View them in sequence. There are five parts totaling around thirty minutes. And as it says in the film…
“Hear their stories. Wrestle with them. Disagree with them, agree with them. Try to see where these stories fit inside your own sense of what ‘up’ [or progress] means or how its defined.”
This movie is a proposal, a conjecture, so please offer your ideas and join the discussion at the bottom of this page.
Part One: Introduction and Ryan
Part Two: Steve
Part Three: Kim & Andrew
Part Four: Lara, Beth, & Sara
Part Five: Lara, Beth, & Sara II w/ Credits and Resources
Part Six (EXTRA): Hoop House, Rain Barrels, & Compost Tea
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Tags: america, american, eastern mennonite university, gardening permaculture, little grill collective, Living lawnless, new community project, progress success, ryan beuthin, transitions studio, urban gardening
December 15, 2009 at 2:21 am |
How do these stories speak to your own definition of what “progress” means? Are there more stories of “unsung Americans” that need to be told?
December 17, 2009 at 2:54 am |
We both had the whole Midwestern super-agribusiness thing going on around us, for sure, Ryan. I still have family who farm, but they’re dwindling rapidly. Two generations back, and for however long before that, they ALL farmed.
There’s this “back to basics” austere lifestyle that’s alluring to me. That said, we still shop at big box grocery stores, because we’re poor grad school students trying to work to pay for living expenses (student loans for academic expenses, no scholarships), so we haven’t been able to figure out a way to stretch our money and invest the time required to go the route of sustainable, local.
I’m way open to this stuff, though; that’s why I like the “transitioning” metaphor, because it doesn’t necessarily lay a guilt trip on people who are still trying to figure it out but aren’t already “there” (if that even exists).
I love the fact that we have some Table representation in the house here, w/ you and Steve!
December 18, 2009 at 11:09 pm |
Awesome. I’m so glad you put this together. I want to come out there and hang out and meet these people and learn more about what they’re doing. I’m excited and encouraged.
December 19, 2009 at 12:39 pm |
Hey Ryan!
Mark (my husband) and I just watched all these videos – great job! They were really well put together and now that we’re done watching them, we’re engaging in some great discussion about it and thinking about how we’re living and how we’re going to live when we get back to the U.S. Thanks for sending out the email to all us LASPers about it!
Kara Bradley Estep
December 29, 2009 at 6:11 pm |
Ryan this was wonderful!!!!!!!!!!! It reminds me of what we did at I.U. in the 60′s and early70′s. Truly we all need to be growing more and more of our food. In our gardens we use no chemicals and it is all natural. Every year we add more space. Good work and God love dh.
December 31, 2009 at 5:36 pm |
…”Then I realized…that I didn’t know how to do anything.” LOL That’s classic!
December 31, 2009 at 6:05 pm |
Lara, Beth and Sarah:
Nice Hoop House! Also, I think I’ll try the composting bioheater in my parents’ greenhouse next winter after I repair/seal it up!
You probably know this, but you can put beer in jar lids on the ground around plants where slugs are a problem and they’ll drown in it…(unless you don’t want to harm the slugs) It works!
Thank you for sharing!
February 7, 2010 at 4:41 pm |
ryan. you are amazing!
thank you for opening up with your humble honesty and curiosity. we are blessed to call you and janie friends and applaud the amazing things you are doing in your life. you are incredibly talented and keep working towards your version of ‘up’! we all have a long road ahead of us!
cheers!
kim