We Lend a Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes is a documentary film that tells the extraordinary story of a contingent of 40,000 teenage girls who volunteered on Canadian farms and helped to win the Second World War.
The more she researched, the more she enjoyed the history she was discovering. She decided that perhaps this was a story that others might like and published an article in The Rural Voice.
Shirleyan English, a retired journalist, read the article and wrote a letter to the editor, explaining her own experience as a Farmerette, and how it remained the best summer of her life.
Bonnie found Shirleyan, and when she did – what a revelation it was to learn she had worked for her husband’s family, and she had even dated her brother-in-law. An incredible coincidence!
In their book, Bonnie and Shirleyan tell the story of how the Farmerettes helped win the Second World War by volunteering to aid farmers with food production.
They named the book Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Farmerettes.
She then enthusiastically told him about her research, meeting her co-author Shirleyan English, stories from the book, etc. Field was in awe of this inspiring woman’s passion and ability to bring this forgotten Canadian story to life. Bonnie is truly a force of nature. The whole time she was speaking, he was seeing a film play out in his head.
A few months later, he called Bonnie up and pitched her the concept he had for the film. She loved the idea and said if he went ahead, she would do whatever it took to help him get the required funding in place.
Take a look at We Lend a Hand‘s film stills
Start learning more about Canadian heritage by visiting Bonnie’s site here. Here’s your chance to acquire the work that started a whole odyssey. Shirleyan English and Bonnie Sitter’s amazing book, Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Farmerettes is on sale now.
