FRESH: Reinventing America’s Food System
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I’m so excited I can hardly stand it! In less than a week, my dear friend and fellow blogger, Kelly the Kitchen Kop is flying to Southern California and we are going to go to the beach! Newport Beach, to be exact, to attend the Newport Beach Film Festival. We are covering the screening of a new feature-length documentary about sustainable agriculture called FRESH.
FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are reinventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.
Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthurs 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.
How exciting is that trailer? I can’t wait! There will be a panel discussion about sustainable food systems after the movie screening.
Kelly the Kitchen Kop and I will both be blogging about it so be sure to check back. (You may want to sign up for email updates or subscribe in a reader so you don’t miss a post.)
In addition to the screening and the panel discussion, Kelly and I will be hitting the farmer’s markets in Hollywood and Santa Monica to taste all the goodies including real California raw milk, and of course my beloved oysters. Not sure if I can get Kelly to try an oyster (What a wimp!) but I’ll do my best. And we’ll meet the farmers and local food producers including sourdough bread baker, Jack Bezian (I’m sure Kelly’s going to go home with a suitcase full of bread).
And of course I’m going to take her to a few of my favorite Los Angeles restaurants. I promise to take lots of pictures and I will be blogging about it.
UPDATE:
Just heard from the producer of FRESH.
If you are in the Southern California area, you can attend this screening! You can buy tickets here. If you plan to attend (next Tuesday night at 6 pm in Newport Beach), please comment below — we’d love to meet up with you before or after the show!
Anyone who is interested in holding a house party/screening, please comment below. I’ll send your info to the producer and they can send you a DVD. I plan to do a house party here in LA with our local Weston A. Price chapter. If you want to see the movie, sign up on our Meetup site and you’ll be informed when the screening will be.
If you’re not in SoCal, the movie is going to be released on the internet in May or June so you can watch it on your computer for a buck or two (kind of like they did with The Secret).
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21/04/2009 at 7:55 am Permalink
Very exciting. Sounds like great fun too!
Do take lots of photos
Bryan – oz4caster’s last blog post..Food Freedom
21/04/2009 at 8:11 am Permalink
Trailer looks great! Enjoyed seeing some new faces in the film – the farmers! =)
Looking forward to reading what you guys think. Hope lots of folks turn out for the showing. Have a blast!
Rebecca/CUpS’s last blog post..Vandana Shiva: The Future of Food-Part 1
21/04/2009 at 8:23 am Permalink
OOOhhhh, oooohhhh, ooohhhh!
Wish i could come too! Is the film festival on a weekend?
Let us know. Do you think the movie Fresh will be widely available?
Kathryn’s last blog post..Somewhat creative (Give AWAY!)
21/04/2009 at 9:17 am Permalink
Hey I’m going to update this post right now…
Just heard from the producer and YES you can go if you are in the area and YES they do have DVDs available for people who want to do house parties/in-home screenings (we’re going to do one in LA) and YES the movie is going to be released on the internet in May (I think May) so you can watch it on your computer for a buck or two.
21/04/2009 at 10:33 am Permalink
This looks awesome! I can’t wait to see! I actually have tears in my eyes! I am going to try to have in-home screening for my close friends and serve some local traditional foods from my farmer Richard Hebron. Thanks for sharing!
21/04/2009 at 11:00 am Permalink
After watching the trailer, it is clear why you and Kelly are destined to have a great time in SoCal. As Rebecca (FoodRenegade) mentions above, the fresh faces and new stories are wonderful, and they also point to an expanding movement.
Can’t wait to read about your adventure, the film, etc.
Cheers,
Rob Smart
(a.k.a., Jambutter on Twitter)
Rob Smart’s last blog post..Dear Julia Child, We Need You!
21/04/2009 at 11:12 am Permalink
Oops…Rebecca of Cooking Up a Story blog (not Food Renegade). My apologies to both blogs.
Rob Smart’s last blog post..1.8 Million Years of Cooking
21/04/2009 at 11:27 am Permalink
If I had about $1K, i’d fly right out there and join ya’ll (my father lives in LA), but alas, I’ll just hover over you blogs like a fiend waiting for updates, lol.
21/04/2009 at 3:14 pm Permalink
While you both are in the Newport Beach area, may I suggest you drop by Avanti Cafe in Costa Mesa? It’s just a few minutes from the theater and has some of the most remarkably tasty vegetarian fare to be found anywhere. Neither my wife nor I are vegetarians but we swear by this place. You won’t be disappointed. Here is there site: http://www.avantinatural.com/ When you go ask to meet Mark, one of the two owners. He is usually there. You will find him a delight — as well as his food.
Charles Welling’s last blog post..
21/04/2009 at 5:11 pm Permalink
Don’t think I can make it to Newport but I would love to show this to members of the CSA I run at my Temple. How should I get in touch with the producer to get a DVD?
(P.S. I love your blog, I am looking forward to meeting local WAP members at your next meeting).
21/04/2009 at 6:01 pm Permalink
We would certainly be interested in doing a screening up here.
By pass a dvd on to us, is that loan? Free? Buy?
Pass my info on regardless.
Paula Runyan
Paula’s last blog post..Etsy!!!
22/04/2009 at 5:06 am Permalink
I *definitely* want to watch the movie….with my kiddos and several other families!! I went to the website and there’s no showings anywhere near AR. I would LOVE a dvd when they are available!!!
~Kelly in Little Rock
22/04/2009 at 5:21 am Permalink
Katie and I would love a copy of the dvd for our SWMO chapter!
22/04/2009 at 5:25 am Permalink
I would love to attend! I’m going to make it happen.
I clicked on the links to buy tickets and got the message “Tickets for this event available at the Box Office”. Not sure if I can get them in advance?
I am a fairly new reader of your blog and I’m so enjoying it. Thank you for what you do and the info you provide. A funny story: I went to the SM Farmers market last Wed. primarily to buy raw milk, but wanted to get some Bezian bread based on your recommendation. While I was considering my bread options, Mr. B said to another customer, “There was a great write up about us recently. Did you see it?” I asked him where, and he said, ” Cheeseslave”. Ha! Your post is what brought me to his stand and he was talking about you while I was there.
Synchronicity. I loved it.
Thanks again. Hope to see you next Tuesday.
Martha
Martha Hall’s last blog post..From Rags to Rugs
22/04/2009 at 7:20 am Permalink
Color me green (wth envy AND for Earth day;-)…FRESH is what we’re talking about! Many similar faces as in Future of Food. Wish I could go but hope the turnout is great. Would love to host a screening in Nor. Cal. Please pass along my info. as well. And come up and sample Hog Island’s oysters!
Cook 4 Seasons’s last blog post..Spring Quinoa “Risotto”
23/04/2009 at 6:31 am Permalink
I would love to have a copy of the DVD for a home showing. The trailer was so inspiring, I imagine the complete movie will be great!
Chery
24/04/2009 at 5:28 pm Permalink
Omg! Serendipitously, I will be in the OC on Tuesday! Maybe we can meet up for the screenng…? Although in all honesty, I’d rather go to the Farmer’s Market with you! And I’ll eat oysters, even for breakfast!!
I’d love to get together, period, but how much more fun when Kelly is in town!
Email me & we’ll see what we can work out…;)
25/04/2009 at 7:31 pm Permalink
You’ve probably already heard about the movie, “Food Inc.” – but, if not – you can see the trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf4ZmfjyEvI
Julie’s last blog post..Home From KY
26/04/2009 at 4:02 am Permalink
Emailing you Erin
Everyone else who requested a DVD, I am sending your names to the director.
26/04/2009 at 6:50 pm Permalink
I also have a local group who is interested in doing a screening. Thanks!
27/04/2009 at 12:25 pm Permalink
Oh, i so wish i could be there. But i’m working (in Costa Mesa) until about 6.30 & can’t skip out early.
Hope you have fun. Let us know what you think about it.
Kathryn’s last blog post..Difference
28/04/2009 at 7:23 am Permalink
I would love to get in on the DVD for a screening deal if it isn’t too late!!! I have been off the computer for a while and didn’t catch up until now. Let me know if you need more info. Thanks for all you do!!!
29/04/2009 at 10:06 am Permalink
Hi, wish we could see this film in our fair city (Boise, Idaho). We unfortunately are missed on many of the film releases that are independent – although we do have an independent theatre here called The Flick’s.
In October of last year, I and several other concerned parents brought “Two Angry Moms” to Boise, and our turnout was disappointingly low – even though we publicized the heck out of its showing and even had Amy Kalafa here to speak at the film event. This is a very well-done film and worth seeing, even if you don’t have children.
Six months later, we’re still getting no buy-in from our school district! After the film, several of our board members (including the Head of Nutrition of the Boise School District) stood up and said, “I’m so glad we’re one of the good guys!” This from the supervisor who allows low-fat milk (and chocolate), processed meats and cheeses, enriched buns, bagels, croissants, and many other enemies of nutrition to remain on our children’s school menu. It’s great to see films like this continuing to come to our theatres and educating the general public…I loved Supersize Me, King Korn, and the Oiling of Amercica…keep them coming, I say!
Raine Saunders’s last blog post..Whole and Healthy Meat…Does it Really Exist?
12/05/2009 at 2:06 pm Permalink
This looks great! I’m very interested in a copy of the DVD for a screening. Thanks for your help.