Local Gardening to fight Factory Farm Runoff

Pesticides, fertilizers, and waste from industrial farms come into contact with water sources that are used to hydrate fields that hold many of the crops of fresh produce that our communities consume. These can create lasting effects on the ecosystem, as well as our communities. In an effort to become more sustainable, the Green Living Project holds a film festival that features short films from students about enhancing their community. 

Student films should be up to five minutes in length and can cover any sustainability-related topic. The contest is open to middle school through graduate level students that can either work as individuals or in groups. Winners receive a prize package that is valued up to $1,000, shown at GLP events, and the Media Institute for Social Change’s Student Sustainability Film Festival that also includes other cash prizes.

This video shown, titled “School Sprouts” was one of the Spring 2012 winning video’s. The video by Samantha Lyon out of Antioch University featured students in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. With little ecosystem, the students were encouraged to garden and make their own fresh and healthy produce in order to support sustainability. 

By encouraging local gardening, an emphasis on sustainability and lessing the impact from Factory Farms. Waste from these farms can be hazardous on fresh produce and instead of accepting these conditions, communities should take a stand. By supporting and contributing to local gardening, the message will be clear that local communities want fresh produce that is not contaminated by the runoff from factory farms and that something should be done.