OJAI, Calif. — An Ojai filmmaker is taking a global look at how changing the way food is grown could help address some of agriculture’s biggest challenges, from drought and depleted soil to extreme weather and climate change.
Rebecca Tickell, director of the documentary Groundswell, transformed her former avocado farm in Ojai into a biodiverse food forest where regenerative agriculture practices are put into action.
“It's really important to me that I don't just talk about what regenerative agriculture is, but they also practice it,” Tickell said.
The property now includes a variety of perennial crops, cover crops and animals, including chickens, quail and a llama named Yoda.
Tickell has added crops including coffee, papaya and bananas, along with turmeric and ginger.
What is regenerative agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture focuses on improving the health of the soil while growing food.
Practices can include planting cover crops, using compost, reducing soil disturbance and incorporating plants and animals into farming systems in ways that can help retain water and nutrients.
Tickell said healthier soil can also play a role in carbon storage.
“Regenerative agriculture is a way of farming that also improves the health of the soil,” Tickell said. “When you improve the health of the soil, the ecosystem can heal.”
From Ojai to five continents
The documentary takes the idea far beyond Tickell’s Ojai property.
The filmmakers traveled across five continents, meeting farmers, scientists and Indigenous leaders who are using regenerative practices to restore ecosystems.
“Everywhere I went around the world, I saw the same thing over and over and over again,” Tickell said. “People who had come from collapsed ecosystems, who were transforming their worlds, transforming their environment through regeneration.”
The film argues agriculture can be part of the solution to environmental challenges rather than simply contributing to them.
Healthier soil can help retain water, support biodiversity and potentially make farms more resilient to drought and extreme weather.
Why it matters in Santa Barbara County
The topic has particular relevance in Santa Barbara County, where agriculture faces challenges including drought, wildfires, mudslides and changing weather patterns.
Tickell pointed to the Thomas Fire and subsequent mudslides as examples of the environmental challenges facing the region.
“This is what was done before we came in and started doing it in this very industrialized way,” Tickell said. “But we can go back to ways that are very natural, that are very simple, that draw carbon out of the atmosphere, but also honor the soil, honor the earth, and honor each other.”
The Community Environmental Council is hosting the Santa Barbara premiere of Groundswell at the CEC Hub.
CEC CEO Sigrid Wright said the film provides an opportunity for local farmers and ranchers to learn more about regenerative agriculture.
“We're in an agricultural region,” Wright said. “This is an excellent opportunity for farmers and ranchers to learn more about the practices of regenerative agriculture.”
Tia Kordell with the CEC said making the transition can be challenging for farmers because regenerative practices can require upfront investment and carry some risk.
She said the CEC's Community Environmental Council's Climate Stewards Initiative works to provide farmers and ranchers with resources, connections and information as they explore regenerative agriculture.
Golden Globe recognition
Groundswell has also received international recognition, earning the Golden Globe prize for documentary.
For Tickell, the project brings a global issue back to something tangible: the ground beneath our feet.
The film's Santa Barbara premiere gives local audiences an opportunity to explore how changes in agriculture could affect the region's soil, water, farms and ecosystems.
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