PBS series: Food Forward

Food Forward TV, a new 13 episode, half-hour PBS series about the innovators and pioneers who are transforming the way we eat and grow our food, premieres on PBS beginning September 2014 (check local listings). Meet the “food rebels” — farmers, chefs, teachers, scientists, fishermen and ranchers — in more than 50 communities across the country as they explore new ways to help meet America’s growing food challenges. Blending personal storytelling with humor and top-notch journalism, Food Forward TV features beautiful cinematography, clever animation, cooking segments and original music videos, and offers a unique, entertaining and positive perspective on the choices we make everyday.

How did something as fundamental as food go so fundamentally wrong? Instead of nourishing us, too much of what we consume is produced in such a way that it threatens the air we breathe, the water we drink and the dirt under our feet. Food Forward TV opens the door into a new world, where pioneers and visionaries are creating viable alternatives to the social and environmental impacts of our industrial food system. Across the country, farmers, chefs, fishermen, teachers, scientists, and entrepreneurs are creating inspired but practical solutions that nourish both us and the planet. From tuna fisherman in Oregon to lunch ladies in Detroit with a whole different attitude to organic cattlemen in Georgia, Food Forward TV takes us on a tasty journey across the landscape of a new America.

“We’ve all heard what’s wrong with the way we eat,” says Greg Roden, producer and director of Food Forward TV. “Our series goes beyond celebrity chefs, cooking competitions and recipes to reveal the compelling stories and inspired solutions from Americans striving to create a more just, sustainable and delicious alternative to how and what we eat. There are a lot of positive things going on right now and we want to capture and share those stories.”

Nominated for the James Beard Award, the pilot for Food Forward TV, “Urban Agriculture Across

Episode 8: “Food (Justice) for All”

All across the country, the ways and means of America’s small farmers are evolving. Young Latino farm laborers in California’s Salinas Valley are moving up the economic ladder, training to become tomorrow’s organic farm owners. In Houston, Congolese refugees create communities around vacant urban lots. And in nearby Dallas, a struggling college commits an act of football heresy — plowing their gridiron into a garden and transforming a social need into a delicious educational opportunity.

Episode 9: “Quest for Water”

How can agriculture use less water and still grow enough food for everyone? Are we finally emerging from the water wars of the west that pitted Native American tribes and environmentalists against farmers and ranchers? Dive into solutions that some water consumers are using to protect this most precious resource in the face of drought, politics and environmental conflicts.

Episode 10: “Make Food, Not Waste”

Americans throw away one quarter of the groceries they buy each year — 34 million tons of food. But where some see garbage, others find green gold. Explore the secret life of food scraps, landfills and the people who love them. San Francisco is leading the charge in composting municipal food waste; a food bank rescues confiscated food from the Arizona Mexico border patrol and a Brooklyn bucket lady collects food scraps kitchen by kitchen.

Episode 11: “Food on the Brain”

Explore the disconnect between the belly and the brain and America’s national eating disorder. A journey to Cornell’s Food and Brand Lab unveils the psychology of consumer habits and introduces viewers to simple tips and tricks for a healthier diet, while researchers in Boulder, Colorado are mapping the human microbiome with amazing results.

Episode 12: “Wild Food, I Think I Love You”

Once upon a time, wild food was all there was. If you didn’t pick it, catch it, or kill it, you didn’t eat. That’s all changed, of course, but what have we lost in our move from the wilderness that once supported us? And what could we gain by rediscovering foraging as a source of food? Head deep into America’s backwoods to join mushroom pickers on Washington’s Olympic peninsula, charitable deer hunters in North Carolina, and road kill eaters in West Virginia.

Episode 13: “The U.S. of Agriculture”

From the Founding Farmers to the modern Farm Bill, what has 200 years of progress brought to the table? More food at lower prices for sure, but also food fights over the environment, hunger, nutrition and waste. Politicians, policy watchdogs and food experts take us on a personal tour through the history of food and agriculture in America. There’s an entry point for everyone in the conversation about how we feed ourselves.