Left NYC mid-afternoon, hitting two traffic jams before arriving on the campus of Drexel. We were thrilled to be joined by Chris Ely, co-founder of Applegate, and frequent partner on the road this past year. 

We grabbed a plate of food, generously provided by one of the environmental groups on campus, the endless acronyms of groups usually difficult to recall. Nicole did a great job setting up the screening, troubleshooting a last minute venue change, and getting word out. 75 joined the screening, most sticking around for the post screening conversation, which was wonderful. 

The food movement is alive and well in Philadelphia. 

Bryan, a young butcher, talked about how he kind of accidentally stumbled into his line of work, most of his life prior as a musician. There's a knowledge being relearned, people across America learning to compost, plant seeds, raise animals, butcher. 

Megan of Philly Cow Share talked about their new company which provides Philadelphians with locally grown meat, if I recall correctly, delivered right to your door. She showed a gift for marketing, and storytelling, as many people in the audience seemed interested in joining up. 

Nolan, a young hog farmer and former Drexel student, convinced his mother to go along with his newfound passion for raising pigs, a potential brought to life because of a small acreage already within the family. 

Chef Donald talked about his work as a chef at U Penn, about the challenges of sourcing local. 

 Ann moved the conversation around well, Chris talking about the 1,000 plus farmers that source Applegate, the challenge of putting together networks. How much of the grass-fed beef of Applegate is raised in Uruguay, where the only cattle production is grass-fed, and the scale of the farms and network of farmers is extensive enough to meet demand. The other grass-fed supplier is in Australia. 

After the screening, the conversation continued, Nolan and Chris talking about hog production, before we parted ways, ready for another day in Philly tomorrow.