The docuseries premiered at The Regal Cinema, in Evesham, on 11 February and is about “faith, resilience, and the unwavering belief in the power of hard work”.
‘It's a Punjabi Farm Innit’ follows the journey of the Makhan Singh Padda family from India to Worcestershire where they have grown strawberries and raspberries since the 1990s.
The award-winning family farm is located in the idyllic Worcestershire countryside close to Evesham and Bidford.
“This is about characters on the farm but it is also about food production, about farming, the struggles of farming, the dreams of farming.”
NFU member Bal Padda
Driving diversity
Farmer and NFU member Bal Padda decided to push the idea of the Punjabi Farm and the two-part docuseries to showcase food production and the struggles of farming while also pursuing his ambition to drive diversity and inclusion in the industry.
The docuseries starts with the story of Punjabi patriarch Makhan Singh, known as ‘Mr Strawberry’, and his journey from humble beginnings.
He started on less than three acres with little knowledge of strawberry growing but current operations see more than 1,200 tonnes of first class soft fruit produced for the supermarkets and shoppers.
Bal explained that ‘It’s a Punjabi Farm Innit’ echoed the experiences of families who had sought a new life while carrying on their traditions, but the story was really one of characters, people and community.
He said it was his way of saying “let’s stick together” given the many challenges and struggles for the industry not just at home but across the globe.
Bal said: “We are from the Punjab which is the breadbasket of India but we are settled and producing food in the Vale of Evesham which is the garden of England and are very much part of the community - this is about telling that story and relating to people.
“Farming embraces diversity and we want to see more of it as it is so important. We need to tell our farming story across the country using all farming voices.”
To help bring those diverse voices into farming, the NFU partnered with the Outward Bound Trust and the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society to launch the Agrifuture Scholarship Programme. Read NFU launches groundbreaking AgriFuture Scholarship Programme.
This initiative aims to inspire and support young people from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in farming.
Lights, camera, action
The Worcestershire NFU member said he was nervous and excited going into the premiere but delighted it had sold out in record time.
The family also pre-tested the docuseries with 100 customers and said the feedback received was excellent.
Bal said they had “great fun” filming daily life on the farm and tried to be “really authentic and honest”.
The crew came in with one camera and filmed over two days to produce the two-part mini documentary.
“This is about characters on the farm but it is also about food production, about farming, the struggles of farming, the dreams of farming.”
Bal added: “Everyone is so excited about the idea of Punjabi Farm and I think it's something we can build on.
“There’s nothing else like it.”
