WICHITA — The Tallgrass Third Thursday film for May will explore what America can do to create a economically and environmentally responsible food system. Fresh, directed by Ana Joanes, will screen on May 20 at Newman University in the Dugan Library and Campus Center (Dugan-Gorges Conference Center). There will be a pre-film Farmers Market reception starting at 6:30. The screening will begin at 7:30 with a discussion immediately following film. Tickets are $10 at the door, $8 for students and seniors.

What: Fresh (with a pre-film reception and a post-film discussion)

When: 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 20

Where: Newman University in the Dugan Library and Campus Center (Dugan-Gorges Conference Center),
Wichita, KS

How Much: $10 general public with discounts for students and seniors

Fresh picks up where Food Inc. left off, looking at people who are working for positive change in the way America makes its food. Freshcelebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing 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.

Fresh recaptures our sense of agency and makes us believe that our individual actions in fact do matter. Throughout the film we encounter the most inspiring people, ideas, and initiatives around the United States. And thus, Fresh showcases real people first and foremost, connecting audiences not with facts and figures or apocalyptic policy analysis, but with personal stories of change. Among several main characters, the film features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 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. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision of our food and our planet’s future. Fresh addresses an ethos that has been sweeping the nation and is a call to action America has been waiting for.

Among several main characters, Fresh features these people:

Will Allen

Will Allen, a 6′ 7″ former professional basketball player, is now one of the most influential leaders of the food security and urban farming movement. His farm and not-for-profit, Growing Power, have trained and inspired people in every corner of America to start growing food sustainably. This man and his organization go beyond growing food. They provide a platform for people to share knowledge and form relationships in order to develop alternatives to the industrial food system.

Joel Salatin

Joel Salatin, a world-famous sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, was made famous by Michael Pollan (also in the movie) – author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Salatin writes in his web site that he is “in the redemption business: healing the land, healing the food, healing the economy, and healing the culture.” By closely observing nature, Salatin created a rotational grazing system that not only allows the land to heal but also allows the animals to behave the way the were meant to — as in expressing their “chicken-ness” or “pig-ness,” as Salatin would say.

David Ball

David Ball, a Kansas City supermarket owner, is challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy. With the rise of Wal-Mart and other big chains, Ball saw his family-run supermarket dying, along with a once-thriving local farm community. So he reinvented his business, partnering with area farmers to sell locally-grown food and specialty food products at an affordable price. His plan has brought the local economy back to life.

Ana Joanes

Producer Ana Joanes is a Swiss-born documentary filmmaker whose work addresses pressing social issues through character-driven narratives. After traveling internationally to study the environmental and cultural impacts of globalization, she graduated from Columbia Law School in May 2000, awarded as a Stone Scholar and Human Rights Fellow. Thereafter, Ana created Reel Youth, a video production program for youth coming out of detention. In 2003, Ana and her friend Andrew Unger produced Generation Meds, a documentary exploring our fears and misgivings about mental illness and medication.Fresh is Ana’s second feature documentary.

Complete resources for the press, including hi-res photos and more information, can be obtained here.
ANA’S 10 FRESH SOLUTIONS

1. Buy local products when possible, otherwise, buy organic and fair-trade products. Ask your grocer or favorite restaurant what local food they carry and try to influence their purchasing decisions. You will support your local economy and small farmers, reduce your exposure to harmful pesticides, improve the taste and quality of your food, and protect the environment from fertilizer and pesticide run-offs.
2. Shop at your local farmers market, join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and get weekly deliveries of the season’s harvest, and by buy from local grocers and co-ops committed to stocking local foods.
3. Support restaurants and food vendors that buy locally produced food. When at a restaurant, ask (nicely!) your waiter where the meat and fish comes from. Eventually, as more and more customers ask the same question, they’ll get the message!
4. Avoid GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)! When buying processed food (anything packaged) buy organic to avoid GMO. (Since almost all the soy, corn, and canola in the US is genetically modified, over 70% of all processed food contain GMOs from by-products of these grains.)
5. COOK, CAN, DRY & FREEZE! Our culture has forgotten some of the most basic joys of cooking. Not only is cooking at home better for you and more economical, but it’s an invaluable skill to pass on to your children.
6. Drink plenty of water, but avoid bottled water when you can. Water bottles pollute the environment and bottled water is often mere tap water. Plastic is harmful to your health and to the environment. Buy a reusable water bottle and invest in a good water filter.
7. Grow a garden, visit a farm, volunteer in your community garden, teach a child how to garden. GET DIRTY! Have fun!
8. Volunteer and/or financially support an organization dedicated to promoting a sustainable food system. Stay informed by joining the mailing list of the advocacy groups you trust.
9. Get involved in your community! Influence what your child eats by engaging the school board, effect city policies by learning about zoning and attending city council meetings, learn about the federal policies that affect your food choice and let your congress person know what you think.
10. SHARE your passion! Talk to your friends and family about why our food choice matters. And organize a FRESH screening!