Documentary Premier Screening!

One of the things that we don't do nearly enough of on the farm is celebrate. So, it is with lots of joy and excitement that I invite you all to join us for the premier of the

Meeting Place Organic Farm Documentary

Saturday, April 2nd

2pm

Huron County Museum, Goderich, ON

[vimeo 73538080 w=500 h=281]

A Collaborative Community Film

The politics of food, land use and resource management are the most pressing issues the world faces today, and it’s all happening right in our back yards.

In 1973 Fran and Tony McQuail bought a rundown farm near Lucknow, Ontario, a region dominated by monocropping and industrial agriculture . Over the last four decades, these environmental warriors have built a sustainable and ecologically sound farm that stands as a model for others.

Using Holistic Management techniques and permaculture design principles, Meeting Place Organic Farm has evolved into a diversified operation with grass fed beef, pastured pork and chicken, a large vegetable garden, an apple orchard and a 25 acre wood lot. What the McQuails have built over the past forty years at Meeting Place Organic Farm is unique and inspiring and has the potential to spark real change in the way that we view our relationship with food and the ecosystem. The collaborative nature of this evolution will be reflected by the inclusion of many voices including the extended McQuail family, current and former apprentices and others in the broader farming, social and political communities.

Meeting Place Organic Film is a collaborative community film that is collecting and telling the stories that are important to the communities the McQuail's belong to and further the conversation about how we produce and consume food. Director Rebecca Garrett and Producer Britt Gregg-Wallace have known Fran and Tony for many years and have always been impressed by their commitment to organic farming, ecology and social justice. Their actions – from running for political office, to training young organic farmers, to limiting their use of non-renewable resources – are deeply integrated with their values and intersect with their everyday lives. From the very beginning, the McQuail family has actively participated in the process of making the film. They bring the same approach to the film as they do to the farm, working tirelessly and cheerfully to find thoughtful solutions to immediate problems with an eye on what is best for the planet and future generations. Their broader communities of rural residents and sustainable food enthusiasts have been involved in the funding of the project and, most importantly, in sharing their thoughts on what matters to them.

Not only does this film explore the very real ways one farm has contributed to the long term ecological viability of agriculture in Ontario, it is also a call to action for all those who believe there is a better way to take care of our planet and feed the world.