MMMM! Monday 4 March, Movie (Dorset Premiere: Six Inches of Soil), Meal & Mingling

Inspiring documentaries, short films by local filmmakers, organic veg curries, hot and cold drinks.

An exciting new fortnightly event for Bridport in the lovely White Room at the Chapel in the Garden (entry via Rax Lane)

Delicious food from 6ish:

(mostly organic) vegan curry:

- Mushrooms carrots and potatoes in a garlic ginger and tomato sauce.
- Chickpeas in a fresh coriander sauce
- Masoor Dal - Red lentils with spicy tarka (not hot) 
- Indian salad
- organic Basmati rice

Shorts from around 6:30

And then the main feature around 7pm:

The inspiring story of British farmers standing up against the industrial food system and transforming the way they produce food - to heal the soil, benefit our health and provide for local communities.

Six Inches of Soil is a story of courage, vision and hope. 

Our film, Six Inches of Soil, tells the story of  remarkable farmers, communities, small businesses, chefs and entrepreneurs who are leading the way to transform how our food is produced and consumed.  

Agroecology is an approach to farming that includes ‘regenerative’ farming techniques that work in harmony with, rather than against nature. It focuses on local food systems and shorter supply chains. The advantages are numerous: we get to know who is growing our food and how, farmers get paid a fair price and have the satisfaction of producing healthy food in a healthy environment.  Agroecology may also be our best chance in the face of climate change: it keeps carbon in the ground and creates resilient systems in the face of climate uncertainty.

Six Inches of Soil tells the inspiring story of young British farmers standing up against the industrial food system and transforming the way they produce food - to heal the soil, our health and provide for local communities. 

There are approx.178,000 farmers working in the UK who manage 71% of the UK's land, providing half of the food we eat, we import the rest. Current “industrial” mainstream farming practices significantly contribute to soil degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change. Regenerative farming practices, (within an agroecological system) promote healthier soils, provide healthier, affordable food, restore biodiversity and sequester carbon. 

Six Inches of Soil is a story of three new farmers on the first year of their regenerative journey to heal the soil and help transform the food system - Anna Jackson, a Lincolnshire 11th generation arable and sheep farmer; Adrienne Gordon, a Cambridgeshire small-scale vegetable farmer; and Ben Thomas, who rears pasture fed beef cattle in Cornwall. 

As the trio of young farmers strive to adopt regenerative practices and create viable businesses, they meet seasoned mentors who help them on their journey. They are joined by other experts providing wisdom and solutions from a growing movement of people who are dedicated to changing the trajectory for food, farming and the planetOur farmers will have to navigate a broken food system, farm in a landscape  degraded by industrial agriculture and learn how to reconnect people with the soil, where their food comes from and how it is produced.

We don’t shy away from tackling complex and thorny issues. This includes exploring the connection between food and health, food poverty and affordability, the role of animals in the farming system, Britain’s hugely unequal system of land ownership, barriers to new entrant farmers especially from diverse backgrounds and whether there is a place for carbon offsetting on farms. 

Alongside hard-hitting facts, we also convey what it feels like to farm agroecologically - to farm with authentic connection with the land, changing seasons and the environment, to produce food for people you know and care about in the local community: to spend your days with your hands in the soil. 

The film looks at the history of British farming and asks "How did we get here?" through a short animated chapter that brings the audience up to speed with the industrial heritage of farming and the solutions that are within reach.  

We show that agroecological farming is not simply a job, but a way to live values and engage in practices which not only nourish the planet but also the farmers themselves.

Paul Harvey (1978) U.S. radio broadcaster

Delicious organic vegetarian curries from Fergus Bradbeer aka Vegie Vortex (who also does the curries at Beach and Barnicott), plus hot and cold drinks. Please pre-order your food if at all possible.

Our room hire costs £42/ week so if you're able to able to contribute more than the default ticket amount then please do so. 

We also need to ensure enough people come along to make it worthwhile for Fergus to keep coming along to cook up the delicious food - so invite a friend!

Many thanks in advance. Together We Have Everything.

Get your tickets and pre-book your food now 🎟️ 🍲😋 

Our goal: get the Bridport bioregion into the Doughnut by making "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society" a reality in our locality.