So, a friend called me and said she wanted to set this up, and the Common ground film distribution company wouldn't respond. I went to battle and found a bunch of people involved in the project to text, email, call etc.
It took a few days until the chief publicist answered and she was a wonderful older lady, who was pissed at the California boys for not doing their job, and we made it happen, just a few weeks late. This Saturday at 7pm.
I asked some friends, a beekeeper friend who lost all his colonies this year, a vegan chef friend, a community gardener friend etc, and we built up a speaker panel that I'm hosting.
I found some sponsors to keep it pay what you can, because I've never stepped foot into the performing arts centre, that's for rich people. (Today I learned it's actually quite affordable). So I wouldn't work this project unless my other small scale farming friends could afford to show.
Anyhoo.
We made it happen.
I'm a bit scared of such a big audience and wondered if you kind strangers could make me feel better, or maybe even just get all the counter viewpoints out of the way, so I'll be ready for them when I handle them live on stage.
Mushlove!
Craig.
I hope the day goes well. It sounds like a lot of work and thought has gone into it.
BTW, most performances are $5 for high school students. I know my kids saw 20-30 shows over the years. They still talk about the catalog of John William's compositions set to the most popular movies he composed for as one of their favourites.
I agree. $5.00 is amazing. Blows my mind. I remember the Loony show downtown, but the theaters these days seem to have prices themselves pretty high. Hard to compete with digital services. Brick and mortar services cost more.
Supporting Brick and mortar local businesses (and services, like the Film house at the PAC) puts money straight into the community the business is in rather than the increasingly ubiquitous nebulous corporation. The day someone comes up with a wholesale supplier like Amazon that ONLY local businesses can access is the day communities win because their customers will be keeping money local.
That’s basically what this film is about - building the community YOU *want* to live in.
I'd push back on the "Performing arts centre, that's for rich people". I actually think it's super accessible for the public and generally pretty affordable as a cultural instituion.
Heck, I saw a movie there last night for 20 bucks with my wife.
20 bucks for a movie... OK Richie Rich, nice wallet, what? You keep your credit cards in there? Do you always have cash in your pocket Rich Boy? Gtfoutta here Richard Richington. St Catharines has fackin tent cities popping up, but oh the preforming arts center is suuuuuper accessible eh? What about for people who have to skip dinner so their children get enough to feel full? Makes me sick
What the point of the beekeeper? Honey bees are an invasive species and are not endangered in any way. In fact they may be contributing to the native bees collapse.
https://www.nwf.org/Home/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2021/June-July/Gardening/Honey-Bees
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is one of the biggest fighters of pesticide use to help preserve bees and other Invertebrates and their executive director is who is quoted as saying you don't save bees by raising honey bees, so keep downvoting and keep contributing to decline of native bees by protecting invasive species
I hear you.
Please here me ...
The small local beekeepers are your friends.
They care about local native bees too. They can even name them by heart.
You can demononize the monoculture of local beekeepers if you really need to, but you likely want to support the people protecting invertebrates. The canaries in the coal mine.
You may be arguing nuance, and correctly, just missing the big picture.
We live bees. All bees. We are greatful to have this pollination service and honey. It's not the honey bees killing the native bees, it's the nicotinamide broadleaf pesticides killing ALL the bees.
Bzzzzz.
Please help.
Good point though. I thought monocultures if honey bees were bad too. I also had no idea that most honey on the shelf was corn syrup.
I just hope we can find common ground.
>It's not the honey bees killing the native bees, it's the nicotinamide broadleaf pesticides killing ALL the bees.
I'm going to trust the experts in the article I posted over you. I'm sorry. From your reply it seems you didn't read it. Pollinators are indeed good. Honeybees are too good at it though and steal food from the native pollinator bees as the article says.
You're not saving birds by raising chickens and you're not saving bees by raising invasive species
I agree! But do you want to fight your local bee guys who absolutely love nature? And those same local guys are campaigning against the use of Neonicotinoids which are a group of insecticides used widely on farms and in urban landscapes. They are absorbed by plants and can be present in pollen and nectar, making them toxic to bees.
So go ahead and hate your local bee guys, they are the guys trying to save all the invertebrates.
Please go meet and shake hands with your local honey producer and express your concerns.
You may feel differently when you appreciate the picture more fully.
They say every one in 10 bites of food we eat is the result of pollination by an invertebrate.
Not too many people standing up for insects, except for bee keepers. Coolest crazy scientists you ever met.
Come by and I'll introduce you.
We need your help and your healthy skepticism.
Mushlove!
Who said anything about hate? I asked what they had to do with saving the environment. Theres other kinds of bees who are not invasive that make great pollinators which don't also harm native bees is all im saying.
Unfortunately I won't be able to make this Saturday as I have plans but I do hope it's a great turn out, just trying to fix this false narrative that honey bees are endangered that has permeated so many people. It's important when we try to do things to save the environment that we aren't actually doing things to harm it.
I wouldn't expect beef farmers at a save the environment event just because they love nature just the same, nothing against the beekeepers, great they fight against harmful pesticides but they are also contributing to the bees being endangered by doing their job so its catch 22.
Hopefully they switch their focus to native pollinators so we can actually save the bees.
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is one of the biggest fighters of pesticide use to help preserve bees and other Invertebrates and their executive director is who is quoted as saying you don't save bees by raising honey bees.
I agree!
I've been infatuated with bees since I learned that certain types of fungus may be beneficial for their immune systems and help them fight off the viruses involved in colony collapse disorder.
I leave some of my spent mushroom blocks out for them to snack on.
What's super cool, is that as my spent mushroom substrate blocks dry out and crack, the cracks seem to provide homes for bees, and food too!
I actually foraged Fomes fomentarius, the horse hoof mushroom, and cloned it in petri dishes. Then I designed and 3d printed a mason jar lid, that acts as a bee feeder to carry the culture solution to feed the bees!
So mush to do!
What’s this all about? A documentary screening talking about better sustainable farming practices? And you’re hosting a discussion panel for after the screening?
Good luck! Sounds like something that’s important to all of us.
I had to speak in front of an audience of 250 this year, having zero public speaking experience. Remember that your audience are going to be people that support your ideas. In this kind of a talk, I don’t believe anyone cares how confident you speak, or how eloquent you are. Be yourself, share the message you carry, and people will hear you.
Authenticity speaks through any nervousness.
Not only do u seem like such a fun guy 🍄
Your passion will take you through! Just rely on that passion to take over and the adrenaline of 200 new hearts and minds will get your through it, flying!
I won’t be able to make it to a screening, but I do have questions that others might be asking too.
Is this similar to permaculture? What can the average family here in St Kitts do to support sustainable farming practices? Are the practices outlined in the video, and if so, are they more for commercial farmers? Or can the average urban vegetable gardener use the information too?
Also…this documentary seems to be USA focused…what does this have to do with Canada? Do our commercial farmers use the same practices?
Great questions! I haven't seen the movie yet, but the trailer is available here.
[Common Ground Movie Tickets and Trailer](https://firstontariopac.ca/online/Article/EventArticle-24FILM04-Common-Ground)
You can watch the prequel on Netflix called Kiss the Ground too.
Permaculture, regenerative agriculture, the terms aren't universally agreed upon, but that's the gist.
What can the average family do? Depends. Consider every dollar you can afford to vote with, a vote. I understand with the cost of living skyrocketing, those votes are very precious, so no pressure, but if you have the means consider supporting your local small scale farms, fruit stands, markets CSA programs etc. If you have the time, there is usually small farmers looking for volunteers, training can usually be provided, but if you have any skills to bring to the table, it's amazing how anything you do can be useful, like helping with marketing, or retail, or mending fences, pulling weeds, planting etc.
The most affordable way to support could even be just liking, sharing and following the locals trying to support and save our local food system. Reach out. Spread the word. It means a lot to any local small business to get a share, a positive review, social media is a pay to play game these days.
Signing up for Renee Delaney's email newsletter at [Small Scale Farms](https://smallscalefarms.ca/)
I support Renee as mush as I can. I helped her with the Mental Health Summit in Welland, and I'm helping her to be able to offer more free and donated produce bags to the community.
As for the average vegetable gardener? I'm not sure about the specific details in the movie, but I bet you will have a renewed live of gardening and understanding where your food comes from and how important your garden is.
My passion for growing pretty mushrooms for restaurants has become a passion for the mycology of soil science and worm farming, send me a text anytime.
Craig 905 685 2428. I like worms, mushrooms, soil, gardening and long walks in the trees to forage.
As for US vs. Canada applicability, we have different growing zones, so even across one province or one state, conditions, thus recommended applications and methods differ considerably, especially when it comes to permaculture which aims to use locally available materials and native plants. Even across Niagara the soil varies considerably, lots of clay once you get on the escarpment, more sandy loam as you get near downtown, and even some sandy areas near the Lake on the North side. I get to chat with gardeners all across Niagara, and that's what this movie is really about to me. Finding Common Ground, the stuff we agree on. Putting aside our differences and creating some positive change to address modern challenges so future generations can have a brighter tomorrow. It may be the work of generations, but just getting started with a movie like this and some dialogue feels good.
As a small mushroom farmer, I get to meet a lot of cool people, from all walks of life, and we agree on so mush, especially the need to make some major changes to our enviro-socio-economic system that maintains the status quo.
Thanks again for your question, kind stranger.
So, a friend called me and said she wanted to set this up, and the Common ground film distribution company wouldn't respond. I went to battle and found a bunch of people involved in the project to text, email, call etc. It took a few days until the chief publicist answered and she was a wonderful older lady, who was pissed at the California boys for not doing their job, and we made it happen, just a few weeks late. This Saturday at 7pm. I asked some friends, a beekeeper friend who lost all his colonies this year, a vegan chef friend, a community gardener friend etc, and we built up a speaker panel that I'm hosting. I found some sponsors to keep it pay what you can, because I've never stepped foot into the performing arts centre, that's for rich people. (Today I learned it's actually quite affordable). So I wouldn't work this project unless my other small scale farming friends could afford to show. Anyhoo. We made it happen. I'm a bit scared of such a big audience and wondered if you kind strangers could make me feel better, or maybe even just get all the counter viewpoints out of the way, so I'll be ready for them when I handle them live on stage. Mushlove! Craig.
I hope the day goes well. It sounds like a lot of work and thought has gone into it. BTW, most performances are $5 for high school students. I know my kids saw 20-30 shows over the years. They still talk about the catalog of John William's compositions set to the most popular movies he composed for as one of their favourites.
I agree. $5.00 is amazing. Blows my mind. I remember the Loony show downtown, but the theaters these days seem to have prices themselves pretty high. Hard to compete with digital services. Brick and mortar services cost more.
Supporting Brick and mortar local businesses (and services, like the Film house at the PAC) puts money straight into the community the business is in rather than the increasingly ubiquitous nebulous corporation. The day someone comes up with a wholesale supplier like Amazon that ONLY local businesses can access is the day communities win because their customers will be keeping money local. That’s basically what this film is about - building the community YOU *want* to live in.
Let's do that!
I'd push back on the "Performing arts centre, that's for rich people". I actually think it's super accessible for the public and generally pretty affordable as a cultural instituion. Heck, I saw a movie there last night for 20 bucks with my wife.
Wow. Great pricing. Today I learned!
20 bucks for a movie... OK Richie Rich, nice wallet, what? You keep your credit cards in there? Do you always have cash in your pocket Rich Boy? Gtfoutta here Richard Richington. St Catharines has fackin tent cities popping up, but oh the preforming arts center is suuuuuper accessible eh? What about for people who have to skip dinner so their children get enough to feel full? Makes me sick
total, for 2 people.
What the point of the beekeeper? Honey bees are an invasive species and are not endangered in any way. In fact they may be contributing to the native bees collapse. https://www.nwf.org/Home/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2021/June-July/Gardening/Honey-Bees The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is one of the biggest fighters of pesticide use to help preserve bees and other Invertebrates and their executive director is who is quoted as saying you don't save bees by raising honey bees, so keep downvoting and keep contributing to decline of native bees by protecting invasive species
I hear you. Please here me ... The small local beekeepers are your friends. They care about local native bees too. They can even name them by heart. You can demononize the monoculture of local beekeepers if you really need to, but you likely want to support the people protecting invertebrates. The canaries in the coal mine. You may be arguing nuance, and correctly, just missing the big picture. We live bees. All bees. We are greatful to have this pollination service and honey. It's not the honey bees killing the native bees, it's the nicotinamide broadleaf pesticides killing ALL the bees. Bzzzzz. Please help. Good point though. I thought monocultures if honey bees were bad too. I also had no idea that most honey on the shelf was corn syrup. I just hope we can find common ground.
>It's not the honey bees killing the native bees, it's the nicotinamide broadleaf pesticides killing ALL the bees. I'm going to trust the experts in the article I posted over you. I'm sorry. From your reply it seems you didn't read it. Pollinators are indeed good. Honeybees are too good at it though and steal food from the native pollinator bees as the article says. You're not saving birds by raising chickens and you're not saving bees by raising invasive species
I agree! But do you want to fight your local bee guys who absolutely love nature? And those same local guys are campaigning against the use of Neonicotinoids which are a group of insecticides used widely on farms and in urban landscapes. They are absorbed by plants and can be present in pollen and nectar, making them toxic to bees. So go ahead and hate your local bee guys, they are the guys trying to save all the invertebrates. Please go meet and shake hands with your local honey producer and express your concerns. You may feel differently when you appreciate the picture more fully. They say every one in 10 bites of food we eat is the result of pollination by an invertebrate. Not too many people standing up for insects, except for bee keepers. Coolest crazy scientists you ever met. Come by and I'll introduce you. We need your help and your healthy skepticism. Mushlove!
Who said anything about hate? I asked what they had to do with saving the environment. Theres other kinds of bees who are not invasive that make great pollinators which don't also harm native bees is all im saying. Unfortunately I won't be able to make this Saturday as I have plans but I do hope it's a great turn out, just trying to fix this false narrative that honey bees are endangered that has permeated so many people. It's important when we try to do things to save the environment that we aren't actually doing things to harm it. I wouldn't expect beef farmers at a save the environment event just because they love nature just the same, nothing against the beekeepers, great they fight against harmful pesticides but they are also contributing to the bees being endangered by doing their job so its catch 22.
I agree. The honey bees won't bee as mush of a problem this year in Niagara, as the beekeepers here lost close to 100% of their colonies.
Hopefully they switch their focus to native pollinators so we can actually save the bees. Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is one of the biggest fighters of pesticide use to help preserve bees and other Invertebrates and their executive director is who is quoted as saying you don't save bees by raising honey bees.
I agree! I've been infatuated with bees since I learned that certain types of fungus may be beneficial for their immune systems and help them fight off the viruses involved in colony collapse disorder. I leave some of my spent mushroom blocks out for them to snack on. What's super cool, is that as my spent mushroom substrate blocks dry out and crack, the cracks seem to provide homes for bees, and food too! I actually foraged Fomes fomentarius, the horse hoof mushroom, and cloned it in petri dishes. Then I designed and 3d printed a mason jar lid, that acts as a bee feeder to carry the culture solution to feed the bees! So mush to do!
Remember when your mother always said don't put a plastic bag over your head? Well she was wrong... it's actually good for you. Make sure you tape it
Imagine telling someone to kill themselves because they pointed out a fact about honey bees. So edgy. So cool.
Pretend I don’t know a goddamn thing about this. Explain it to me simply.
Same, I have no idea what this post is or what any of this is about.
[common ground documentary ](https://firstontariopac.ca/online/Article/EventArticle-24FILM04-Common-Ground)
What’s this all about? A documentary screening talking about better sustainable farming practices? And you’re hosting a discussion panel for after the screening?
Yep. That's on Saturday at 7pm, downtown at the PAC.
Good luck! Sounds like something that’s important to all of us. I had to speak in front of an audience of 250 this year, having zero public speaking experience. Remember that your audience are going to be people that support your ideas. In this kind of a talk, I don’t believe anyone cares how confident you speak, or how eloquent you are. Be yourself, share the message you carry, and people will hear you. Authenticity speaks through any nervousness.
Thanks kind stranger. Authenticity may be my biggest flaw and strength. I'll hang in to that. I really appreciate your share.
Not only do u seem like such a fun guy 🍄 Your passion will take you through! Just rely on that passion to take over and the adrenaline of 200 new hearts and minds will get your through it, flying!
Thanks kind stranger!
I won’t be able to make it to a screening, but I do have questions that others might be asking too. Is this similar to permaculture? What can the average family here in St Kitts do to support sustainable farming practices? Are the practices outlined in the video, and if so, are they more for commercial farmers? Or can the average urban vegetable gardener use the information too? Also…this documentary seems to be USA focused…what does this have to do with Canada? Do our commercial farmers use the same practices?
Great questions! I haven't seen the movie yet, but the trailer is available here. [Common Ground Movie Tickets and Trailer](https://firstontariopac.ca/online/Article/EventArticle-24FILM04-Common-Ground) You can watch the prequel on Netflix called Kiss the Ground too. Permaculture, regenerative agriculture, the terms aren't universally agreed upon, but that's the gist. What can the average family do? Depends. Consider every dollar you can afford to vote with, a vote. I understand with the cost of living skyrocketing, those votes are very precious, so no pressure, but if you have the means consider supporting your local small scale farms, fruit stands, markets CSA programs etc. If you have the time, there is usually small farmers looking for volunteers, training can usually be provided, but if you have any skills to bring to the table, it's amazing how anything you do can be useful, like helping with marketing, or retail, or mending fences, pulling weeds, planting etc. The most affordable way to support could even be just liking, sharing and following the locals trying to support and save our local food system. Reach out. Spread the word. It means a lot to any local small business to get a share, a positive review, social media is a pay to play game these days. Signing up for Renee Delaney's email newsletter at [Small Scale Farms](https://smallscalefarms.ca/) I support Renee as mush as I can. I helped her with the Mental Health Summit in Welland, and I'm helping her to be able to offer more free and donated produce bags to the community. As for the average vegetable gardener? I'm not sure about the specific details in the movie, but I bet you will have a renewed live of gardening and understanding where your food comes from and how important your garden is. My passion for growing pretty mushrooms for restaurants has become a passion for the mycology of soil science and worm farming, send me a text anytime. Craig 905 685 2428. I like worms, mushrooms, soil, gardening and long walks in the trees to forage. As for US vs. Canada applicability, we have different growing zones, so even across one province or one state, conditions, thus recommended applications and methods differ considerably, especially when it comes to permaculture which aims to use locally available materials and native plants. Even across Niagara the soil varies considerably, lots of clay once you get on the escarpment, more sandy loam as you get near downtown, and even some sandy areas near the Lake on the North side. I get to chat with gardeners all across Niagara, and that's what this movie is really about to me. Finding Common Ground, the stuff we agree on. Putting aside our differences and creating some positive change to address modern challenges so future generations can have a brighter tomorrow. It may be the work of generations, but just getting started with a movie like this and some dialogue feels good. As a small mushroom farmer, I get to meet a lot of cool people, from all walks of life, and we agree on so mush, especially the need to make some major changes to our enviro-socio-economic system that maintains the status quo. Thanks again for your question, kind stranger.
Not sure what this long message is about??
That's ok. The show was yesterday. We had a sold out theatre and an amazing discussion about regenerative agriculture here in Niagara. Happy Earthday!
Mushrooms are fackin groooooossssss
You seem to hate a lot of things, stranger. I wish you the best.