Films with: Pollan, Michael

Botany of desire

Shows how human desires are an essential, intricate part of natural history. The program will explore the natural history of four plants -the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato - and the corresponding human desires - sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control. This two-hour documentary begins in Michael Pollan's garden, and roams the world, from the fields of Iowa to the apple forests of Kazakhstan, from a medical marijuana hot house to the tulip markets of Amsterdam.

DVD 7205

Food, Inc.

Lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing how our nation's food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profits ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. Reveals surprising - and often shocking truths - about what we eat, how it's produced and who we have become as a nation.

DVD 7086

In defense of food

Pollan, a professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, argues forcefully for small-scale, local production of foods and support for local farmers through farmer’s markets and community supported agriculture programs. He sees local eating as a means not only for sustainable agriculture and healthful eating but for rural areas to preserve both their natural beauty and social character, an issue of especial significance to the values and economy of Vermont, where Pollan received his undergraduate education at Bennington College.

DVD 5610