Filmmakers Douglas Gayeton and Laura Howard-Gayeton turned their pioneering method of mixing hand-written text with photo collage into a stunning collection of short films that mix animation by Pier Giorgio Provenzano with live action interviews with food producers from across the country.
The “Story of an Egg”, “Local” and “Forage” explore terms such as “cage free,” “food miles,” and “eating in season.”
The Lexicon of Sustainability™ shorts are a
production, funded and presented by ITVS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
For 2013 we will create 20 more short films.
for films you’d like to see here.
Watch The Story of an Egg on PBS. See more from The Lexicon of Sustainability.
Running Time: 6:00
[featuring David Evans, Alexis Koefoed, Nancy Gleason]
produced by Laura Howard-Gayeton
directed and written by Douglas Gayeton
edited and animated by Pier Giorgio Provenzano
Can learning the meaning of a single term actually help change the food system? David Evans and Alexis Koefoed think so. These poultry farmers explain the real story behind such terms as “cage free, “free range” and “pasture raised” so that consumers can make informed decisions when they go to their local supermarket.
David Evans
A third generation farmer in West Marin, David raises pastured poultry and grassfed beef for customers across the entire San Francisco Bay Area.
Marin Sun Farms
“Pasture Management”
Inverness, CA
Alexis Koefoed
Soul Food Farm
“Pasture Raised vs. Cage Free”
Vacaville, CA
Running Time: 5:36
[featuring Tyler Grey, Iso Rabins, Fallen Fruit, Running Squirrel]
produced by Laura Howard-Gayeton
directed and written by Douglas Gayeton
edited and animated by Evan Andrews
Our earliest descendants were hunter/gatherers who foraged for their food, were in tune with their surroundings, and ate with the seasons. After foraging was essentially replaced by agriculture, people became increasingly detached from where their food came from. Foraging offers people a way to reconnect with nature and shows that food is all around us.
Tyler Gray
This lifelong forager turned his passion into a business specialized in providing chefs around the USA with the rarest in foraged edibles.
Mikuni Wild Harvest
“Wild Harvest”
Vancouver, BC
David Burns + Austin Young
Along with their partner, Matias Viegener this collective has mapped the locations of fruit across Los Angeles, inspiring similar projects around the globe.
Fallen Fruit Collective
“Fallen Fruit”
Los Angeles, CA
Iso Rabins
The leader of a San Francisco collective which forages for edible plants across the city, often making discoveries in the most unlikely places.
Forage SF
“Eating in Season”
San Francisco, CA
Running Squirrel
This Cherokee Indian learned to forage from his mother, who taught him to watch how and what animals eat and to always leave something before for whomever comes after.
“Sustainability”
Near Dougan Falls
Skamania County, WA.
Running Time: 5:36
produced by Laura Howard-Gayeton
directed and written by Douglas Gayeton
edited and animated by Pier Giorgio Provenzano
As consumers take increased responsibility for what they eat, many choose to become “locavores”, favoring foods grown or produced in their communities. By voting “local” with their pocketbooks when they go to the supermarket, these consumers keep money in local economies while supporting and strengthening local food systems. They also decrease their “food miles” and with it their carbon footprint, of critical importance in confronting the challenge of climate change.
Still, even the most responsible consumers can’t find everything locally. Coffee, spices and most fish often come from halfway around the world. In these cases, consumers can embrace the principle of a “connected market”. By applying the same rationale used when buying local products to those that come from great distances, consumers can ensure their purchases support the growth and production of responsible and sustainable food systems.
Coined the term “locavore” to describe people like herself who lived primarily on food produced locally.
Three Stone Hearth
“Locavore”
Berkeley, CA
A Northern California Farmer specialized in rare vegetable and fruit varieties.
Star Route Farms
“Heirloom vs. Hybrid”
Bolinas, CA
A prominent grower providing a variety of citrus for the San Francisco foodshed.
Lagier Ranches
“Food Miles”
Escalan, CA
Author of “Farm City”, the NY Times bestselling book on her many challenges in converting a vacant city lot into a thriving city garden.
Ghost Town Farm
“Urban Farmer”
Oakland, CA
These homeowners converted their suburban backyard into a full-fledged farm providing produce and pastured poultry for farmers markets and restaurants across Los Angeles.
Winnetka Farms
Winnetka, CA
“Local is my Own Backyard”
Based in Yakutat, Alaska, this family owned company that catches, processes, and ships sustainably managed Salmon across the US.
Mystic Salmon
“Connected Market”
Yakutat, Alaska
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