A big night for Big River

by Trevor Russell

Thanks to the nearly 600 people who joined FMR and our partners for the Minnesota premier of Big River at the Riverview Theater last month. The event raised $2,000 to support FMRs Mississippi River Gorge Stewards Program!

A packed house at the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis was treated to two great films: King Corn and Big River — followed by a Q&A with a panel of experts.

The panel (featuring filmmaker Curt Ellis, FMRs Trevor Russell, Julia Olmstead from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and Bobby King from the Land Stewardship Project) fielded questions on water quality, agricultural practices, the farm bill, community stewardship and environmental justice.

Before the night was out, we raffled off great prizes to some lucky attendees. Prizes included gift certificates from the Birchwood Cafe, Merlins Rest, Fire Roast Mountain Café, Mother Earth Gardens, the Seward Coop, Northern Sun Products, Peace Coffee, LSP, FMR, and copies of both films (plus the soundtrack CD!) from Curt Ellis and Mosiac Films. All proceeds from this event benefit the Mississippi River Gorge Stewards Program, a volunteer program of Friends of the Mississippi River. Special thanks to our event partners - the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), Land Stewardship Project, and our good friends at the Birchwood Cafe.