About Us
Peder
Peder enjoying a meal in the Iowa wilderness
Peder Goodman is a freelance filmmaker with a B.A. in Cinema and a B.A. in Animation. He earned these from the University of Iowa in December of 2015. Peder has built a small yet impressive body of work as a Director of Photography. His previous work can be found on his Vimeo page. Most recently he has been working as the Director of Live Action Photography and Editor of an independent video game titled The 13th Doll: A Fan Made Game of the 7th Guest.
Peder’s first documentary film Opinions of the National Debt (2012) won an award for the “I’m Ready” video project hosted by The Peterson Foundation. This foundation’s goal is to raise awareness of the national debt. The documentary explores the views and conceptions of the United State’s national debt through impromptu interviews with ordinary Americans on the University of Iowa campus.
Peder has become increasingly aware of his food consumption over the past year. In 2015 he switched to a vegetarian diet because of what he has discovered. When learning about what he eats he quickly realized the importance of where food comes from and how it is produced. His understanding of food is changing as he learns the economic and environmental benefits regenerative farming can have in local communities and for the earth. Peder has a passion for travel, filmmaking, and a desire for change. He is seeking to learn more about the people using regenerative farming techniques and how to spread this movement across the world.
Sophia
Sophia taking a break during a hike around Devil's Lake in Wisconsin
Sophia Finster recently graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor's of Business Administration focusing in marketing, a Sustainability Certificate, and a minor in Dance. Throughout her life, she has always been interested in food, lucky enough to grow up with a mom very skilled and eager to teach in the kitchen. During her time in Iowa City, she dug deeper into the problems and innovations our food system as they relate to sustainability and continues to be intrigued by food, now in a broader sense.
During her experience as a Climate Narrative Project Fellow , spring of 2015, she explored the similarities and differences of local vs global food and processed vs unprocessed food. The final presentation she developed was a story about friends struggling to determine what to eat for dinner told through dance. Four dancers argue about how quick, cheap processed food fails to nourish certain parts of us and the earth, yet we all still seem to eat it once in awhile.
The four dancers in Sophia's final Climate Narrative Fellowship presentation titled, “The Dinner Party: Processed vs. Unprocessed Food.”
The spring 2015 semester, Sophia also co-founded a podcast with Andrew Hirst. She co-hosted the show, Round River Radio, until her graduation during Spring 2016. Each week hosts interview different people about their expertise at it pertains to sustainability. The current hosts are Eden Dewald, Natalie Maves, and Sophie Coker Gunninck. Guests on the show ranged from writers and professors to CEO's and entrepreneurs including Kyle Sieck, founder and owner of Local Burrito to Steve Shriver, CEO of Eco Lips, to Megan Kimble, author of Unprocessed, and many others.
A photo taken after an interview with Scott Koepke, founder of Soilmates, and local Iowa City food hero. From right to left: Sophia Finster, Andrew Hirst, Scott Koepke, Laura Schwager, and Eden DeWald
Throughout the summer of 2015, Sophia had the opportunity to intern at Muddy Miss Farms, a diverse organic farm in the rolling hills of southeastern Iowa. Muddy Miss Farms, founded by Shanti Sellz and Pete Flynn in 2012 was dedicated to diversified, small-scale, sustainable agriculture. Sellz and Flynn adhered to growing practices that focus on the health of plants, animals and the land while providing our community with high-quality, fresh and nutritious food. During her time working on the farm, Sophia gained a deeper understanding of the soil our food comes from and the people who grow it.
During her senior year at University of Iowa, she interned as a Sustainability Manager Intern at the Henry B. Tippie College of Business, was the chapter leader of Net Impact, Marketing Director at KRUI 89.7 fm, and continued to co-host Round River Radio. She also co-hosted two other podcasts: Monday BS, a radio show featuring tunes, bunk, and sincerity; and Under Your Plate, a conversation about eating disorders, body image, and our personal relationship with food.