Naturally Chicago in Spotlight at Common Ground Film Event

As a mission-driven organization, Naturally Chicago is proud to have hosted the Chicago premiere of the Common Ground film. This important documentary focuses on the benefits of regenerative agriculture in fighting climate change and restoring the vitality of our nation’s badly damaged soils, and it is an excellent example of how engaging storytelling can transmit a powerful message. 

The event, held November 18 at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre, was elevated by the personal appearance of filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell. The married couple has been producing impactful documentaries about environmental protection and destruction since 2007.

Kiss the Ground, their 2020 prequel to Common Ground, helped educate people from all walks of life about why regenerative agriculture is better for people and the planet. That film was based on Josh's 2017 book, Kiss the Ground: How the Food You Eat Can Reverse Climate Change, Heal Your Body and Ultimately Save Our World. 

Photos by Bob Benenson.

The Tickells participated in a post-screening panel discussion that also featured these leading local supporters of a better-for-people, better-for-the-planet farming system: 

Chef Rick Bayless with filmmaker Rebecca Tickell and Naturally Chicago Managing Director Jim Slama.

Chef Rick Bayless is best known for helping popularize regional Mexican cuisine through his Chicago-based Frontera Restaurant Group and his Mexico One Plate at a Time TV cooking show. But Rick is also one of the nation's leading supporters and benefactors of small farms. Over two decades, his Frontera Farmer Foundation has made millions of dollars in outright grants to small Midwestern farms. He was also a founding Board member of Green City Market, Chicago's most influential farmers market, and for many years has been a primary customer for the pasture-raised meats produced by Indiana rancher Greg Gunthorp. 

Dr. Silvia Abel-Caines

Dr. Silvia Abel-Caines pursues her passion for regenerative agriculture at her Garlic eScape farm in Woodstock, Illinois. Silvia, who grew up in Dominican Republic, came to the U.S. to obtain advanced degrees in veterinary medicine, settled in the Chicago area, and for the past dozen years has been ruminant nutritionist for the Organic Valley dairy products company. Her desire to grow garlic using regenerative practices prompted her to start a tiny farm that is expanding thanks to a partnership with The Conservation Fund's Working Farms Fund.

Regenerative farmer Rick Clark.

Rick Clark, who is featured in the Common Ground film, is a 5th generation farmer from Williamsport, Indiana. An early convert to regenerative farming practices, his main goal is to build soil health and achieve balance with Mother Nature. He is most proud of incorporating regenerative farming practices with all acres being certified organic. He calls it regenerative organic stewardship with no tillage. He also cares deeply about human health, as it is another important driver behind the organic no-till style of farming, and he is building a system that will be viable and profitable for generations to come. 

Urban farmers Stephanie Dunn (right) and Guadalupe Garcia.

Stephanie Dunn is founder and executive director of Star Farm Chicago, a non-profit urban farm and landscaping service located in the under-resourced Back of the Yards neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. She brings a wealth of skills to the organization as a licensed general contractor and farmer. In addition to managing just shy of an acre of urban space, she helps build and maintain the farm's infrastructure, and is a staunch advocate for disability rights and the inclusion of women in positions of leadership in the sustainability field. 

Stephanie was joined on the panel by Guadalupe Garcia, Star Farm Chicago’s Production Manager and Community Outreach Associate. Guadalupe’s dedication to sustainable agriculture has been with her all her life, having grown up on a farm in Mexico near the Monarch butterfly sanctuary. This experience taught her the full potential that a love for sustainable agriculture allows: Her dedication is not just for human health, but for the health of the environment and the ecosystems that we coexist with and depend upon.  

Naturally Chicago’s Jim Slama

Jim Slama is managing director of Naturally Chicago, a growth-focused Good Food and Natural Products association co-founded by the CEOs of three industry leaders: KeHE, SPINS, and Presence Marketing. Naturally Chicago recently launched Locally Made, a program to give local companies access to major retailers and get promoted on shelf. He previously founded and ran the Good Food Expo, which created markets for many local and sustainable farms and brands; played a key role in facilitating the start of Whole Foods Markets' Local program in 2006; launched the first food financing conference in America in 2009 in partnership with University of Chicago Booth School of Business; and with Whole Foods created the Good Food Accelerator to support numerous early-stage companies, many of which are women owned and/or minority owned.  

What is Common Ground About? 

We want you to see Common Ground for yourself, and out of respect for the filmmakers (no spoilers!), we are sharing their description of the film below: 

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The documentary film on the recurring subject of regenerative farming, COMMON GROUND,  features the narration of actors and activists Jason Momoa, Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson, Rosario Dawson, Laura Dern and Ian Somerhalder, alongside North Dakota regenerative farmer Gabe Brown.   

The elegantly photographed and empowering film highlights the information and tools needed to alter food and agricultural systems by working with nature and employing the principles of regenerative farming. Research has shown that practice increased production of healthier crops that are chemical-free with more calories per acre than the chemical-laden GMO crops at a lower cost of production, and the added benefit of healthier soil, retains more water and stores carbon from the atmosphere than chemically laden soils. 

Created by Ojai-based filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell, who also produced Kiss The Ground, On Sacred Ground about events behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, and Regenerate Ojai, the couple continues their healthy soil crusade in the latest film that shows that regenerative agriculture is firmly rooted in traditional ecological knowledge. Much of what’s called “regenerative agriculture” has been practiced by indigenous people and in Europe for generations. The film takes a deep dive into the agricultural history of the United States, how the food we eat has changed, and an encouraging approach to regeneration. 

According to the Tickells, their series on soil is an urgent call to action and a plan for how to save the future, heal the climate, and fix a broken food system — all through regenerative agriculture. It’s meant to be a vehicle to teach farmers how to convert to the regenerative format. The movement is an effort to build climate and economic resilience in farming communities by encouraging a diversity of crops that can better withstand pests, droughts, hurricanes and flooding. 

A long list of experts who also appear in the doc includes Certified Professional Soil Scientist with the Soil Science Society of America Ray Archuleta; president and co-founder of the Environmental Working Group Ken Cook; and noted cardiologist Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian.  

There are proven results that by using cover crops, improved crop rotation and animal grazing, regenerative agriculture grows soil carbon and decreases the effects of climate change — and is more profitable in the end. With proper management, regenerative agriculture can build both organic soil carbon and nitrogen stocks — tightening up the problematic nitrogen cycle in the current agricultural system and reducing the need for costly fertilizer from abroad. The moral of the story is that a healthy future lies in the healthy soil beneath our feet. 

Click here to visit the Common Ground website. 

Why Naturally Chicago Supports Common Ground 

As the association for our region’s Natural Products industry, Naturally Chicago holds support for regenerative agriculture as a core principle. The brands that are members of the Naturally Chicago community impart a better-for-people-and-the-planet ethos in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector. 

Jim Slama, Naturally Chicago’s Managing Director, underscored our organization’s interest in regenerative agriculture in an opinion article, focused on Common Ground, that was published by Crain’s Chicago Business. 

“Common Ground, a new documentary about regenerative agriculture, is selling out showings across the country with this primary message: Growing food using regenerative methods is a powerful solution for climate change. 

“The world is suffering yet another drastic weather year with massive heat waves, droughts, floods and wildfires. It can feel as though there is little hope in sight to solve climate change. 

“Yet Common Ground offers a simple message: Let's grow nutrient-dense food in a manner that sequesters vast amounts of carbon in our soil. According to the Rodale Institute, if we converted all global croplands and pastures to regenerative and organic, we could sequester more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions. Farmers using these practices grow organically, using crop rotations, cover crops and, in many cases, rotational grazing of livestock and/or poultry. The result is incredibly healthy, carbon-rich soil and food loaded with nutrients, minerals and vitality. “

The article also highlights companies and brands that are producing or sourcing regeneratively, including Naturally Chicago community members such as Simple Mills, Chomps and Vital Proteins; Chef Rick Bayless (who participated in the post-showing panel); Janie’s Farm and Janie’s Mill in downstate Danforth, whose regeneratively produced grains are sourced by producers such as Publican Quality Bread and Jenny’s Tofu; Rana Meal Solutions; and Yishi Foods. The article also cites actions by Big Food companies such as General Mills and Cargill intended to support regenerative agriculture. 

Click here to read the full article. 

Regenerating the Message at the VIP Reception 

Naturally Chicago also walked the walk at the VIP Reception, preceding the film showing, that took place in the Music Box Theatre’s lounge and at Steingold’s of Chicago deli next door. 

The following graphic shows the amazing menu upon which Steingold’s delivered. Note the sources of regeneratively produced ingredients that are listed in the menu. 

Windy City Mushrooms and Theo’s Plant-Based Beet Jerky — two rising-star startups in the Naturally Chicago community — also sampled their products at the VIP reception.

The goodness extended to the beverages served at the reception. There were cocktails made with spirits from two of our region’s most environmentally friendly distillers — Judson & Moore (Chicago) and Silver Tree (Paxton, Illinois) — and from Greenstar Brewing, owned by Chicago’s Uncommon Ground restaurant, that was the first organic brewery in Illinois. 

We hope you enjoy these photos of the event.