Soil and Wine at the Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Symphony of the Soil was invited by Michel Blanc of the Fédération des Producteurs Châteauneuf-du-Pape to present the film at the famous Cinema Utopia in Avignon, France. Another sold-out screening of passionate people talking about wine, food and of course soil! Director Deborah Koons Garcia was joined by geologist Georg Truc and agroecology specialist Karim Riman for a special presentation of the film, right next to the Pope’s Palace in Avignon.

CInema Utopia’s director Patrick Guivarc’h presented the film to an enthusiastic crowd of winegrowers and winelovers as well as ecology experts and people excited about soil and the possibilities of regenerating the earth’s precious resource.

Director Deborah Koons Garcia with a glass of Chateauneuf-du-Pape at the reception before the screening

Dublin and Desireland

Kathe Burt-O’Dea and Deborah Garcia at the Light House screening in Dublin

It’s been almost two years since we first spoke with organizer Kathe Burt O’Dea about bringing the film to Dublin. Her organization, Desireland, a research based consultancy that focuses on the socio-cultural relationships that influence human well-being as related to the built environment and the promotion of integrated healthcare systems, was interested in screening Symphony of the Soil as it relates to many of the projects – including SPUDS (Sustainable Potatoes United Development Study), the Bi Project, The Lifeline and The Sitric Garden.

We had a sold-out screening with quite a long waiting list, so for those who didn’t see the film at the beautiful Lighthouse Cinema, they can rent the film online from our website. Sold out screening of Symphony of the Soil – Theater 2 at the Light House Cinema.

Symphony of the Soil in Theater 2 of the Light House Cinema Dublin (sold out screening)

Symphony of the Soil at Ballymaloe

Director Deborah Koons Garcia in front of the Ballymaloe Grainstore.

We had a wonderful time at Ballymaloe which houses a beautiful country house, famous cookery school, and most recently added, the fabulous Grainstore, where we showed Symphony of the Soil to a packed house on October 8.

We toured the cookery school with Tim Allen, who showed us the organic farms and gardens – with a special tour of the compost!

The evening was a wonderful success – with a packed Grainstore full of folks passionate about soil and our food system.

Rory O’Connell and Deborah Koons Garcia at the Grainstore event co-hosted by Slow Food East Cork.

SOS at The James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen Tech Fest

Symphony of the Soil at The James Hutton Institute – A wonderful place with incredibly passionate soil enthusiasts! The James Hutton Institute houses Scotland’s National Soils Archive at the Aberdeen campus and are doing innovative, interesting things that are accessible and available to the public! The James Hutton Institute‘s acting Chief Executive, Professor Colin Cambell presented Director Deborah Koons Garcia at a special screening during the Aberdeen Tech Fest today.

Scotland loves its Soils

On the road with Symphony of the Soil. Director Deborah Koons Garcia presented the film in Biggar and Edinburgh to well-receiving audiences who were enthusiastic and passionate about saving our soils! Thank you Dr. Janet Moxley, the Soil Association Scotland, Learning for Sustainability Scotland, and The James Hutton Institute for supporting the film and promoting soil consciousness.

Poster for Symphony of the Soil in Biggar, Scotland, where she presented the film to the local community with Dr. Janet Moxley, September 29, 2015.

Deborah Koons Garcia presenting the film to a passionate crowd at the University of Edinburgh, September 30, 2015.

Symphony of the Soil in Scotland!

We will embark on our UK tour of Symphony of the Soil starting in Scotland! Come celebrate the International Year of the Soils with us in the Southern Uplands, the capital city or the Highlands! Here’s a list of where we will be in this beautiful country! Director Deborah Koons Garcia will be present with a Question and Answer to follow the screening.

September 29, 2015 7PM
Biggar Screening with Dr. Janet Moxley
Biggar Snooker and Social Club
1 Howieson Square, Biggar ML12 6DP
Biggar, Lanarkshire, SCOTLAND

September 30, 2015 6:30PM
Soil Association, Learning for Sustainability and The James Hutton Institute
University of Edinburgh
Holyrood Road EH8AQ
Edinburgh, SCOTLAND

October 1, 2015 7PM
Aberdeen Tech Fest
The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler
Craigiebuckler AB15 8QH
Aberdeen, SCOTLAND

Ocotober 5, 2015 7:30PM
Findhorn Foundation
Universal Hall
The Park, Findhorn, SCOTLAND

Deborah Koons Garcia celebrates soil on Capitol Hill

April in Washington D.C. is a sea of petals. Visitors come from around the country, and indeed the world, to see pink and white cherry blossoms gracing the Tidal Basin and visit monuments lined with banks of variegated tulips. In the midst of all this beauty, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the font of its profusion lies hidden below ground in the soil. But, on Monday April 13th the soil finally got its due and took center stage on Capitol Hill….

See more at the Cnter For Food Safety site.

Deborah Koons Garcia at the US Congress

Director Deborah Koons Garcia is in Washington DC on April 13th to speak at the US Congress for a Congressional Briefing on the Soil-Carbon Connection and presenting clips from Symphony of the Soil. In honor of the International Year of the Soils and the global effort to create soil consciousness, we are streaming Symphony of the Soil for the week of April 13 – 19 in English with Spanish subtitles for free. The film is available on our site and can be embedded and shared. You can support the film and the International Year of the Soils by holding a public screening, giving an educational collection to your local library or school, or giving a DVDs to friends. Enjoy and happy International Year of the Soils!

Nature is Speaking – Edward Norton is the Soil

Here’s a PSA from Conservation International. What do you think?

Symphony of the Soil in the Green Room

On March 13, Director Deborah Koons Garcia was invited to speak at The Merwin Conservancy in Maui, HI for the Green Room series. Here is a recount of her experience there.

I continue to find myself in some truly wonderful situations because this film. The highlight of this year was traveling to Maui, Hawaii with my dear friend Molly Jones, who worked on Symphony of the Soil and The Future of Food with me, to do a screening for The Green Room series which benefits The Merwin Conservancy. Forty years ago the esteemed poet WS Merwin moved to Hawaii, built himself an off-the-grid wooden house, continued his studies of Zen Buddhism, wrote beautiful poetry and started what would become The Merwin Conservancy, nearly 20 acres of palm trees from all over the world. It is considered the premier collection of palm trees in the world. William and his wife, Paula, live right in the Conservancy in their beautiful wooden house.

The screening in Maui was an especially moving experience for me because this past November the citizens of Maui passed a measure that bans the growing of any genetically engineered crops on the island. Naturally the corporations are fighting this. The citizens along with their allies such as the Center for Food Safety are fighting to make this ban stick. The screening was full of organic farmers, activists, friends and people who love poetry, especially the fine poetry that William writes. It was a real honor to have William and Paula in the audience and I was pleased that they enjoyed the film as well as the lively discussion afterwards. It was especially wonderful to bring to a wider audience awareness of the good work that William and Paula have been doing for all these years.

The very best part of my visit to Hawaii was the visit that Molly and I made to the Conservancy. Jason Denhart, Executive Director of The Merwin Conservancy, gave us a comprehensive and fascinating tour of the palm trees. Then we had a lovely visit with William and Paula on their porch overlooking the trees. William is 88 and Paula is a bit younger and it was a joy to talk with them about our mutual interests including meditation, Buddhism, activism, dogs, poetry and life. They bring together art, love of nature and social conscience in such a loving way. William was Poet Laureate of the United States twice and has won the Pulitzer Prize. He’s one of the most esteemed poets in the world and he’s dedicated his life to creating beauty in his work with words and tree planting. I consider it one of the fruits of my labor to find myself in the presence of such good and productive spirits.

-Deborah Koons Garcia, Director/Producer
Symphony of the Soil
The Future of Food