Movie Minute - Common Ground

 The documentary Common Ground written and filmed by Josh & Rebecca Tickell is showing farmers across the nation how to convert to regenerative agriculture. The movement is taking root because, with regenerative agriculture, much more of the profit is redirected to the farmers and ends up putting millions of dollars back into rural America.

As of now, it is estimated that only 8 cents of every dollar flow back to farmers. The rest ends up going to the seed or chemical manufacturers who have created a vicious cycle of profit that deteriorates the soil and affects our health.

THE GOAL: Regenerative no-till agriculture with 100m acres converted.

THE RESULT: Health, Food Security, Farmer Profitability and CLIMATE STABILITY

“I am 100% behind this film and its mission because it shows that we can make our farmers profitable, fix America’s health crisis, and balance our carbon emissions by just healing the soil – this is the answer. It’s just that simple.”  Said Ian Somerhalder who Executive Produced, as well as appears in, and narrates part of COMMON GROUND says,

Regenerative practices are not just theoretical; they're being implemented successfully. One of the ranchers featured in Common Ground, Rick Clark, from Indiana, has successfully turned his 7,000 acres of previously conventional farmland into a thriving example of the benefits, both financial and physical, of regenerative agriculture. Since transitioning, he no longer takes crop insurance and hasn’t taken a single government subsidy loan. That is the power of regeneration. 

Regenerative agriculture, in a nutshell, is about honoring traditional ecological knowledge. Much of what we call regenerative agriculture has been practiced by indigenous people for generations. A significant step to transitioning to regenerative agriculture is to honor the original caretakers of the North American continent and their way of cultivating the land. Basically relearning how to work with nature, not against it.

Those who attended the Tribeca Film Festival can attest – transitioning to regenerative agriculture is not only about ensuring a healthy future for the generations to come but it can have life-changing results in only a few years - for our health and our economy.

THE FOUR PRINCIPLES: No Tilling, Cover Crops, No Toxic Chemicals

COMMON GROUND, which features appearances and narration by Laura Dern, Jason Momoa, Rosario Dawson, Ian Somerhalder and Woody Harrelson, is the highly anticipated follow up film to Kiss the Ground, also directed by the Tickell's, which is narrated by Woody Harrelson and which won over 75 major film festival awards before being seen by over 100 million viewers on major streaming platforms globally.

The Tickell’s produced COMMON GROUND under their Big Picture Ranch banner and select rights are currently available. The film is Produced by Rebecca and Josh Tickell and Eric Dillon, written by the Tickell’s along with Johnny O’Hara, and Executive Produced by Bill and Laurie Benenson, Jan Ellison Baszucki, John Paul DeJoria, Pamela Green, Annie Roney, and Ian Somerhalder, and Co-Produced by Paul Cohen, Ryland Engelhart, Finian Makepeace, and John Roulac. Composed by Kirby Fairchild (formerly of Modest Mouse) and Jacob Snider. 

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