Forked, presented by REAP/SOW

One of the biggest fights brewing for control of the Senate is taking place in deep red Nebraska, where an industrial mechanic and Navy veteran named Dan Osborn is trying to turn the backlash against high beef prices into a winning campaign. Osborn joins Helena and Theodore for a Forked conversation on this surprisingly competitive midterm fight. We dive deep into the state of his race against GOP incumbent Pete Ricketts, the power of Big Four meatpackers and how Osborn says he would break them up, why he thinks the Trump administration’s efforts to lower food prices won’t work, and more. Forked fans, we're bringing FORKED LIVEto the Brooklyn Museum on November 4 for a special conversation with Top Chef judge and eight-time James Beard Award winner Tom Colicchio! Join us as we dig into the MAHA movement, the midterm elections, the challenges facing restaurants, and the fight for a fairer food system. Buy tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/forked-live-with-tom-colicchio-at-the-brooklyn-museum-tickets-2002215489427?aff=prxEnjoying Forked? Follow the show, leave us a review, and share this episode with someone who cares about food and politics. Forked is produced by the Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN). Learn more at www.fern.org or on Instagram @fernnews.

GOP rising star Kat Cammack drops by to talk with Theodore and Helena about the future of the farm bill, her perspective on SNAP fraud and errors, why some government regulation is BS, how MAHA and MAGA can make nice, and more. This is a rollicking, in-depth conversation about serious issues in the American food system, providing deep insight into how a working legislator thinks about policy. Experience Forked Live! We're coming to Brooklyn on 11/4 with special guest Tom Colicchio! Buy tickets now!

There was a Mitch McConnell sighting in the Senate last week, which could mean a proof of life for Mitch McConnell ... but probably not for the farm bill. Helena and Theodore both think Congress is basically cooked. Meanwhile, RFK Jr.'s speech at the Children’s Health Defense Conference in D.C. showed everyone he is still very, very antivax, and that the movement has a “strong and steadfast friend in the White House." Bonus content: Mamdani food porn and a $60 loaf of rye in Manhattan.

Forked is back for a third season, and the premiere episode is all about BEEF. The cattle ranchers are beefing with the president about importing tariff-free beef from other countries. The president is beefing with the Big Four meat processors, who he blames for high prices. Trump says he’s going to make it easier for ranchers to process their own meat, and that Americans will be better able to know where their beef is coming from. But since he needs Congress to do all that, it has Theodore and Helena wondering: Where’s the beef in Trump’s newest executive order? Plus: White House wolf content, an upcoming Forked live taping in Brooklyn — and more!

The grassroots activist and MAHA leader Kelly Ryerson, known as Glyphosate Girl, has been an influential voice on agricultural issues for years. But with the Trump administration siding with Big Ag at the Supreme Court, it’s an open question where Ryerson and MAHA’s political home will be in the future. Helena and Theodore talk to Ryerson about these and other issues. Bonus: Why does the U.S. send so much ice cream to Saudi Arabia?