Farm To Table Talk

Farmers work too hard for what they earn. They need to earn more and work less for their way of life that should be profitable. Small farms are critical to local communities and food systems, but are especially outmatched by the resources available to larger farms — technology, equipment, sales and marketing teams, and back office staff. So in partnership with local farms in Sonoma County California, Ari Memar founded Farmhand to level the playing field by equipping farmers with the technology and services to win back local share of the food dollar and support a thriving local food system. www.farmhand.partners/farmtotabletalk      

The food system is extremely inefficient with  237 million tons going unsold or uneaten.--becomingfood waste, which goes t to landfill, incineration, or down the drain, or  simply left in the fields to rot.  That's almost 120 billion meals' worth of food that goes unsold or uneaten each year, roughly 1.4% of U.S. GDP. The impacts  on  climate and environment are also enormoussince food that is never eaten still requires resources to grow, harvest, transport, cool, cook or otherwise prepare—even when it ends up in land fills. Minnie Ringland is the Manager of Climate & Insights for www.reFed.org. Farm To Table Talk has been named one of the top farming podcasts:https://podcast.feedspot.com/farming_podcasts/

To be a good Doctor and to do good health  you really need to understand farming and agriculture, because good farming also equals good health and overall wellness, once said Wendell Berry. Dr. Camilla Petersen owns her own concierge medical practice in Missoula Montana where creating good health starts with what we are putting into our bodies. Camilla is a ND, MD, FAAFP who grew up in the Ukraine and has practiced in Africa, South America, New Zealand, all over the USA and now in Missoula Montana where she is also a wife, mother of two, member of the Montana Medical Board, and a business owner. www.petersenconciergemedical.com

Regenerative agriculture is the opposite of Degenerative agriculture. Research and innovative farmers are showing that no-till with cover crops increases net profit,  organic matter, water quality, air quality and builds soil while reducing runoff. Regenerating soil allows farmers to literally gain more land and grow more crops profitably without losing tons of soil per year from degenerative farming.  Mike Lessiter is president of Conservation Ag and the NoTill Magazine.  www.notillfarmer.com covercropstrategies.com 

Changing what you eat is a journey that may lead to growing, preparing, and marketing before sharing and consuming your food focused dreams. When the destination of the journey is a plant based diet, it may be a challenging transition. When Heather and Reggie Donaldson were moving from LA back to Cincinnati, they knew delicious plant based cheeses would be key to the success of their own plant based journey. Heather shares how that journey led to producing their own plant based cheese, opening a "Mad Cheese" shop in Cincinnati and establishing a following of the cheese and of their journey. www.madcheese.com            

Small and mid-sized  farms face a storm of economic pressures, worsening labor shortages, climate extremes, and relentless market disruptions (tariffs) With profit margins squeezed farmers are turning to precision agriculture, leveraging advanced, autonomous drone technology to optimize resources, reduce waste, overcome labor gaps, and maintain profitability. Arthur Erickson, CEO of Hylio, a US based ag drone manufacturer, shares how small to large-scale farmers are integrating drones into their regenerating operations. www.hylio.com

In the U.S., 90% of the $4.5 trillion spent on healthcare goes toward managing chronic disease, yet Physicians receive an average of just 19.6 hours of nutrition education. It's time for a new approach to healthy living, from the ground up.. Prestigious agriculture research and education nonprofit, Rodale Institute is a global pioneer that integrates regenerative organic agriculture and healthcare, for a future where food is medicine. Nadine Clopton is Rodale's Program Manager of Regenerative Education. www.rodaleinstitute.org

Nutrition security alongside food security will ensure healthy and active lives. Achieving nutritional security is being achieved through nutrition-sensitive farming, diversified food production and community sensitization.  Nate Blum is an agricultural expert and the CEO of the Sorghum United Foundation, dedicated to advancing human and animal health, as well as climate-smart agriculture. www.sorghumunited.com

As egg prices reach record highs, more homeowners are turning to backyard chicken farming as a sustainable and cost-effective solution. This surge in prices has led to a growing trend of individuals raising their own chickens to ensure a steady supply of fresh eggs. Kim Pezza is an expert in sustainable living and the author of Backyard Farming: Raising Chickens as well as other books in the Backyard Farming series to help us achieve greater self-sufficiency in our own backyards.

Farms of all sizes and types, from conventional to organic, need  continually improving technologies if they are to meet their obligations to Mother Earth and their own bottom line. Gary Wickhan is the founder and CEO of Ireland based MagrowTec. Farming utilizes applications of materials through spraying.  Whether those materials are organic or traditional the goal is to use as little as possible and avoid drift to non targeted areas. Magrotec uses permanent rare earth magnets to expose  fluid to static non-uniform magnetic fields under appropriate flow conditions. This affects the physical properties of the fluid that determine  spray droplet formation, droplet dynamics, and droplet adhesion.Large farms are early adapters but as the technology advances it will be better for smaller operations, for the climate and for eaters. www.magrowtec.com

Food is a universal language and the key to bridging our deepest divides can be as simple as sharing a meal. In her newbook, Table for 51: Lessons Learned from Sharing Meals Across America, Shari Leid embarks on a  journey to connect with people from all walks of life—demonstrating how food can serve as a powerful bridge  across political and cultural divides.Shari's 50 States Project took her to all corners of the U.S., where she intentionally satdown to meals with individuals of diverse ages, races, political beliefs, and socioeconomicbackgrounds. By focusing on the shared humanity of breaking bread, Shari bypassedcontentious topics and created safe spaces for vulnerable, bias-free conversations. Her story is a timely and powerful reminder of how intentional acts of connection can bring people together, even in today's polarized climate.

Can anyone farm? It doesn't take large acreage to grow food in your own back yard, next to your restaurant, in a community gardens, school yard, or a small space adding income to an existing small farming operation. Shiv Shakti is founder of Shakti Farm Design in Bend Oregon. He creates sustainable, energy-efficient greenhouses that integrate regenerative agriculture and permaculture principles. Utilizing soil and sun in small spaces with modest investments, almost anyone can farm. shaktifarmdesign.com

Tariffs are taxes that may increase food costs and decrease farm incomes. President Trump has signed executive orders imposing duties on imports from Canada, Mexico and China. The president has also threatened tariffs on imports from other countries, as well as across-the-board tariffs aimed at specific sectors.As the largest exporter of agricultural products in the world, the United States will face retaliatory tariffs and other barriers in retaliation for the recent actions, with a big impact on domestic farmers and ranchers, food manufacturers, restaurants, retailers and consumers.Former Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Ron Baumgarten.is now of counsel with law firm BakerHostetler, specializing in international trade law and negotiations,

You don't need to be in the country to farm. It can start on a vacant lot. Three Sisters Gardens' in West Sacramento is giving back to the community by inspiring and empowering youth through urban farming. Like the Three Sisters legend of companionship planting, Three Sisters Gardens founder Alfred Melbourne believes that communities can heal and thrive when all components, the youth, adults, and elders, work together. The program fosters pride, cultural preservation, and also a deeper connection to Native American heritage. Young leaders become agents of change, promoting access to fresh produce, community well-being, sustainable urban environments and a brighter future. 3sistersgardens.com

Grazing is getting attention for a natural mitigation of fire hazards. Herbicides can run off, are dangerous to handle, and lead to genetically resistant weeds.  Power equipment burns fossil fuel and produces CO2.  Goats go where people can't, eat what most animals won't, and leave behind nothing but fertilizer. Today goats offer an added enterprise to farms and beginning farmers to capitalize the demand for both targeted grazing and goat meat from the growing population of people from parts of the world where goat meat is preferred.Aaron Steele is the found or of Goats On the Go and the author of the new audio book Goats for Good that is available at www.goatsonthe go.com and available through podcast apps.

McDonald's operators in Michigan supply their Happy Meal  customers and support Michigan farmers  by purchasing 14 million pounds of state grown apples annually.There are are over 500 locally-owned McDonald's restaurants with over 80 Owner/Operators in 90% of Michigan counties. They support Michigan by purchasing 135.9 million pounds of corn, 54.9 million dozen eggs, 22.2 million gallons of milk, 14 million pounds of apples, 5.6 million pounds of butter, 3.4 million pounds of pork, , 3 million pounds of beef, 1.2 million pounds of cheese, and 625,000 pounds of blueberries. Mike Maynard is a 2nd generation owner/operator from southern central Michigan (Coldwater, Battle Creek area) with 12 stores owned between his mom and dad, Jim and Laura Maynard, and Mike and his wife Jessica.

Many dream of  moving to the country and some take the steps to make that dream a reality. Paula Whyman had a "crazy" idea to cultivate a small native meadow  where wildlife could thrive. Then she set foot on 200 acres of old farmland atop a Virginia mountain  and her dream became a reality. In BAD NATURALIST: One Woman's Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop, Paula Whyman explains how she cares for her mountain-sized ecological restoration challenge and discovered that it's impossible to be a “good” naturalist.

The biggest issue threatening the food system now is not climate change. It is the emerging policies to deport undocumented workers that make the wheels turn from fields to processing plants and retail. Gary Nabham is an Agricultural Ecologist, Ethnobotanist, Ecumenical Franciscan Brother, and author whose work has focused primarily on the interaction of biodiversity and cultural diversity of the arid binational Southwest. He also is a keynote speaker at Eco Farm where he brings a different message.  It's time for people in the country to come together, regardless of their politics to support the immigrants we need to  grow, process, deliver and prepare our food from farm to table.  garynabhan.com    eco-farm.org

Regenerative is a 'thing'.  More than just a farm to table buzz word there is real rebuilding and restoration taking place that ultimately improves the soil and improves nutrition. As the word gets out and consumer demand increases for rest0red soil and more nutritious  foods, how can the consumer know whether they're getting the "real thing"? Regenified certification is stepping up to this job says Chief Marketing Officer Kristine Roots.  Diestel Famiily Ranch turkeys are on that track explains Heidi Diestel. An analysis conducted by the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University on behalf of Regenified and Diestel Family Ranch showed that Diestel turkeys grown with regenerative farming practices are not only better for the land, but also have improved nutritional profiles over conventionally raised turkeys. www.diestelturkey.com      www.regenified.com

What happens when women take the lead in tackling climate change through the food we grow and eat? Stephanie Anderson grew up on a ranch in western South Dakota and is the author of From the Ground Up. With a background in creative nonfiction, a deep understanding of regenerative agriculture, and years of exploring the intersections of equity and sustainability, Stephanie brings a fresh and thought-provoking perspective to our table. Movements start broad and grow in participation and focus creating transformation, reshaping system and inspiring hope in the face of environmental and s0cietal challenges.

Sunshine makes food farming possible in more ways than one. Emerging farmers can access land and landowners can add solar income through, Agrivoltaics an approach that combines solar energy production with agricultural practices — allowing for renewable energy generation alongside farming activities like crop production and livestock grazing. This dual-use approach brings significant benefits to the land, farmers, and the local community. Peter Schmitt is the Director of Project Development with Minneapolis based, US Solar. www.us-solar.com

Going it alone is a noble idea but for many solo ventures  cooperation with others pays off. Cooperatives are a unique legal business form that facilitates people coming together to tackle challenges that are overwhelming or impossible for the individual. Kim Coontz is the Executive Director of the California Center for Cooperative Development.  CCCD demonstrates the power of the self-help elements of cooperatives to help new farmers gain viability through cooperative purchasing, sales and product promotion, plus enabling food security in rural as well as urban enclaves through food cooperatives. http://www.cccd.coop/membership

Change is coming to Agriculture, in policies and people. It's a time to be thankful for the USDA team who came to Washington four years ago to give their best to help farmers and time to welcome a new team coming to the Capitol ready to give their own best.  Jeff Van Pevanage is the President and CEO of Columbia Grain. Marketing  to and from foreign markets he remembers the effect of the trade war with China and sees implications of the announced unprecedented tariffs with our neighbors in Canada and Mexico.  With new leadership, Farm Bill, tariffs, labor shortages and more the best efforts of all will be welcome. www.columbiagrain.com

Mitigating Climate Change will require implementing a data driven approach on every level of global food production. Agriculture-oriented satellite constellations are beginning to provide a critical perspective on the size and condition of nearly everything we grow to eat, nearly every where in the world.  With Ukraine still in the news we are bringing back a previous conversation with Vera Petryk who spoke to us from her home in Kyev with optimism for Ukraine and an optimistic view of the future of food on our 'Blue Dot'.

Agriculture will reverse the dangerous levels of greenhouse gases in the environment, if Ag follows a report prepared by leading scientists, reviewed by  CAST (Center for Ag Science and Technology) and published by the US Farmers and Ranchers In Action. Dr.Marty Matlock, University of Arkansas and leading author of the repot explains how combining reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions  with increased carbon sequestration will achieve GHG-negative agriculture in five areas offering the most significant opportunities to offset Ag's roughly 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions:  soil carbon management, nitrogen fertilizer management, animal production and management, crop yield gap, and efficient energy use. https://youtu.be/HwCR5_N8D8Y CAST: @CASTAgScience on all social media networks. USFRA: YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.  

To protect public health, the FDA's Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program tests FDA-regulated foods shipped in interstate commerce to determine whether they comply with pesticide tolerances, or maximum residue levels, set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). If the FDA finds that the amount of pesticide residue on a food is over the tolerance, or when a pesticide is found and there is no tolerance established, the FDA can take action. Sara McGrath, PhD, is a chemist at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Human Foods Program. She is in the Office of Food Chemical Safety, Dietary Supplements, and Innovation where she focuses on monitoring chemical contaminants in foods broadly, with a focus on pesticides. To learn more about the FDA's work to monitor the food supply for safe levels of pesticides, visit Pesticides. You can find the FDA Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program's annual reports and accompanying data here: Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Reports and Data.

Climate change has become a partisan issue but really has not gotten as much attention as it needs in the current election. It's time for us and those we vote for to take an informed stand for our climate. Rob Jackson is the Chair of the Global Carbon Project, a Senior Fellow at Stanford's Woods Institute for the Environment and Precourt Institute for Energy, and a professor of earth science at Stanford University. His book "The Clear Blue Sky" shows a bipartsan path hat can make needed change in decades rather than centuries. www.tintotheclearbluesky.com

Time is up and we need to choose who we support and consider what they support. Will they do what they say and is that good or bad? Among the big issues at stake are the future of our food and farms.  Farmer and former Missouri Farm Bureau President, Blake Hurst joins Farm to Table Talk host Rodger Wasson  to explore the issues that will effect our food system globally and locally that should be considered when our votes are cast. Screenshot

Craft Beef is successful so how about Craft Beef? Jeff and Kara Smith are the co-founders of Colorado Craft Beef, a company rooted in a multi-generational ranching legacy. Over the years, they've built a vertically integrated, direct-to-consumer beef company that not only provides high-quality beef products but also connects people with agriculture, dispels common myths, and promotes pride in how we feed our families.  Jeff Smith challenges old industry standards to generate new mindsets and value-added partnerships from ranch to table. www.coloradocraftbeef.com

Happiness can be found on the way  from farm to table where we break bread together. Ezekiwee Anderson discovered happiness baking very special bread that led to Rize Up Sourdough.  Rize Up's story began as a home-based quarantine sourdough project that quickly turned into a micro bakery. Within a year, Rize Up out grew Azikiwee's backyard ovens. Overcome with a need to make a difference and hopefully inspire young Black bakers to think outside the traditional he shows how to be the change we seek -- sharing the love of delicious, thoughtfully baked bread. The Rize Up story is featured in a National Geographic produced film streaming on Hulu, "World Eats Bread". Rizeupsourdough.com

The Farm Bill is largely a Food Bill with over 80% of the programs in the area of public nutrition.  The previous $867 billion Farm Bill was passed in 2018 but on September 30, 2024 it expired. The nation's farmers and consumers need a bipartisan solution says Adam Warthesoen, Organic Valley's Vice President of Government Affairs.  To bring the farm story to the public and to celebrate National Farmers Day October 11, Organic Valley is bringing a firsthand farm experience to viewers live from small organic family farms, coast to coast, all day long. Anyone can join. Join Organic Valley farmers live from the field as we celebrate the hard work, dedication, and commitment to protecting where your food comes from! Farmer-member Tyler Webb livestreaming from the field in celebration of National Farmers Day.  

An indigenous way of being may be just what the world needs - starting with an indigenous view of food. Decolonizing our diets will lead to an expansive palate that creates a relationship with traditional, seasonal, everyday foods. Karuk tribe member Sara Calvosa Olson is a food writer and editor living in the Bay Area with her husband and two sons. Her work dwells at the intersection of storytelling, Indigenous food systems, security, sovereignty, reconnection, and recipe development. ChimiNu'am is her book of Native California foodways for the contemporary kitchen. akihsara.com,  @thefrybreadriot.

Roundup is a herbicide that has been controversial and the subject of lawsuits against Monsanto and now Bayer. Are we "headed to the last roundup" as go the lyrics to an ancient cowboy tune by Gene Autry?  Missouri farmer Blake Hurst is the author of an editorial in the Wall Street Journal about this prodcut that has saved armers from excessive tillage or back breaking hand hoeing of the past. He joins Farm To Table Talk while driving in his John Deere Combine to a field ready to harvest.  

Cats and dogs should watch out for hungry immigrants according to recent political propaganda. Truth is that immigration is a necessity in the country and not a reason to keep our pets locked indoors. Farm To Table Talk returns with this podcast from earlier this year to remind us that immigration is essential for a functioning food system According to Steve Hubbard of the American Immigration Council, the H-2A Temporary Agriculture Worker Program allows U.S. employers that face a shortage of domestic workers to hire foreign nationals for temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs.  Foreign help is being sought from over two-thirds of the counties in the U.S. www.american immigration council.org

  Tricia Kovacs,  Associate Deputy Administrator, AMS Help is needed and is at hand to build resilient local & regional food systems through the US Department of Agriculture. Tricia Kovacs is the Deputy Administrator of Transportation and Marketing programs rolling out to  communities in every state. Learn about USDA local food programs discussed in the podcast: Regional Food Business Centers Program (Agricultural Marketing Service) Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (Agricultural Marketing Service) Local Agriculture Market Program (Agricultural Marketing Service) The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program (Food and Nutrition Service) Sign up to receive the “From the Ground Up” newsletter Learn about USDA AMS Grants and Opportunities View the Local and Regional Food Systems Resource Guide Learn about USDA careers: AMS Career Opportunities USAJobs (USDA) See other ways to stay connected: USDA AMS Linked In USDA AMS Instagram USDA Facebook To help provide schools with local foods, in addition to the FNS program at the link above, AMS established the Local Food for Schools Program Cooperative Agreement Program to strengthen the food system for schools by helping to build a fair, competitive, and resilient local food chain, and expand local and regional markets with an emphasis on purchasing from historically underserved producers and processors.

The proclaimed Farm To Fork Capital of America is Sacramento, California where the signature event of the Farm to Fork Festival is the Tower Bridge Dinner. Over 1,000 are on the Bridge to prepare, serve and enjoy a delicious locally grown and sourced dinner by some of the country's top chefs and  Northern California's top farmers. The event is sponsored by Visit Sacramento and Farm To Table Talk's Rodger Wasson is on the Bridge at the dinner with Visit Sacramento's CEO, Mike Testa and two of the featured Chefs: Brock MacDonald of Beast & Beauty and Ceil Rhoodes II of Nash and Proper. The 2024 Tower Bridge Dinner was a terrific start to the Annual Farm To Fork Festival and perhaps an invitation to other parts of the country to challenge Sacramento for the title of Farm To Fork Capital. www.Visitsacramento.com https://www.farmtofork.com/events/the-tower-bridge-dinner/

A future filled with with vibrant rural and urban small farms is good for the farmers, their customers and their community. Small farms help build human capacity, revitalize communities, supply regional food systems, and foster ecological resilience in a changing world. Since 2001, the Cornell Small Farms Program has fostered programs that support and encourage the sustainability of diverse, thriving small farms. Cornell Small Farm Program's Eric Frenay is able to walk the talk as a small farmer herself who sees the challenges and  real progress.  www.smallfarms.cornell.edu

In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania exclusive heritage chickens are being grown on family farms to the highest animal welfare standards- freely roaming pastures at a slower pace. Mike Charles is a 6th generation farmer and the founder and CEO of LaBelle Patrimoine.   This Whole Foods Market All-Star Supplier of the Year  and the Compassion in World Farming's Good Chicken Award winner just earned the USDA's regeneratively raised status and is certified to a Global Animal Partnership's Step 4 (no other poultry operation has a higher rating). www.labelle-patrimoine.com

Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) is a labeling law that requires retailers, such as full-line grocery stores, supermarkets and club warehouse stores, to notify their customers of the source of certain foods; including muscle cut and ground meats: lamb, goat, and chicken; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables; peanuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts; and ginseng.   Dr. Alexandria Fischer is with the Research and Rulemaking Branch of the USDA's Agriculutural Marketing Service that administers COOL@usda.gov . www.amis.usda.gov    

Even when summer is over, the season peak flavor and nutrition in tomatoes is available all year long in cans or jars.  Lycopene, the antioxidant compound that makes tomatoes red, is even more available in tomatoes that have been turned in to tomato products and has been shown to be protective for diseases from cardiovasular to cancers. What if it is more than just the lycopene in the tomatoes that make a difference. That is the question being pursued at the The Ohio State University by Dr. Jessica Coooperstone's Lab where positive  protections have been found from tomatoes with or without lycopene.  Just when it seems that the tomato story can't get any better, we learn about the role "Alpha Tomatine" and the potential of making a great product better.  Jessica Cooperstone is Associate Professor in the department of Horticulture and Crop Science and the department of Food Science & Technology . www. CooperstoneLab.com

In food purchase priorities, somethings change a lot and some barely change at all.  When it comes to food purchases the top considerations are still taste, price, health and convenience.  What's new and rising on the list is "Environmental Sustainability",  now an important consideration for about 30% of the population.  These findings are in the Annual Food & Health Survey of IFIC the Internaional Food Information Council. Kris Solid, RD is the Research Senior Director for IFIC.  To fill gaps in consumer knowledge about food it's important to identifiy current perceptions, beliefs and behavious.  www.foodinsight.org

Immigration is essential for a functioning food system that otherwise suffers from growing labor shortages on farms, packing houses, processors and kitchens. The H-2A Temporary Agriculture Worker Program allows U.S. employers that face a shortage of domestic workers to hire foreign nationals for temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs.  An American Immigration Council analysis, “The Expanding Role of H-2A Workers in U. S. Agriculture” reveals significant demand across the country with labor being sought from two thirds (2/3) of all counties in the U.S. Steve Hubbard, the Senior Data Scientist at the American Immigration says “Instead of vilifying migrant workers, we should champion and protect them for their vital support to America's food production. www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org

What we eat today and tomorrow is linkng through restaurants and institutions under the direction of Chefs who are learning the importance of knowing the farm source and sharing that knowledge with customers. With over 6,000 studets,Chef Kirk Bachman is President Provost  of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, the largest culinary institution in the U.S.   (https://www.escoffier.edu)

Progress in regenerative produce production is not just in our own back yards, but can come from other countries, such as Guatemala. Responding to extreme weather and desires for delicious, affordable foods that are grown regeneratively are having an impact all over the world.  Answers are found not only in local farmers markets, but also in supermarkets and suppliers who comb the globe to find the right sources that are faming, packing and shipping the right way. Christopher Safieh is the Head of Growth at Guatemala based UniSpice, a world leader in growing, packing and shipping produce to global customers. www.unispice.com

Solutions to our farming futures may reside on a spectrum that ranges from wide open to strategically controlled. Jake Felser of Freight Farms shared an important  perspective on how controlled environment farming can check several boxes when he first joined the Farm To Table Talk in 2022..  www.freightfarms.com

Attention is a moral act so we shouldn't just do what we think nature wants --"attend to Earth". Try as we might, you won't be the savior of the world but you can do what you are here to do. This will take some down the road to regeneration (mob, mow and move), or beyond.  Daniel Firth Griffith has a 400 acre rewilding project in central Virginia and has published "Stagline", a book about transition from regneration on to a Kenetic rewilding from cropland to pastures, to forests and plates. www.wildtimshel.com

58% of the energy intake in the American diet is from ultra processed foods and not coincidentally nearly 40% of the population is considered obese, facing growing rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and dementia.  It's not that all processed foods are bad since many highly nutritious foods are minimally processed and maybe canned, jarred, frozen or dried points out Registered Dietitian and author, Sharon Palmer. Realigning our diets involves simple choices that can be made at the supermarket and even at fast food drive throughs. Sharon explains what is "ultra" processed and what we can do better. @sharonpalmer   sharonpamer.com www.food&planet.org

Water restrictions in California will cause large acreages of farm land to be fallowed, potentially producing nothing.  Fortunately   a new crop is being introduced that uses very little water, making more available for thirstier tree, vine and row crops.  That new crop, a new spirit, is California Agave.  Stuart Woolf has been to Mexico and brought back Agave plants that are planted and flourishing in the Central Valley. It's turning out that California is ideal for Agave production.  That's good news for Sean Venus, of Venus Distilling in Santa Cruz who is distilling California Agave Spirits and is representative of progressive distillers who see a promising future for California's newest crop, a great spirit. www.woolffarming.com   venusspirits.com  californiaagave.org  

Consumers are more confused than ever about what are the best food choices for themselves and their family.  This is the case inspite of the fact or because of the fact that social media, traditional media, books and TV are filled with strongly asserted points of view.  Why is establishing  the right path so confusing?  Amy Myrdal Miller is a registered dietitian, North Dakota farmer's daughter and co-author of Cooking a la Heart.  https://www.farmersdaughterconsulting.com

More money is spent lobbying the Farm Bill than is spent lobbying for America's Defense industry. It's not just about producing food. Over 80% of the farm bill is for nutrition programs, such as SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The bulk of the lobbying investments are made by AgriBusiness that sells inputs to farmers and the grocery industry who benefit from food assistance purchases.  Even the farm focused programs (research, exports, conservation, etc) mostly support products used for fuel, animal feed and sweeteners. These include important programs to help real farmers produce real food, but not enough.  Ricardo Salvador is the Director of Food and Environmental Programs with the Union of Concerned Scientists. www.ucusa.org

The demand for meat will keep growing because the world's population will keep growing out of poverty and with a hunger to add meat to their diet. Now more meat can come from more sources , including animal, plants and mycoprotein. Paul Shapiro is CEO of the Better Meat Company and author of "Clean Meat".  Growing micycrobial fungi called "mycoprotein", meat is produced with the look, taste and texture of animal sourced products with equal or superior nutrition. Who knew we could be farming microbes to help feed a hungry planet. www.bettermeat.co