Ever wondered how the food on your plate is produced? Take a dive into the details of food production in Ontario with a special screening of the documentary ‘Before the Plate’ happening on August 24 at Conestogo Lake Conservation Area.
The movie follows Canadian chef John Horne as he tries to trace back the ingredients he uses in his dishes at his restaurant, all the way back to the farms that they came from.
Event organizer Brett Israel said he hopes the screening will bring advocacy for agriculture in a positive light.
“Even as a farmer, I have very little knowledge of what goes into producing carrots and onions for example, because we raise pigs and grow grains. It’s a really enlightening experience in constructing just one plate,” he said of the documentary.
In a rapidly evolving agricultural landscape there is more to food than meets the eye, Israel says, there is an underlying pressure for farmers to feed so many people. There’s a challenge to produce more but in a more sustainable way without leaving such an impact on the environment.
“I hope we can respect what we’re consuming on a greater level so there’s less waste.”
Consumers and producers will be able to come together for a night to enjoy a home cooked dinner provided by Floradale’s own Bonnie Lou’s Cafe, followed by the film screening.
The food will include organic and local food from the area. “Hopefully having a meal beforehand will spark those conversations and then people can reflect upon after the film and go ‘hey, that dinner I had, I bet there was a hardworking producer that went into producing the pig or what not,’” Israel explained.
“We want people to know where their food comes from and that it’s safe,” said Linda McFadden, secretary treasurer at the Wellington Soil and Crop Improvement Association.
Not only does this movie allow people to feel better about the food they are eating, but it can inform people on how to sort out the best buying decisions for themselves or their families.
The documentary unfolds in Horne’s prestigious restaurant, Canoe, located on the 54th floor of a Toronto highrise, where he journey’s from the busy, urban city, to the rural origins of his ingredients. Not only does he investigate where the food comes from but he takes a deeper look at sustaining the food we consume and produce.
The event will start at 6:30 p.m. and will go until 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 online at Eventbrite, which include dinner and a movie. The screening is presented by Wellington Soil and Crop Improvement Association.
“Hopefully we leave the evening with a stomach full of good food and our brains with a lot of good information,” said Israel.
