Kiss the Ground w/Alone Out Here – IN PERSON

Kiss the Ground
Narrated and featuring Woody Harrelson, this film reveals that by regenerating the world’s soils, we can stabilize Earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems, and create abundant food supplies. Kiss the Ground illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon, soil is the missing piece of the climate puzzle.
Country, 2020, 84 minutes
Directors Joshua Tickell, Rebecca Harrell Tickell
Distributor Roco Films

Alone Out Here

A farmer’s 22-year commitment to transform the genetics of his herd are pitted against the beef industry, who hold the future of his family’s 4th generation farm in their hands. Through his incredible journey of loss and survival, we learn what it takes to be true to yourself, at any cost.
Australia, 2021, 24 minutes
Director Luke Cornish

This film will feature an in-theatre tasting by Chef Jenni Lessard. Dish: Askiy Garden Salad- Lakota squash, bean and maple purée, amaranth and late harvest greens, spruce tip & juniper vinaigrette, puffed wild rice, charred corn, bison dry meat.

This film will be followed by a panel featuring (bios below):

Angus Ells (Bragg Lumber Company)
Joe Piotti (Sweet Earth Farm)
Dr. Andy Hammermeister (Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture)
Catherine Manning (Manning Family Farm)
Moderator Joey Pittoello (JustUs!)

Sponsored by the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture

Jenni Lessard

Jenni Lessard is a Métis chef, recipe developer, and Indigenous Culinary Consultant for Wanuskewin Heritage Park. She grew up in the boreal forest of Northern Saskatchewan, with no TV reception. She filled her time picking berries, rosehips, and lake mint, then used them in her cooking. Jenni’s first restaurant, at age 14, was Flight Delight, a burger truck at the La Ronge Municipal Airport. In 2005, with no formal culinary training, Jenni opened New Ground Cafe in the farming community of Birch Hills, SK. Live music events, art, and Jenni’s unique blend of storytelling and cooking garnered a province-wide client base, when she moved to Saskatoon to focus on catering. Jenni is Secretary of the Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations, Vice President of Métis Local #126, and sits on the steering committee of Slow Food Saskatoon. She makes her home in the Qu’Appelle Valley on Treaty Four Territory. @chefjenni

Panellists: 

Angus Ells (Bragg Lumber Company)
Angus Ells grew up on a mixed livestock and crop farm in the Annapolis Valley and has been involved in farm management and consulting agronomy for the past three decades. He is currently the manager of carrot operations for Bragg Lumber Company – the Canadian farming division of the Oxford Food Group. Angus has been involved in several agricultural organizations and community groups. Angus resides in Sheffield Mills, Kings County, N.S. with his wife Nova Keddy.

Joe Piotti (Sweet Earth Farm)
Joe Piotti operates a mixed 200 acre farm/woodlot in Colchester County, managing Belted Galloway grass fed beef cattle, forest raised Berkshire pigs, pasture raised poultry, a certified organic haskap orchard, Christmas tree lot and woodlot. Before farming, Joe worked in the banking and investment banking industries for over 35 years in New England. Joe actively farms with his wife Stephanie, and two young children, Luke & Sadie.

Dr. Andy Hammermeister (Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture)
Dr. Andrew Hammermeister is the director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC) and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada. Andy is the Director of the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada which offers online organic courses and co-manages the national science program for organic agriculture. Andy grew up on a mixed beef and grain farm in southeast Saskatchewan. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture with a specialization in soil science from the University of Saskatchewan. He completed his Master’s in Land Reclamation and his Ph.D. in Applied Ecology at the University of Alberta.

Catherine Manning (Manning Family Farm)
Catherine Manning of Manning Family Farm grew up on a dairy farm, completed her BSc in Animal Science at NSAC and agriculture has always been a huge passion in her life. She is actively involved in the 4-H program, on both club, county, and provincial levels and is involved with the NS and Maritime Angus Associations Catherine and her husband Dean, have mixed farm operation consisting of greenhouses, vegetables, grain and beef cattle in Falmouth, NS. They were recently awarded The Environmental Stewardship Award (TESA) from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association for 2021.

Moderator Joey Pittoello (JustUs!)
Joey Pittoello is General Manager at Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op, in Hortonville, Nova Scotia, and is responsible for producer-relationships. This allows him the opportunity to regularly visit organic coffee, chocolate, and sugar producers around the world–many of whom practice organic regenerative agriculture and agroforestry. He is also the past chair of the Atlantic Canada Organic Regional Network (ACORN) and currently sits on the Organics Nova Scotia (ONS) steering committee. Joey has worked on several commercial organic farms over the past 15 years, and currently lives and works with his wife and two children on their hobby farm in Hortonville.

In keeping with Nova Scotia provincial health regulations and a desire to keep all our guests safe and healthy, Devour! will require proof of full Covid-19 vaccine immunization along with a valid photo ID upon entry to all events with no exceptions. For all Devour! Covid Protocols, please visit our website.