SALAMANCA, N.Y. — New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NYSAWG) a Salamanca, NY nonprofit that empowers local food producers and food consumers will run their first mini-film series in late-October and November in Allegany and Cattaraugus counties. The film series entitled “Seeds for Thought” will provide free, public screenings of three films that will examine climate, agriculture, and human agency. NYSAWG partnered with the Olean Public Library in the city of Olean and Cuba Cultural Center in Cuba, NY to show the films and engage the two communities in a conversation about these trending issues.
New York State is home to nearly 36,000 family farms and is ranked in the top 10 agricultural states that produce 30 major agricultural commodities. The economic power of farming, as well as the dependency on the natural processes that make this important industry possible to feed us motivates why NYSAWG decided to create this series. The three films “Before the Flood” (2016), “Seeds of Sovereignty” (2013) and “Abundant Land” (2017) aim to bring community members together and identify potential strategies to promote and practice sustainable agriculture, raise awareness to what is working, and mobilize change where it is not. In many cases consumers and producers are separated by the markets. These three films will explore specific land-based challenges that face people tilling the fields, as well as overarching concerns shared by all that live on this planet.
This is a chance to grab a seat at the table and engage topics that concern us all. Each film aims to plant seeds of thought through free viewings, which will last approximately 1.5 hours beginning at 6 PM followed by a half hour discussion. Cuba Cultural Center will host the public Wednesday 10/30 and Wednesday 11/6 and Olean Public Library will host Thursday 11/7 and Wednesday 11/20. For more details on the films please visit https://www.freshlocalwny.org/
To learn more information about the organization please contact Kimberly LaMendola klamendola@southerntierwest.
–New York Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
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