Awareness Film Night and Sooke Region Food CHI will present its seventh annual Farm and Film Gala on April 12.
As it fits in well with the food theme, the featured film will be Seed: The Untold Story.
So far, 96 per cent of the vegetable seeds available in 1903 have disappeared according to a National Geographic article that inspired this well-paced, comprehensive documentary.
In less than 100 years, a once abundant seed diversity has been drastically winnowed down to a handful of mass-produced varieties not particularly suited to a specific climate and place. Seed diversity is crucial to prevent the collapse of world-wide food systems and ecologies.
The film takes moviegoers around the world to meet farmers, scientists, seed savers, educators, lawyers, community garden enthusiasts and indigenous communities who are waking up to the need to save local, acclimated, not genetically modified seeds.
“We aim to bring into clear focus the beauty, hope and magic that seeds represent for humanity at this critical time,” said directors Jon Betz and Taggart Siegel.
Vendors will be selling local seeds, plants, first-of-the-season produce and other products created from locally harvested ingredients. There will be information tables from regional non-profits concerned with land, growing and sustainability and the EMCS Culinary Arts students will be preparing healthy cookies (by donation) to go with freshly-brewed local herb teas. Gift baskets will be filled with items donated by the vendors.
Doors open for the gala at 6:30 p.m. at the Edward Milne Community School, and the film will start at 7:45 p.m., with the evening concluding with gift basket draws at 9:20 p.m.
Admission is by donation. For more info, please go to awarenessfilmnight.ca and sookefoodchi.ca.
