The new documentary Farmageddon about small-time farmers vs. agribusiness has already attracted its share of buzz, with reviewers from the Los Angeles Times to the Washington Post to Salon calling it "compelling," "eye-popping" and "surprisingly engrossing." (CL critic Joe Bardi liked it, too — but not that much. See his review p. 15.)
For local food activists, the movie is turning into something more: an opportunity to jump-start a movement.
Planning started about six weeks ago, when local food activists Eddie Schumard, a part-time chef at The Refinery, and Robin Milcowitz, founder of the Seminole Heights Community Garden, began discussing ways to connect local farmers with consumers beyond transactions at farmers' markets. They talked about instituting garden programs in schools, working to change urban development policies, leaving "green space" for community gardens. They began to envision a food system through which Tampa Bay residents could both grow their own food and keep local small farms in business — and decided a screening of Farmageddon would be the ideal kick-off event.
From there, the duo tapped a variety of local connections to make it happen. Sarah Pope, for instance, leads the local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation (westonaprice.org), a non-profit nutrition education foundation founded in 1999 that is dedicated to "restoring nutrient-dense foods to the American diet through education, research and activism." Pope knows Farmageddon director/producer Kristin Canty, and acted as a liaison in arranging the screening.
According to Pope, Canty got the idea for Farmageddon when she was investigating government raids on local food co-ops around the country. "Kristin saw an article [on small farms being shut down] and was horrified. …This film brings more awareness to the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (farm2consumer.org), showing small farms that they really need to be members to protect themselves."
Local radio station WMNF came on board as an event sponsor, and Milcowitz and Schumard turned to a familiar resource as a venue: The Roosevelt 2.0 (creativityincommerce.com), the green think tank/alternative events venue in Ybor City. They approached local food growers and activists to speak and show off their wares, and voila! A screening and discussion are now scheduled to take place on Thursday, August 11, at The Roosevelt.
Two weeks prior to the screening, The Roosevelt's Bryan Roberts said that pre-sale tickets were almost sold out and that they were looking for a way to accommodate even more attendees. The film will now be screened simultaneously on the first and second floors of The Roosevelt building.
Local food producers scheduled to be on hand include: John Matthews, founder of the Suncoast Food Alliance and connector of local farms with restaurants; Pam Lunn, owner of The Dancing Goat dairy, producing raw, hormone- and antibiotic-free goat milk/kefir/cheese and eggs; activist Ryan Iacovacci and other representatives of the local food network. Kristin Canty will lead a post-screening discussion, World Cafe-style groups will be held upstairs and guests can meet and mingle over food from The Refinery, Cafe Dufrain, Cafe Hey and The Corner Store (of Plant City) made from organic, locally-sourced bounty. Smoothies, veggies and wheatgrass juice will be provided by the Roosevelt's new café.
The Roosevelt will also be showing off plans for its upcoming aquaponic farming project in the building's back lot — another addition to the sustainable systems already in place in the renovated building.
To see "the other side of Food, Inc.," as Roberts calls it, and to meet the people who provide the Bay area with fresh, healthy fare, put this event on your calendar.
This article appears in Aug 4-10, 2011.