BETHEL — The film “Growing Local” will be shown at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at McLaughlin Auditorium, Gould Academy.

The film will be followed by a panel discussion with local farmers. It is co-hosted with Mahoosuc Land Trust.

During the 2013 winter quiet, the seed of an idea to create a new film series grew into another meaningful collaboration between Seedlight Pictures and Maine Farmland Trust. That initial idea culminated in three short films that premiered at the Camden International Film Festival. The films are “Seeding a Dream,” “Pig Not Pork” and “Changing Hands.”

While “buying local” is on the rise, the stories in “Growing Local” make clear that small farms and access to locally produced food is not a sure thing. In three short films we meet the young farm couple Ben & Taryn, who, on risky sweat-equity, have revitalized a famously fertile piece of farmland into a thriving community food hub; artisanal butcher Ben who helps us better understand how healthier, thoughtful meat production can be supported and sustained; and Richard and Adam, father and son organic dairy farmers struggling to keep their family farm going and in the family. These poignant vignettes help us understand the interconnected fates of Maine’s small farms, consumers and the local food movement.

Visit www.growinglocalfilms.org to learn more.