Food Forward
How did something so fundamental as food, go so fundamentally wrong? Instead of nourishing us, what we eat and the way we produce it threaten the air we breathe, the water we drink and the dirt under our feet. And yet, too much 'food' television focuses on celebrity chefs and cooking competitions and not enough on where our food comes from and the impact it has on our planet, our country, our bodies, and our souls. Food Forward opens the door into a new world of possibility, where pioneers and visionaries are creating viable alternatives to the pressing social and environmental impacts of our industrial food system. Across the country, a vanguard of food rebels, farmers, chefs, fishermen, teachers, scientists, and entrepreneurs, are creating inspired, but practical solutions that are nourishing us and the planet. These are stories America needs to hear. This is Food Forward.
- 2012-2015
- 1 season
- PBS
How did something so fundamental as food, go so fundamentally wrong? Instead of nourishing us, what we eat and the way we produce it threaten the air we breathe, the water we drink and the dirt under our feet. And yet, too much 'food' television focuses on celebrity chefs and cooking competitions and not enough on where our food comes from and the impact it has on our planet, our country, our bodies, and our souls. Food Forward opens the door into a new world of possibility, where pioneers and visionaries are creating viable alternatives to the pressing social and environmental impacts of our industrial food system. Across the country, a vanguard of food rebels, farmers, chefs, fishermen, teachers, scientists, and entrepreneurs, are creating inspired, but practical solutions that are nourishing us and the planet. These are stories America needs to hear. This is Food Forward.
Season 1 Episode Guide
13 Episodes 2014
Episode 1
Go Fish!
Thu, Aug 28, 2014 24 mins
By mid-century, 90 percent of the world's commercial fish may be tapped out. But we're not sunk yet. Food Forward TV sets sail with a different breed of fishermen who make their living on the water while also treading lightly upon it. Meet old school fishermen in the Pacific Northwest reviving the tuna industry, young fishermen "and women" creating Community Supported Fisheries along the Eastern seaboard and the next generation of fish farmers in Western Massachusetts.
Episode 2
The Meat of the Matter
Thu, Aug 28, 2014 24 mins
Cheap meat is actually quite costly, taking its toll on America's health and the environment. The good news is it's now possible to have your steak and eat it, too. Food Forward TV meets a new breed of ranchers who are leading the red meat revolution by returning to traditional styles of raising cattle. Iowan bison ranchers, Georgian cattlemen and Californian cowgirls all have one thing in common- grass.
Episode 3
Seeds of Change
Thu, Sep 4, 2014 24 mins
Seeds represent hope, a new beginning. Amid battles over GMO crops and monocultures that dominate American farmlands, Food Forward TV travels to meet seed savers pursuing grassroots alternatives. From the dry deserts of Arizona to corn and soybean growers in Iowa and Illinois, genetic diversity does matter and the roots of change are taking hold.
Episode 4
SOS: Save Our Soil
Thu, Sep 4, 2014 24 mins
Explore new frontiers that just might save our soil.
Episode 5
Modern Milk
Thu, Sep 11, 2014 24 mins
American dairy is undergoing a renaissance. A cottage industry of dairy farmers, cheese makers and creameries are creating delicious alternatives to industrial milk. We meet West Coast raw milk revolutionaries, Vermont cheese entrepreneurs making serious cheddar, and ice cream innovators in San Francisco and New York City.
Episode 6
School Lunch Revival
Thu, Sep 11, 2014 24 mins
All public school kids have access to free or reduced price lunch. But affordability doesn't necessarily mean it's good for them. In this episode of Food Forward TV, Detroit's renegade lunch lady is not only serving kids healthy food, she's got them growing it, too. Houston schools are joining a national movement with "seed to plate" classroom cooking and in North Carolina a new generation of service members is connecting farmers and schools.
Episode 7
The Future of Food
Thu, Sep 18, 2014 24 mins
A new breed of passionate farmers, chefs and scientists are revamping the American food system. Combining people's passions and technological ingenuity, visit tech-savvy growers flying crop-monitoring drones in California's central valley. We step into CU Boulder's lab to map the human micro-biome with visionary food journalist, Michael Pollan.
Episode 8
Food (Justice) for All
Thu, Sep 18, 2014 24 mins
All across the country, the ways and means of America's small farmers are evolving. Young Hispanic 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 are creating communities around vacant urban lots.
Episode 9
Quest for Water
Thu, Sep 25, 2014 24 mins
Dive into solutions that some water users are discovering to protect this most precious resource.
Episode 10
Make Food, Not Waste
Thu, Sep 25, 2014 24 mins
Americans throw away 34 million tons of food each year. That's like tossing a quarter of the groceries we buy directly into the trash. 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.
Episode 11
Food on the Brain
Fri, Oct 10, 2014 24 mins
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. We also take a journey up to the Hudson River Valley on a transformative journey of one Navy veteran who is reinventing himself through culinary arts.
Episode 12
Wild Food, I Think I Love You
Fri, Oct 10, 2014 24 mins
See how food is produced and what could we gain by rediscovering foraging as a source of food.
Episode 13
The U.S. of Agriculture
Sat, Oct 11, 2014 24 mins
Learn how the explosion of urban agriculture is revitalizing local economies and creating jobs.
