Food safety and sustainability are growing issues in today’s perplexing web of transactions along the chain that delivers what we eat to our tables. Many, therefore, turn to farming to grow their own food. The Smithsonian Institution (SI) has, accordingly, chosen the theme of its annual Living Earth Festival this year: Farm to Table.
The festival kicks off with an opening event at 6:30 pm today at the National Museum of the American Indian in D.C. It will continue for two more days between 10:00 am and 5:30 pm.
The festival brings together Native innovators and practitioners who, according to an SI press release, are dedicated to using indigenous knowledge for protecting and sustaining the environment. Business practices, land separation, seed preservation, health, and education are some of the discussion topics.
On the first day, there will be a panel discussion and the screening of Karen Cantor’s 28-minute documentary Return. The documentary is about how Native American women are reclaiming traditional foodways to improve their communities’ physical and spiritual well-being. The screening and discussion will also be available here.
The festival will also feature hands-on activities for children including storytelling sessions, dance performances and tours of the museum’s landscapes
DC’s 27th Annual Environmental Film Festival Held through March 24