Atlanta Screening of Farmers For America

 Join us for a special night of local food, documentary film and energizing conversation. Atlanta's local food movement is buzzing and we've got a night dedicated to the chefs, food advocates and farmers who bring the city's vibrant local food scene to life.

In partnership with Community Farmers Markets, the evening starts out at the Wrecking Bar Brewpub on the edge of the Little Five Points neighborhood where Chef Terry Koval sources much of his award winning food from Georgia farmers. From there, the evening moves to the historic Plaza Theatre in nearby Atkins Park.

At the Plaza, director Graham Meriwether will introduce Farmers For America which poses the question: Who Will Feed Us?

Film summary: The average age of the U.S. farmer has reached 60. Half of America's farmland will change ownership in the next 15 years. Our nation faces a little-known agricultural crisis on an unprecedented scale. Against all odds, this is the story of an eclectic mix of young people- military veterans, bright-eyed idealists, and multi-generational farmers who are accepting the virtuous challenge of feeding us all.

The documentary is narrated by Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs, Returning the Favor) and stars farmers from every region of the United States including national agricultural leaders like Joel Salatin, Eliot Coleman, Blake Hurst and Lindsey Lusher-Shute.

Following the film we'll have a panel discussion with leaders in the Atlanta food scene. Ashley Dowling of Community Farmers Markets, Nuri Icgoren of Urban Sprout Farms, Executive Chef Terry Koval of Wrecking Bar Brewpub, Will Sellers of Food Well Alliance, Bobby Wilson of Metro Atlanta Urban Farm and Judith Winfrey of Peach Dish. The biographies of the panelists are included following the event details.

Date:

Monday July 9th

Details:

Reception: 5:30-7pm

Location of Reception:

Wrecking Bar Brewpub

292 Moreland Ave. NE

Atlanta, GA 30307

Join us at the Wrecking Bar Brewpub for free locally-sourced appetizers from Chef Terry Koval and craft beer dreamed up by owner Bob Sandage also known as "Brewer Bob".

Film: 7:15-8:30

Location of Film:

Plaza Theatre

1049 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

Atlanta, GA 30306

Panel: 8:30-9:15pm

Tickets:

Food will be a la carte at Wrecking Bar Brewpub.

Movie tickets will be $10, and can be purchased in advance here or at the Plaza Theatre.

Panelist Biographies:

Ashley Dowling- Director of Operations- Community Farmers Markets:  Ashley is committed to growing a sustainable food system and building community through supporting the growers and producers within the local food economy and by providing access to healthy local foods for families throughout Atlanta. As the Director of Operations for Community Farmers Markets, Ashley wears many hats, but her favorite moments are visiting producers on their farms and spending time at the farmer’s markets chatting with vendors and community members.

Nuri Icgoren- Founder- Urban Sprout Farms- in 2012, Nuri started this biodynamic, certified organic Urban Farm located in the Polar Rock neighborhood of Lakewood Heights in Atlanta. Urban Sprout Farms is actively building an urban agricultural hub that serves as an entrepreneurial incubator for food and farming enterprises. Our five-acre plot, just a few miles southeast of Downtown Atlanta, is home to hoop houses, fresh herb and flower beds, colorfully painted event space, community, and a big vision for the future.

Chef Terry Koval- Executive Chef- Wrecking Bar Brewpub- After years of proving himself as a creative force in the kitchen, in 2010 Terry was offered the opportunity to conceptualize unique and seasonal grass-fed burgers at Farm Burger. He once again embraces local, seasonal ingredients now accented by house-brewed craft beer as the executive chef at Wrecking Bar Brewpub. Terry and his wife Jenn live in Decatur, Ga., with their daughter, Olivia and son, Jackson and infinite source of farm-fresh eggs from their four chickens named Puffy, Poppins, Snowflake and Buttercup.

Will Sellers- Collaboration Program Manager- Food Well Alliance- Will serves as Collaboration Program Manager at Food Well Alliance, a nonprofit organization which exists to connect people, ideas, leadership and capital to grow a community that values locally-grown food. Will is responsible for Food Well Alliance’s convenings, research and engaging local food movement community partners. Will presented Food Well Alliance’s work before the US Composting Council, the Georgia Recycling Coalition and the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 3.

Bobby Wilson- CEO- Metro Urban Atlana Farm- Bobby co-founded this five acre property to use as a teaching tool, economic empowerment zone, and as a food production site for the southwest Metropolitan Atlanta area.  With a strong belief in getting back to basics, he uses The Metro Atlanta Urban Farm to promote the benefits of urban agriculture in food and job insecure areas. For more than twenty years, Mr. Wilson served as Program Director for The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension/Atlanta Urban Gardening Program (AUGP); offering gardening instruction and support to some three hundred gardens located at public housing complexes, shelters, schools, churches and elder care facilities in metro Atlanta.

Judith Winfrey- President- Peach Dish- In 2014, Judith Winfrey joined PeachDish, the first and only Southern-based national meal kit delivery service, as owner and president. She led has the business from the initial start-up phase to an early stage company, growing the business while ensuring that PeachDish’s core values of authenticy, integrity, transparency, wellness, community, generosity and love are upheld. PeachDish has garnered countless rave reviews from customers and press alike and was recently named as a favorite meal delivery service by both Forbes and Observer.com.

Throughout her career, Judith has focused on combining her passions for good food and karmic leadership to develop businesses that empower, nourish and enrich people. The granddaughter of a Georgia sharecropper, Winfrey is a strong force in Atlanta’s local food and farming community. She is the co-founder of Wholesome Wave Georgia and Atlanta-based Community Farmers Markets and has served as the Atlanta chapter leader of Slow Food International as well as the regional governor for Slow Food USA. She proudly serves on the board of Les Dames d’Escoffier International Atlanta Chapter.

Before joining PeachDish, Judith served as Chief Operating Officer for Resurgens Hospitality Group where established foundational structures, developed and leveraged as strategies for growth, and oversaw the daily operations of six businesses unique, nationally-acclaimed food and beverage businesses.

Since 2008, Winfrey and her husband Joe Reynolds have co-owned the celebrated Love is Love Farm, a certified organic farm growing a diversity of vegetables and fruit through soil-based agricultural practices. Love Is Love Farm provides produce for a 150+ member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group and sells directly to restaurants in the Atlanta area.