Regenerative Ag Doc Slates Earth Day Showings
Common Ground is coming back to Chicago after big November 2023 premiere
Mark April 22 to Watch This Mission-Driven Film
Common Ground, the highly regarded, star-studded documentary about the benefits of regenerative agriculture, packed the Music Box Theatre in Lakeview for its Chicago premiere last November 18. If you missed it — or want to see it again — mark your calendar for the evening of Monday, April 22, when a showing will be held at the AMC River East 21 complex in downtown Chicago.
The event is part of a nationwide celebration of Earth Day in which the film will be shown in at least 50 cities, including other major markets such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Atlanta and Miami.
I do consulting work for Naturally Chicago, which presented the November 18 Chicago premiere, and I can highly recommend that you attend the April 22 showing. This important documentary focuses on the role of regenerative agriculture in fighting climate change and restoring the vitality of our nation’s badly damaged soils, and it is an excellent example of how engaging storytelling can transmit a powerful message.
The story highlights farmers such as Gabe Brown of North Dakota and Rick Clark of Indiana, who lead by example by employing practices that are better for people, better for the planet and better for their plants and soils. It also features Hollywood stars — Jason Momoa, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Rosario Dawson, Laura Dern and Ian Somerhalder — who help carry the story about why regenerative agriculture is a matter in which we should all be interested.
The film was created by Josh and Rebecca Tickell, the married couple who have been producing impactful documentaries about environmental protection and destruction since 2007.
Kiss the Ground, their 2020 prequel to Common Ground, helped educate people from all walks of life about why regenerative agriculture is better for people and the planet. That film was based on Josh's 2017 book, Kiss the Ground: How the Food You Eat Can Reverse Climate Change, Heal Your Body and Ultimately Save Our World.
The April 22 showings in Chicago and elsewhere will be followed by a taped conversation with the Tickells and the film’s celebrities.
Save the date, and Local Food Forum will provide ticket information when it becomes available. And for more background, read the post about the November Chicago premiere that I produced for the Naturally Chicago blog.
Woodstock’s Food Shed Co-op Opens on May 15
Illinois has not been a hotbed for co-op grocery stores, but the numbers are going to take a step up over the next year with four of these markets planning to open just in the Chicago region. The first to open its doors will be Food Shed Co-op in the Chicago exurb of Woodstock, which has scheduled a Grand Opening ceremony for Wednesday, May 15.
Unlike most co-ops, which occupy pre-existing buildings, the Food Shed store was built from scratch at 2390 Lake Shore Drive in Woodstock and went up quickly after its groundbreaking last July 18.
The market’s mission statement — to build a local food cooperative promoting a healthy, ethical and resilient community — rings familiar to those who support these community-owned co-ops, as do its core values:
• Promote and foster better food choices
• Cultivate and strengthen our local economy
• Inspire and empower community
• Champion environmentally responsible practices
Food Shed, like other co-ops, has numerous member-owners who purchase shares in the market and have a say in how the market is run.
Local Food Forum plans to be in Woodstock on May 15. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. and the store will officially open at 10 a.m. According to Food Shed’s newsletter, there will be a grocery bag give-away, doorbuster deals, product giveaways and free tastings.
The region’s other co-op projects that are in an advanced stage of planning are Wild Onion Market in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood (Local Food Forum published an article about this market on February 25); Prairie Food Co-op in Lombard, a western suburb; and Chicago Market in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.
You have an opportunity to learn more about Chicago Market and its commitment to fair trade principles at an open house to be held at the store site, 4620 N. Broadway, this Saturday (March 30) starting at 4 p.m.
Hobbes’ World, and Welcome to It
Box seat.