Eat. Drink. Think.

In this episode of Eat.Drink.Think. sponsored by the Farmers Market Coalition, host Amy O’Neill Houck speaks with Sagdrina Jalal and Nino Budabin McQuown about the farmers market movement, and how markets can be a place of empowerment and connection for everyone, but especially folks from marginalized communities. We talk about the delight of growing and sharing food to feed one another and discuss the upcoming 25th anniversary of Farmers Market Week and how market goers and managers can take action.Find show notes and a full transcript here.

In this episode of Eat. Drink. Think., we interview Austin Frerick, an expert on agricultural and antitrust policy, and the author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry.The book uses the idea of “barons”—individuals and families who have surprising, outsized control in the food industry—to share the danger that monopoly poses not only to our food system but to our democracy. Frerick’s compelling book tells the stories of our industrial food system braided with accessible threads on the history of antitrust policy, agriculture and more, while offering some hopeful solutions to the seemingly intractable problem of corporate consolidation.Find show notes and a full transcript here.

In this episode of Eat.Drink. Think., Marion Nestle, author of Slow Cooked, A Memoir in Food Politics, returns to Eat. Drink. Think. to help us think critically about food policy and politics. We talk about following the money when scientific studies are used as food marketing tools, and she gives us practical tips to navigate the news and identify what food system changes will rely on policy versus individual actions.Find show notes and a full transcript here.

Sixteen years after the first film was released, Food, Inc. 2 comes “back for seconds” to reveal how corporate consolidation has gone unchecked, leaving a highly efficient yet shockingly vulnerable food system dedicated to profit over people. In this episode, host Amy O’Neill Houck talks with producer Michael Pollan and co-director Melissa Robledo about how innovative farmers, food producers, workers’ rights activists, and prominent legislators are facing these companies head-on to create a more sustainable, equitable future. Food, Inc. 2 is now available for screening on your favorite streaming service.Find show notes and a full transcript here.

Andi Murphy joins host Amy O’Neill Houck for a conversation about food in Native America. Andi is the creator, host, and producer of the “Toasted Sister Podcast,” an award-winning show that documents the Native American Food Movement. She’s also the senior producer of the “Native America Calling” radio program, a one-hour national radio show about Indigenous issues and topics where she produces and hosts a food focused show every month called “The Menu.” We get into a nuanced look at food sovereignty as well as an update on hot new restaurants, Indigenous chefs, and cookbooks.Find show notes and a full transcript here.

In this episode, host Amy O’Neill Houck speaks with Elizabeth Whitlow, executive director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance, an organization working to create a new certification standard for food, textiles, and personal care ingredients. We unpack what exactly is “regenerative;” how it serves eaters, workers, animals, and the planet; and whose responsibility it is to create and maintain standards. Find show notes and a full transcript here.

We kick off 2024 with a conversation with Tracey Ryder, co-founder of Edible Communities. Host Amy O’Neill Houck interviews Tracey for an update on the nearly 80 publications in the network, and they talk about the role Edible Communities can and does play in telling the stories of what we all eat, and why that storytelling matters. Hear about what new magazines are coming to readers in 2024 and an update on Edible Communities’ foray into television production.Find show notes and a full transcript here.

In this episode of Eat. Drink. Think, host Amy O'Neill Houck speaks with Julia O’Malley about wild Alaska salmon.As a third-generation Alaskan, and a journalist, teacher, editor, and cook, Julia's work in newsrooms, classrooms, and kitchens explores Alaska’s culture, politics, climate, and food.This conversation builds on a recent article O’Malley wrote for Edible Communities titled “Alaska Runs on Salmon.” She delves into the five species of wild salmon fished in Alaska, what makes them unique, and what the challenges are that affect the fish and those who build their lives around them.Find show notes, other episodes, and more at ediblecommunities.com.RELEVANT LINKS:https://www.juliaomalley.com/https://www.instagram.com/jomalley17/https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295746142/the-whale-and-the-cupcake/

In this episode of Eat. Drink. Think, we speak with Twilight Greenaway and Reginaldo Haslett-Maroquin. Twilight is the executive editor of Civil Eats and is the author of a recent story that was done in partnership with Edible Communities. Reginaldo, or Regi, is featured in the story as he shares the history and vision for Tree-Range Farms, a Minnesota-based network of over forty farms stewarding land and raising chickens among trees and perennial crops using a method that supports both the land and the birds. Through this network, and as the founder of the nonprofit Regenerative Agriculture Alliance, he is focused on creating a collective governance structure to ensure the ecosystem’s social, economic and ecological criteria remain intact as it grows in scope and scale. Our discussion goes deeper into the topic of regenerative poultry production and both Twilight and Regi share their observations, hopes and vision for the future.Find show notes, other episodes, and more at ediblecommunities.com.RELEVANT LINKS:The Civil Eats Edible Communities Article: https://civileats.com/2023/08/16/this-network-of-regenerative-farmers-is-rethinking-chicken/Tree Range Farms: https://www.regenerationfarms.com/http://twilightgreenaway.com/https://www.instagram.com/twilightgreenaway/https://twitter.com/twyspyhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/regenpoultry/

In this episode of Eat. Drink. Think., we talk with Alicia Kennedy, an acclaimed journalist and author of the new book, No Meat Required: the Cultural History & Culinary Future of Plant-Based Eating. We discuss how the book examines what it has meant to be vegetarian throughout the last several generations. From religious asceticism, via hippy counterculture, punk and post punk, all the way to the media’s current obsession with lab-grown meat replacements, we touch on the intersections of climate, politics, and food justice along with the very real need to have something nourishing, healthy, and delicious to eat each day.Find show notes, other episodes, and more at ediblecommunities.com.Links:https://alicia-kennedy.com/https://www.aliciakennedy.news/http://www.beacon.org/No-Meat-Required-P1938.aspxhttps://www.instagram.com/aliciadkennedy/  

In this episode of Eat.Drink. Think, we talk with Lisa Held, senior staff reporter with Civil Eats, about two agricultural innovations that are at once ancient and modern: agroforestry and biochar. We unpack the techniques and talk about both the promise and challenge they hold for farmers adapting to the climate crisis.Lisa wrote two articles: “Biochar’s Big, Carbon-Rich Moment,” and “Can Farming with Trees Save the Food System,” as part of a partnership between Civil Eats and Edible Communities which uses journalism to bring to light emerging challenges and opportunities in sustainable food systems.This episode is brought to you by American Farmland Trust, the founder of the 15th annual America's Farmers Market Celebration (AFMC). Each summer, AFMC brings together thousands of supporters nationwide to celebrate local food, agriculture and community. Support your favorite farmer's market as it competes for state, regional and national awards. Voting runs from June 19th to September 18th at markets.farmland.org.Find show notes, other episodes, and more at ediblecommunities.com.Links:https://civileats.com/author/lheld/https://lisaelaineheld.com/https://twitter.com/lisaelainehhttps://www.ediblecommunities.com/edible-stories/agroforestry-can-farming-with-trees-save-the-food-system/https://www.ediblecommunities.com/edible-stories/biochars-potential-to-combat-climate-change/

In this episode, host Amy O’Neill Houck speaks with Paloma Lopez, a self-described Impact Food Entrepreneur, sustainability consultant, and the CEO and co-founder of Future Fit Foods—a food startup based in Longmont, Colorado. We talk about a rethink of the supply chain as a value chain, a shift in food production focus towards circularity, and a redefinition of what convenience means now and in the future, all while finding joy in nourishing our bodies and minds.This episode is brought to you by American Farmland Trust, the founder of the 15th annual America's Farmers Market Celebration. Each summer, AFMC brings together thousands of supporters nationwide to celebrate local food, agriculture, and community. Support your favorite farmers market as it competes for state, regional and national awards. Voting runs from June 19 through September 18 at markets.farmland.org.Get the show notes at ediblecommunities.com.Relevant Links:https://www.startengine.com/offering/timeplasthttps://www.futurefitfoods.com/post/my-road-to-future-fit-foodshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/palomalopez/https://www.futurefitfoods.com/about-us

No Farms. No Food. A catchy tagline, but also an undeniable truth. American farmland not only grows our food, it is the foundation of rural communities, providing jobs, recreational opportunities and a connection to the land.Purchasing your food directly from farmers, ranchers and other food producers at farmers’ markets has a huge impact on the economic viability of farming. Studies have shown that for every dollar spent at a farmers’ market, the producer receives around 90 cents, as opposed to 15-17 cents on the dollar when they sell to a wholesaler. In this episode, produced in partnership with American Farmland Trust, our host Gibson Thomas talks with two farmers’ market managers from very different parts of the U.S. about how their markets and other programs help farmers connect directly with consumers, as well as provide other support.They are joined by American Farmland Trust’s New York Policy Manager to talk about the organization’s work with farmers’ markets in her area, as well as AFT’s programs that support farmers’ markets throughout the country.With the 2023 Farm Bill top of mind right now for everyone in the agricultural sector, all three guests weigh in on what matters most to them in this important piece of legislation—and how listeners can help. This episode was produced in partnership with American Farmland Trust. This summer, American Farmland Trust and the Farmers Market Coalition are giving away $15,000 in prizes (and more!) to the nation’s favorite farmers markets. Voting starts June 19, 2023 and runs through September 18, 2023! Make sure your favorite market is listed, and spread the word in your community!Get the show notes at EdibleCommunities.com.Relevant Links:Farmland.orgMarkets.Farmland.orgAKFoodPolicyCouncil.orgAgriculturalInstitute.org Farm to Institution NY StateAFT’s Farm Bill Policy Platform2023 Farm Bill

In this episode of Eat. Drink. Think., host Amy O’Neill Houck is speaking with Chloe Sorvino, who leads food and agriculture coverage for Forbes magazine. Nearly a decade of reporting at Forbes has brought her to In-N-Out Burger’s secret test kitchen, drought-ridden farms in California’s Central Valley, burnt-out national forests logged by a timber billionaire, and a century-old slaughterhouse business in Omaha.In her new book Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed, and the Fight for the Future of Meat, Sorvino shares research on the consolidation and power of the meat industry and the backroom dealings behind it while talking with experts and those affected firsthand by working in and living near feedlots and slaughterhouses. In our discussion she shares some of the backstory behind these experiences and we talk about the connections between meat production, industrial agriculture, and the climate crisis, and she makes the case for urgent systematic change.Get the show notes at EdibleCommunities.com.Relevant Links:Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Raw-Deal/Chloe-Sorvino/9781982172046Chloe’s work at Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/Twitter: https://twitter.com/chloesorvinoAuthor website: https://www.chloesorvino.com/

In this episode of Eat. Drink. Think., host Amy O'Neill Houck is speaking with Tamar Haspel, columnist, author, and co-host of the Climavores podcast. She talks about her experience with first-hand food which includes raising chickens, pigs and oysters and foraging for mushrooms. We also weigh the cost of food both locally and commercially, the best way to get healthy food on tables (spoiler alert, it is not just access), and how policy is not the only way. Individual, daily choices can make an impact on our climate.This episode is brought to you by American Farmland Trust, a national nonprofit working to protect agricultural land, promote environmentally sound farming practices, and keep farmers and ranchers on the land. Learn more and get your No Farms, No Food bumper sticker at farmland.org.Get the show notes at EdibleCommunities.com.