Sunday, January 19, 2025

12:30 pm Doors Open

1:00 pm Film Begins, followed by Guest Panel Discussion

RSVP at www.tinyurl.com/BUCfilm

LOCATION: Birmingham Unitarian Church, 38651 N. Woodward, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

 MOVIE TIME! Common Ground, the award-winning sequel to Kiss the Ground, profiles a positive and uplifting movement of white, black and indigenous farmers using regenerative, rather than conventional, models of agriculture.

 Regenerative farming builds soil health through practices such as no-till farming, planting cover crops, crop rotations and planting native plants, all of which also reduce emissions. The film depicts a web of money, power and politics behind our broken food system, and argues that regenerative farming can help stabilize the earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems, and significantly increase our food supply.

 After the film, experienced panelists will provide further insights and critiques of the movie including the movie’s encouragement of cattle grazing, which scientific consensus identifies as a net contributor to climate change.

 PANELISTS

• Bryan Smiegelski, Sierra Club Campaign Organizer, lifelong environmental activist, system theorist and environmental educator.

 Chelsea Skonieczny, Organic Farmer in Holly, Michigan, and Food Program Coordinator at The Farm at Trinity Health Oakland

 Erin Preston Johnson, Sierra Club Community Organizer-Detroit. Leads the Urban Forest School; Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network Co-Founder; Black to the Land Coalition Board Member, Detroit People's Food Co-op Member-Owner.

 Christine Charles, expert on Regenerative Agriculture with the Michigan State University Extension Service.

 Christy McGillivray, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Political and Legislative Director, among many other areas of interest, has given testimony at Michigan Legislature on current Michigan farm legislation.

 Additionally, the audience will be encouraged to act on their newfound understanding of regenerative agriculture by petitioning the Federal Government to stop using the US Farm Bill, expected to cost $1.37B, to endorse CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) and conventional methods of farming.

 This film screening is co-sponsored by the Sierra Club Southeast Michigan Group (SEMG) Climate Team and the Birmingham Unitarian Church Environmental Action Team.