Meeting Place Organic Film

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2015, HD video, 57:56

A Collaborative Community Film

The politics of food, land use and resource management are the most pressing issues the world faces today, and it’s all happening right in our back yards.

Local, organic, and sustainable are words we associate with food production today, but 40 years ago, when Fran and Tony McQuail started farming in Southwestern Ontario, they were barely spoken. Since 1973, the McQuails have been helping to build the organic farming community and support the next generation of organic farmers. This is a documentary about the McQuails that explores the very real ways their farm has contributed to the long term ecological viability of agriculture in Ontario. It is a call to action for all those who believe there is a better way to take care of our planet and feed the world.

In 1973 Fran and Tony McQuail bought a rundown farm near Lucknow, Ontario, a region dominated by monocropping and industrial agriculture. Over the last four decades, these environmental warriors have built a sustainable and ecologically sound farm that stands as a model for others. Meeting Place Organic Film is a collaborative community film that tells the stories that are important to the communities the McQuail’s belong to and furthers the conversation about how we produce food and explores models of land stewardship that are respectful of the earth and all its relations. Director Rebecca Garrett and Producer Britt Gregg-Wallace have known Fran and Tony for many years and have always been impressed by their commitment to organic farming, ecology and social justice. Their actions – from running for political office, to training young organic farmers, to limiting their use of non-renewable resources – are deeply integrated with their values and intersect with their everyday lives.

From the very beginning, the McQuail family has actively participated in the process of making the film. They bring the same approach to the film as they do to the farm, working tirelessly and cheerfully to find thoughtful solutions to immediate problems with an eye on what is best for the planet and future generations. Their broader communities of rural residents and sustainable food enthusiasts have been involved in the funding of the project and, most importantly, in sharing their thoughts on what matters to them.