JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH is a 3 part mini series that premiered April 6th
on PBS. The 3rd part, "Land of Plenty, Land of Want", the segment that
includes our Cedar Meadow Farm, will air this Tues. eve. April 20th.
Narrated by Kelly McGillis, JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH provides a
perspective
for viewers to understand the complexities underlying ecological issues.
Each episode looks at a specific problem from the scientific, economic,
political and historical viewpoints, as well as at efforts by different
communities to address these problems. Computer-enhanced images open the
episodes, dramatically illustrating the devastating impact people have
made
on the planet's ecosystem.
"Land of Plenty, Land of Want", (April 20, 10-11 p.m. ET) visits
diverse
farming communities on four continents to examine worldwide problems of
feeding a growing population. In Zimbabwe, an El Nino-related drought
threatens famine for traditional subsistence farmers of a small village.
In
France, global competition forces farmers to abandon the harsh, remote
Auvergne region, while in Brittany agriculture booms but at a severe
cost
to the local fishing industry and the environment due to overuse of
pesticides. In China, expanding industry gobbles up much needed, highly
productive, fertile farmland. In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, farmer Steve
Groff turns to
more traditional methods to sustain his soil. In the Iowa corn belt,
farmers use the latest technology to increase production and
profitability
and to preserve their soil.
The JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH teacher's guide and the brochure for
"Sustainable Agriculture--It All Starts with Soil" is available to
download from the JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH Web site. Additional resources
for teachers can be found on the site, too. The address for the site is:
http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/planetearth
I've reviewed these materials and think they are excellent! I've also
been impressed with how they portrayed agriculture as a whole and what
some farmers are doing not only to sustain the soil, but to sustain the
agriculture system as a whole.
Steve Groff
-- "New Generation Cropping Systems": the cutting edge of sustainable agriculture http://www.cedarmeadowfarm.com Steve Groff Cedar Meadow Farm 679 Hilldale Rd Holtwood PA 17532 USA Ph. 717-284-5152
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