Ready of not, here comes an unbeatable combination: Knitters plus the Celtic Players! Every Third Sunday, knitters of all abilities are invited to bring their projects to the Café; knit, schmooze, and learn from each other, while the Celtic Players work their understated and very merry music. What a fabulous combination! For more information about the knitting, contact David Guion, 463-1680.

Next meeting: September 21, October 19

Lunavision Fall Food Film Series

"Let thy food by thy medicine and

thy medicine be thy food" Hippocrates

How close are Americans to starvation?  Are food choices important to the environment, our health, and our future?  Why can't I spray a little Roundup to control my weeds?  Is our food supply at risk?  On September 11, October 9 and November 13, (the second Thursday of each month)  we will examine these vital topics with three films, Food Matters, the World According to Monsanto and Asparagus, Stalking the American Life.     Each film will begin at 7:00pm and will conclude with indepth discussion of the topics presented. 

              On September 11 we will be screening the documentary Food Matters, from directors James Colquhoun and Laurentine ten Bosch. Coming from a nutrition and natural medicine background, Colquhoun and Bosch offer us a view of food that places the stuff that we eat at the center of what fuels us as well as what makes us sick- or well. Starting off with a quote from Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, we are shown how far we have come from his basic concept that we should “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.” In interviews and discussions of topics from drinking water to vitamin megadose treatments for cancer, a viewing of Food Matters goes way beyond just food for thought- it might just change your life.

              On October 9th we journey to the dark side with a film from French documentarian Marie-Monique Robin with her in depth expose, the World According to Monsanto. Starting off as a small chemical company, Monsanto has been spreading its influence around the world with an eye towards a monopoly on the world’s basic foodstuffs. From a start in the manufacturing of the now banned toxic compound known as PCB’s, Monsanto moved to producing the defoliant Agent Orange during the Vietnam War and on to making the most “popular” household herbicide, Roundup. From there, Monsanto branched into the bovine growth hormone business, as well as purchasing and patenting the rights to many heirloom seeds, along with genetically engineering seeds of crops such as soy and corn so that fields can be sprayed with Roundup, killing the weeds and not the crop. Using a basic internet Google search as her jumping off point, Robin fleshes out what she finds with globe-hopping interviews and disturbing video footage. More food for thought when you make that choice, whether it’s in the food aisle at the supermarket or in the lawn and garden department at the hardware store.

              And finally, on November 13th we have what appears to be a much more lighthearted look at something we eat. Some, and perhaps most, people might say: why make a film about asparagus? In Asparagus, Stalking the American Life, directors Anne de Mare and Kirsten Kelly take us to Oceana County Michigan, the so-called Asparagus Capital of the World. We get to look in on the Asparagus Festival, various collections of asparagus apparel and dinnerware, and are privy to a rather hilarious high school classroom experiment as to how the ingestion of asparagus affects the aroma that arises from a certain bodily function. We also see how the global economy and the War on Drugs are threatening to bankrupt what seemed to be this area's lock on an edible niche market.

              All of these films are free, some thinking is required. For more info about the screenings check out the Lunavision listings at http://www.cafelunavashon.com, or contact Peter at pgr42@att.net or 567-4542. If you are interested in offering your expertise for the after film discussion, contact Peter Ray pgr42@att.net or Natalie Sheard natalie@cafelunavashon.com