End of the Farm Kings?

By know I'm sure most of the die hard Farm Kings fans have heard that tonights episode will most likely be the last episode.  If you haven't heard about it you can go to the Freedom Farms website and catch up.  Now I can't say this is a surprise.  Friday night death slot.  Mama bear talking about the fact that they only get paid a nominal amount....yada yada yada.  That said this is still a great show with great values that I can watch with my daughter.  SO if you feel the same way feel free to call Scribbs Network (the parent company of GAC) and let them know that you aren't happy that it looks like this is the end of the road for the Farm Kings.  Let them know that you will no longer be watching GAC.  Let them know that you will contact the companies that advertise on GAC and explain why you can't buy products from a company that doesn't support the kind of viewing you want to see on TV.   The number to call Scribbs is (865) 694-2700

 Update:  I was mistaken.  There will be one more new Farm Kings this coming Friday night October 3. I'm kind of hoping that that isn't all you took from this post but rather picked up your phone to voice your displeasure!

Farm Kings Season 4 episode 1

Quick side note before I delve into what I thought about last nights Farm Kings episode.  I turned the TV on after I put Princess Bear (PB) down after the Farm Kings episode was over & GAC was still on.  It shows a pond in...Farmington Illinois.  Basically 15 minutes from here.  Small world.  I'd never seen Lake Life before so I watched a bit.  The company is based in here Peoria.  Even smaller world.  I was at a charity Polo event today and one of the Herman brothers from Lake Life was there.  Way small world. 

OK so now for my breakdown on the Farm Kings episode.  Of course the biggest issue in this episode was will Dan work for Freedom Farms or with Tom the contractor.  As we were watching the episode I was actually getting a bit annoyed about all the hype on whether Dan would stay with the Farm or not.  Past practice has shown that Dan always lets guilt get to him and he sticks by the family.  It's not always a bad thing but it was pretty bogus when Lisa called him home from his internship with Joel Salatin after the break in.   So I'm watching last night thinking "Of course Dan is going to take Joe up on his offer".  Dude- so wrong!  Obviously Dan decided to reach down and grab a pair!  Go Dan!  Now I'm not saying that family loyalty is a bad thing and in all actuality I think he'll go back to Freedom Farms but for now Dan is taking care of himself and his needs and that isn't necessarily a bad thing.  I think the 3 partners love the fact that Dan is a freaking workhorse for them but they have showed no interest in making him a partner or giving him any real say.  In their own way they've done a grand job of belittling Dan.  So there's a side of me that says "WooHoo!  Way to go for standing up for yourself and want your interests are". There is also the side of me that thinks its a pity that the partners couldn't make Dan feel valued enough to make their offer worthwhile to Dan. 

Joe having his little chart with the squares, several of which were blank, was an idea that is half cooked.  It's a great premise he just needs to work on it.  Joe, Pete & Tim also need to figure out what they're going to do for their family that makes it worth their while to stick with Freedom Farms in these lean beginning years.  The idea that one day things will be peachy keen isn't going to pay anyone's bills or give them warm fuzzies for any amount of time.  They need to come up with a plan that entices the siblings to work and in turn gives them a reason to stick around.  Also Joe trying to make a point of saying that they've invested in Dan was a load of b.s. What exactly did they invest in Dan?  He was already a farmer by birth so what exactly did they invest in him?  If Dan hadn't worked for Freedom Farms they would have actually had to spend the time which of course equals money to train someone else. 

I was a bit surprised that Bitty is once again the manager of the Donut shop since that didn't work out well for her the last time she did it.  I loved her idea of a donut cake.  Very clever. 

Once again Lisa decided that Mama Bear knows best and was going to have donuts at the sandwich shop even if it meant paying for them herself.  On on hand I give her props for doing whatever to make her customers happy even it there is a bit of a financial loss for her.  On the other hand it's a case of Lisa one more time being heavy handed and doing what she wants no matter what decisions have already been made.  On the plus side of the board I do give Lisa points for making it perfectly aware to her children that she expected them to support Dan in his job decision.   Bravo Lisa!

The part about Ben wanting to be a farmer was very heartwarming.  The family really does do a wonderful job of playing to Ben's strengths while still trying to introduce him to new things.  I think it's a beautiful commentary that Ben wants to be just like his big brothers.

Now on the technical side.  Yes there is still a narrator.  Yes this one is slightly better and I don't want to tear my hair out when I hear the commentary.  I still maintain that the narrator isn't necessary. 

So there you have it.  My take on this weeks episode.  What did you think?

Farm Kings Season 3 Episode 8

Another great episode!  Everyone played nicely, no one needed to be slapped upside the head.  Win win win!  I also found myself laughing out loud several times.  Lots of little mini stories this week.  Let’s start with the bomb shelter.

-OK….first of all other than being claustrophobic is there a reason that Pete would rather take on the zombies rather than being a in a cargo container with his family?  Please tell me that I wasn’t the only one laughing about that?  It’s so funny when I see the King family doing stuff that I’ve talked to my family about doing.  Cargo shelter cold storage= good planning!  Tim was exactly right when he said hope for the best and prepare for the worst.  Sounds like solid planning to me!  Also using it as cold storage is a great idea.  Perhaps I’m just jealous because I’d give my eyeteeth to have a cold storage area like that.  Anyway watching the boys go about this project was entertaining as always.  At least things didn’t go horribly awry this time.  It was too funny listening to Pete harangue about knocking out the wall.  The farmhouse is part of Lisa’s divorce settlement and obviously has been in the family for a long time.  Nobody wants Pete to cry!  Just listening to Pete fret was funny.  “Don’t like it.  Put it back!”  Loved it!  Who hasn’t done something that they knew would have their parents or grandparents rolling in their grave?   At least the house didn’t have any major structural damage!  The best part of the whole bomb shelter prep was listening to Pete explain how they get the younger boys to do their dirty work.  WooHooo! Having fun now!  Wanna play?  Ah, the advantages of being older!  Of course things couldn’t be totally smooth sailing and Tim had to take out the corner of the house when filling in the dirt around the container.  Ooops!   As I said I think the planning ahead the Kings are doing is a good thing.  There is huge peace of mind knowing that if things even hit the fan that you can take care of you and yours. 

The family getting involved in collecting food for the less fortunate was great.  One of the things Lisa has obviously done is teach her children the gift of giving to less fortunate and being thankful for their own blessings.  They always seem to be very willing to share their good fortune.  Kudos to Lisa on that front.  This week the Kings decided to collect food for a local food bank.  They really pulled Ben and his friend Alex into this project since they’ve received so much through Special Olympics.  I love that they are fostering this in Ben (and Alex).  So Bitty set about to decorate collection boxes with the help of Lily, Ben and Alex.  Then Lisa had the boys help in the kitchen getting some foods ready to can.  They didn’t just stop there.  They also helped serve food to the less fortunate.  Go King Family! 

They also sold Christmas trees again this year.  Not sure why from a money stand point since they obviously haven’t come out ahead in this venture in previous years.  The back and forth between Sam & Dan was fun to watch.  Who else liked it when Sam nominated Dan to stand in the middle of the street to create a detour?!!!?  Sam seems to really be growing into his role as a big contributor.  I loved Dan’s idea to dress up as Santa to try to attract more customers.  They didn’t say how they wound up making out for the year overall.  

I think my favorite scene in the whole episode was the closing when the whole family was checking out the bomb shelter.  I love that it was even “decorated”.  Did anyone else catch the skull in the background among the crates holding the canned food?  I also loved that Dan brought a tree to liven up the place.  Too cute!  It was great when Lisa asked about the bathroom.  Lisa- the zombies are coming!  Use your bucket and be happy!   Although I will say her idea of using another storage container to make it bigger wasn’t a horrible idea.  Somehow I don’t see the boys going for that.  Maybe next they’ll try making a storage container home for some of the younger boys. 

So what did you think of this week’s episode?  What was your favorite part? 

Farm Kings Season 3 episode 3

I have to say that I like this episode the most of the three this season.  Perhaps because several different members of the family were shown in a wonderful light.  Of course the narrator still sucks it big time.  People are still complaining on the GAC website.  I wonder when they are going to get a clue and get rid of him.   Listening to him just grates on my nerves!

The part of Pete taking Jilly to her violin lesson was beyond adorable.  It's obviously he tries to spend time with her when he can and takes a real interest in what she's doing.  The pride he has in her and his love for her is evident.  This isn't always something you expect from somebody that became a father at such a young age.  Having a child in high school I'm sure is never easy but it seems like Pete and Jessi have done a great job.

The part about keeping Ben in shape was endearing.  I had not realized that individuals with Down Syndrome had issues with hypothyroidism as Bitty talked about but was aware that they often have heart problems.  It's wonderful that the family is trying to be proactive in keeping Ben as healthy as possible.  Watching Paul work out with him was heartwarming.  The whole family really does rally together and put Ben's best interests at heart.  No disputing that!

The Freedom Farms weight loss challenge was interesting to watch.  It was a great concept in that there was community outreach and it featured Freedom Farm products.  In theory eating fresh produce should help lead to a healthy lifestyle and weight.  The part where Lisa was supposed to be showing the group how to eat was a complete failure.  Lisa seems to never prepare for things and just shoots from the hip.  She had both feet in her mouth and kept on going.  She needed to have an outline of ideas to cover as a guide.  While the program overall was a success you had to feel sorry for Joe.  One has to wonder about the validity of Joe and Ben entering anyway but beyond that how much did it suck that Joe was the only one who gained weight?  What in the world is Heather feeding him?  It is sad that Joe admits he doesn't have enough time with his kids.  He's never going to get that time back.

I was absolutely cracking up during the greenhouse segments.  For once I actually felt bad for Lisa.  Anytime the boys do a project for her they always have her best interests at heart but things seem to never go quite as well as one would hope.  I did love Lisa pointed out them smashing her flowers is the same as if she went on stepped on their tomatoes.  The boys don't seem to look at it that way though.  Also why does Lisa mention changes she wants to make right away?  It makes her seem ungrateful for what they have done.  Graciousness does not seem to be Lisa's strong suit.

Ben as the water boy was again putting a very human face to special needs so I particularly liked that part.  Watching him talking to the girls was too cute too.  I also love that they are airing Special Olympics commercials during the show again.

So what did you think of this weeks episode?

They're back!!!! (soon!)

As a wonderful reader gave me heads up last night the Farm Kings are coming back!!!  Season 3 starts on December 19th!  What a wonderful reason to sit down and relax for a bit in the middle of Christmas craziness!!!!   I think since this is an odd time that it will most likely show the Farm Festival again and perhaps a wedding (or two?).  I wonder if Maggie dearest will make an appearance once she's Mrs. Timothy King.  The big day is less than a week away now!  I also think they'll do a two part season like they did with season 2.  I wish that they would do more episodes.  There is so much more ground that they could cover and by all accounts things are heating up with the Kings.  Tim getting married this Saturday and Bitty and Joe are both engaged now.  I wonder how long Jessi will be content to be just committed to Pete since they all seem to be heading down the aisle now.  I also don't think Tim & Maggie will wait long to add to their little family.  Anyone want to start a pool on that one?  My vote is that they'll be celebrating their first anniversary with an infant in tow.

SO, GAC or Stage 3 whoever is in charge WHEN ARE SEASON 1 & 2 GOING TO BE RELEASED ON DVD?????

Just a bit of eye candy but take a look... a few Kings are missing.