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Wilfred Roe
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Recent posts by Wilfred Roe
Nov 24 Fantastic Fungi Santa Barbara Film Premiere One Night Only!
Fantastic Fungi Santa Barbara Film Premiere
FOLLOWED BY AN INSPIRATIONAL POST-SCREENING CONVERSATION WITH FILMMAKER LOUIE SCHWARTZBERG & SPECIAL GUESTS
Sunday, November 24, 4pm (doors open at 3:30pm)
Marjorie Luke Theater
721 E. Cota St Santa Barbara CA 93103
Tickets $20 General, $15 Students
VIP After Party at Barbareño's,
A one-of-a-kind fungi-centric after party
Join Louis Schwartzberg and local Santa Barbara cultivars, foragers, & educators on the Barbareno patio
7pm, Tickets $50
205 W. Canon Perdido, Santa Barbara, 93101
Tickets can be purchased in advance online for the film, and, or VIP After Party: https://sbfungi.brownpapertickets.com
When so many are struggling for connection, inspiration, and hope, Fantastic Fungi brings us together as interconnected creators of our world.
Fantastic Fungi is a consciousness-shifting film that takes the audience on an immersive journey through time and scale into the magical earth beneath our feet, an underground network that can heal and save our planet. Through the eyes of renowned scientists and mycologists like Paul Stamets, best-selling authors Michael Pollan, Eugenia Bone, Andrew Weil, and others, we become aware of the beauty, intelligence and solutions the fungi kingdom offer us in response to some of our most pressing medical, therapeutic, and environmental challenges.
This stunning documentary explores the power, beauty, complexity, and importance of the often-overlooked fungi kingdom, offering solutions to some of the most pressing medical and environmental challenges we face.
Fantastic Fungi is being released in tandem with the book Fantastic Fungi: How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet. Edited by Paul Stamets. The book will be on sale at the event.
Louie Schwartzberg is an award-winning cinematographer, director, and producer whose notable career spans more than four decades providing breathtaking imagery using his time-lapse, high-speed and macro cinematography techniques. Schwartzberg is a visual artist who breaks barriers, connects with audiences, and tells stories that celebrate life and reveal the mysteries and wisdom of nature, people, and places.
Louie's theatrical releases include the 3D IMAX film Mysteries of the Unseen World with National Geographic, narrated by Forest Whitaker; the documentary, Wings of Life for Disneynature, narrated by Meryl Streep, and Americas Heart and Soul for Walt Disney Studios.
Community Cosponsors: Santa Barbara Permaculture Network, Community Environmental Council (CEC), 350SB.org, Antioch University Santa Barbara, World Business Academy, SBCC Environmental Horticulture, Fairview Gardens, Explore Ecology, Blue Sky Biochar, Mesa Harmony Garden, Quail Springs Permaculture, Center for Regenerative Agriculture (CRA), Sweetwater Collaborative, Isla Vista Food Coop, Oasis Design, Santa Barbara Aquaponics, Sustainable World Radio, LoaCom, & Edible Santa Barbara Magazine
Fantastic Fungi Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxABOiay6oA
Fantastic Fungi Santa Barbara Event Page:
Fantastic Fungi website: https://fantasticfungi.com/
Oct 18,19 Santa Barbara Booksigning/Talk/Workshop with renowned ecologist John Todd
Santa Barbara Permaculture Network Presents
An Ecologist's Journey of Innovation & Environmental Stewardship
Healing Earth: An Ecologist's Journey of Innovation and Environmental Stewardship
with Author & Ecologist John Todd
Friday Evening Talk & Book-Signing,
October 18, 6:30-8:30pm 2019
Admission $10 (pay at the door, or Eventbrite)
Saturday Workshop, October 19, 9:30am -12:30pm
Admission $30, Students Free (must preregister on Eventbrite)
Location: Antioch University Santa Barbara Community Hall
602 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Facebook Event Page https://www.facebook.com/events/487021855415540/
Short Video: What is a Living Machine? John Todd & Ecological Design
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8IRbYerwxM
The solutions for the future are going to depend entirely on us becoming intimately attuned to the natural world - John Todd
Please join Santa Barbara Permaculture Network on October 18th & 19th for an inspiring two day event with renowned ecologist John Todd, sharing his newly published book, Healing Earth, An Ecologist's Journey of Innovation & Environmental Stewardship.
A stand-out from the sea of despairing messages about climate change, well-known sustainability elder John Todd has taught, mentored, and inspired such well-known names in the field as Janine Benyus, Bill McKibben, and Paul Hawken.
Best known for his Eco-Machines, greenhouses with tanks filled with a variety of plants and other living organisms capable of turning sewage and wastewater into pure drinking water, John Todd is an evolutionary biologist working in the general field of ecological design. Ecological design uses sunlight, biodiversity and natural processes to create clean water with the byproducts of natural gases and biological material.
John Todd's work has spanned nearly five decades demonstrating how nature is capable of cleaning up some of the most toxic messes modern technology and the industrial revolution has unleased on the planet. From old textile mills on the East Coast of America still polluting rivers and waterways, to ongoing oil spills, to luxury resort hotels, high rises, and even cities needing to solve present day sewage and water issues, John Todd has offered pragmatic visions of hope with his revolutionary ecological designs.
Todd's recently published book Healing Earth, An Ecologist's Journey of Innovation & Environmental Stewardship, chronicles many examples of workable engineering solutions for environmental problems, such as healing the aftermath of mountain-top removal and valley-fill coal mining in Appalachia; using windmills and injections of bacteria to restore the health of a polluted New England pond; working with community members in a South African village to protect an important river; and concrete suggestions for solving as yet unresolved issues related to the climate crisis.
John Todd is a biologist and the founder and president of John Todd Ecological Design. He holds degrees covering the fields of agriculture, parasitology, tropical medicine, fisheries and ethology. In addition to new paradigms in an academic setting, he is the founder and president of Ocean Arks International, a non-profit research and education organization and co-founder of New Alchemy Institute, a research center that has done pioneering investigation into organic agriculture, aquaculture and bioshelters. In 2008 he received the Buckminster Fuller Challenge Award for the best idea and concept to help save the planet and humanity. In 2007 he was named one of the top 100 visionaries of the 20th century by Resurgence & Ecologist magazine, and in the "Genius Issue" of Esquire he was profiled as one of top 35 figures in "Inventing Modern America."
The evening talk & book-signing takes place on Friday, October 18, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, admission $10 (books available for purchase at the event). A Saturday morning workshop follows on October 19, from 9:30-12:30pm, $30 (must preregister for workshop on Eventbrite, sign up early as the workshop will likely sell out). Both events take place at the Antioch University Santa Barbara Community Hall, 602 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. For more information contact: margie@sbpermaculture.org, 805-962-2571, www.sbpermaculture.org.
A Community Event Hosted by
Santa Barbara Permaculture Network
Part of the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network Civics 101 for Climate Change Series
Co-sponsors: Santa Barbara Permaculture Network, Antioch University, World Business Academy, Blue Sky Biochar, Teeccino, El Capitan Canyon Resort, Santa Barbara Aquaponics, Community Environmental Council, and the Santa Barbara Independent
Saturday Morning Workshop Oct 19/Must Preregister on Eventbrite
NEW BOOK Healing Earth - An Ecologist's Journey of Innovation & Environmental Stewardship
John Todd Ecological Design
Why Design Now: Eco-Machine at the Omega Center for Sustainable Living
Ocean Arks International
New Alchemy Institute & The Green Center
Ecological Design & Living Machines
Sustainable World Radio Interview with John Todd Episode 131
Eco-Machines/Living Machine examples: El Monte Sagrado Resort Taos, New Mexico; Eco Hood in Prescott, AZ
Kathe Seidel, German Botanist, first to incorporate vegetation into wastewater treatment wetlands in the 1950's
The Soul of Soil and the Ecocity Future of Los Angeles - Saturday July 14, 2018: a mini-conference
The Soul of Soil and the Ecocity Future of Los Angeles -
Saturday July 14, 2018: a mini-conference at L.A. Eco-Village from 1pm to midnight.
Reservations required:
crsp@igc.org or 213/738-1254
Here's what's happening, and who's talking about what. You're invited to join the conversation. See more details below.
1 - 2pm: Veggie potluck lunch and registration - Songs Yard. Please bring your own non-throwaway eating ware to make this a zero waste event.
Gideon Sussman
2 - 3:30pm: Gideon Sussman, BuroHappold Lead Engineer for Songs Redevelopment Team- talks on "What was Good for the Past May be Even Better for the Future." - Songs Hall
3:30 - 3:45pm Break
Kreigh Hampel, Recycling Coordinator, City of Burbank - talks on:
Kreigh Hampel
"How Mulch Good Can We Do? Satellite imaging, microbial intelligence, the historic role of discarded nutrients, and a group exploration into the enormous potential for regenerative urban farming." - Songs Hall
5:15 - 7:00pm Dinner - catered or bring our own - Songs Yard: Evening Registration, Announcements, Intros and special GUEST DINNER SPEAKERS.
Richard Register 7:00 - 8:30pm
Richard Register - International Ecocity Visionary Revolutionary talks on "The LA Soil My Ecocity Ideas Grew Out Of - and Where They're Headed" - Songs Hall
8:45 - 10:15pm Christian Arnsperger, Economic
Christian Arnsperger
Anthropologist, University of Lausanne will talk about the "Permacircularity and Human Permaculture for a New L.A.: The Wisdom of Ecocity Fractals and the Cultivation of Urban Tribes"- Songs Yard
10:15 - 10:30pm Break
10:30 - 11pm Wrap-up panel and dialog with participants - Songs Yard
11pm - midnight Reading of "The Spirit of Bimini" - Late night snacks - Songs Yard
This event sponsored by CRSP in association with:
- Urban Soil-Tierra Urbana Limited Equity Housing Cooperative
- The Beverly/Vermont Community Land Trust
- Solidarity Research Center
- StreetsblogLA
-Santa Barbara Permaculture Network
Does your organizations or Agency want to be a co-sponsor to help spread the word? Let us know, and we'll add you to this list: 213/738-1254 or crsp@igc.org
*Note that this may be the first of a series on "The Soul of Soil". We have borrowed this theme name from the book of the same title by Joseph Smillie and Grace Gershuny whom we hope to host at LAEV someday.
OTHER EVENT DETAILS FOR THE SOUL OF SOIL...:
Saturday, July 14, 2018 from 1pm to midnight. Join us for any part of the day or evening as noted on the schedule above
3554 West First Street - Songs Hall and Yard. This is the new CRSP-oned property in the North end of Los Angeles Eco-Village. Enter on Bimini just south of W. First St., Los Angeles 90004
Fees (sliding scale):
Afternoon sessions: $10 - $25 or 4.5 TimeDollars to CRSP
Catered Dinner: $15 to $20 Cash or check to CRSP
Evening sessions: $15 to $30 or 5 TimeDollars to CRSP
All sessions with dinner: $30 to $50 or 7 TimeDollars plus cash or check to CRSP for dinner.
Note: TimeDollars to CRSP ok for talks; cash or check to CRSP required for dinner. TimeDollrs are only available to members of the ArroyoSeco Network of TimeBanks.
TRANSPORTATION: We urge you to walk, bike or use public transportation. Check www.metro.net for bus/train schedules. Bike parking along Songs Yard fence on Bimini. Car parking - could be difficult. Please carpool.
Jan 28 10th Annual Santa Barbara Community Seed Swap Santa Barbara
10th Annual Santa Barbara Community Seed Swap
1:30-4:30pm, Free - Rain or Shine!
A celebration to bring seeds & people together
Trinity Gardens @ Trinity Lutheran Church, 909 North La Cumbre Road, Santa Barbara, CA
Join us for the 10th Annual Santa Barbara Community Seed Swap at a brand new location! This year at the beautiful Trinity Gardens, with both indoor and outdoor space for lots of seed sharing activities, children welcome. The event takes place on Sunday, January 28, from 1:30-4:30pm.
Hundreds attend every year, sharing seeds and knowledge with other backyard gardeners, plant lovers, beekeepers and farmers. Come be a part of this seed saving movement, making sure that locally adapted seed & plants are passed on to future generations. Special speakers, children activities, & live music!
Local groups will have plant and seed related exhibits. Many sharing valuable seed saving techniques that encourage local gardeners to grow out and harvest some of their best seeds for future gardens and seed swaps, making us a truly food secure community. Seed saving is a fun and easy way to connect to the circle of life.
Bring seeds, plants, cuttings, and garden knowledge to swap.
Don't have these?
Then come get seeds.
Seeds to sow.
Seeds to grow.
Seeds to harvest.
Seeds to save and share next year.
Activities for all ages
Music that will have your toes tapping
Special Speakers throughout the day
A gathering of garden friends old and new.
A community program hosted by Santa Barbara Permaculture Network & Trinity Gardens
www.sbpermaculture.org;
http://www.trinitygardenssb.org/
Co-Sponsors: Island Seed & Feed, Botanical Interest Seeds, Santa Barbara Seed Savers Guild, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Renee's Garden Seeds,
Healing Grounds Biodynamic Nursery, Santa Barbara Permaculture Network & Trinity Gardens
Event Facebook page (English & Spanish): https://www.facebook.com/groups/632203483488117/
More Info: Margie@sbpermaculture.org, (805) 962-2571
2018 Local Real Food Hero Award
Once again we will be honoring a Local Food & Plant Hero at the Seed Swap. This year the award goes to Jerry Sortomme, former Chair of the Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) Environmental Horticulture Department, whose love affair with plants has affected all who have met him, inspiring students of all ages for many decades. His SBCC students, dubbed "Jerry's kids" went on to careers in environmental science, horticulture, edible landscapes, sustainable design and other green professions. Have you been to the SBCC Lifescape garden? The La Huerta Historic Garden at the Old Mission? Yup, those and more were inspired and launched by Jerry Sortomme. Please join us in honoring this local food hero.
Read More at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/632203483488117/
Jan 29, 2017 9th Annual Santa Barbara Community Seed Swap
9th Annual Santa Barbara
Community Seed Swap
Santa Barbara Public Library, Faulkner Gallery
40 E Anapamu St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
11 AM - 3 PM, FREE
Join us for an amazing free event as we celebrate the 9th Annual Santa Barbara Community Seed Swap. Over 400 people attended last year, sharing seeds and knowledge with other backyard gardeners, plant lovers & farmers. Come be a part of this seed saving movement, making sure that locally adapted varieties of seed & plants are passed on to future generations. Children welcome!
Seeds to sow, Seeds to grow, Seeds to harvest.
Music that will have your toes tapping with Honey Suckle Possums
A community program hosted by Santa Barbara Permaculture Network~
Co-Sponsors: Island Seed & Feed, Botanical Interest Seeds, Santa Barbara Seed Savers Guild,
Healing Grounds Nursery, & the Santa Barbara Farmers Markets
Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/632203483488117/
www.sbpermaculture.org
Real Food Hero Award for 2017
At the 9th Annual Santa Barbara Community Seed Swap, once again we will present a Local Food Hero Award, this time the honor goes to Judy Sims.
Judy Sims contribution to local food systems is right at the very beginning, with the child!
An elementary school teacher who taught for many years at Monte Vista school, Judy Sims used her classroom to teach children about the environment through gardens, incorporating outdoor areas into all her teaching practices. What kind of gardens? Butterfly gardens, raised bed gardens, and a remarkable half acre ethno botany garden & nature trail, that demonstrates the importance of California native plants. Later, along with permaculture friends, students & other community members, Judy in 2005 installed the very first Food Forest/Orchard Garden located at a Santa Barbara public school site.
Judy always had programs and projects in mind, not just for her own classroom & students, but for the entire school. Judy and students began growing food from the gardens for a weekly farmers market, where parents shopped when picking up their kids after school. Eventually, with funds raised from the farmers market, a salad bar lunch program was initiated into the school cafeteria, an award winning pilot project, that was later adopted district-wide. A worm farm project Judy and students created diverted school food lunch waste from the trash, instead converting it into rich compost for the gardens.
In time Judy retired from teaching, but never from gardening. In 2009, she joined the s'Cool Garden team at Santa Barbara City College Center for Sustainability as education coordinator, a part of the Orfalea Foundation School Food Initiative project, where over 25 local county schools were assisted in starting up and maintaining school gardens.
A longtime passionate community activist, Judy has been a key participant in many local garden organizations and projects. With typical creative energy, Judy helped create Trinity Gardens, Santa Barbara's newest community garden. Located on the grounds of Trinity Lutheran Church, it is a unique community garden, where individuals can rent plots, but in addition, a large communal growing area exists with a farm manager, growing fresh produce for food banks and other organizations who help with the needy. She volunteers and developed the docent program for La Huerta Historic Gardens at the Old Mission, where early California Mission era plants are researched & grown .
Seed saving is a passion of Judy's, we are grateful for her participation every year with the Annual Santa Barbara Community Seed Swap, providing all the kids activities, and sharing seeds collected from her many garden sources. In assisting the future for children and gardens, in 2015 Judy helped create the first Growing Edible Education Symposium.
Gardeners, parents, kids, and community members salute Judy Sims, we thank her for her commitment and contribution to gardens, seed saving, and our Santa Barbara food system. She has inspired young and old and in between for many decades.
Past recipients for the Santa Barbara Local Food Hero award include Marshall Chrostowski (Pacifica Market Garden), Lorenz Schaller(Kusa Seed Society), Matt Buckmaster (Island Seed & Feed), and Oscar Carmona (Healing Grounds Nursery).
The Local Food Hero award is an international award developed by Vandana Shiva & the Navdanya Foundation to honor those involved in protecting seeds and contributing to a healthy sustainable food system. More than 70% of the world's food comes from small farms and gardens. In honoring Local Food Heroes, we are recognizing the real foundation of food security, and making a commitment to strengthen this foundation.
Why the Food Movement is Unstoppable
September 20, 2016 Commentaries, Environment, Health15 Comments
by Jonathan Latham, PhD
https://www.independentsciencenews.org/health/why-the-food-movement-is-unstoppable/
In 1381, for the first and only time, the dreaded Tower of London was captured from the King of England. The forces that seized it did not belong to a foreign power; nor were they rebellious workers – they were peasants who went on to behead the Lord Chancellor and the Archbishop of Canterbury who were, after the king, the country's leading figures. A tad more recently, in the U.S. presidential election of 1892 a radical populist movement campaigned for wealth redistribution and profound economic reform. The populists won five states. All of them were rural.
Descent from such rebels is typically claimed by unions and groups on the political left; but, over the long run of history, the most effective opponents of excessive wealth and privilege have not normally been city dwellers, workers or unions. Instead, they have usually been those with close links to food and the land, what we would now identify as the food movement.
jose bove, farmer and activist
Even today, in more than a few countries, food is the organising principle behind the main challengers of existing power structures. In El Salvador, the National Coordinator of its Organic Agriculture Movement is Miguel Ramirez who recently explained:
We say that every square meter of land that is worked with agro-ecology is a liberated square meter. We see it as a tool to transform farmers' social and economic conditions. We see it as a tool of liberation from the unsustainable capitalist agricultural model that oppresses farmers.
The Salvadoran Organic Agriculture Movement wants much more than improved farming. It is seeking enhanced political rights, long term ecological sustainability, social equity, and popular health. Ramirez calls it "this titanic but beautiful struggle, to reclaim the lives of all Salvadorans".
They may be small farmers, but they have a grand ambition that is even shared worldwide. But, how realistic is it? Could the food movement be the missing vehicle for transformative social change?
The question is timely. Not long ago, the New York Times asserted that the centre aisles of US supermarkets are being called "the morgue" because sales of junk food are crashing; meanwhile, an international consultant told Bloomberg magazine that "there's complete paranoia", at major food companies where the food movement is being taken very seriously.
The context of that paranoia is that food movements are rapidly growing social and political phenomena almost all over the world. In the US alone, there have been surges of interest in heirloom seeds, in craft beers, in traditional bread and baking, in the demand for city garden plots, in organic food, and in opposition to GMOs. Simultaneously, there has been a massive growth of interest in food on social media and the initiation or renewal of institutions such as SlowFood USA and the Grange movement, to name just a few.
Even at the normally much quieter farming end of the food value chain, agribusiness has had to resort to buying up "independent" academics and social media supporters to boost the case for GMOs and pesticides.
So whereas not so very long ago food, and even more so agriculture, were painfully unfashionable subjects, all of a sudden, individuals all over the globe have developed an often passionate interest in the products and processes of the food system.
If food regime change is in the air, the questions are: Why? Why now? And the big one: How far will it go?
The direction of the food movement
The answer to these questions comes into focus if we analyse the food movement from the perspective of five different "puzzle pieces". If we do that we can see that there are profound reasons why the food movement is succeeding and growing.
This analysis suggests that the food movement, compared to other great social movements of the 20th Century (such as the labour, environment, civil rights, climate and feminist movements), has many of their strengths but not their weaknesses.
Further, the food movement is unexpectedly radical on account of having a distinct philosophy. This philosophy is fundamentally unique in human history and is the underlying explanation for the explosion of the food movement.
Like any significant novel philosophy, that of the food movement challenges the dominant thought patterns of its day and threatens the political and economic structures built on them. Specifically, the food movement's philosophy exposes longstanding weaknesses in the ideas underpinning Western political establishments. In the simplest terms possible, the opposite of neoliberal ideology is not communism or socialism, it is the food movement.
The reason is that, unlike other systems of thought, food movement philosophy is based on a biological understanding of the world. While neoliberalism and socialism are ideologies, the food movement is concerned with erasing (at least so far as is possible) all ideologiesbecause all ideologies are, at bottom, impediments to an accurate understanding of the world and the universe.
By replacing them with an understanding based on pure biology, the food movement is therefore in a position to supply what our society lacks: mechanisms to align human needs with the needs of ecosystems and habitats.
The philosophy of the food movement even goes further, by recognising that our planetary problems and our social problems are really the same problem. The food movement therefore represents the beginnings of a historic ecological and social shift that will transform our relationships with each other and with the natural world.
1) The food movement is a leaderless movement
The first important piece of the food puzzle is to note that the food movement has no formal leaders. Its most famous members are individuals. Frances Moore Lappé, Joel Salatin, José Bové, Vandana Shiva, Wendell Berry, Michael Pollan, Jamie Oliver, and many others, are leaders only in the sense of being thought-leaders. Unlike most leaders, including of the environment movement, or the labour movement, or the climate movement, they have all attained visibility through popular acclaim and respect for their personal deeds, their writings, or their insights. Not one of them leads in any of the conventional senses of setting goals, giving orders, deciding tactics, or standing for high office. They are neither bureaucrats nor power-brokers, but leaders in the Confucian sense of being examples and inspirations. It is a remarkable and unprecedented characteristic that the food movement is a social movement that is organic and anarchic. This not to argue it is unstructured, far from it. Rather, the food movement is self-organised. It is a food swarm and absence of formal leadership is not a sign of weakness but of strength.
2) The food movement is a grassroots movement
A second and complementary piece of the puzzle is that the food movement is far more inclusive than other social movements. It is composed of the urban and the rural, the rich and the poor, of amateurs and experts, of home cooks and celebrity chefs, farmers and gardeners, parents and writers, the employed and the unemployed. Essentially anyone, in any walk of life, can contribute, learn or benefit. Most do all three. Importantly too, just about any skill level or contribution can often be accommodated. To take just one example, in how many other social movements can a 14-year-old make an international splash?
This inclusiveness has various aspects that contribute significantly to its success. The first of these is that, unlike many protests, there is no upper limit to membership of the food movement. It is not defined in opposition to anything – it would include the whole world if it could – and so there is no essential sense in which it is exclusive. Exclusivity is often the Achilles heel of social movements, but though its opponents have tried to label it as elitist, for good reasons they have not succeeded. Granted, Prince Charles is a very enthusiastic member, but so too are rappers from Oakland, the landless peasant movement of Brazil, the instigators of the Mexican soda tax and the urban agriculture movements of Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland. Such groups are neither elite nor elitist. A better analysis would conclude that anyone can find space under its broad umbrella because the food movement does not discriminate on any grounds, least of all class. It is beyond grassroots. People see what they want in it because it is for everyone.
The second aspect of its inclusivity is that the food movement has barriers to entry that are low or non-existent. This is an important reason it has grown rapidly. These porous boundaries make the food movement unusually hard to define, however, leading some people to mistakenly conclude it is non-existent.
3) The food movement is international
A third unconventional attribute of the food movement is to be international and multilingual. In each locality it assumes different forms. The Campaign for Real Ale, Via Campesina, the Zapatistas, Slow Food and Europe's anti-GMO movement are very different, but instead of competing or quarreling, there are remarkable overlaps of purpose and vision between the parts. This was on show at last winter's British Oxford Real Farming Conference where food producers and good food advocates from all over the world shared stages and perspectives and the effect was to complement and inspire each other.
4) The food movement is low-budget
The fourth distinguishing characteristic of the food movement is that it has little money behind it. It might seem natural for "social movements" to be unfunded but it is in fact very rare. The climate movement has Tom Steyer, the Tea Party has the Koch brothers, Adolf Hitler's car, chauffeur, private secretary, and of course his blackshirts, were funded by Fritz Thyssen, Henry Ford, and some of the wealthiest people in Germany. Even the labour and environment movements have dues or wealthy backers. The food movement therefore is highly unusual in owing little to philanthropic foundations or billionaire backers. Instead, it consists overwhelmingly of amateurs, individuals and small groups and whatever money they possess has followed and not led them. This is yet another powerful indication that the food movement is spontaneous, vigorous and internally driven.
5) A movement of many values
Most social movements are organised around core values: civil rights, social equality or respect for nature are common ones. What is unique about the food movement is that it has multiple values. They include human health concerns, animal welfare, agricultural sustainability, ecological sustainability, food justice and political empowerment, but even this list does not adequately capture the range of its concerns. It is a movement with many component parts.
Explaining the philosophy and synergy of the food movement
For an emergent social movement to have such unique and seemingly unconnected properties suggests the possibility of a deep explanation, and in fact there is one: the food movement embodies a profound philosophical shift.
The narrative dominating international food policy, especially post-1945, has been that food is a commodity (when it is not a weapon) and agriculture is a business. According to this narrative, neither have much to do with the environment or your health. This economic and depleted conceptualisation of food is an ideological extension of the current dominant Western philosophy, which is that of the European enlightenment. The chief character of this philosophy is to be atomistic and mechanistic, meaning that in the formal and official worlds of business, government, the law, education, etc., phenomena are presumed unconnected until proven otherwise, which usually means proven by science.
The evidence for this mindset is ubiquitous. The separation of government ministries: Health from Agriculture and both being distinct from Environment. The reduction of food to the status of an industrial raw material completely measurable by yield or profit is another. The same ideology also allows, in the United States, the agriculture "industry" to be exempt from most anti-pollution legislation, and doctors not to be educated in nutrition. The privileging of the health requirements and food needs of one species (humans) – and usually just a few of those – above that of all other organisms – is a fourth data point.
Citizens in "modern" nations are thus surrounded in everyday life by institutions and practices whose founding rationale is the ideology of disconnection. Thanks to our education, we come to see this state of mind as natural – even though it came into being quite recently – and also inevitable, even though until recently it was unique to Western society.
In contrast, the food movement believes in something very different, which can be summarised as follows: that the purpose of life is health and that the optimal and most just way to attain human health is to maximise the health of all organisms, with the most effective way to do that being through food.
This belief system is derived from practical experience. The food movement has internalised certain observations: the potential of compost to improve crop growth and soil function, the human health benefits of a varied diet, the successes of numerous farming systems in the absence of synthetic inputs, these are a few of those. It also has noted apparent powerful connections between health, agriculture, animal welfare and the environment. These connections allow for the existence of a virtuous circle in which the most ecologically healthy farms generate foods that are the healthiest and the tastiest. These farms are also the most productive. For US examples see here: and for an example from rice see here.
Except for the obviously subjective ones (like taste), there is nothing unscientific about these claims.
We are familiar with the neo-Darwinist narrative of life-as-competition, but this slugfest interpretation hides a bigger and more important truth about life: that before there can be competition, there must first be at least two organisms. Life can, and often does, exist without competition, but competition cannot exist without life. In other words, the neo-Darwinist vision is wrong in that it trivialises biology. Food philosophy replaces this view with the idea that life thrives in the presence of other life. There is perfectly good evidence for this – we know, for example, that all of the tens of millions of species on earth are interdependent. Not a single species could exist if the others were removed. For example, plants and algae excrete oxygen, which all animals need. Animals eat plants and algae, but excrete nitrogen and phosphorus, which all plants and algae need.
Similarly, at the level of individuals, if we can look past the standard mechanistic view of biology offered by celebrated scientists like neo-Darwinist Richard Dawkins, who famously called organisms "lumbering robots", we can note that all biological organisms are in fact self-optimising and self-repairing systems. They therefore tend to maximise their own robustness and health unless, as unfortunately but commonly occurs, they are actively prevented from doing so (e.g. by a limited environment or a deficient diet).
So food philosophy envisions life in an entirely novel way. There is quite a difference between seeing nature, as the self-styled biological rationalists like to portray it, as robots slowly succumbing to the teeth and claws of vicious nature in comparison to the food view of primarily mutually beneficial interactions between vibrant and dynamic systems. The unfortunate truth for the supposed rationalists is that, as recent research into the microbiome is showing, the food philosophy view better fits the facts than does the neo-Darwinist one. Prisoners of their enlightenment ideology, the neo-Darwinists have turned the message of life on its head.
The origins of food philosophy
Food philosophy has three notable antecedents. One is philosopher Peter Singer's famous anti-speciesist argument from his book Animal Liberation: that humans have a duty of care towards all animals, with the crucial difference being that the food movement extends Singer's argument to all organisms, not just animals.
The second antecedent is Gaia theory which proposes that life forms create and enhance their own living conditions. The main difference being that food philosophy applies this thesis to every scale, notably to soils and to landscapes.
The third is Barry Commoner and his four laws of ecology. His second and third laws are consistent with food philosophy. However, Commoner's First law: "Everything is connected to everything else", needs modification. The reason is that all things are not connected equally – most connections occur primarily through food. Commoner's fourth law, which states "There is no such thing as a free lunch", is flatly contradicted by the virtuous circle of the food movement. All ecological systems generate synergies and synergies between organisms are free lunches; which is why, excepting occasional shocks like meteor impacts, species diversity and biological productivity on earth have continuously risen over aeons.
Like every philosophy, food philosophy implies practical consequences. It becomes the task of a food system, or any sub-part of it – such as a farm – to maximise the positive aspects of each component, so that the circle can become ever more virtuous. By the same token, the food movement believes in the existence of a downward spiral – biological impoverishments such as those that result in dust bowls. Such negative possibilities could be safely ignored were it not the case that many governments and certain businesses seem determined, even enthusiastic, to plunge headlong into them.
Food philosophy therefore represents a major split from post-enlightenment philosophy in its vision of life and biology – which for most practical purposes represents the universe we live in. In so doing it highlights how much the enlightenment was not so enlightened. Enlightenment philosophers used the foundational statement "I think therefore I am" as the justification for effectively disregarding all previous thought. They then adopted the premise that only the tools of logic and deductive reasoning could extend this thought and tell us how to achieve true knowledge and spend our time. But this core presumption was wrong. As the influential philosopher of science, Paul Feyerabend put it, enlightenment ideas are "philosophical tumours" that exemplify "the poverty of abstract philosophical reasoning".
Food philosophy is thus in the pre-enlightenment tradition of principles deduced from real world experience. It doesn't ask: what does rational thought reveal about how we should live. It asks: what does nature reveal about how we should live? This is why food philosophy is not a different ideology from neoliberalism or communism; rather, it is the absence of ideology. So while neoliberalism and communism and socialism are products of the enlightenment, food philosophy is not, because it gathers its evidence as directly as possible from the natural world.
To the extent it can be simplified, we might summarise food philosophy approximately as follows:
1) biological interactions allow synergisms of individual health and system productivity, which can be taken advantage of in good farming; and,
2) these biological interactions occur primarily through food, which represents the chemical energy running through the system.
This philosophy is significant in two ways. First, it explains, in general, the form, structure, and composition of the food movement.
Secondly, it predicts the likely impact of the food movement on the food system and society as a whole.
Implications of food philosophy for the food movement
The distinctive features of the food movement can be seen to stem from this philosophy.
The first feature explained by its philosophy is the self-organising and leaderless nature of the food movement. Its members act as if they were reading from an invisible script, which in a sense they are. It also goes far in explaining the lack of money. The philosophy generates values and values are often the most powerful long term motivator of human behaviour.
The attitudes of the food movement also reflect the philosophy. Since the philosophy (see points 1) and 2) above) is universal, constructive, inclusive, flexible, and non-violent, so is the movement.
To take a more detailed example, whereas people outside of the food movement (with their enlightenment hats on) tend to see the issues of human health, food quality, animal welfare, and ecological and agricultural sustainability as concerns to be solved separately (if at all), those inside food movement are likely to see them as connected and therefore insoluble except together.
As people begin to sees these issues as connected, those who enter the orbit of the food movement are likely to move deeper into it. Someone who begins by buying free range eggs, perhaps for reasons of ethics, moves on to keeping chickens and perhaps to sourcing other meats more ethically or more locally. People attracted to flavourful meat or produce are likely to expand their interests into animal welfare or become locavores, and so on. This is why the food movement is deepening and growing.
This same reasoning around the connectedness of food issues also creates an important presumption: that anyone who advances one of these goals automatically advances the rest. Consequently, alliances between individuals and between organisations are likely to form around the common goals, and so the food movement emerges as a synergy between issues formerly identified as distinct, channeling a vast reservoir of positive social energy in consistent directions.
These are explanations for formation and growth of the social movement, but the food movement does not exist for its own sake; like any social movement, it aspires to solve society-sized problems. When the food movement tackles an issue, the features noted above can become enormous assets.
There is usually no actual decision (because typically there is no leader), instead, the philosophy leads its members to use whatever resources are at hand in the most appropriate manner. They develop arguments, write letters, make calls, avoid products, share information, and so on, wherever they perceive the need or opportunity to be greatest, just as the workers of an ant or bee colony do whatever job appears in front of them without explicit orders. To the multinational corporations who are its targets, movement activity may feel like a piranha feeding frenzy. Blood is scented; arguments are sharpened; protests register on social media; more attackers arrive; the target howls; opportunistic journalists pile in; maybe some legislators too, until finally the target agrees to amend, label, or remove the offending product, ingredient or publication. These are food swarms, and they are what direct democracy looks like.
Following once again its own philosophy, food is also a guide to action. Using its enlightenment rationalisations, a government can instruct people, for example, that irradiated or GMO food is safe to eat. But it cannot make them eat it. Resistance based on food logic is always likely to beat enlightenment logic when the subject is food, because it is both rational and relatively easy for the people to both form their own opinions and spend their money elsewhere. The food system is perhaps the one domain where the people retain this power, certainly more than they do in any other domain of public life.
In consequence, time and again the arguments of the food movement: over GMO safety, the benefits of organic food, the dangers of antibiotics in animal farming, food additives, GMO labeling, and so forth, have gained traction out in the public domain (though not always yet in public policy). The combination of solid logic and practical power is hard to resist. Through its philosophy, therefore, the food movement is succeeding both in building itself and winning practical victories as it does so.
Thus one can begin to see how food issues are the organizing principle for a grand social movement. Indeed, the successes of the food movement are now sufficiently evident that major parts of the old environment movement, plus the health and wellness movements, and even parts of the labour movement, have begun to reframe their activities as coming from a food system perspective. Some have largely migrated into the food movement altogether. For example, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers is much better known to the public and has been more successful through its food connections than through its union ones. To a significant degree, once separate social movements are converging to become branches of the food movement.
We can sum up this rather complex state of affairs by saying that food is a highly successful rallying point. It serves well because food is simultaneously a novel conceptual framing for much of human affairs that is strongly distinct from the standard enlightenment framings of economics and social Darwinism, but also because it acts as a potent organising principle for individuals to act around. Food succeeds as a conceptual framing because it is simultaneously anthropocentric and truthful, and it succeeds as an organising principle because food fruitfully highlights the practical biophysical linkages between issues. So while most frames are artificial mental constructs that have zero underlying biological or physical substance, the frame used by the food movement also precisely reflects the key biological reality that a universal daily requirement of all humanity, is food. Good food. And the same is true for other species. Thus, our good food also needs good food, and so on ad (almost) infinitum. Anyone who adopts that devastating logic has a huge advantage, not only in understanding how the world really works, but also in acting on that information.
How will the food movement impact society?
Ideas are the currency of power. Philosopher Peter Singer wrote the book Animal Liberation in 1975. It spawned the international animal rights movement and drove society-wide debates on the human usage of animals for research and in agriculture. Forty years later, the increasing popularity of veganism shows his ideas are still gathering momentum. Singer's achievement was to show that enlightenment thinkers had attempted to rationalise – rather than ditch – the concept of human exceptionalism, which dated back at least to the Bible's authorisation of Man's dominion over the earth. At a stroke, Singer destroyed the arguments for treating animals badly and provided a perfect example of how enlightenment rationalisations have functioned to constrain modern thought, and most particularly the human potential to do good.
Because they go far beyond our treatment of sentient animals and extend to all organisms, the ideas of food philosophy are significantly more profound and far-reaching than those of Peter Singer. Food philosophy is an intellectual key to overthrowing mechanistic reductionist society. Much of standard economics, large parts of biology such as neo-Darwinism (selfish genes) and genetic determinism, reductionist biology and medicine, which at present are the centrepieces of Western education, will come to be seen in their proper light, which is as largely irrelevant to the functioning of whole systems. These are the "philosophical tumours" that stand in the way of human development. To the many individuals who suspect that enlightenment thought is the engine driving our societies over an ecological cliff, food philosophy offers the conceptual way out.
Enlightenment thought arose in tandem with industrialising societies. Enlightenment thinkers laid the groundwork for a meritocratic and commercial society to replace feudalism, but the grand irony is that they did not themselves gain acceptance solely on merit. Rather, they were selected for their usefulness. Their ideas justified the necessary concepts the new society came to rely on: mechanisation, individualism, and competition. Enlightenment philosophers were largely establishment figures giving form to establishment thought. Nowadays their ideas are used for preserving this order, but since the intellectual flaws of that understanding are increasingly manifesting as ecological crisis and social disorder, the same process is happening in reverse.
But the question has long been what will take their place? As I was completing this essay I consulted The History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell. Even in 1946, Russell saw that a satisfactory philosophical resolution to the problem of how to reconcile power and the benefits of social cohesion with individual liberty was yet to be reached. At the very end of introducing modern philosophy he writes that the scientific enterprise tips the balance towards power, but is itself "a form of madness" in that it prioritises means over ends. Without a philosophical antidote this imbalance will become "dangerous". He concludes "To achieve this a new philosophy will be needed".
Enlightenment ideas have been developing for almost 400 years. They are largely mistaken, but they were also mistaken when they were conceived. There are two good reasons why no overhaul took place, even at the heights of the social movements of the 1960s or the environment movement in the 1970s. The first is that no adequate philosophical replacement was available. The second is nakedly political. No political force or social movement was previously in place to force the issue. The food movement, however, fulfills both requirements, and so the pieces are finally in place for a peaceful social revolution of thought and action.
The final analysis
This essay has attempted to understand how and why a successful social movement can arise, and even be called a social movement, when it lacks essentially all of the traditional props and attributes of social movements – strong leadership, organisational structures, formal outreach programs, money, and so forth.
This analysis attributes the success of the food movement largely to factors internal to itself. Its members share an infectious vision which is constructive, convivial, classless, raceless, international, and which embraces the whole world. That vision rests on a novel and harmonious philosophy. It is also deeply realistic because it is biological in nature; so while the remainder of society is naively getting further out of touch with the natural world by adopting ever fancier communications devices, internet apps, high speed travel, Pokemon Go, and so forth, the food movement is busy getting in touch with that world and being successful in working with it.
One issue largely missing from this analysis, however, is the imperative of confronting climate change. The food movement did not come together to solve this issue. Nevertheless, many in the food movement believe it has the tools to largely solve the problem. The reasons are simple. First, perhaps as much as 50% of all greenhouse gas emissions result from the activities of the industrial food sector. Secondly, carbon can easily be removed from the air and stored in soil and in the process creating the type of soil actively desired by organic and agroecological farmers. These farmers are still developing their techniques for carbon sequestration, but anecdotal evidence suggests that soil sequestration can combine with food production to store many tons of carbon per acre per year. Thus, as two recent reports show, the food system desired by the food movement can make our atmospheric carbon problem manageable and perhaps solve it completely.
This information seems not to have penetrated the mainstream climate movement. Climate leaders seem to believe solutions must be technical or social: but windmills, solar power, electric cars, dams, divestment, infrastructure protests, etc., are largely symbolic actions. Unlike reducing demand for energy by reforming and localising the food system or storing carbon in living soils, such "solutions" do not necessarily reduce overall use of fossil fuels nor prevent the release of greenhouse gases from disturbed ecosystems. Worse, as resource-intensive ways of generating and storing energy, technofix solutions have many negative consequences of their own.
Hopefully sooner, rather than later, the well-meaning but misled climate movement will come to understand the (typically enlightenment) error of singling out specific forms of pollution (CO2 or methane) and join with the food liberation movement. If not, the food movement may solve climate change without them.
In the ultimate analysis, the growth of the food movement is the people's response to the failing ideas of the enlightenment. It represents a tectonic realignment of the forces underlying our society and a clash of ideas more profound than anything seen since the collapse of feudalism and the emergence of the industrial revolution. The outcome of this clash will determine not only the future of our society, but also whether our descendents get to live on a planet recognisable to us today. The portents are excellent. The food movement is prevailing because it takes advantage of the synergies and potentials inherent in biological systems, whereas the ideas of the enlightenment ignore, deny, and suppress these potentialities. It will indeed be a beautiful struggle to turn these portents into reality.
Oct 2 Growing Nourishing & Just Relationships with Permaculture Talk & Book Signing with Starhawk
Santa Barbara Permaculture Network presents:
Growing Nourishing & Just Relationships with Permaculture
Talk & Book Signing with Starhawk
Sunday, October 2, 7-9pm, 2016
Admission - $10/$5 students
Location: Santa Barbara City College Fe Bland Auditorium/BC Forum
SBCC West Campus, 800 Block Cliff Drive
Small groups of like-minded people can revitalize a town, plan our transition to a new, locally-focused economy and technology, and change the world. They can be exciting, nurturing, empowering places to be. And they can also founder on the rocks of conflict and poor communication.
Patrick Whitefield called permaculture "The art of designing beneficial relationships". In this evening talk, Starhawk (www.starhawk.org ) explores how permaculture principles and ethics--along with insights from her many decades of experience in small groups of many kinds--can help us navigate conflict, communicate more clearly, and create empowering groups and effective organizations.
With earlier books exploring earth-based spirituality, Starhawk later merged with permaculture, and began teaching Earth Activist Trainings in Northern California with permaculture teacher Penny Livingston and others. In this way she brought a valuable contribution to permaculture---which values observation of nature before design above all things---by demonstrating how ritual, around the cycles and rhythms of the earth, can help hone our observation skills.
Starhawk is the author of 13 books, including, Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature; The Empowerment Manual: A Guide for Collaborative Groups, and her latest novel, City of Refuge. A leading voice in the earth-based spirituality movement for many years, she is a permaculture designer and teacher and directs Earth Activist Training, teaching ecological design grounded in spirit and with a focus on organizing, activism and social permaculture.
The event takes place on Sunday, October 2, 2016, 7- 9pm, at the Santa Barbara City College Fe Bland Auditorium/BC Forum, SBCC West Campus, 800 Block Cliff Drive, 93109. Books will be available for purchase & signing by the author. Admission $10 general/$5 students. No reservations required. For more info contact 805-962-2571 Margie@sbpermaculture.org . See below for upcoming workshop intensive with Starhawk & Pandora Thomas.
SBPN FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE https://www.facebook.com/events/1656422604686345/
SBCC Campus Map: (parking available on West Campus after 6pm)
http://www.sbcc.edu/security/files/sbcc_campusmap.pdf
Event Co-Sponsors:
Santa Barbara Permaculture Network, Quail Springs Permaculture, SBCC Environmental Horticulture Dept/Permaculture Design Course
A short video of Starhawk talking about her upcoming Social Permaculture Course at Quail Springs!
SOCIAL PERMACULTURE INTENSIVE at Quail Springs Permaculture (near Ojai, CA)
with Pandora Thomas & Starhawk
SEPT. 28 – OCT. 2, 2016
Quail Springs Permaculture: http://www.quailsprings.org/programs/permaculture/social-permaculture
How can permaculture principles bring people together to co-create and empower one another to transform patterns of unjust power into healing, nurturing and inspirational collaborative experiences?
Starhawk's New Fiction Book:
"City of Refuge.The Sequel to The Fifth Sacred Thing City of Refuge" follows the struggles, the sacrifices, and the victories of the peaceful warriors from Califa as they endeavor to construct a haven in the parched and war-torn South lands. Can magic, healing and love overcome the violence of a cruel and despotic regime? http://starhawk.org
Sept 1/Reporting Back from the 2nd Annual International Soil Not Oil Conference
A Special Evening Gathering
Reporting Back from
the 2nd Annual International Soil Not Oil Conference
Thurs, Sept1, 7-9pm, 2016 - FREE
Location: Art from Scrap Art Center (outdoors)
302 E Cota St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Discussion & Short Films about Soil & Carbon Farming
including excerpts from
the soon to be released Seeds of Vandana Shiva documentary; The Soil Solution to Climate Change by Jill Cloutier & Carol Hirashima;
& Kiss the Ground short film narrated by Woody Harrelson
Conference reports from Margie Bushman, Wes Roe & others
Regenerative agriculture provides answers to the soil crisis, the food crisis, the climate crisis & the crisis of democracy. Vandana Shiva
P lease join Santa Barbara Permaculture Network for an evening of outdoor film and discussion, as we share what was learned at the recent 2nd Annual Soil Not Oil Conference in Richmond, CA, while enjoying short films that focus on soil and "Carbon Farming" as solutions to climate change. The event will take place on Thursday, Sept 1, 7-9pm, at the Art from Scrap Art Center in downtown Santa Barbara.
The Soil Not Oil international campaign was first launched by scientist and environmental activist Dr.Vandana Shiva of the Navadany Foundation, who suggests restoring global soil quality is one of the best things we can do for climate change, and was one of the first to connect the dots between climate change and the disastrous soil practices of industrial agriculture.
The 2nd Annual Soil Not Oil conference in Richmond was organized to bring together farmers, ranchers, scientists, policy makers, NGOs and community leaders to explore how sustainable, regenerative agriculture practices can help mitigate global warming.
Speakers at the two day conference were both local and international and came with plenty of expertise & positive solutions. Among the many presenters were John Roulac of Nutiva foods, speaking about the exciting developments of Green Wave 3D Ocean farming; Anandi Ghandi, talked about India's water crisis, especially in the Western Ghats, a biodiversity hot spot, where both wildlife and farmers are under extreme duress; Kiss the Ground, a group of young activists from California shared their strategies for making carbon sequestration and carbon farming understandable to mainstream America.
In the area of social justice, Dr. Ann Lopez of the Center for Farm Worker Families spoke passionately about her long term research on the impact of NAFTA on Mexico's farmers creating a flood of economic immigrants to the U.S. while losing the caretakers of the seeds and soils in Mexico. SNAP (food stamps) were suggested as a creative way to support farmers who use best sustainable practices for the soil by encouraging use of SNAP benefits at local farmers markets.
Local politicians enthusiastically participated in the conference, including California Congressman Jared Huffman, Richmond's Mayor and council members, with many citizen activist groups from the region in abundance. Andrew Kimbrell, founder & Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety, and author/editor of Fatal Harvest, was the excellent keynote speaker who updated the audience on current legislature in Washington around food safety issues.
Come with your thoughts about positive directions for soil and the planet. Event discussion will be facilitated by Wes Roe & Margie Bushman of the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network. Local organizations will table.
The event takes place on Thursday September 1, 2016, 7- 9pm, at the Art from Scrap Art Center, 302 East Cota St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. No reservations required. For more info contact 805-962-2571 Margie@sbpermaculture.org , https://www.facebook.com/events/1779098955670853/
Event Sponsors:
Santa Barbara Permaculture Network, Explore Ecology, Art from Scrap, Community Environmental Council (CEC),
Sustainable World Radio, Becket Films, & Santa Barbara Food Alliance
This event a part of the ongoing Civics 101 for Climate Change series
Soil Not Oil Coalition: http://soilnotoilcoalition.org/soil-not-oil-coalition/
Soil Not Oil Pledge: http://soilnotoilcoalition.org/soil-not-oil-pledge/
Soil Solution to Climate Change; What If A Solution To Climate Change Was Beneath Your Feet? :
Film by Jill Cloutier and Carol Hirashima of Sustainable World (extended excerpt on Marin Carbon Project not on youtube will be shown)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxiXJnZraxk
Film Clips from The Seeds of Vandana Shiva Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcaFM6rjp7Q and Film website http://vandanashivamovie.com/
The SANTA BARBARA COUNTY FOOD ACTION PLAN:
A strategy-based community "blueprint" for an accessible, thriving, sustainable, and healthy food system. It addresses every aspect of the food system in a way that supports healthy people, a healthy economy, and a healthy environment.
http://www.sbcfoodaction.org/
The California Climate and Agriculture Network (CalCAN):
A coalition of sustainable agriculture and farmer leaders that advances agricultural solutions to climate change. Agriculture can play a unique role in responding to the climate crisis by producing renewable energy, sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions while securing our food system for generations to come.
http://calclimateag.org/
Agriculture and Climate Change Article by Bill Ostrander San Luis Obispo rancher, recently ran for U.S. Congress, with carbon farming a part of his platform:
Agriculture creates more than 20 percent of our carbon footprint and approximately 35 percent of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.ostranderforcongress.com/climate-change
Kiss the Ground:
Kiss Ground is a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring global participation in the restoration of our precious soils. https://www.kisstheground.com/
The Soil Story (Kiss the Ground Film) with downloads of Media Material for Teachers/Story Tellers/Media makers English/Spanish/French http://thesoilstory.com/
The Soil Story 4 minute Film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvAoZ14cP7Q
Science meets inspiration in this tale of nature's best hidden innovation: soil.
The Soil Story, created by Kiss the Ground, is a five-minute film that shares the importance of healthy soil for a healthy planet.
Learn how we can "sequester" (store) carbon from our atmosphere, where it is harmful, and pull it back into the earth, where it belongs, through regenerative agriculture, composting, and other land management practices.
"4 per 1,000" Initiative:
The "4 per 1,000" Initiative wants to demonstrate that agriculture can provide practical solutions to the challenge of climate disruption, while also meeting that posed by food security through the use of farming methods that match local conditions: e.g. agroecology, agroforestry, conservation agriculture, landscape management. http://4p1000.org/understand
Restoring Global Soil Quality Is One Of The Best Things We Can Do For Climate Change:
Little known climate change fact: Just the first meter of soil contains as much carbon as the entire atmosphere. And there's potential to soak up much more. http://www.fastcoexist.com/3052240/restoring-global-soil-quality-is-one-of-the-best-things-we-can-do-for-climate-change
The Carbon Farming Solution:
A Global Toolkit of Perennial Crops and Regenerative Agriculture Practices for Climate Change Mitigation and Food Security
By Eric Toensmeier Foreword by Dr. Hans Herren http://www.chelseagreen.com/the-carbon-farming-solution
Soil Not Oil Environmental Justice in an Age of Climate Crisis, by Vandana Shiva
https://www.northatlanticbooks.com/shop/soil-not-oil/
July 21 An Evening Gathering to Support the 2nd Annual International Soil Not Oil Conference
An Evening Gathering to Support
the 2nd Annual International
Soil Not Oil Conference
Thurs, July 21, 7:30pm, Free
At the Farmer & the Cook Restaurant
339 W El Roblar Dr, Ojai (Meiners Oak) CA 93023
Short films about Soil & Carbon Farming including
excerpts from The Seeds of Vandana Shiva documentary film
The solution to climate change & the solution to poverty are the same". Vandana Shiva
Join us on Thursday July 21st when local groups will come together in Ojai, CA to support both the Soil Not Oil international campaign & the upcoming second annual Soil Not Oil conference happening in August with an evening gathering of film & discussion. Camilla Becket will be in attendance sharing excerpts from her film The Seeds of Vandana, with other short films on soils & carbon farming also included.
In 2015 the first Soil Not Oil conference was held in Northern California with the intent of supporting the Soil Not Oil international campaign launched
by brilliant Indian scientist, activist, & author Vandana Shiva one of the founders of Regenerative International , whose work and foundation Navadany was among the first to connect the dots between climate change and the disastrous soil practices of industrial agriculture.
Local Ojai filmmaker Camilla Becket lovingly documented the work of Vandana Shiva & the Soil Not Oil campaign in the soon to be released documentary Seeds of Vandana.
Because our lives are entirely dependent on the health of our soils, the Soil Not Oil Campaign demands the care and regeneration of soils worldwide. We emphasize that extensive restructuring of land management practices, especially agriculture, is key to combating climate change, restoring water cycles, stopping ocean acidification, re-establishing biodiversity, improving food production, and revitalizing local economies across the planet.
Furthermore, we recognize that rapidly accelerating human-caused climate change is an imminent threat to urgent action to halt the reckless and expanding fossil fuel industry, which pollutes the ecosystems we depend on and drives climate change, threatening to destabilize our biosphere on a global scale. The Soil Not Oil Campaign's call for integrated action on sustainable practices in all areas of human endeavor is essential to ensuring a safe and healthy world for generations to come.
Restoring Global Soil Quality Is One Of The Best Things We Can Do For Climate Change: Little known climate change fact: Just the first meter of soil contains as much carbon as the entire atmosphere. And there's potential to soak up much
The event takes place on Thursday July 21 , 7:30- 9pm, at the Farmer & the Cook Restaurant 339 W El Roblar Dr, Ojai (Meiners Oak) CA 93023
More info: margie@sbpermaculture.org, 805-962-2571, Facebook Event Page http://www.facebook.com/events/1733416276947943/ Santa Barbara Permaculture Network facebook event page
Event Co-sponsors Becket Films, Farmer & the Cook, Santa Barbara Permaculture Network, & the Center for Regenerative Agriculture, East End Eden Permaculture Farm
2nd International Soil Not Oil conference in Richmond, California, August 5 & 6, 2016. http://soilnotoilcoalition.org/
Soil Not Oil Pledge http://soilnotoilcoalition.org/soil-not-oil-pledge/
Reasons to attend the 2nd Soil Not Oil Conference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FjPQGcraZQ
Clips from The Seeds of Vandana Shiva Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcaFM6rjp7Q and Film website http://vandanashivamovie.com/
The "4 per 1,000" Initiative wants to demonstrate that agriculture can provide practical solutions to the challenge of climate disruption, while also meeting that posed by food security through the use of farming methods that match local conditions: e.g. agroecology, agroforestry, conservation agriculture, landscape management.http://4p1000.org/understand
BOOK/The Carbon Farming Solution
BOOK/Soil Not Oil Environmental Justice in an Age of Climate Crisis Author: Vandana Shiva
Little known climate change fact: Just the first meter of soil contains as much carbon as the entire atmosphere. And there's potential to soak up much more.http://www.fastcoexist.com/3052240/restoring-global-soil-quality-is-one-of-the-best-things-we-can-do-for-climate-change
Agriculture and Climate Change Article by Bill Ostrander rancher and unsuccessful candidate for 24th Congressional District seat (Central and South Coast California)
Agriculture creates more than 20 percent of our carbon footprint and approximately 35 percent of the planet's greenhouse gas


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Laurent Genet
Laurent Genet joined Nutreco in 2007. He has held a variety of senior management positions in Europe and Asia related to livestock and aquaculture nutrition, health and farming.
Earlier in his career, Laurent worked internationally for the largest French feed producer. He is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. Laurent also studied at both the London Business School in the UK, and Affärshögskolan in Norway from which he earned qualifications in business management.
With a key focus on innovation, Laurent has contributed to Nutreco's overarching purpose of feeding the future in numerous ways. He spearheaded the company's first operations in Southeast Asia for both Trouw Nutrition and Skretting, as well as introducing shrimp as a new species for Skretting. Laurent also led the creation of NuFrontiers – Nutreco's corporate venturing arm. Latterly, he has been heavily involved in identifying and bringing forward new initiatives in the fields of digital technologies, biotechnologies and alternative proteins. With 30 years of experience in animal nutrition, health and farming gained around the world, Laurent has a very clear understanding of the need to be able to look beyond current circumstances in order to prepare for the future.
Sébastien Huron
Jean-Luc Michel
Senior Vice President, Head of Global Strategic Marketing
After graduating from the University of Pharmacy of Lyon with a Doctorate and from EM Lyon Business School with an MBA, Jean-Luc Michel started his career by creating his own consultancy company. He joined the pharmaceutical industry in 1991 spending 10 years developing a solid expertise in consumer healthcare and nutrition. During this period, he held a variety of senior marketing and sales management positions in France at Monsanto (Searle) and at Johnson&Johnson / Merck & Co where he was an Executive Committee member of the French subsidiary.
In 2001, Jean-Luc joined Merial, a leader in the animal health industry, where he held some key senior roles, such as EMEA Marketing Director of the Companion Animal Global Enterprise; Head of Marketing EMEA; Executive Marketing Director (Pet Business) in the US; VP, Head of Pet Vet Business Unit; and in 2016 joined the Executive Committee of Merial as Head of Global Commercial Development.
After the acquisition of Merial by Boehringer Ingelheim, Jean-Luc was appointed Head of Global Companion Animal Strategic Business Unit and became a member of the Executive Committee of the Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Business Unit.
Kathy V. Turner
Corporate Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer
Ms. Turner has been Corporate Vice President of IDEXX since May 2014 and leads the Company's Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) Companion Animal Commercial Operations. Prior to joining the Company, from 1987 to May 2014, Ms. Turner held various leadership positions at Abbott Laboratories, Inc., a broad-based healthcare company that manufactures and markets pharmaceuticals, medical products and diagnostics. Most recently, Ms. Turner was Divisional Vice President of European Commercial Operations for the Diagnostics Division from 2011 to 2014, and prior to that, Divisional Vice President of Global Strategic Operations for the Diagnostics Division from 2007 to 2011. Ms. Turner holds a bachelor's degree in marketing and advertising from Syracuse University.
Linda Rhodes
VMD, PhD, Independent and ex-CSO
Independent Animal Health
Dr. Rhodes has 28 years of accomplishments in human and animal drug discovery, development, biomedical research, and clinical veterinary medicine.
Dr. Rhodes was educated at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (VMD) and Cornell University (PhD). She has 28 years of accomplishments in human and animal drug discovery, development, biomedical research, and clinical veterinary medicine. She has an extensive background in physiology, veterinary medicine, and molecular biology. As a senior research fellow at Merck Research Laboratories for 10 years, she led pre-clinical biology evaluation of several marketed human drugs. Dr. Rhodes practiced clinical veterinary medicine for five years, with experience in both companion and farm animal practice. She worked for Merial Ltd. as director of development projects, leading project teams developing novel compounds for a variety of indications and headed new technology assessment, leading the evaluation of licensing opportunities. In April 2001, she formed AlcheraBio, a consulting, marketing, communications and contract research firm specializing in developing new drugs for animals, working with biotechnology and animal health companies, with clients in the US, European Union, Canada and Australia. AlcheraBio was acquired in 2008 by Argenta, and in 2011, Dr. Rhodes accepted a position as CEO of Aratana Therapeutics, a company developing innovative new medicines for dogs and cats, and subsequently, when the company became public (PETX) served as its Chief Scientific Officer. During her tenure, development was completed on three new pet therapeutics: two new molecules with novel mechanisms of actions were approved by the FDA, and a third drug had FDA registration completed and was approved in August, 2016. She is currently retired and an independent consultant. She is a member of the Board of Directors of ImmuCell (NASDAQ: ICCC) and the Alliance for Contraception in Dogs and Cats, serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Found Animals Foundation. She is an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate Animal Science program at Rutgers University.
Glenn David
EVP and Group President, International Operations, Aquaculture, BioDevices and Pet Insurance
Zoetis Inc.
Alan Mackay
Executive Partner and Founder
GHO Capital
Agri-EPI Centre Ltd
Thomas Zerzan
President Companion Animal
Phibro Animal Health
Insight into the market dynamics that are having the greatest impact on an industry is what drives our business and its this understanding that allows us to identify and secure the thought leaders who have a true 'vision' to offer. This is a small sample of some of those visionaries that are helping shape the future of animal health.
Jean Scheftsik de Szolnok
Member of the Board of Directors responsible for Animal Health
Jeff Simmons
Ms. Turner has been Corporate Vice President of IDEXX since May 2014 and leads the Company's Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) Companion Animal Commercial Operations. Prior to joining the Company, from 1987 to May 2014, Ms. Turner held various leadership positions at Abbott Laboratories, Inc., a broad-based healthcare company that manufactures and markets pharmaceuticals, medical products and diagnostics. Most recently, Ms.
Tyre Grant
Sr. Director, Global Food Animal Development
François Fournier
Virbac North America
Tim Bettington
Executive Vice President and President of U.S. Operations
Tim Bettington is executive vice president and president, U.S. Operations and Global Customer Experience. Mr. Bettington leads our U.S. commercial operations supporting our livestock and companion animal portfolios. Additionally, he leads our Global Customer Experience function, where he leverages his extensive experience in the worldwide animal health industry.
Prior to joining Zoetis in 2020, Mr. Bettington enjoyed a successful, diverse and global career in the animal health industry for more than 20 years, working in both the livestock and companion animal sectors. He joined Zoetis from Boehringer Ingelheim where he served as North American Region Head of Commercial Operations for its animal health business. In that role, Mr. Bettington had oversight for the Pet Veterinary, Pet OTC, Cattle, Swine, Equine and Poultry businesses. During his tenure at Boehringer Ingelheim and previously at Novartis Animal Health, Mr. Bettington worked in the U.S., Europe and Australia and developed a deep expertise in sales excellence, marketing, strategy and business integration.
Mr. Bettington holds a bachelor's degree in Agriculture from Western Sydney University and a master's degree in Marketing Management from the Macquarie Graduate School of Management in Sydney.
Prasad Vanga
Anthill Ventures
2008 - 2011: Division Director of International Business based at the Zenoaq Beijing Representative Office
2011- 2016: Company President of Nippon Biologicals, Inc. [Zenoaq affiliate]
2013 - 2016: Executive Director of International Business [Zenoaq]
2016: Company President of Vetoquinol Zenoaq K.K.
2016 - 2018: Executive Vice President of Zenoaq
2018 - present: Company President
Julia Loew
Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations
MWI Animal Health
Vet Partners
Jo qualified from Glasgow vet school in 1998, she has been actively involved in both clinical and all business aspects of veterinary life throughout her career. Jo has worked for Minster Vets for the last 16 years focusing on small animal clinical practice.
In the last 10 years she has become increasingly involved in managing the practice alongside her clinical role. Being instrumental in growing the practice, improving performance and developing the people within the practice. Jo is passionate about the veterinary profession and the people involved in it.
In 2015 she became Managing Director of VetPartners and then CEO in 2016.
Tom Zerzan
President, Companion Animal
Phibro
Jason Clay
Senior Vice President Markets
Dr. Jamie Crittall
Co-Founder & Commercial Director
Virtual Recall
Jamie qualified from Bristol Vet School in 1993. He owns two separate UK veterinary practices – one, a family-owned 147-year old multi-branch practice and the other, a 9-year old start-up (which he subsequently sold in December 2018), as well as global healthcare compliance technology company, Virtual Recall.
Co-Founded with fellow veterinarian, Charlie Barton, as a result of their vision to enhance the intimate bond between all owners & their animals. They help vets create more valued customer experiences and drive improved business performance, to deliver better health and financial outcomes. They currently have their patent-pending, communication solution, iRecall® installed in over 1750 practices across three continents. It enables practices to send their clients their own bespoke messages, completely automatically, ensuring every animal and every client receive the appropriate communication - including immediate feedback - every time.
iRecall® sent over 26 million automated and personalized messages by SMS, email & post this year to over 3.5 million clients. helping them to become better informed and more engaged in the health and well-being of their 5.3 million animals, driven by their vets' recommendations. Improving compliance, adherence and greater practice loyalty, delivering a virtuous value circle. Additionally, iRecall® enhances practices' digital reputations by capturing over 1 million Net Promoter Scores to date, with an average score of over 80, with promoters encouraged to provide written testimonials and online reviews.
During Lockdown, they developed a new direct-to-consumer solution, OurVet.Shop®. Providing practices with a simple, secure payment gateway to pay for in-clinic services & settling outstanding accounts as well as offering clients a new channel to purchase food and medicines (-including prescription) with home delivery.
Virtual Recall was acquired by Zoetis in July 2020, and Jamie is now Senior Commercial Director within within Zoetis' newly-formed Digital Practice Services Business Unit.
Jamie also has an all-encompassing knowledge and love for the media, being vet on set for film, tv & commercials for twenty plus years and a 5-year sabbatical in British television. He appeared regularly as a vet on The Big Breakfast; Sky News; BBC1's The Really Useful Show, and latterly, co-presenting Pet Rescue's spin off series, Pet Rescuers and Pet Rescue Roadshow. He has radio broadcast countrywide and is a regular speaker at UK veterinary business, technology and marketing seminars, conferences and events. Jamie is a Trustee of the Petplan Charitable Trust. Married with three children and a menagerie of pets and he can often be found mountain biking around the Surrey Hills.
Dr Sam Hoste
Quantech Solutions
Dr Sam Hoste, through Quantech Solutions, has undertaken Agri-Tech leadership roles in business, central government and global consultancy firms. He has led sector-wide animal health improvement initiatives; was instrumental in the establishment of the UK's Agri-Tech Centres and COO of the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock.
Dr Sam Hoste, through Quantech Solutions, has undertaken Agri-Tech leadership roles in business, central government and global consultancy firms. He has led sector-wide animal health improvement initiatives; was instrumental in the establishment of the UK's Agri-Tech Centres and COO of the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock. He was a director and geneticist at ACMC and NPD, and UK Technical manager for PIC and a non-Exec at the Irish startup, Monford Ag. He is currently working with a number of UK and international Agri-tech companies that provide data, vision and emissions reduction opportunities for farmers and supply chains.
Mark Scott
Bella & Duke
Mark is Co-Founder and CEO of the pet wellness brand Bella & Duke which has become the largest DTC of natural pet food in just over 3 1/2 years in the UK.
Richard Hobson
Herdsy
Thomas Tillett
MBF Therapeutics
Dr Simon Doherty
Senior Lecturer (Education) in Animal Health & Welfare
Queens University Belfast (Institute of Global Food Security)
Stephane Maddens
Vetbiobank
Gavin Hodgson
Buying Managers: Meat, Fish & Poultry
Justin Sherrard
Global Strategist Animal Protein
Sven Arnouts
John Kirkpatrick
Agricultural Manager
Janet Helms
Global Sustainability Developer
Eric Haaksma
Head of Research and Development at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health
From the market leading Animal Health and Pharmaceutical Companies to the most well respected CROs, CMOs, Consultants, M&A Advisors, Private Equity, Incubators, Accelerators and Distributors, our Strategic Partners continue to play a pivotal role in how we help shape the future of Animal Health. For more information on how to become a strategic partner, please visit our Marketing Solutions page
Testimonials & Success Stories
Just come along to one of these events and you'll be hooked and definitely want to visit more of them – especially once you have a chance to meet everybody here and engage with the industry!
Oliver Hardcastle, Junior Partner, Stonehaven Consulting
What would I say to people that are not at this event? Shame on you - everybody else is!
Clint Lewis, EVP, President of International Operations, Zoetis
It's a unique forum to bring people together from different parts of the value chain in animal health – from small companies to large companies.
It's a great place, you will make tons of great contacts; and if you're not here you're missing out!
Randolph Seidler, VP, Global Head of Business Development, Boehringer Ingelheim
The event has been great. I really enjoyed the pre-conference workshops, and after that it just got better. We've had great interactions with the industry, and it's really been a lot of fun!
Jeroen Kortekaas, CSO, BunyaVax
The best thing about the event is the opportunity to network with people that, if we were to have to go visit as a company, we'd have to travel the world to meet – but they're all congregated here so we have a good op to visit with them and exchange ideas and to collaborate with them.
Johnny Jacobsen, Global Head of Customer Experience, Argenta Limited
Companies that haven't come to the event yet need to realise that it's an investment and it will really broaden their horizons. This is a group of people that have been in the industry along time, and also a group of new people that are just starting out, and if they're not here for that conversation they're really missing that the breadth that I just don't think they can get anywhere else. This is a really unique opportunity for them!
Linda Rhodes, Independent Animal Health Consultant
The event has been great, we've had the opportunity to meet a few people that we wouldn't ususally meet, and also to meet again with colleagues and clients we've been working with before, so it's a great opportunity to be exposed as an organisation, but also to network and collaborate with different industries and different clients from within the industry. I think it's been fantastic!
German Graff, BioResearch Business Development Manager, IDEXX BioResearch
It has been an exciting event. It's an interesting piece bring together different kinds of companies – big pharma, start-up companies and even, now, technology companies, like Antelliq, that are representing big data and the high-tech touch, so it's an excellent convergence form all these types of companies.
Stefan Weiskopf, CEO, Antelliq
I think this is the best place to be presenting because this is the animal health event. It has been a really excellent meeting!
Virpi Muhonen, CEO, Co-Founder, Askel Healthcare Ltd
Hear from industry professionals about their experiences with our events and how they've benefited company growth.
How Animal Health Innovation Impacts Company Growth with David Iscovich, Mileutis
We had a chat with CEO of Mileutis, David Iscovich about how Animal Health Innovation has contributed to comapny growth and remains the must attend event in the industry
Marcio Waldman, CEO, Petlove
Read our catch-up with Marcio Waldman, CEO of Petlove to find out what challenges and opportunities have emerged for Animal Health in Latin America.
PetMedix, A Timeline of Growth
Take a detailed look at PetMedix's timeline of development and how our Animal Health Innovation events have facilitated their growth
Kisaco Research
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About six months ago, Liza and I were lucky enough to score some time with Michael Burcham, CEO of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center. In case you haven't been keeping up with business news lately, Michael took the reins of the Center nine months ago and turned it into a new business factory, meeting with people who have good ideas and helping them see how to turn those ideas into real businesses.
Michael Burcham, CEO of the Entrepreneur Center, greets us at his Williamson County home.
As we zoomed downtown in our vans retrofitted for three kids, we were giddy to share our concept of the blog and our goals for the future. We came away from our meeting with Michael not only feeling validated that we were on the right track, but with some incredible ideas to gnaw on. (In fact, our weekly Faces profile was inspired by this meeting.) Our session with Michael gave us a glimpse of the energy and passion he brings to his job.
Toward the end of the meeting, our conversation turned to personal passions, and we started talking about his art collection. We were surprised that this dynamic business mind loved collecting religious icons.
With beautiful balance, each icon is arranged carefully to complete the picture.
Having attended Catholic schools for 14 years and serving as the self-appointed teacher's pet of numerous nuns, I know a little about statues and icons. To this day, I feel a sense of soberness and tranquility when I walk into churches adorned with statues of saints, grottos and intense murals–the more garish the better.
Michael's extensive collection includes books, paintings and religious artifacts.
Of the many crucifixes displayed in the house, this one is stunning.
Michael grew up in Booneville, Mississippi. His father was a Baptist minister and his mother a devout member of the Church of Christ, and in 1960's Booneville, those were profoundly different denominations. When Michael was very young, his mother left and his parents separated. Reverend Burcham gained custody of Michael and his brother, a move that was not only scandalous, but also highly unusual for that day. The episode challenged religious, cultural and family values in the community in ways that were reminiscent of the story in To Kill A Mockingbird, and the trial that ensued rocked both the town and the Burcham family.
As we walked down the long hall, this statue of Christ captivated us.
In Catholicism, the Blessed Mother is considered to hold special powers and is prayed to reverently to take care of those in need.
This Anglican chalice is Michael's favorite in his collection. It was acquired from a family in Dublin.
Respect for a higher power and the mystery of faith inspire this painting.
For all of his entrepreneurial firepower, the mysterious connection between Michael Burcham and his art may be the most fascinating thing about the man.
The competing elements of nature, fire and water are captured in this exquisite stone structure. on Michael's back patio.


text:
It's been one year since a Tucson woman 'vanished'
Remaining Ad Time Ad - 00:00
January 13, 2020 6:20 pm Denelle Confair Local News, News, Newsletter, Top Stories
TUCSON - Elizabeth Breck's disappearance is a mystery to her family, law enforcement and private investigators that have been hired to find her. On Jan. 13, 2019 she went missing.
The mother of two left Sierra Tucson, a residential treatment center offering rehabilitation programs, four days after she checked herself in for a 30-day program for trauma. Breck was never heard from or seen again.
"It's tough. It's been a year," said Christopher Breck, Elizabeth's brother. "She wasn't at Christmas this year and Thanksgiving. Big family holidays are probably the hardest."
Breck would now be 47-years-old. Her family says she loved Catalina State Park and they believe she may have tried to walk there on foot from the facility.
"It was rainy that evening, it dropped down very very cold," Christopher Breck said. "Who knows I just...hope nobody took her and did something to her. I would rather have her succumb to the elements then have something like that happen."
Investigators working Breck's case are calling it a mystery, wondering why or how a beloved Tucson High School teacher and mother of two could just disappear.
"The strangest thing to me is that there is nothing," said George Economidis, a private investigator with Patriot Shield Investigations said. "I mean like she literally just vanished."
Breck's family believes she may had a breakdown causing her to flee the facility with only her I.D. and some cash.
"We had a number of calls from the time she went missing to mid-July of possible sightings," Economidis said. "Followed up on all those with no positive result. They were always explained off as somebody else or somebody that looked like Elizabeth."
If you have any information on Breck's whereabouts, you're asked to call police or 88-CRIME. You can remain anonymous.
The family also has a GoFundMe page set up for their continued search efforts. If you'd like to donate, click here.
Denelle Confair


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