Organic food film series comes to town
By Dylan Sands. Wed, Aug 22, 2007
Care to enter The Meatrix? Want to meet Frankensteer? Liberty Hall will give students the chance do both while digesting some food for thought Thursday.
Sustainable Table, a group dedicated to teaching consumers about sustainable food, is stopping in Lawrence as part of ”The Eat Well Guided Tour of America.” The group will join Local Burger and Films for Action to present Rural Route Film Festival’s “Go Organic!” film series.
The series consists of four short films: “The Meatrix,” “Frankensteer,” “Back to the Land... Again and Good Stewards.” The documentaries deal with issues ranging from the grisly side of big farms to community agriculture. Local Burger will serve free organic and locally farmed food at the event.
According to Sustainable Table’s Web site, sustainable agriculture is a movement involving raising food in a way that is not only healthy for the consumer, but also respectful to the animals. It also involves finding ways to benefit rural farmers and minimizing harm to the environment.
Hillary Brown, manager of Local Burger, said she thought everyone should be involved in the organic food movement.
“You can’t just keep taking from the earth. You have to give something back to it,” Brown said. “It has everything to do with our immediate future and future generations.”
Simran Sethi, Lacy Haynes Professional Chair at the School of Journalism and host of Sundance Channel’s “The Green,” will speak at the event.
“It is key for people to understand the connection between what they eat and where their food comes from,” Sethi said.
Sethi cited recent product recalls from China as one reason why people need to learn about locally made foods.
“This is a matter of national security,” she said.
Amy Harris, Overland Park senior, said she felt it was important for students to understand sustainable farming to help the environment.
“A lot of people haven’t been educated on the little changes that can make a big difference,” Harris said. “If students make those changes, it could create a domino effect throughout the world.”
The Go Organic! film series will start at 7 p.m. Thursday at Liberty Hall. Admission is $5.
– Edited by Luke Morris