one by one, others run onto the scene, a playful dash with wings raised. [steppy steppy steppy]
CHICKEN: [flap flap] Cluck!
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: Chickens roaming the yard, a buff one lowers her head, her tail feathers poking up.
CHICKEN: Bok!
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: Then she tucks away out of view.
[plucky music fades into chill lounge music]
“Scratch.” [chirpy chirp] Sun blocked by a striped umbrella. The chickens high step around the yard, dart their beaks to the ground for snacks, and kick their ornately feathered legs back to push the straw away. [little feetsies stepping lightly in the straw] One steps forward, scratches, backs up, snacks. [scritchity scratch] The dance continues.
CHICKENS: Chirp. Cluck. Bok!
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: A couple run a few steps, settle, and wander to new scratching spots.
[mellow music, melody on a double bass]
“Nest.” [light bokking from all over] Past the fava beans and chicken wire, a couple light chickens investigate a small depression in the straw. [crows and other sky birds join the chorus] One saunters off while the other scratches at it, digging deeper. [snazzy piano solo with songbird accompaniment] Pecks a little, shimmies with her digging, explores.
A woman in a handsewn face mask.
DONNA LEE: They’re gonna love this. It’s so roomy…and clean and beautiful.
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: She paints a row of nesting boxes orange with a paint roller. [roller brushes softly along rough wood] The boxes are nailed to the outside of the chicken house, where inside, the Brahma chickens peck at feed near a nesting loft with a handmade, 3-rung ladder leading up to it. [crunching footsteps] One chicken makes a dramatic entrance, joins the crowd near the feed. [content chicken chatter and a crow cawing]
DONNA LEE: I know they’re gonna love their new digs! [chuckles]
CHICKENS: Bok bok. Caw caw. Screech!
Film by Cheryl Green. Music credit: Kevin McLeod.
Photo of a lush, bright sunflower, a bowl of deep red tomatoes on the table behind it. “Sunflower Farm. Facebook: Sunflower Farm and Focus on Youth. And FocusOnYouth.org.”
[bright ambient theme music returns]
Every episode is transcribed. Links, guest info, and transcripts are all at WhoAmIToStopIt.com, my disability arts blog. I’m Cheryl, and…
TWO VOICES: this is Pigeonhole.
CHERYL: Pigeonhole: Don’t sit where society puts you.
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2 responses to “Pigeonhole Podcast 36: Sounds from the farm”
Even NOW I’m still kinda jealous of you, even with this pandemic going on and all the people seeming to stay inside, YOU seem to be a perfect fit for that farm. Great job on the new post.
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