The documentary Fork in the Road, directed by Vivian Sorenson and Jonathan Nastasi, made its world premiere Saturday at the Sonoma International Film Festival in California's wine country. The film critiques the industrial food system while highlighting innovators in sustainable farming and food production. Key figures including actor Nick Offerman and chef Marc Murphy discussed its message during a post-screening Q&A.
Fork in the Road examines the American food system's scale and profitability at the cost of health and sustainability. Directors Vivian Sorenson and Jonathan Nastasi position the industrial system as the antagonist but focus on solutions from farmers, nonprofits, and innovators. Jonathan Nastasi said during the Q&A, “The antagonist of the film really is the industrial food system,” emphasizing stories of those reconnecting people to the land and reducing carbon footprints through new methods. Everyone featured seeks to deliver healthy food, create jobs, and support livelihoods, Nastasi added. Dune Lankard, an Eyak Athabaskan Native scaling kelp harvesting off Alaska, called kelp “the hemp of the sea.” Adding it to animal feed cuts emissions by 60 to 80 percent, he noted, and to fertilizer it promotes greener growth with less water. Lankard aims to link coastal kelp efforts to inland farmers for climate solutions. Chef Marc Murphy, a Food Network star, demonstrates kelp recipes after learning its benefits from Sorenson. Actor Nick Offerman, an executive producer with farming roots, warns in the film that cheap, nutrient-poor food threatens small American farmers. The documentary includes Wendell Berry's wisdom: “The future of food is not distinguishable from the future of the land, which is indistinguishable... from human care.” It traces from regenerative farms in Missouri and Kentucky to nonprofits like The Berry Center. The project evolved over nearly a decade, starting with Missouri's John and Holly Arbuckle at Singing Pastures. Sorenson stressed nonprofits' role in enabling such farming. Fork in the Road screens next at the Skyfire Environmental Film Festival in Phoenix today, with April dates at RiverRun, Julien Dubuque, and San Luis Obispo festivals.
