The Future of Agriculture: Forum & Film

FARMING FORUM

On Thursday, May 13th at 7:00 pm, CISA is hosting a Local Food and Agriculture Forum at the Northampton Senior Center (67 Conz Street) to discuss the important role consumers, farmers and local government play in supporting a healthy, sustainable and thriving local food system.

Please join CISA staff, Rep. Steve Kulik (D-Worthington), Rep. John Scibak (D- South Hadley), Cris Coffin of American Farmland Trust and other local legislators and agriculture experts for a discussion about the challenges facing local farms as they work to grow food in the Pioneer Valley.

This is a great opportunity to participate in a conversation about the future of agriculture and the importance of local agriculture to our health, our climate and our local economy. This event is free and open to the public.

A FARM FOR THE FUTURE

In the meantime … If you missed the Farm Film Festival last month and didn’t get a chance to see the BBC documentary, “A Farm for the Future” is a great film to watch.  The film is broken up into several segments on youtube, with the first 10 minute segment being presented here.  A free public screening on June 4th in Northampton, MA. (details below):

In this film, “Wildlife film maker Rebecca Hosking investigates how to transform her family’s farm in Devon into a low energy farm for the future, and discovers that nature holds the key.

“With her father close to retirement, Rebecca returns to her family’s wildlife-friendly farm in Devon, to become the next generation to farm the land. But last year’s high fuel prices were a wake-up call for Rebecca. Realising that all food production in the UK is completely dependent on abundant cheap fossil fuel, particularly oil, she sets out to discover just how secure this oil supply is.

“Alarmed by the answers, she explores ways of farming without using fossil fuel. With the help of pioneering farmers and growers, Rebecca learns that it is actually nature that holds the key to farming in a low-energy future.”

LOCAL SCREENING OF A FARM FOR THE FUTURE

Grow Food Northampton and Transition Northampton will be co-sponsoring a local food potluck, CSA tour, and screening of this excellent film on Friday, June 4th May 28th at 6pm at Town Farm in Northampton, MA.

Following the film, Lilly Lombard will share the vision and work of Grow Food Northampton, especially their campaign to purchase 100 acres of prime farmland (the Bean/Allard land) to create a model site for sustainable community farming and farm education.