''Farm Crime'' is a Canadian true crime documentary series which premiered on CBC's online streaming service,

CBC Gem CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...

, in August 2018. Created by Geoff Morrison and produced by

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

-based production company Big Cedar Films, the series investigates unconventional crimes in the world of farming and

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. The series was one of the first to be commissioned exclusively for the CBC Gem streaming platform, and was reported by

CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...

to have been the most-streamed original unscripted series over a seven-day period and a twelve-week period when its first season premiered. In December 2020, it was announced that

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

Unscripted Television optioned the format rights to the show, and that an American version of the show is in development. Showrunner Geoff Morrison described the

Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist () was the theft over several months in 2011 and 2012 of nearly of maple syrup, valued at C$18.7 million (equivalent to C$ million in ) from a storage facility in Quebec. The facility was operated by ...

as the inspiration for the show in a 2023 interview.

Episodes

Series overview

The series documents the stories of people who have been victims of agricultural crime. Each 10-25 minute episode examines a different incident, usually a theft, and how it affects the victims both emotionally and financially. The series also explores the many diverse aspects of the agricultural industry in Canada, with each episode taking place in different provinces across Canada. The first season of the series tackles crimes such as

cattle rustling Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, bovid ungulates widely kept as livestock. They are prominent modern members of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus '' Bos''. Mature female cattle are called co ...

, oyster poaching, livestock theft, and cargo theft. The second season looks at crop, lobster, and

horse theft Horse theft is the crime of stealing horses. A person engaged in stealing horses is known as a horse thief. Historically, punishments were often severe for horse theft, with several cultures pronouncing the sentence of death upon actual or pre ...

, elver poaching, and

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

that threaten agriculture. The last season of Farm Crime covers timber poaching, agricultural fraud and scams, industry sabotage, and a case that involves the

Canadian Food Inspection Agency The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA; ) is a regulatory agency that is dedicated to the safeguarding of food, plants, and animals (FPA) in Canada, thus enhancing the health and well-being of Canada's people, environment and economy. The age ...

Season 1 (2018)

Season 2 (2021)

Season 3 (2023)

Reception

The show has been praised for looking at the crimes with intelligence and respect. At the end of 2018, ''Farm Crime'' was named as one of the “25 most binge-worthy TV shows of 2018” by NOW Magazine. It also received positive reviews from Canadian entertainment websites, and was cited for its unique spin on the true crime genre.

Awards and nominations

The first season of Farm Crime was nominated for the Best Web Program or Series in Non-Fiction under the Digital Media category at the 2019 Canadian Screen Awards. The first season was also nominated for Best Web Non-Fiction Series at the

Banff World Media Festival Founded in 1979, the Banff World Media Festival (formerly known as the Banff World Television Festival) is an international media event held in the Canadian Rockies at the Banff Springs Hotel, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canad ...

in the same year. At the T.O. Webfest in 2019, the series was nominated for the IWCC Canadian Spotlight and Best Cinematography awards, and won the Best Canadian Series and Best Documentary Series awards. The second season of Farm Crime won the Best Web Program or Series, Non-Fiction award in the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards, and director and writer Kathleen Jayme was nominated for the Best Writing, Web Program or Series award for Invasion of the Murder Hornets. In the 2022 T.O. Webfest, it was nominated for best documentary series, best editing and best cinematography, and won the award for best original score. The third season of Farm Crime was nominated for the Best Web Program or Series, Non-Fiction award in the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, and director and writer Maya Annik Bedward was nominated for the Best Direction, Web Program or Series award for Pigeon Ponzi. In the 2024 T.O. Webfest, season three was nominated for best English Canadian series and won the genre award for best documentary series.

References

External links

* * {{official, https://www.cbc.ca/farmcrime CBC Gem original programming 2010s Canadian documentary television series 2018 Canadian television series debuts Canadian non-fiction web series Canadian Screen Award winning digital content