The food that we eat is taken for granted every day, often not given a second thought.
People put considerable thought and action into their diets, choosing the items that fit their lifestyles and their health. They make detailed meal plans, plan out a week’s worth of dinners and research ingredients.
But rarely do we ever think about where the food we eat comes from, and how it gets to our kitchen table.
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“At the end of the day, we’re all food consumers. We should all be around the table if we want to strengthen our own food system,” said Erin Slevin, community wellness coordinator for Purdue Extension Johnson County.
The journey that food takes, and the threats that the process face, are the focus of “Sustainable,” a documentary exploring the economic and environmental instability of America’s food system. The film follows forward-thinking farmers who have changed the way they approach growing food in the face of increasing industrial agriculture.
A special screening of the documentary will be held at 5:30 p.m. today at the Historic Artcraft Theatre. The event is being organized by the Johnson County Local Food Council in the hopes of helping people better understand food and where it comes from.
“The movie can take people in a lot of different directions, whether they feel inspired to help in the food insecurity realm or buying different products when they go to the store or supporting local vendors at the farmers market, there are so many ways people could be inspired by this movie,” said Sarah Hanson, director for Purdue Extension Johnson County.
“Sustainable” was created by Matt Wechsler and Annie Speicher, food activists and documentary filmmakers from the Chicago area. Their past work includes “Different is the New Normal”, a documentary that aired nationally on PBS and was narrated by Michael J. Fox.
One of their newest films is “Right to Harm” about the health effects of factory farming on rural Americans.
“Sustainable” is an investigation looking at the threats to our food system, from agricultural issues we face such as soil loss, water depletion, climate change and pesticide use, to the leaders who are working to fix it.
It is a film about the land, the people who work it and what must be done to sustain it for future generations, the filmmakers said in a release.
Since it was released in 2016, “Sustainable” has been shown at film festivals around the world. The film won the 2016 Accolade Global Humanitarian Award for Outstanding Achievement.
Organizers with the Johnson County Local Food Council felt it would be a way to continue the discussion on food.
“This one seemed to hit on agriculture but not to the point of going too far,” Hanson said. “We don’t want to bash any conventional farmers; that’s not what (the council) is meant to do. This film had a nice balance, talking a great deal about soil health and food insecurity.”
The food council was created last year to work on food-related issues, with the goal of ensuring that everyone has access to healthy, affordable food that supports the local community. Members have created events that educate about nutrition, as well as fostering outreach between farmers and local consumers.
For example, the council has been helping connect small farmers and farmers market managers, with a forum being held on March 5 to help grow farmers markets in individual communities.
Recently, the council formed committees to work on issues such as food insecurity, food access, food procurement and farmer support.
These steps taken together will hopefully lead to a sustainable food system improving the lives of all county residents, Slevin said.
The film screening will serve as a one-year anniversary event, with the hope of attracting more people to take part in the council and further conversations about food, Slevin said.
“People who come out to this probably have some kind of interest in farming or local food,” Hanson said. “Maybe this will also help other people realize that there are others in the community that have similar interests to them about these issues.”
The event tonight will also serve as a way address food insecurity directly. Non-perishable food donations will be accepted for Michelle’s Little Free Pantry, a wooden cabinet created by Franklin resident Michelle Waugh Dahl that is stocked with food and toilet paper that those in need can come get for free.
Organizers hope that they can continue to show documentaries and films dealing with food as a way to reach out to the community, Slevin said.
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"Sustainable"
What: A screening of the award-winning documentary, which investigates the economic and environmental instability of America’s food system.
When: 5:30 p.m. today
Where: Historic Artcraft Theatre, 57 N. Main St., Franklin
Who: Organized by the Johnson County Local Food Council, an organization aimed at increasing awareness and conversation about issues such as food insecurity, sustainability and local food production.
Tickets: Free and open to the public
Other information: Non-perishable food donations will be collected for Michelle’s Little Free Pantry. The Little Red Wagon food truck will be available for dinner.
Information: The Johnson County Local Food Council Indiana Facebook page
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