Communicating Science through Stories in Film: A Dialogue about Agricultural Sustainability and Soil

Deborah Koons Garcia is a film director, writer, and producer who fell in love with filmmaking while a student at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1970. She went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute. Her film [i]The Future of Food[/i] examines the rapidly increasing corporate domination of our food supply. More recently she directed and produced [i]Symphony of the Soil[/i]. Drawing from ancient knowledge and new scientific discoveries, [i]Symphony of the Soil[/i] is an artistic exploration of the miraculous substance called soil. The film also examines our human relationship with soil, the use and misuse of soil in agriculture, deforestation and development, and the latest scientific research on soil’s key role in ameliorating the most challenging environmental issues of our time. Kate M. Scow is a professor of soil science and a soil microbial ecologist at the University of California at Davis with degrees from Antioch College (BS) and Cornell University (MS and PhD). Her program focuses on a broad range of interactions between microorganisms and their environments and spans the continuum from individual organisms to large scale-field studies. She works on the below ground biodiversity of agroecosystems, microbial ecology of nitrogen cycling, and the microbial processes of biodegradation and bioremediation. She also works with smallholder farmers in Uganda on participatory extension approaches to enhance production and marketing of vegetables. Dr. Scow teaches an introductory course in soil science and two soil microbiology courses. She is also Director of the Russell Ranch Sustainable Agriculture Facility and Chair of the International Agricultural Development Graduate Group.