Great Park’s Food for Thought Film Series Features “Food, Inc.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 17, 2011
CONTACT: JENN STARNES, 949-724-6574

Great Park Food for Thought Film Series Features ‘Food, Inc.’

Film will be introduced by A.G. Kawamura, former Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and operator of the Great Park Farm

IRVINE – The Great Park’s “Food for Thought” film series continues this Thursday, May 19, with a free screening of “Food, Inc.” and a discussion with local farmer A.G. Kawamura, former Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “Food, Inc.” is an Academy Award nominated film that explores the economic, regulatory and health issues of food production in America, and will be shown outdoors at dusk near the Park’s Farm & Food Lab. The documentary takes a look inside corporate food production, and contains content that may be inappropriate for younger viewers.

A.G. Kawamura is a third-generation local farmer, founding partner of OC Produce LLC, and will discuss local farming and his experiences overseeing the state agriculture department. He has returned to Orange County to manage OC Produce, his family farming business that operates the 114-acre Great Park Farm. Kawamura will speak at 7:15 p.m., with the movie following at 7:45 p.m.

Admission and parking is free, and guests can tour the Farm & Food Lab education garden and enjoy a picnic on the lawn before the outdoor movie. The popular Kogi Food Truck will return for this month’s movie, featuring unique Korean tacos. The picnic lawn opens at 6:30 p.m.

Guests are welcome to bring their own picnics, and are encouraged to bring blankets or beach chairs to sit on the lawn. Warm clothing is recommended. The “Food for Thought” program is part of the Great Park’s Health and Wellness Initiative that includes education programs in the Farm & Food Lab, Farmers Market and Gardening Workshops.
Come back Sunday between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. for the Great Park Farmers Market, where shoppers can buy fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables and enjoy a wide variety of gourmet food trucks.

For directions and more information go to: www.ocgp.org.

About the Great Park

The Orange County Great Park, with its 1,347-acre master plan, is the focal point of the redevelopment of the publicly-owned portion of the 4,700-acre former Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro. The Great Park is currently 27.5 acres and includes an iconic tethered helium balloon that rises 400 feet in the air, providing an aerial view of Park development. A $70 million development plan to expand the Park to more than 200 acres is currently underway. The plan will build out a core section of the Park for the most immediate and wide-ranging public benefit, including the initial components of the sports park, a 114-acre agricultural area, and an art and culture exhibition space. For more information, please go to www.ocgp.org

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