The School for Advanced Research (SAR) presents the 2024 SAR Humanities Festival: Food for Thought: lectures, discussions, film, and field trips investigating ancient and modern food systems, sustainability, eating and food ethics, and the lives of farmers, ranchers, and chefs.
The Festival program features lectures by Chelsea Fisher, on the archaeology of sustainable agriculture, and Michaela DeSoucey, on the complexities of moral eating; both lectures are co-presented with the New Mexico History Museum. DeSoucey will also lead a group book discussion.
On October 4th at the Lensic, SAR will present the New Mexico premiere of the documentary film Food and Country, which toured the major film festivals last year and features the trailblazing chef and food writer Ruth Reichl.
On the same weekend, also at the Lensic, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture (2009-13) Kathleen Merrigan will present a talk titled “Creating the Future of Food: From the Nation’s Capital to the Local Farmers’ Market.” Following the talk, Merrigan will moderate a regionally focused discussion with Manny Encinias, co-owner of Buffalo Creek Ranch in Moriarty, NM, and executive director of Santa Fe Farmers’ Market Institute; Elan Silverblatt-Buser, co-founder of Silver Leaf Farms in Corrales, NM; and Roxanne Swentzell (Santa Clara Pueblo), founder of Flowering Tree Permaculture Institute.
The Festival includes a program track for SAR members. Two field trips to local sustainable agriculture sites—Reunity Resources and Flowering Tree Permaculture Institute—are in the offering to SAR members, and anyone can become a SAR member.
The 2024 SAR Humanities Festival is supported by partnerships with the New Mexico History Museum (nmhistorymuseum.org), host venue of the September 25th and 29th lectures, and with Slow Food Santa Fe (slowfoodsantafe.org), whose members will host a resource table at the Lensic events.
The 2024 SAR Humanities Festival is the second iteration of the festival format for SAR. Last year’s Festival was well received with most events at or near capacity. Participants praised the “diverse topics,” “wonderful work of SAR,” and “new perspectives.” SAR will continue to explore presentation formats and offer new experiences in 2025.
Tickets on sale to SAR members now. Tickets on sale to the general public on Friday, August 23.
Ticketing and information: sarsf.info/humanities