Month: February 2023

17 Feb 2023

Arts and Agriculture Come Together in New Documentary Film

Arts and agriculture
Come together in new documentary film

Produced by Interlochen Arts Academy and Greenacres Foundation, the film will showcase the power of generative farming practices and its connection with human nutrition and the environment.

Greenacres Foundation and Interlochen Center for the Arts are proud to announce their partnership on a new film project exploring the impact of generative agriculture. The film will be produced by Interlochen Arts Academy’s Film & New Media students and will feature interviews with farmers and scientists as well as data from agricultural research conducted by Greenacres and its partners.

“It is great to have a partner to bring to life the research we’ve done,” said Greenacres President Carter Randolph, Ph.D. “Partnering with Interlochen Center for the Arts will allow us to reach a wider audience and bring attention to the importance of generative agriculture through impactful storytelling. There are so many truths in the research and science and it’s time to make it available in a format that resonates with consumers.”

It is great to have a partner to bring to life the research we’ve done. Partnering with Interlochen Center for the Arts will allow us to reach a wider audience and bring attention to the importance of generative agriculture through impactful storytelling. There are so many truths in the research and science and it’s time to make it available in a format that resonates with consumers.”

Carter Randolph, Ph.D., Greenacres President

Interlochen Film and New Media students will do just that.

“The film aspires to tell a human, accessible story that will emotionally connect with, inspire and educate audiences, empowering them with knowledge to act,” said Interlochen Center for the Arts Director of Film and New Media Michael Mittelstaedt. “Our students will be integral to the creation of this film under the guidance of our faculty and resident artists. Their voice is an important one in these issues and this will be one of the first times their perspective is shared with the world.”

“The film aspires to tell a human, accessible story that will emotionally connect with, inspire and educate audiences, empowering them with knowledge to act. Our students will be integral to the creation of this film under the guidance of our faculty and resident artists. Their voice is an important one in these issues and this will be one of the first times their perspective is shared with the world.”

Michael Mittelstaedt, Interlochen Center for the Arts Director of Film and New Media

As part of the educational experience, Interlochen students will enroll in a new hands-on science class utilizing Interlochen’s on-campus organic farm and the RB Annis Botanical Lab. The class, entitled Biology: Regenerative Agriculture, explores the complexities of regenerative agriculture through the lens of documentary film study.

It’s important for students to understand the philosophy and science behind regenerative agriculture. Students learn on such a deeper level when they actually get to see it in practice and actively participate in the process,” said Interlochen Director of Sustainability Emily Umbarger.

It’s important for students to understand the philosophy and science behind regenerative agriculture. Students learn on such a deeper level when they actually get to see it in practice and actively participate in the process.”

Emily Umbarger, Interlochen Director of Sustainability

“We are thrilled to join with Greenacres Foundation to produce this film and bring broader attention to the critical benefits of regenerative agriculture,” said Interlochen Center for the Arts President Trey Devey. “This partnership provides  unparalleled opportunities  for our students to work across artistic disciplines, engage with professional artists, explore new facets of sustainability, and create meaningful, world-changing art.”

“We are thrilled to join with Greenacres Foundation to produce this film and bring broader attention to the critical benefits of regenerative agriculture. This partnership provides  unparalleled opportunities  for our students to work across artistic disciplines, engage with professional artists, explore new facets of sustainability, and create meaningful, world-changing art.”

Trey Devey, Interlochen Center for Arts President

In 2016, Interlochen’s Board of Trustees adopted a sustainability resolution, pledging to “create an environmentally friendly and sustainable campus” at Interlochen Center for the Arts. In the six years since, the organization has constructed a botanical lab and community garden; initiated campus-wide recycling and composting programs; installed water-saving appliances and restroom fixtures; established sustainability education programs for Interlochen students and members of the local community; and donated thousands of pounds of organic fruits and vegetables to the local food pantry at Redeemer Lutheran Church. In 2019, the United States Department of Education designated Interlochen Center for the Arts a Green Ribbon School in recognition of the organization’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact, improve the health and wellness of its students and staff, and provide effective environmental and sustainability education. Later this year, Interlochen will also release its first-ever formalized climate action plan, which will outline further steps toward mitigating climate change and reducing the institution’s carbon footprint.

The film is set to begin production this fall, with a goal of premiering at national film festivals. It will then be made available to the public through a streaming platform and community screenings.

About Interlochen Center for the Arts

The nonprofit Interlochen Center for the Arts is a recipient of the National Medal of Arts and the only organization in the world that brings together a 3,000-student summer camp program; a 500-student fine arts boarding high school; opportunities for hundreds of adults to engage in fulfilling artistic and creative programs; two 24-hour listener-supported public radio services (classical music and news); more than 600 arts presentations annually by students, faculty and world-renowned guest artists; and a global alumni base spanning nine decades, including leaders in the arts and all other endeavors. For information, visit Interlochen online at www.interlochen.org.

About Greenacres Foundation

Greenacres Foundation is an Ohio-based nonprofit and underwriter of the project. The foundation’s work focuses on education, conservation and generative agriculture with an emphasis on encouraging appreciation of nature by providing the public, particularly children, opportunities to study plant and animal life in their natural settings. For more information, visit Greenacres online at www.green-acres.org.

02 Feb 2023

Silo Removal at Michaela Farm

Silo Removal at Michaela Farm

The blue silos behind the Michaela Farm barn building are being removed and recycled for the safety of employees and visitors. These silos were not part of the original construction of the barn, and they have reached the end of their functional life span because of their age and condition. Greenacres respects and appreciates the historic nature of the barn and is working to preserve this important piece of the farm for future generations.

We carefully inspected these structures and determined the best course of action would be to remove them as they were showing signs of their age. They served their intended purpose for several decades, but as Greenacres transitions the property towards its focus on education, we want to ensure that the environment is as safe as possible for everyone. We are working with an Indiana contractor specializing in the safe and clean removal of these structures. We expect the project to be completed before the end of February 2023.”

Alex Saurber, Director of Buildings & Grounds

There are several ways old silos can be dismantled. Greenacres wanted to ensure that the historic barn building was not at risk throughout the process. The contractor who will remove the silos specializes in a method removing them from the bottom up. Although more time-consuming, there is no risk of unintended damage to surrounding structures. The recyclable materials will be sorted and sent to the appropriate facilities for reuse.

The deconstruction method we will use is very similar to a popular silo construction method in which a contractor builds a section and uses jacks to lift it to make room for the next section underneath. Each layer is added below the previous section. Deconstruction reverses this process by lifting the silo off the ground and removing the lowest section. One the ring is completely removed they lower the jacks and remove the next section and continue this process until the silo is completely dismantled. Very few contractors use this method to remove silos, instead preferring a quicker method of dropping them like a tree. Due to the potential danger to the surrounding historical buildings, we didn’t feel this option was viable. We spent a number of weeks finding a contractor who specialized in our preferred method and they will begin deconstruction on February 27th.