Even as the temperatures drop into the 40s and Moscow is hit with its first rain in weeks, the Kenworthy Performing Arts Center is full of people eager to talk about an insect primarily associated with spring — bees.
The free showing of the documentary “Keep the Hives Alive” Wednesday, Sept. 20, was the first film featured in the Moscow Food Co-op’s bi-annual Food for Thought series.
“Keep the Hives Alive” tells the story of South Dakota beekeeper James Cook’s mission to unite farmers and beekeepers to lobby for policy changes supporting sustainability in both fields. The people Cook interviewed in the film shared a message of unity between agricultural fields.
“Nothing is in isolation, everything happens in collaboration,” one urban farmer from Detroit said in the film, showing off his field to the camera crew.
Other interviewees in the film expressed hopes for a future full of sustainable agriculture.
Because the film lasted only 36 minutes, the event was able to include a panel with local bee experts where community members were able to ask questions and learn more about bee conservation.
The panel featured backyard beekeeper Pam Brunsfeld, Community Members for a Nontoxic Moscow founder Carly Lilly and Washington State University entomology professor Steve Sheppard. Elaborating on the film’s theme of sustainable gardening and agriculture, the panelists shared tips for starting bee-friendly yards and using essential oils as all-natural pesticides.
“We’re providing a resource to the community so that they can educate themselves about different topics,” said Max Newland, Co-op education and event coordinator.
Newland said the Food for Thought program has been a beloved tradition in Moscow for years. He said this is likely due to the community’s dedication to environmental protection.
“It’s a great fit here,” he said. “There’s a lot of urban farming and larger farms in the surrounding area, so we get a lot of people coming into the Co-op for tips on things like composting.”
The Food for Thought film series is co-sponsored by the University of Idaho Sustainability Center, which hosted a table outside the entrance to the theater. The student group partners with the Co-op to serve on the film committee each year and helps to cover the cost of film rights when necessary. Newland said that the UI Sustainability Center is “essential” to the continuation of the program.
Sustainability Center Events Coordinator, UI junior Jace Hogg, was a representative of the group at the “Keep the Hives Alive” showing. As movie-goers entered the theater, he stood by to explain the different projects and goals of the Sustainability Center.
“A lot of people may not realize that something is an (environmental) issue,” Hogg said. He said he hoped that the film series would highlight important issues in the Moscow area and bring them into greater public awareness.
The rest of the Food for Thought fall/winter series will consist of “The Family Farm” in October and “An Inconvenient Sequel” in November. Each installment will take place at 7 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month at the Kenworthy. For more information about the Food for Thought series, visit the Co-op’s website at www.moscowfood.coop/education/ or on Facebook at @MoscowFoodCoop.
Beth Hoots can be reached at arg-arts.uidaho.edu