Planet Local Short Film Series - Part 2: Diverse Farming Systems

1

‘Use and value diversity’ is one of the ten core principles of permaculture — for good reason. Studies have shown that small, diversified farms can yield more than twice as much food per acre when compared to large monocultures. Crop diversity significantly contributes to soil health, which allows agricultural systems to be regenerative and increase the fertility of land over time, rather than leading — as industrial farming does — to inevitable degradation.

Diverse farms also require less chemicals inputs, as certain plants attract beneficial insects and others repel harmful ones. These farms contribute to an overall increase in species biodiversity, which is particularly critical today, as industrial agriculture is a primary driver of Earth’s 6th great wave of mass extinction, including the extinction of many important food crops.

However you look at it, diversity and sustainable farming cannot be separated. And the true beauty of diverse, small-scale farms is that not every farm looks the same — not even close. So, from permaculture to aquaculture, from mountains to urban neighborhoods, from orchards to ranch lands, here is a collection of short films that explore some of the more unique forms that sustainable farming systems can take. - Local Futures

 


 

Part 1 Restoring Paradise

A look at the inspiring Mangarara Farm, in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, where holistic land management is allowing ranchers to transform the relationship between grazing animals and the environment.
(7.50 min)

 

Part 2 Farmed With Love

Fed up with chemical agriculture creating food safety problems in China, a mother in Shanghai returns to the land to start an organic farm — using ducks in place of fertilizers and and pesticides to help her rice thrive.
(3.48 min)

 

Part 3 13 Years Living Off the Land

In this honest look at the pros and cons of off-grid homesteading, homesteaders Peter and Magdalene of British Columbia, Canada share the challenges and the lessons learned from thirteen years of living off the land.
(7.16 min)

 

Part 4 Farming the Sea – An Elegant Solution

This film tells the story of fisherman Bren Smith of Thimble Island Ocean farm. At Thimble Island, Smith is practicing an exciting new method for integrating a sustainable undersea “farm” into a regenerative ecosystem — both above water and below.
(6.27 min)

 

Part 5 Rockin’ Young Farmer

A great example of a young farmer using permaculture principles to integrate orchard and animal systems in the heartland of industrial agriculture — the Central Valley of California.
(10.56 min)

 

Part 6 Oko Farms

A handmade aquaponic farming system brings fresh food and revitalization to a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York.
(7.25 min)

 

Part 7 Forager

Tiffany Noé, an urban “forager,” lives lightly by finding wild food where you’d least expect it — in the streets of Miami, Florida.
(7.16 min)

 

Part 8 From Finance to Farmer

Permaculture farmer Andrew Martin gives a tour of his property as he recounts his journey from a finance job in Australia to an incredible permaculture property in New Zealand.
(15.18 min)

www.localfutures.org
Trending Videos
Gaza Fights For Freedom | Directed by Abby Martin (2019)
84 min - This debut feature film by journalist Abby Martin began while reporting in Palestine, where she was denied entry into Gaza by the Israeli government on the accusation she was a “propagandist.” So...
Schooling the World (2010)
66 min - If you wanted to change an ancient culture in a generation, how would you do it? You would change the way it educates its children. The U.S. Government knew this in the 19th century when it...
Sure, Hamas are Nazis
21 min - "Comparing a state or people with Nazi Germany has a powerful and compelling effect on many people. It achieves the goal of dehumanizing an entire civilian population." Go to...
I Watched The Hamas Massacre Film. Here's My Thoughts. | Owen Jones
26 min - I was invited to watch a screening - organised by the IDF - of the Hamas atrocities committed on 7th October. Here's my response in detail. "When you learn of the horrors which humans are...
How Wolves Change Rivers | George Monbiot
4 min - When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the United States after being absent nearly 70 years, the most remarkable "trophic cascade" occurred. What is a trophic cascade and...
Lowkey Exposes Stuart Seldowitz
6 min - Lowkey uncovers the powerful past of New York’s most famous racist ranter Join the Future of Journalism: https://www.patreon.com/DoubleDownNews 
We Exposed The Defense Industry's Biggest Lie
15 min - Politicians and corporate execs want to convince us that war creates jobs and economic stimulus for all. In reality, defense spending has become yet another way for wealth to transfer from the...
HyperNormalisation (2016)
161 min - We live in a time of great uncertainty and confusion. Events keep happening that seem inexplicable and out of control. Donald Trump, Brexit, the War in Syria, the endless migrant crisis, random...
Trending Articles
Developing Skills of the Heart
Conversation Starters for Teachers & Students
Watch On Netflix
*Recommended*

Donate to Support Films For Action 

For $5 a month, you'll gain access to over 50 of our favorite world-changing documentaries while keeping us ad-free and financially independent.

Subscribe here | Explore the films

Your support helps grow our 5000+ video library, which is 99% free thanks to our patrons!

 

We're a People-Powered Library 

Sign up to add a documentary or video to our library and we'll help promote it. Half of our best content was added by members. Submissions just need to be embeddable (like from Youtube or Vimeo), and related to changing the world. 

We'd love you to become a regular contributor! Cheers,
The Films For Action team