The collection comprises 12 reels of original 16mm home movies of rice and almond farming in Colusa and Yolo counties, California, from the mid 1940s though to 1964. The silent films show Elmer Johnson and farm workers on the Johnson's rice farm and almond orchards in the Central Valley and document farming activities including planting, harvesting, fertilizing and cropdusting, as well as the almond orchards in full bloom. The films also include footage of Elmer Johnson and his wife, Vivienne, and their son Edward at the family home and enjoying various recreational activities. The majority of the films were taken by Vivienne Johnson. Along with the films is a typewritten family history by Elmer and Vivienne's son, Edward Johnson.

Reels 1, 2, 3 and 5 and 7 and 9 mostly comprise footage of the Johnson family at home or on vacation enjoying various recreational activities, including road trips to Utah and Wyoming.

Reel 4 shows the rice fields flooded with water for planting, and a crop duster flying over the rice fields to drop the germinated rice seed. Reel 4 also shows rice being harvested with a reaper, and bags of sown rice stacked and ready for transport. The reel depicts rice transported via a pipe above a platform on the left side of the harvester, and the bottom of the pipe is shaped like an inverted "Y" with a lever that can direct the rice down one side or another. A burlap bag is attached on the side for filling. Once the bag is full, it slides down to the ground where it is picked up.

Reel 6 shows an almond orchard, farm machinery, aerial footage, and Vivienne Johnson getting into the family's new 1947 Buick Roadmaster.

Reel 8 shows rice farming, including Elmer Johnson wading through the rice fields as water is pumped in from the canal to flood the rice fields. Later footage shows rice as it is harvested and loaded onto a truck by conveyor belt. Also depicted is the seeding of rice by plane. Reel 8 also includes footage of the almond trees in bloom, as well as farm workers harvesting almonds by hand. When the almonds are ready to be harvested, a low wagon is driven up to each tree and a large tarp placed around the base of the tree. Workers use axe handles with tire tread wrapped around the end to knock tree trunks and shake nuts loose and onto the tarp. Almonds are then gathered and loaded with shovels into sacks. This reel shows filled sacks stacked on top of each other ready for transport.

Reel 10 includes footage of the rice harvest in 1964 showing workers using combines to reap and thresh the rice, as well as the transportation and storage of the rice in large, metal, grain bins.

Reel 11 is from the fall of 1964 and shows the rice harvest.

Reel 12 shows aerial footage of farmland and crops.