The Potato King
During my first couple weeks with the AASD, the office was abuzz with preparations for the launch of a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to support the organization's next project, Opening the Earth: The Potato King . The money raised through this campaign will support the organization in the making of a documentary that emphasizes an indigenous andean community's strengths and it's role in agricultural biodiversity at a global level. The project is named after the chakitaqlia, an andean footplow used for the sacred act of opening the earth that dates back to the time of the Inca Empire. This short documentary will highlight the story of Julio Hancco, a farmer and guardian of agricultural biodiversity who grows more than 300 varieties of potatoes in a high-altitude community of the Peruvian Andes. As described on the campaign's page, "Julio's humble life contrasts with the global significance of agricultural biodiversity. World famous chefs, international...