FARMER'S WIFE, THE {PART 1 OF 3} {TAPE 1 OF 2} (TV)
Summary
Tape one of two. Part one of three in this cinéma vérité portrait of Juanita and Darrel Buschkoetter, a Nebraska couple struggling to save their farm and their marriage. Part one begins in May 1995: it covers the couple's history from their courtship to their current life with their three young daughters, and traces the roots of the current financial crisis the couple faces. Juanita starts with the story of her and Darrel's romance that began when she was sixteen and Darrel was twenty-two; Kathy Plas, Juanita's mother, discusses the family's resistance to the marriage which persisted up to the wedding day. Darrel discusses his love for farming, while Juanita details the early optimistic years of their marriage when they rented about 900 acres and diversified by planting a variety of crops and by raising hogs and cattle. Then, beginning with the 1988 draught, the couple fell into a spiral of debt that culminated with a 1991 letter from the bank threatening to liquidate their farm. Darrel was forced to work off the farm at T-L Irrigation Factory "pushing steel," while Juanita began cleaning houses. LeRoy Buschkoetter, Darrel's father, discusses his own disappointment that his son had to work off the farm as he relies upon Darrel to help him maintain his own farm. Darrel, in turn, discusses his own previous hopes that he would take over his father's farm when his father retired, while Juanita expresses skepticism about Darrel's commitments to his father's operation over their own. As the crisis worsens in the fall of 1992, Juanita writes a letter to Nebraska Senator Robert Kerrey explaining their situation. Six months later, the couple are able to get their loan to keep farming, but they must give up their hogs, a decision that causes Juanita much pain. Meanwhile, the stress on the marriage is apparent as worries about restructuring their debt dominate Darrel's thoughts, and Juanita says he is unable to enjoy his wife and kids. The family's Catholic faith appears to provide some, but not much, comfort, as images of their church-going are shown, and Juanita discusses the marriage counseling she and Darrel
initially received through a priest. Although the Buschkoetter's do finally close on their FMHA continuing loan, a meeting with their loan counselor Hoy Bailey reveals the continuing threat the couple faces from creditors like Rich Kucera and the insecurity they still face. Brenda Hofstetter, Juanita's sister, admits being unhappy that the couple has received the loan as it will only postpone what she sees as the inevitable. Continues with T:64056.
Cataloging of this program was made possibly by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 2003.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: September 21, 1998 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:59:08
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:64055
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Agriculture -- United States - Nebraska; Biography
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV, 1998
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Fanning … Senior Executive Producer
- James Yee … Executive Producer
- Michael Sullivan … Executive Producer
- Robin Parmelee … Coordinating Producer
- Sharon Tiller … Senior Producer
- David Sutherland … Producer, Director, Writer
- Nancy Sutherland … Co-Producer
- Lisa Olivieri … Associate Producer
- June Cross … Staff Producer
- Cheryl Motta Couto … Post-Production Producer
- Tim Mangini … Direction (Misc.), Post production director
- J. Byron Smith … Sound
- Reeves Gabrels … Music by
- Mason Daring … Music (Misc. Credits), Series music
- Martin Brody … Music (Misc. Credits), Series music
- Hoy Bailey
- Darrel Buschkoetter
- Juanita Buschkoetter
- LeRoy Buschkoetter
- Brenda Hofstetter
- Kerrey, Robert (See also: Kerrey, Joseph Robert; Kerrey, Bob)
- Rich Kucera
- Kathy Plas