Conservation discussion, film screening at Acorn

Some of the participants at Friday night’s screening of “Kiss the Ground” at Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café.

A screening of a 2020 Tribeca Film Festival Selection, “Kiss the Ground,” was held last Friday night at Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café, and was the topic of an animated discussion following the movie.

Kiss the Ground, based on a 2017 best-selling book by Josh Tickell, reveals that, by regenerating the world’s soils, we can completely and rapidly stabilize Earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems, and create abundant food supplies. Tickell, who has worked on environmental issues for more than 20 years, originally titled his book “Kiss the Ground: How the Food You Eat Can Reverse Climate Change, Heal Your Body, and Ultimately Save Our World.”

The dozen or so who attended the screening were in agreement with the premise of the film and felt that the Manchester community, as a rural, agricultural area, is overall in support of conservation efforts. Megan DeLeeuw, of the Washtenaw Conservation District, noted that at least 20% of Washtenaw County farmers responding to a recent survey were interested in learning more about regenerative agriculture.

“There is the economics of it; Washtenaw is doing a good job overall,” DeLeeuw admitted. “But then there’s the larger-scale operations, and the many subsidies that exist to continue doing things the way they are. That’s the biggest issue. We need to change the way it is financed by our government.”

Using graphics and visuals, along with striking NASA and NOAA footage, the film, narrated by actor Woody Harrelson, illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon, soil is the missing piece of the climate puzzle. This movie hopes to catalyze a movement to accomplish what might seem impossible — to solve humanity’s greatest challenge, to balance the climate, and secure our species’ future.

Two suggestions came out of Friday night’s discussion — first, that as a rural community connected to where our food comes from, shoppers should vote with their dollars. For those who shop at the Acorn market, they can be assured that 75% of every dollar spent goes back to farmers/suppliers/vendors, which is an excellent example. 

Also, Ruth VanBogelen of the Acorn Board and 5 Healthy Towns said that it is beneficial to start kids young knowing where their food comes from. VanBogelen has been working on gardening programs in the school district for the past 12 years — helping kids plant seeds, harvest crops, and develop a passion for the earth.

“The more understanding you gain, the more appreciation you have,” she said. 

Kiss the Ground can be viewed on Netflix and a trailer can be seen at https://kissthegroundmovie.com/.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.