Two years after the release of “Great Wall,” a short documentary which won a James Beard Media Award and told the story of Sum Bar owner Khailing Neoh, Greenville filmmaker Rioin Oshiro is completing another project about the local food scene.
“The Soil Remembers” details the journey of Montgomery Sky Farm owners Taylor and Fran Montgomery toward committing to private dining and regenerative farming. Taylor Montgomery was formerly executive chef of Urban Wren, a restaurant in Greenville’s West End that closed in January 2025. The farm is located northwest of Asheville, North Carolina.
Oshiro, owner of Undercurrent Film Co., expects to release the film early this year.
The Montgomerys opened Montgomery Sky Farm in 2018 and for a while worked in tandem with Urban Wren. Taylor Montgomery left the restaurant in July 2024. The film tells two stories: The journey from restaurant employment to business owner and rebuilding that business after Hurricane Helene.
At the moment before the film opens, Taylor Montgomery was grappling with everything he knew and what he could stand to gain — an all-to-familiar space entrepreneurs find themselves in just before they jump toward the dream and leave the safety of traditional employment.
The couple recalled how easy it would have been to jump into another restaurant with Taylor’s 25 years of kitchen experience. They were just getting their bearings when the storm hit, and the hurricane provided a new perspective.
“When helicopters were bringing in supplies and we were unloading them, there were so many just preservative-filled snack cakes and junk,” Taylor Montgomery said.
The Montgomerys locked in. Instead of just cooking, they wanted to provide food that was healthy and whole for those in sudden need.
“Seeing people cry over salad is a powerful thing when you witness it,” Fran Montgomery said.
It was around this time that the Montgomerys were introduced to Oshiro. The three met in Avery County, North Carolina, where the Montgomerys were feeding a community affected by the hurricane. The director tagged along for an experience he described as “sobering.” They kept in touch. Over time, it became a story Oshiro wanted to tell.
“There’s something there with the story of what they’re doing — what they’re doing now, and how that all plays a role in the journey from restaurant to full-time at the farm, and how to merge those two identities together,” Oshiro said.
Still courtesy of “The Soil Remembers,” a film by Undercurrent Film Co.Regenerative farming
The mission of Montgomery Sky Farm began as a regenerative-agritourism business. The focus is to revive endangered vegetables from all over the world and incorporate them into curated meals. Taylor Montgomery said the practice has allowed him to view the total lifecycle of a plant and better understand when the plant provides the most flavor. Those enjoying a curated meal then get a hands-on education on what they’re eating.
The farm offers ticketed dinners, catering services, farm visits, creative events and the recently opened Montgomery Sky Farm Field & Creek Market. The farm also has a nonprofit animal rescue, Final Run Rescue.
