Symphony of the Soil

Source: symphonyofthesoil.com

A regular reader and contributor to this website pointed me to a cool website and excellent film on soils—their importance and the processes involved in their formation and development. Here’s the link to the website and film.

In a earlier post on the decline of monarch butterflies, I briefly speak to one of the important topics covered in the film—impacts of genetically modified crops, Roundup Ready® seeds, and biofuels production.

This week only, the film—Symphony of the Soil—is offered for FREE, so get over to the website soon and check out the film. It is available for purchase, too (home use: DVD $20 / BluRay $30). The film is produced by Deborah Koons Garcia and Lily Films of Mill Valley, California; they produce films on the environment and sustainability. It celebrates International Year of the Soils 2015.

I’ll reproduce here the summary on the home page of The Symphony of the Soil. It is followed by a few favorable newspaper quotes about the film and a link to another cool website on soil foodwebs.

The 68th UN General Assembly declared 2015 the International Year of Soils. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has been nominated to implement the International Year of the Soils (IYS) 2015, within the framework of the Global Soil Partnership and in collaboration with Governments and the secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

To help celebrate the International Year of the Soils, we will be streaming the full feature film, Symphony of the Soil, for FREE for the week of December 5 – 12, 2014. You can help us spread the word by linking to or embedding the film on your site with a link to the Symphony of the Soil website and to the International Year of the Soils.

Help Raise soil consciousness by purchasing a DVD, giving a DVD to friends, or by participating in our Educational Gift Program (where you make a purchase to give the film to a community who may not have the resources to purchase an educational license).

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“True to its title, the film really makes a symphony of soil…” 
—Civil Eats, Sally Neas

“Unfolding with gentle joy and an unexpected beauty, this ode to the miracle of the Earth’s topmost layer gives us a newfound respect for the ground beneath our feet.”
—New York Times, Jeannette Catsoulis

“…a stimulating and visually engaging product..”
—The Village Voice, John Oursler

“This film raises the bar. It makes you care about our Earth’s precious skin, so rare among planets.”
—Washington Post, Barbara Damrosch

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I also recommend this website: www.soilfoodweb.com. It is managed by Elaine Ingham, a soil biologist specializing in soil foodwebs and a contributor to the film. Her website includes helpful information on plants and microorganisms, composting, and related books and articles.

🙂