If you’ve never been to the Denver Botanic Gardens, it’s a must see when visiting Denver. One of the top-ranked botanical gardens in the US, Denver Botanic Gardens offers spectacular plant displays and unlimited opportunities for lifelong learning and research that help preserve Colorado’s precious natural resources. In addition to the spectacular gardens both indoors and out; they offer a wide variety of events, exhibits and educational programs.
I thought that their FREE Sustainable Food Film Series might be of interest to locals and visitors alike. The series includes post-film panel discussions, and allows members of the community to embrace films relating to sustainable food practices, organic farming and community agriculture.
As the presenting sponsor, Chipotle will provide free, sustainable snacks before each film, as well as participate in the Q&A sessions after the showings. Chipotle’s vision of Food With Integrity has led to a decade-long track record of working to improve the nation’s food supply. For instance, this year alone Chipotle will serve more than 100 million pounds of naturally raised meats and will purchase 10 million pounds of produce grown at local farms. As part of its ongoing community efforts, Chipotle often supports local causes like the Denver Botanic Gardens that share a dedication to sustainability.
The Sustainable Food Film Series will continue with showings of “Ingredients” on Tuesday, Sept. 20, “French Fries to Go” and “Truck Farm” on Tuesday, Oct. 25 and concludes with “The Real Dirt on Farmer John” on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
All films and discussions will take place inside Mitchell Hall at Denver Botanic Gardens.
Movies begin at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free (Donations welcome!)
MOVIE SCHEDULE:
“Locavore” (90 min)
Tuesday, Aug. 2, 7pm
Less than a generation ago people traveled fewer than 10 miles to obtain the majority of the food they ate. Today, the average conventionally grown vegetable has traveled more than 1500 miles by the time it reaches your pantry. Our food today is over processed, stale, and lacks nutrition. Locavore will educate, inspire, and revitalize bringing health to our bodies AND our communities.
“Ingredients” (67 minutes)
Tuesday, Sep. 20, 7pm
Narrated by Bebe Neuwirth, Ingredients takes us across the U.S., from the diversified farms of the Hudson River and Willamette Valleys, to the urban food deserts of Harlem and to the kitchens of celebrated chefs Alice Waters, Peter Hoffman and Greg Higgins. Ingredients is a journey that reveals the people behind the movement to bring good food back to the table and health back to our communities.
“French Fries to Go” (15min)
Tuesday, Oct. 25, 7pm
French Fries to Go is a funny and thought provoking piece created by a Colorado filmmaker which tells the story of a guy, “the Granola Ayatollah of Canola” (a.k.a. Charris Ford), his truck and a bunch of used vegetable oil, and follows him as he makes the rounds educating and inspiring folks in his veggie powered rig. Unlike many environmental films, this one really makes you laugh.
SHOWN TOGETHER WITH
“Truck Farm” (50 min)
Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, both from Brooklyn, created a mobile community garden in the bed of a 1986 Dodge pickup. The flatbed showed the world that just about anyone can grow vegetables in the shadow of their apartment building or condo. The Truck Farm mission teaches those of us who live far from farmland that anyone can grow his or her own food, and that locally sourced, healthy produce is vital to the well-being of our family and friends.
“The Real Dirt on Farmer John” (82 minutes)
Tuesday, Nov. 1, 7pm
The film is a haunting odyssey, capturing what it means to be different in rural America. Director Taggart Siegel made the film in a most unusual way – shooting farmer John Peterson over 25 years of their evolving friendship. With the death of his father during the late 1960s, a teenaged John takes over the traditional family farm, slowly turning it into an experiment of art and agriculture. Defying all odds, he gradually transforms his land into a revolutionary farming community, a cultural mecca, where people work and flourish providing fresh vegetables and herbs to thousands of people every week.
About Denver Botanic Gardens:
Green inside and out, the Gardens is considered one of the top botanical gardens in the United States and a pioneer in water conservation. Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Gardens’ living collections encompass specimens from the tropics to the tundra, showcasing a plant palette chosen to thrive in Colorado’s semi-arid climate. The Gardens’ dynamic, 23-acre urban oasis in the heart of the city is now in its 52nd year, offering unforgettable opportunities to flourish with unique garden experiences for the whole family – as well as world-class education and plant conservation research programs. Additional sites at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, a 750-acre wildlife and native plant refuge in Jefferson County; and Mount Goliath, a high-altitude trail and interpretive site on the Mount Evans Scenic Byway, extend this experience throughout the Front Range. For more information, visit us online at www.botanicgardens.org.
About Chipotle Mexican Grill:
Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through their vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh, but that where possible are sustainably grown and naturally raised with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. A similarly focused people culture, with an emphasis on identifying and empowering top-performing employees, enables Chipotle to develop future leaders from within. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and currently operates nearly 1,100 restaurants. For more information, visit Chipotle.com.
All Photos courtesy Denver Botanic Gardens and Photographer Scott Dressel-Martin
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh but how I wished I lived in Denver if only during the time all of the above is taking place at these beautiful Gardens. When I was a child, we never heard of food allergies like we do today and I believe that most of them together with many of the various forms of cancer are a direct result of the way our food is grown, processed, etc. not to mention the stuff that is fed to the animals and fowl that provide us with our meat (fish included). All of the above noted movies I would love to see and to be able to view them in your Botanic Gardens would only enhance the enjoyment. Great post Barb.
Paula Most Recent Post: Winnie the Pooh and Friends Cookies
The gardens are so beautiful and I think the films will be interesting and in a great setting. Thanks Paula.
Good scoop Barb! The Botanic Gardens does some great programs and of course this one is near and dear to my Locavore heart! Hoping it will be wildly successful. You can never be too educated about your food!
Boulder Locavore Most Recent Post: Simple Food: Watermelon Goat Cheese Summer Salad
I can’t wait to go, something of interest in such beautiful surroundings…win win for sure.