My Father's Garden follows Fred's story as it unfolds through the changing seasons. The differences between organic agriculture and conventional agribusiness are clearly demonstrated. The issues of farm history, industry, and ecology are all addressed in a simple and direct manner. Beyond the machines and methodology of food production lies another drama, that of Fred's neighbors. In sharp contrast to the robust successes of the Kirschenmanns, these family farms are slowly being erased by market forces beyond their control. The consequences of this loss are sadly witnessed, both for the men and women of the Midwest and for those of us who would eat the food they grow.
More than a cautionary tale, My Father's Garden is a one-hour documentary that tells a story of hope. The memories of the past serve to teach us that we do not have to repeat the mistakes of our fathers. The present is given direction through the explanation and practice of the philosophies of sustainability. Food cannot grow forever on a damaged earth, but Fred's lesson is that we can bring health and beauty back into the Garden, if we are willing to cooperate with nature's infinite intelligence. This wisdom holds the secret to our children's future. (56 Minutes)
Website - More Info - Farm Facts
BILL MOLLISON is a practical visionary. For three decades he has traveled the globe spreading the word about permaculture, the method of sustainable agriculture that he devised. Permaculture weaves together microclimate, annual and perennial plants, animals, soils, water management and human needs into intricately connected productive communities. Mollison has proved that even in the most difficult conditions permaculture empowers people to turn wastelands into food forests.
GLOBAL GARDENER is a series of four half-hour programs on a single VHS or DVD. Each episode looks at examples in different bioregions:
IN THE TROPICS - Mollison introduces the basic principles, and shows results in Australia, India, and Zimbabwe.
ARID LANDS - Reversing desertification in Arizona, Botswana and Australia.
COOL CLIMATES - Europe, Tasmania, and the San Juan Islands in Washington State.
URBAN - New York City and Harare, Zimbabwe. (112 Minutes)
Website
The Private Life of Plants: David Attenborough's thrilling series, taking us on a guided tour through the secret world of plants, is captured on this amazing video. The account of plant life's struggle for survival is seen as never before in a story full of drama, beauty and staggering achievement. Attenborough takes us through each aspect of plants' lives travelling, growing, flowering, their struggle with other plants and animals, and the ingenious way they adapt to even the harshest of conditions.
From the 290-foot-high California Sequoia or the rattan plants that use ferocious ants as bodyguards, to the insect and even rat-devouring pitcher plants of Borneo, the mysteries of the plant world are unravelled. Using fantastic time-lapse photography, Attenborough shows us plant life in action; beautiful filming highlights the biggest, brightest and the most bizarre of plants and, with the aid of computer graphics, we enter the inner workings of the bodies of plants. Prepare to be surprised and delighted as Attenborough takes you on a journey through a world you thought you knew. (300 Minutes, 6 - 50 Minute parts)
Website - Watch - Rotten Tomatoes
Host John Robbins, the author of the best-selling Pulitzer prize nominated book, Diet For A New America takes us on a journey into the great American food machine. In his early twenties, in an effort to regain his own health, John turned away from the family owned Baskin-Robbins ice cream business and began extensive research into nutrition and food production.
After ten years of investigation and a thorough inside look at the American food production system, John is convinced that our current American diet is a recipe for personal and environmental disaster. While many people now understand how our eating habits affect our appearance, lifestyle and health, we are just beginning to see how deeply our food choices affect the quality of our air, water and land resources.
Diet For A New America: Your Health, Your Planet graphically outlines the problem and presents Robbins' vision of hope for the future - people can make a difference by educating themselves and making a choice to return to a caring and conscientious life style. (60 Minutes)
Website - Watch - Rotten Tomatoes
IN GRAVE DANGER OF FALLING FOOD Bill Mollinson, Australian designer and author, thinks the greatest threat to our planet is agriculture. He maintains that modern agricultural practices are destroying our soil and water and produce increasingly poisonous food. His alternative is the 'permaculture' concept which turns even the smallest city garden into a fertile eco-system that can provide most of the food for an average family. (52 Minutes)
Watch
Garlic as Good as Ten Mothers is a documentary on the history or garlic. Les Blank interviews chefs, garlic lovers and historians about thier love of the 'stinkin rose.' (51 Minutes)
Website - Movie Trailer - Rotten Tomatoes - Wikipedia
Soylent Green is a tale of Earth in despair in 2022. Natural food like fruits, vegetables, and meat among others are now extinct. Earth is overpopulated and New York City has 40 million starving, poverty stricken people. The only way they survive is with water rations and eating a mysterious food called Soylent. (97 Minutes)
Website - Movie Trailer - Rotten Tomatoes - Wikipedia
My Father's Garden follows Fred's story as it unfolds through the changing seasons. The differences between organic agriculture and conventional agribusiness are clearly demonstrated. The issues of farm history, industry, and ecology are all addressed in a simple and direct manner. Beyond the machines and methodology of food production lies another drama, that of Fred's neighbors. In sharp contrast to the robust successes of the Kirschenmanns, these family farms are slowly being erased by market forces beyond their control. The consequences of this loss are sadly witnessed, both for the men and women of the Midwest and for those of us who would eat the food they grow. 
