What's Organic About Organic?
What's Organic About Organic? played from June 21st to 27th, 2010 in the Dorothy B. Williams Theatre.
About the show
Through the stories of five farmers who steward land from Harlem to the foothills of the Rockies, What's Organic About Organic? takes the discussion beyond “eco-label shopping” diving into the challenges that arise when a grassroots agricultural movement evolves into a booming international market.
W“O”AO? will kick off its national tour with a week-long premiere at the HERE Theater from June 21st to 27th. Local Director, Shelley Rogers, is making her filmmaking debut with a documentary that she believes is a call to action for a public that is increasingly concerned about their food choices. With the support of co-host organizations such as Just Food, GrowNYC and NOFA-NY, post-screening panel discussions will be held each evening. Guest speakers will include: Joan Gussow, Marion Nestle of NYU, characters from the film, Jacquie Berger along with many other thought leaders in the agricultural and food world.
Festivities for the Summer Solstice Celebration on June 21st and a post-screening fundraising party for NOFA-NY on June 25th at HERE’s adjoining café, Dom Hudson Square will also take place.
Panel discussion to follow each screening:
Monday, June 21 – 7pm screening
Topic: BRINGING ORGANIC FOOD TO THE NYC POPULATION, THE TREND OR URBAN FARMING AND THE ORGANIC FARMING MODEL
Jacquie Berger, Executive Director, Just Food, Hilary Baum, Co-Founder of Food Systems NYC and Founder, Baum Forum
Richard Mandelbaum, Social Justice Coordinator, CATA, Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas
Barbara Shinn, Shinn Estate Vineyards
Tuesday, June 22 – 7pm screening
Topic: ORGANIC FARMING AS A SOLUTION FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
Paul Mankiewicz, Executive Director, Gaia Institute, Karen Washington, President, NYC Community Gardens Coalition,
Maria-Paolo Sutto, Urban Design Lab of Columbia’s Earth Institute
Urvashi Rangan, Environmental Health Scientist, Consumer’s Union and “character” in WOAO?
Anna Lappe, Small Planet Institute & Author of Diet for a Hot Planet
Wednesday, June 23 – 7pm screening
Topic: FARMERS' MARKETS & DIRECT RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PEOPLE, THEIR FOOD & MARKETS
Michael Horowitz, Director, Greenmarket Program, GrowNYC, David Hughes, Operations Manager, Greenmarket Program, GrowNYC, Bob Lewis, US Department of Agriculture and Markets
Bob Lewis, NY State Department of Agriculture and Markets
Challey Comer, Farm to Market Manager, Watershed Agricultural Council
Fred Kirschenmann, Board President, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture
Thursday, June 24 – 7pm screening
Topic: RESTAURANTS AND ORGANIC FARMING
Elizabeth Meltz, Director of Sustainability, Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group, Patrick Martins, Co-Founder, Heritage Foods, Jimmy Carbone, Owner, Jimmy’s 43, Carlos Suarez, Owner and Head Chef, Bobo Restaurant
Friday, June 25 – 7pm screening
Topic: RECONNECTING URBAN AND RURAL FOOD SYSTEMS
Scott Chaskey, President, NOFA-NY, Peter Hoffman, Chef, Back Forty and Savoy, Member of Chef's Collaborative, Adriana Velez, Brooklyn Food Coalition
Liana Hoodes, National Organic Coalition
Greg Swartz, Willow Wisp Organic Farm & Character in the film
George Stoney, Documentary Film Professor, NYU
Friday, June 25 – 9pm BENEFIT PARTY
Benefit Party for NOFA-NY.
Tickets are $20.
Saturday, June 26 – 2pm matinée
Topic: FUN WITH COMPOSTING (bring the kids!)
Annie Novak, farmer and founder of Growing Chefs
Annie Hauck-Lawson, Nutritional Educator
Saturday, June 26 – 7pm screening
Topic: THE BENEFITS OF A FIELD-TO-WORK RELATIONSHIP
Joan Gussow, Professor Emerita of Nutrition Education, Columbia University, John Gorzynski, Farmer/Owner, Ornery Farm and “character” in WOAO?
Claudia Keel, President, Traditional Nutrition Guild; NYC Chapter Leader of Weston A Price Foundation
Sunday, June 27 – 2pm matinee
Topic: COMPOSTING AND URBAN FARMING
Christine Datz-Romero, Founder & Director, LES Ecology Center
Yonnette Fleming, Vice President, Hattie Carthan Community Garden & Founder, Hattie Carthan Community Market
Sunday, June 27 – 7pm screening
Topic: ORGANIC NUTRITION AND FOOD RETAIL
Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, New York University, Anne Saxelby, Owner, Saxelby Cheesemongers, Urvashi Rangan, Environmental Health Scientist, Consumer’s Union and “character” in WOAO?
Dennis Derryck, Founder, Corbin Hill Farm, Marty Mesh, Executive Director, Florida Organic Growers and Co-producer, WOAO?
Credits
Director: Shelley Rogers
Director of Photography: Antonio Cisneros
Editor: Emily Paine
Producers: Shelley Rogers & Emily Triantaphyllis
Co-producers: Marty Mesh & Beth Morrissey
Animation & Website Design: Georg Pederson
Assistant Animation: Nancy Wei
Press & Public Relations: Stephanie Corrado
Outreach Co-producers: Ursula Carrasco & Shelley Rogers