Fresh - The Movie

Last night I was one of the many people who came out to Meghan & The Movement's screening of Fresh the Movie. It was fantastic. I highly recommend getting yourself to a screening or acquiring your own copy to show friends or family or anyone else who will watch.

It's funny because (pre-WW & Crohn's) I never used to think about what I was putting into my body. I didn't stop to think where my foods were coming from, what else was in them, in what conditions they were raised. I still have a lot to learn, but I like to think that I've come a long way.

Fresh is about the state of the food industry. The film contains some pretty disturbing images of the treatment of animals on conventional farms, but it isn't anti-meat. Rather than simply focusing on the negative aspects, it shows the viewers what amazing strides organic/natural farmers are taking on their own farms and in their communities.

I loved hearing Joel Salatin talk about the chickens playing their roles on the farm team and the "pig-ness" in allowing the animals to graze and roam in his pastures as nature intended them to do. I want to visit Will Allen and talk about worms. It was a joy to be "a part" of a tour of his amazing greenhouse where the fish help the soil which helps the plants to grow. It's such a simple concept, since it's the way that it used to be, but with all of the mass produced & processed foods that have become part of the North American tradition, we've really gotten away from that.

The film really solidified by desire to eat organic & local whenever possible. It also reinforced my choice to buy natural and organic meat products. I figure if I'm continuing to eat meat, they should be as good as it gets, rather than consume products filled with antibiotics and other such loveliness. The movie has also inspired me to be more adamant about getting to a farmer's market during each week. I often drop by the Withrow Park Market on Saturdays, but I usually miss out on a lot of the produce because I'm unable to get there early due to my meetings. I love the concept of actually meeting the people who grow your food!! It's something that is really missing from your local Loblaws Superstore.

I thought a lot about the movie as I made soup tonight with organic vegetables including some local, organic kale. There is such satisfaction that comes from putting together simple ingredients into something so comforting and nourishing and it made me really happy. I've come to find a lot of joy in food and Fresh really made me appreciate that.

There was something that Will Allen said at the end of the movie that really summed it all up for me:

Food is at the foundation, but it's really about life.

Isn't it though?

Be sure to check out the Fresh website for information on screenings or procuring your own copy to share this beautiful message.