Heartland Stories

LeAnna Compagna is a third generation organic farmer in Middlebury, Vermont. Together with her husband they are farming on their own dairy farm as well as on LeAnna's parents farm that became an organic farm in 2007, when her parents sold the herd of cows that had come with the farm and replaced it with a herd of organic Dutch Belted dairy cows. Tune in to learn more about: LeAnna's story of becoming an organic dairy farmer; Small family farms; Becoming a steward of the land; All about organic dairy cows; Why farming is a 24/7 job; How inflation is hitting the daily operation of the farm.

Piper Davis is a celebrated baker and partner at Grand Central Bakery, a regional chain of 10 cafes and artisan bakeries in the Pacific Northwest. An avid baker, cook and good food provisioner, she is the co-author of “The Grand Central Baking Book” and is Board Chair of the national nonprofit Chefs Collaborative. Tune in to learn more about: Piper's childhood and her love of baking inspired by her mom - Grand Central Bakery founder, Gwyneth Bassetti; The artisan bread revolution; The power of deliciousness; About Grand Central Bakery and their mission to produce delicious food and treat their employees well; The tomato story and the challenges of purchasing local ingredients, from wheat to vegetables.

Dr. Philip Landrigan is a pediatrician and epidemiologist, as well as Professor, Director of the Global Public Health Program and of the Global Pollution Observatory at the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society at Boston College. His research focuses on toxic chemicals in the environment and their effects on children's health and development. Tune in to learn more about: - Pesticides and children's health; - Fetal programing, epigenetics & windows of vulnerability; - What parents can do to protect their children's health; - The Heartland Study.  Dr. Landrigan urges parents to "Vote for children", by asking their representatives what they are doing to protect their children from the rising health issues that a lot of them are facing like autism, learning disabilities and childhood cancer.

George Siemon is an organic pioneer and the co-founder and former CEO of CROPP/Organic Valley. In September 2022, George was one of the recipients of the 2022 Honorary Recognition Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The Honorary Recognition Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to their professions, their communities and the university. Tune in to learn more about: George's path into organic farming; His involvement in pioneering organic standards for livestock; How organics has proven that it can feed the world; How a stable price helped organic family farms; About alternative ownership models, like co-ops and trust ownerships; The art of governance and why it is important that we learn how to work and get along together.  

Dr. Marianne LeGreco is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Communications Studies at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She is also the co-author of “Everybody Eats: Communication and the Paths to Food Justice” which was published in 2021. Tune in to learn more about: Marianne's inspiration for studying communications; The four legged stool of the food system; Food access and poverty; Her book “Everybody Eats: Communication and the Paths to Food Justice” and the question “who gets to bring the table?”; The nurturing of new leaders in food; The little food pantries and mobile food markets in neighborhoods; The Food Research and Active Center; Her thoughts on the 2023 Farm Bill.  To learn more about Dr. LeGreco, listen to her TEDxGreensboro talks Building Vibrant Food Systems and Vibrant Food Systems Redux.

Antonio Roman-Alcalá is an educator, researcher, writer, and organizer based in Berkeley, California who has worked on issues of sustainable food systems for nearly 20 years. Antonio is currently an Assistant Professor at California State University, East Bay teaching Geography and Environmental Studies. Previously, he co-founded San Francisco's Alemany Farm, the San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance, and the California Food Policy Council, and his 2010 documentary film, “In Search of Good Food”, can be viewed free online. Currently, Antonio maintains the blog www.antidogmatist.com, the North American Agroecology Organizing Project. Tune in to learn more about: The story on how he became involved in food systems; His 2010 documentary film “In Search of Good Food”; His PhD dissertation “Histories of Othering, Practices of Solidarity, and Prospects for Emancipatory Convergence Among California's Food and Farming Movements in Times of Resurgent Rightwing Power”; Five practical strategies for those who work to change the food systems.  To learn more about Antonio, go to his blog www.antidogmatist.com. 

Rick Nahmias is the founder and CEO of Food Forward, and an award winning photographer and writer who is focused on the faces and stories of marginalized communities. He is an internationally recognized speaker on food justice and social innovation issues and his work has been profiled in dozens of media outlets. Tune in to learn more about: The story on how Food Forward was born; How Food Forward recovers fruits and vegetables that would have been wasted from backyard fruit trees, public orchards, farmers markets, and the downtown Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market and distributes them to marginalized communities; How 250,000 pounds of fresh produce a day is being collected and distributed; About “The Migrant Project”; Why eating healthy is a way out of poverty for marginalized and underserved communities.  To learn more about Rick Nahmias and Food Forward go to www.foodforward.org.

Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin engages immigrants, farmers old and new, and established agricultural entrepreneurs in his life's work of designing, refining, and championing a global model for poultry-powered, planet cooling, scalable and regenerative agriculture. Reginaldo has immersed himself in this work by launching the non-profit Regenerative Agriculture Alliance, co-founding the Tree-Range® Chicken brand, and recently being named CEO of Tree-Range® Farms. He is creating opportunities to heal the earth, and bringing back the hope of a restorative future by introducing real and tangible ways we can change the world today through regenerative practices. He is also the author of the book “In the Shadow of Green Man: My Journey from Poverty and Hunger to Food Security and Hope". Tune in to learn more about: Regenerative agriculture and the regenerative poultry system; Tree-Range® Farms, and why they are putting chicken back where they belong - in the jungle; Ancestral wisdom of the regenerative system; Access to land and finance. To learn more about Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, go to http://www.treerangefarms.com. 

Bill Tracy is a Professor in the Department of Agronomy and Chair of the Masters program in Agroecology as well as Clif Bar and Organic Valley Endowed Chair in Plant Breeding for Organic Agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Tune in to learn more about: - Sweet corn breeding; - Breeding for climate; - Why diversity of crops and perennials are important; - The experiments with perennializing of sweet corn; - Nixtamalized corn. To learn more about Professor Bill Tracy go to https://agronomy.wisc.edu/bill-tracy/.

Dr. Erin Silva is an Associate Professor and State Extension Specialist in Organic and Sustainable Cropping Systems in the Department of Plant Pathology as well as the Director for the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at UW-Madison. Tune in to learn more about: Her work in agroecology and how this is associated with organic agriculture; Why we need a diversity of crops and a diversity of farmers; On farm research; The Organic Grain Resource and Information Network (OGRAIN), a comprehensive program to provide educational support to new, transitioning and experienced organic grain farmers; Research on growing domestic organic sunflowers and sunflower oil; Climate smart agriculture; Why investment in organic research will benefit everyone in the agriculture system; Why we need a sustainable and more healthier food system. To learn more about Dr. Silva go to https://cias.wisc.edu/directory/17158/.

Cathy Erway is a James Beard and IACP (The International Association of Culinary Professionals) award winning food writer and the author of the cookbooks “The Food of Taiwan”, “Sheet Pan Chicken”, and the memoir “The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove”. She hosts the podcast Self Evident, exploring Asian America's stories. Tune in to learn more about: Cathy's experience living in New York and how she learned to stop eating out and eating at home; Her blog about not eating out in the city;  Food and packaging waste; Her inspiration for writing the cookbook “The Food of Taiwan”; Day and midnight markets in Taiwan; Her podcast on Heritage Radio Network Eat your words; Self Evident, the community podcast that explores Asian American stories.  To learn more about Cathy, go to https://theartofeatingin.com/.

George Siemon is an organic pioneer and the co-founder and former CEO of CROPP/Organic Valley. In September 2022, George was one of the recipients of the 2022 Honorary Recognition Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The Honorary Recognition Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to their professions, their communities and the university. Tune in to learn more about: George's path into organic farming; His involvement in pioneering organic standards for livestock; How organics has proven that it can feed the world; How a stable price helped organic family farms; About alternative ownership models, like co-ops and trust ownerships; The art of governance and why it is important that we learn how to work and get along together.

Frances Moore Lappé is the author or co-author of twenty books about world hunger, living democracy, and the environment, beginning with the three-million-copy Diet for a Small Planet in 1971. She is the co-founder of three organizations including the Oakland-based think tank Food First and the Small Planet Institute, which she leads with her daughter, Anna Lappé, and the Small Planet Fund, which channels resources to democratic social movements worldwide. Tune in to learn more about: - What she learned during the pandemic; - About Diet for Small Planet 50 years later; - Her experience with the farmers in the Midwest from the 1980s to today; - The concentrated power of corporations in the food industry; - Why she is a “possibilist” and she believes that voices and actions count and can make a difference; - What democracy really means and about Democracy Movement; - The culture of valuing and taking responsibility of our natural resources.  To learn more about Frances go to https://www.smallplanet.org.  

Lauren Perkins is a 4th generation organic dairy farmer at Perk Organic Dairy Farm in Frankford, West Virginia. Lauren grew up on the 1,000-acre farm that her great-grandfather started in 1942. At 26, she became the first woman in her family to manage the dairy farm. Tune in to learn more about: The story of how Lauren's grandfather started as a dairy farmer; How the farm transitioned to organic and become part of Organic Valley Family Farms; Why farming organic became sustainable for Lauren's family; How Lauren's farm is surrounded by developments and how they turned the farm into a preservation, ensuring that future generations can still farm; About Generation Organic (“Gen-O”), Organic Valley's program to nurture farmers under the age of 35, providing education and giving them the tools to support their operations; Lauren's love for soil, animals and people and her visions for the future of agroecology.

Robert Gottlieb is Professor Emeritus of Urban and Environmental Policy and the Founder and former Director of the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College. Professor Gottlieb research is focused on environmental and food justice, care politics, power and inequality, global cities and the infrastructure of everyday life. He is also the author of numerous publications, including 14 books. His newest book “Care-Centered Politics” was published this year by MIT Press. Tune in to learn more about: His move from New York City to Los Angeles in 1969; The link between community action and academic research; About the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College; The community building process and the pioneering of the farm to school initiative; His newest book “Care-Center Politics: From the Home to the Planet”and how care oriented politics and economy can shape and reorient issues in health, environment, food justice, climate and inequality.  To learn more about Professor Gottlieb go to https://www.oxy.edu/academics/faculty/robert-gottlieb. 

Wade Miller is the Vice President of Farm Resources and Sustainability at Coulee Region Organic Produce Pools (CROPP)/Organic Valley, the nation's largest organic, farmer-owned cooperative and one of the world's largest organic consumer brands. Tune in to learn more about: Wade's career path in agriculture; Sustaining family farms and recognizing that they are the caretakers of the earth; The newly awarded grant from the USDA to CROPP/Organic Valley that provides resources to accelerate 1,200 new carbon reduction and removal projects on 500 Organic Valley farms; The seed of low carbon organic milk; Interventions on farms that have carbon impacts like silvopasture, that will model carbon impact and direct farmer payments for carbon reduction and removal; Why farmers are a solution, not a problem to climate change. To learn more about Wade's work and CROPP/Organic Valley go to https://www.organicvalley.coop/.

Nicole Rakobitsch is the Director of Sustainability at Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools (CROPP)/Organic Valley. Organic Valley is America's largest cooperative of organic farmers and one of the nation's leading organic brands. Tune in to learn more about: Nicole's path that led her to sustainability and to Organic Valley; Why organic farmers are the real stewards of the land; The $25 million grant awarded to Organic Valley that focuses on helping small organic family farms establish and measure on-farm practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; The issue with methane gas from farms; Silvopasture, agroforestry and other climate smart farming practices; Carbon sequestration and what climate smart food really is; Carbon insetting; To learn more about Nicole's work and CROPP/Organic Valley,   go to https://www.organicvalley.coop/why-organic-valley/sustainability/.

Dr. Niesha Douglas is an educator, author and writer. Dr. Douglas has over 15 years of experience in higher education and over 6 years of experience in community development. Dr. Douglas is a community activist that believes in giving back to the community that helped her grow and develop into a professional and leader. She has served on several committees regarding food insecurity/hunger and was chosen to lead a discussion on Community Activism in Adult Education at the 2016 Adult Education Research Conference in Charlotte, NC. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina and the co-author of “Everybody Eats: Communication and the Paths to Food Justice” which was published in 2021. Tune in to learn more about: Niesha's journey into learning about food insecurity in her community in Greensboro, North Carolina; Why trust in community activism is essential; Becoming a community leader and a role model and why we need more than just one leader; Poverty and food apartheid; Why food is love and why it brings people together. 

Dr. Marion Nestle is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University in the department she chaired from 1988-2003 and from which she retired in September 2017. She is also Visiting Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell. Dr. Nestle holds honorary degrees from Transylvania University in Kentucky and the Macaulay Honors College of the City University of New York. She is the author, co-author, or co-editor of fourteen books, several of them prize-winning and the recipient of several awards and honors. In 2011, Michael Pollan ranked her as the #2 most powerful foodie in America (after Michelle Obama) and Mark Bittman ranked her #1 in his list of foodies to be thankful for. Tune in to learn more: Her forthcoming book “Slow Cooked - An Unexpected Life in Food Politics”; Her path into nutrition; The rise of public interest in nutrition and health; Her story on the meat lobby and on "...you cannot advise Americans to eat less meat…”; Why the goal of the food industry is to sell food not to feed people; The impact of corporate America on nutrition and why finding out who's paying for any study in nutrition is important; Which industry would benefit if people would eat less and healthier; Why growing food for fuel is “crazy”; Solutions for changing the world through food. To learn more about Dr. Nestle, go to https://www.foodpolitics.com/.

Dr. André Leu is the international director of Regeneration International, an organization that promotes food, farming and land use systems that regenerate and stabilize climate systems, the health of the planet and people, communities, culture and local economies. He is an internationally recognized speaker and the author of “Growing Life”, “Poisoning our Children” and the “Myths of Safe Pesticides”. Dr. Leu was the longest  serving President of IFOAM – Organics International, the world change agent and umbrella body for the organic sector, for which he is currently the IFOAM Ambassador. Together with his wife Julia, he runs an organic tropical fruit farm in Daintree, Australia. Tune in to learn more about: About IFOAM and their mission to bring true sustainability to agriculture across the globe; How the organization Regeneration International got started with the mission to promote, facilitate and accelerate the global transition to regenerative food, farming and land management; The People's Food Summit, which is a parallel event to the UN World Food Day, that was organized out of the need to create a different summit to promote agroecological, organic and regenerative food systems; What is regenerative and degenerative in farming; His books “Poisoning our Children” and “Myths of Safe Pesticides”. To learn more about Dr. Leu's work, go to https://regenerationinternational.org/.   

Dr. Marianne LeGreco is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Communications Studies at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She is also the co-author of “Everybody Eats: Communication and the Paths to Food Justice” which was published in 2021. Tune in to learn more about: Marianne's inspiration for studying communications; The four legged stool of the food system; Food access and poverty; Her book “Everybody Eats: Communication and the Paths to Food Justice” and the question “who gets to bring the table?”; The nurturing of new leaders in food; The little food pantries and mobile food markets in neighborhoods; The Food Research and Active Center; Her thoughts on the 2023 Farm Bill.  To learn more about Dr. LeGreco, listen to her TEDxGreensboro talks Building Vibrant Food Systems and Vibrant Food Systems Redux.

Naima Dhore is a first-generation Somali-American farmer, activist and educator committed to look after mother earth and community building. She is the Program Director at the Somali American Farmers Association and owner of Naima's Farm LLC, where she supports future Somali-American farmers in Minnesota.  Tune in to learn more about: Naima's home country of Somalia and their food; Her story on becoming a first-generation Somali-American farmer; About the Somali American Farmers Association and their work; Access to land for immigrant farmers; Her hopes for the future. To learn more about Naima's work, go to https://www.somaliamericanfarmersassociation.com.

Don Stuart has worked in natural resources and the environment for over 40 years. He served as Pacific Northwest Regional Director for the American Farmland Trust, was the Executive Director for the Washington Association of Conservation Districts, as well as a former Alaska commercial salmon fisherman, a former Seattle trial attorney, and a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps during the Vietnam War. Don's new book entitled “No Farms No Food: Uniting Farmers and Environmentalists to Transform American Agriculture” was published by Island Press in April 2022. Tune in to learn more about: The history of the relationship between farmers and environmentalists; The American Farmland Trust; The birth of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in 1985, where farmers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality in exchange for a yearly rental payment; Integrated pest management as a sound alternative to pesticides;  Climate change driven by agriculture and how agriculture can actually be part of the solution.  To learn more about Don, go to https://donstuart.net/.

Dr. Annie Shattuck is an Assistant Professor at Indiana University. Her research interests include sustainable food systems and food politics in the United States, and agrarian change, agricultural development and rural health in Southeast Asia. She is a former National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and a fellow of the Institute for Food and Development Policy, also known as Food First. She received a PhD in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley in 2018. She is co-author of the book "Food Rebellions! Crisis and the Hunger for Justice" with Eric Holt-Giménez and Raj Patel. Tune in to learn more about: Her life changing trip to Laos and how she started working with different NGOs on pesticides; The story of Joy, a pesticide applicator from Laos; The systemic problem for people to have a decent life in rural areas; How the commercialization of agriculture in Laos has resulted in an over 3,600% increase in pesticide imports in the last decade; Why data and science is important to understand the bigger picture and to understand the story; Her thoughts on alternative solutions for agriculture. To learn more about Dr. Annie Shattuck go to https://geography.indiana.edu/about/faculty/shattuck-annie.html. 

Immigrating to the United States in 1986, Javier Zamora worked in the service industry in southern California for 20 years before going back to school at the age of 43, earning his GED and a degree in landscape design before enrolling in the horticulture program at Cabrillo College. Sharpening his farming skills through the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA), he started farming organically in 2012 on 1.5 acres. Today, as owner of JSM Organics, he farms over 100 acres on California's Central Coast. He is also a mentor to other farmers and a leading voice in the local organic community. Tune in to learn more about: - Javier's story from being an immigrant to becoming an organic farmer; - His love and passion for growing flowers, fruits and vegetables; - How climate change is changing the way we farm and why water management is a big issue in California's farming community; - Getting to know your farmer and learning how the food is grown; - His life mission to help future farmers succeed. To learn more about Javier, go to https://www.jsmorganics.com.

Dr. Julie Guthman is a Professor of Social Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her publications include four books and over forty articles in peer-reviewed professional journals. In 2017 and 2018, Dr. Guthman received fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Tune in to learn more about: Her book “Wilted: Pathogens, Chemicals, and the Fragile Future of the Strawberry Industry” and her interest in researching highly toxic soil fumigants; The history of the strawberry industry in California, in particular the conditions of plants, soils, chemicals, climate, and labor that once made strawberry production so lucrative but now are threats that jeopardize the future of this industry; Solutions for reducing chemical use on strawberries; Her new research on how Silicon Valley is trying to transform the food system; Her future book that will focus on solutions. To learn more about Dr. Guthman go to https://feministstudies.ucsc.edu/faculty/index.php?uid=jguthman.

Dr. Teresa Mares is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Vermont and the Director for the Graduate Program in Food Systems. She received her M.A. (2005) and Ph.D. (2010) in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Washington. She also completed a graduate certificate in Women Studies at the University of Washington. Dr. Mares' research focuses on the labor in the food system, food security and food sovereignty, and migration from Latin America. Her first book “Life on the Other Border: Farmworkers and Food Justice in Vermont” was published by University of California Press (2019)”. Tune in to learn more about: Farming in Vermont; The three pillars of food systems - social, economic and environment; Her book “Life on the Other Border: Farmworkers and Food Justice in Vermont”; Why migrant farm workers are called essential workers; How migrant farm & food workers are valued in the US versus other countries; The excitement of students for education in the area of food systems and why we have an obligation to do better in this area; Her own journey on becoming a teacher in food systems and food justice; The “Milk with dignity” campaign by Migrant Justice; Her hope for the future of the food systems.  To learn more about Dr. Mares and her work go to https://www.uvm.edu/cas/anthropology/profiles/teresa-mares.   

This week we are revisiting one of our interviews with Dr. Leonardo Trasande.  Dr. Leonardo Trasande, Jim G. Hendrick MD Professor, is the Director of the  Division of Environmental Pediatrics and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of  Pediatrics at the New York University (NYU) School of Medicine. Dr Trasande is also the  author of the 2019 published book “Sicker, Fatter, Poorer: The Urgent Threat of  Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals to Our Health and Future . . . and What We Can Do  About It.”  Tune in to learn more about: Endocrine disruptors, the chemicals that interfere with the body's hormones; The five categories of chemicals we all need to be aware of and avoid: Bisphenol, Phthalates, Pesticides, Flame retardants, Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS); Obesogens (a category of endocrine disruptors) and why prevention is important; The problem with fertility and low sperm count;  How to avoid and reduce your exposure to flame retardants. Dr. Trasande is recommending that it is never too late to completely avoid and limit your exposure to any toxic chemical, and there are always short, medium and long term benefits for your health. There are simple steps that anyone can take, by simply choosing food, packaging, furniture, cosmetics that are free of these chemicals.  To learn more about Dr. Trasande's work, go to: https://www.leotrasande.com/about.  

This week we are revisiting one of your interviews with Kelly Ryerson.  Kelly Ryerson is an environmental health writer, filmmaker, and ardent public health advocate. After alleviating her own chronic illness by eating a gluten-free and organic diet, she realized that toxins and chemicals were at the core of the explosion in chronic disease in the United States. Determined to make the issue of glyphosate's impact on the microbiome more well-known, she began the blog Glyphosate Girl. She continues to focus on the ways in which our food system, soil, and microbiome have been corrupted by both the rampant use of toxic herbicides and the regulators who support the agricultural chemical industry. Tune in to learn more about: - Her own story of battling chronic/autoimmune disease and depression; - Her A-ha moment when she found out that Roundup is being sprayed on wheat; - Why she started the blog Glyphosate Girl, which covers the Monsanto cancer trials, glyphosate science, and glyphosate's contribution to intestinal permeability; - The leaky gut and how glyphosate kills the "good bacteria" in the gut leading to so many health issues; - Her reaction when she found out that glyphosate was detected in her daughter's baby tooth. To learn more about Kelly visit her blog: https://glyphosategirl.com. 

This week we are revisiting one of our interviews with Raj Patel. Raj Patel is an award-winning author, film-maker and academic. He is a Research Professor in the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, Austin and a Senior Research Associate at the Unit for the Humanities at the university currently known as Rhodes University (UHURU), South Africa. Raj's latest book, co-authored with Rupa Marya,  entitled “Inflamed: Deep Medicine and The Anatomy of Injustice” was published on August 3, 2021. Tune in to learn more about: - How his newest book co-authored with Rupa Marya on systemic inflammation was written during the pandemic; - Why our world, society and bodies are inflamed; - The connection between our microbiome and the earth and how when we harm the world around us we harm the world in us; - The meaning of deep medicine; - The psychological harm of capitalism; - About the film Raj co-directed entitled “The Ants and the Grasshopper”. Raj is reminding us that, “ If you carry a large debt load, your body is inflamed because of your worry about debt….if you are in debt, or worried about your job or healthcare, if you carry daily anxiety then your body is inflamed….The way to resolve that is through a culture that reassures you that we are taking care of one another, regardless of age, gender, immigration status or ability to pay.” To learn more about Raj's work go to https://rajpatel.org. 

This week we are revisiting one of our interviews with Dr. John Ikerd. Dr. John Ikerd is a retired Professor Emeritus of Agricultural & Applied economics at the University of Missouri, author, speaker as well as a leading figure in the sustainability revolution—one who is capable of deep insights but also has the capacity to engage everyone in the conversation and work. Tune in to learn more about: - Lessons learnt from the past, especially the 1980s farm crisis and the current lessons we are learning from the COVID-19 pandemic; - The industrial food system operating as an assembly line; - Food insecurity and how sustainable, regenerative agriculture can change rural communities; Dr. Ikerd emphasizes, "The only way that we can actually deal with the problems and we can create a healthy sustainable food system is to fundamentally change the system". For more information about Dr. Ikerd's work, visit his homepage at www.johnikerd.com.

Jacob Hundt is Executive Director, Board Member and a Faculty member at Thoreau College in Viroqua, Wisconsin. Growing up on a dairy farm in the Driftless Region of southwestern Wisconsin and one of the founding students of the Youth Initiative High School, Jacob gathered inspiration for transformation in higher education through his studies at Deep Springs College, the American University in Bulgaria, and the University of Chicago. Tune in to learn more about: Jacob's own journey and background that led him into the educational field; Holistic higher education at Deep Springs College; What a microcollege is and what type of education it offers; Thoreau College, its programs, and partnerships in the community; To learn more about Jacob and Thoreau College go to https://thoreaucollege.org/.

Dr. Michelle Perro is a veteran pediatrician with over 40 years of experience in acute and integrative medicine. Dr Perro has transformed her clinical practice to include pesticide and health advocacy more than fifteen years ago. She is also the co-author of the book “What's Making Our Children Sick” as well as Executive Director of the non-profit scientific website “GMO Science”. Tune in to learn more about: The difference between acute and integrative medicine; The root cause of disease and why food is medicine; The global issue of obesity and insulin resistance chemicals (obesogens) in the food; How Big Ag is supported by the government; What is making our kids sick and the connection between gut and our overall health; How to get off the chemical food wheel; Why being sick is the new normal and how the only way to change it would be to start with the pantry first; Dr. Perro's new upcoming book “Making Our Children Well”; The link between infertility and pesticides; Why it is important to include more plants into your diet. To learn more about Dr. Perro go to https://drmichelleperro.com/. 

Dr. Molly Jahn is a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she holds appointments in the Department of Agronomy, the Nelson Institute, the Global Health Institute (on leave 2019-20 for Government Service), and a $0 appointment in the Wisconsin School of Law. She is currently on an Interagency Personnel Agreement from UW-Madison to work as a Program Manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Tune in to learn more about: The risks in the US food system and why they should be a concern; The multiple breadbasket failure; How COVID revealed the fragility of the food system; The negative effects of driving diversity out of the food system; How conflicts are a real threat to the stability of the food system; The future of microbial foods.  To learn more about Dr. Jahn and her work go to https://jahnresearchgroup.net/who-we-are/molly-jahn/. 

Andy Fisher is the Executive Director of the Ecological Farming Association and has been a leading force for social justice in the anti-hunger and food movements in the U.S. since the mid 1990s. He co-founded and led the Community Food Security Coalition for over 17 years and published his first book “ Big Hunger, The Unholy Alliance between Corporate America and Anti-Hunger Groups” in 2017. Tune in to learn more about: His upbringing in Ohio; How hunger/food insecurity is defined; Food banks are wealthier now compared to before of the pandemic; His book “ Big Hunger, The Unholy Alliance between Corporate America and Anti-Hunger Groups”; How Smithfield donates thousands of pounds of meat to food banks while polluting the environment with their CAFOs; The influence of executives in the food industry that are also sitting on the board of the food banks; Why food banks are not allowed in Scotland and their new model to move away from them. To learn more about Andy go to https://www.bighunger.org/.

This week we are revisiting our interview with Tony Bedard.  Tony Bedard is the Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Co-op, whose mission to nourish people and planet is rooted in corporate social responsibility. Tony has also led more than 25 humanitarian missions to El Salvador and Haiti to support projects in the areas of education, clean water, and healthcare. Tune in to learn more about: - The story of Frontier Co-op and their products; - Tony's story of growing up in rural Iowa in a family with 16 kids and his career starting at Frontier back in 1991; - Frontier Co-op's corporate social responsibility; - Frontier Co-op's apprenticeship program of hiring former inmates, refugees, homeless people and their amazing giving back projects; - The sustainable sourcing program Well Earth Program. To learn more about Frontier Co-op go to https://www.frontiercoop.com. 

This week we are revisiting our interview with Professor Dave Goulson. Dave Goulson is a Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex (England), who specializes in bee ecology. Professor Goulson has published more than 300 scientific articles on the ecology and conservation of bumblebees and other insects, plus seven books, including the Sunday Times bestsellers “A Sting in the Tale” (2013), “The Garden Jungle” (2019), and “Silent Earth” (2021). In 2015 he was named number 8 in BBC Wildlife Magazine's list of the top 50 most influential people in conservation. In 2018, 2019 and 2020 he was named as a “Highly Cited Researcher” by Thompson ISI. He founded the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in 2006, a charity which has grown to 12,000 members and is a trustee of the Pesticide Action Network, as well as an “Ambassador” for the UK Wildlife Trusts, and president of Pesticide Free Scotland. Tune in to learn more about: His latest book “Silent Earth”, in which in the tradition of Rachel Carson's groundbreaking environmental classic Silent Spring, he explains the importance of insects to our survival, and offers a clarion call to avoid a looming ecological disaster of our own making; His fascination about insects that started from an early age and why they are important to us and to our lives; The pollination factor, even coffee and cocoa need pollinators; The difference between bumblebees and honeybees, and the unknown fact that there are over 20,000 of known bees species; Neonicotinoids and their negative impact on soil, streams and bees;  Insects as food - and how 80% of the world actually eat insects; Global warming and the impact on insects; His wish for each one of us is to welcome nature, to plant pollinator friendly flowers and don't spray any pesticides and also to buy local, organic food. To learn more about Professor Goulson's work go to https://profiles.sussex.ac.uk/p126217-dave-goulson. 

Rachael Jones is a farmer and a co-founder of Locavore Farm and Sumac Creek Farm, which are situated 43-miles south of downtown Chicago in Kankakee County, Illinois. In 2013, Rachael was named Economic Development Leader of the Year by the Small Business Administration and in 2019 she received an Innovation in Agriculture Award from Kankakee County on behalf of the Daily Journal. The Joneses have pigs, sheep, chickens, goats and 120 different varieties of organically grown produce on their farm. Tune in to learn more about: Her wonderful story of becoming a homestead farmer; Her idea and model on the gathering around the table to enjoy the food grown on the farm together with friends; The dine on the land program; The challenges with the County on practicing agriculture and also agritourism; What a real locavore is; The education programs they offer on the farm. To learn more about Rachael and The Locavore Farm go to https://www.locavorefarm.com/locavorefarm. 

Dr. Christopher Carter is an assistant professor of theology and religious studies at the University of San Diego and a pastor in the United Methodist Church. He just published his first book “The Spirit of Soul Food: Race, Faith, and Food Justice” and is on the board of directors of Farm Forward, an anti-factory farming non-profit. Tune in to learn more about: His grandfather's experience being a migrant farm worker picking cotton, and attending school until 4th grade during Jim Crow laws; The colonization of food and why we overlook Indigenous food when we look back in history; The consequence of racial trauma; What soul food is; Why the foundation of our food system is based on structural racism; His own journey on becoming a vegan; About Farm Forward and the anti-factory farming non-profit. To learn more about Dr. Christopher Carter go to https://www.drchristophercarter.com/spirit-soul-food. You can buy his new book here or at your local bookstore. 

Liz Carlisle is an Assistant Professor in the Environmental Studies Program at UC Santa Barbara, where she teaches courses on food and farming. She has written three books about regenerative farming and agroecology: “Lentil Underground” (2015), “Grain by Grain” (2019, with co-author Bob Quinn), and most recently, “Healing Grounds: Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming” (2022). Tune in to learn more about: Her new book on climate issues, justice and regenerative farming; What we can learn from the ongoing climate chaos; The colonial food system, extractive agriculture and the result of taking carbon out of the soil; The problem with subsidies for corn and soybeans monocultures; Why people of color own just 2 percent of the agricultural land in the US; The amazing stories of women of color reconnecting with the earth and their roots by bringing back bison, preserving forest land, rejecting monoculture, rotating crops and recycling nutrients.  To learn more about Liz go to https://www.lizcarlisle.com. You can order her new book here. 

Tammi Jonas is an agroecologist, farmer, mindful meatsmith, agrarian activist, author and academic with a focus on ethical, ecologically sound and socially-just food system. Tammi is the President of the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance and the founder and owner of Jonai Farms and Meatsmiths, a 69 acre farm in Eganstown (Australia), where together with her husband, she pasture raises happy, tasty, heritage-breed Large Black pigs. Tune in to learn more about: The story of how as a vegetarian she decided to start a farm and raise Large Black pigs; Capitalistic industrial agriculture vs. ethical small family farms; Why rebuilding the local food system within communities can revitalize local economies; Australia's efforts to use less herbicides in comparison to the US; Female leadership in agriculture; The grassroots work and programs of the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance.  To learn more about Tammi's work go to http://www.tammijonas.com.

Chef Michel Nischan is the founder and Executive Chairman of Wholesome Wave, the founder of Wholesome Crave, and co-founder of the James Beard Foundation's Chefs Action Network. Michel is a four-time James Beard Award winning chef with over 30 years of leadership advocating for a more healthy and sustainable food system. Tune in to learn more about: Michel's memories of working on his grandfather's farm; How a climbing accident pushed him to finally found the non-profit organization Wholesome Wave; The mission of Wholesome Wave to address diet-related diseases by helping low-income Americans buy and eat healthy fruits and vegetables; The lack of affordability for healthy food and the disastrous consequences for the chronically ill; The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), a program that brings together stakeholders from various parts of the food and healthcare systems; About Wholesome Crave, a company that creates flavorful, nutritious soups; How health care institutions are trying to improve the quality of their food and how UC Davis Medical Center partnered with Wholesome Crave to offer their soups in their cafes. To learn more about Chef Michel Nischan go to https://www.chefnischan.com. 

Elena Terry is the Executive Chef/Founder of Wild Bearies, a non-profit community outreach catering organization that supports participants to overcome alcohol and other drug abuse issues or emotional traumas. One of her goals has been to develop mentorship programs that help build stronger communities within the Indigenous Food Sovereignty movement. Developing the Native American Food Sovereignty Association's Food and Culinary mentorship program in 2020, Elena emphasizes the healing nature of working with traditional indigenous ingredients while building community. Tune in to learn more about: Wild Bearies and their mission to heal through real food and bringing communities together; The power of how ancestral knowledge of food and animals is being passed from one generation to the next; The cooperation with the Indigenous Seed Savers Network as well as Dream of Wild Health in continuing the stewardship of ancestral seeds; The story of the bean seed that came back to the tribe; The memories of her great-grandmother cooking over on open fire and the stories that were shared; Learning how to butcher from her own grandmother; What decolonized food is; Elena's philosophy that while food is medicine, the real medicine is in the creation and the relationships we build around food. To learn more about Elena and her work go to https://wildbearies.org.

Together with his wife Sandra Belin, Larry Jacobs founded Jacobs Farm, a successful northern California organic farming operation specializing in fresh culinary herbs in 1980. In 1986, they launched Del Cabo, a collective with a unique vision for social change and sustainability. Sandra and Larry were awarded the prestigious Organic Trade Association's (OTA) 2007 Organic Farming Leadership Award for “innovation in organic farming practices, their extensive work to educate farmers on organic conversion, and for being pioneers in their fields”. Tune in to learn more about: The story on how Larry and Sandra started their organic farm; The epiphany that sparked Del Cabo; The increase in pests in Baja California, the challenges they pose to organic farmers, and the solutions that are being sought to mitigate them; About the ClimateLab, which preserves farmers' livelihoods and the future of organic produce in the face of global climate change; His hope for young people coming back to the land and changing the food system. To learn more about Larry and Jacobs Farm go to https://www.jacobsfarmdelcabo.com. 

Sarah Nelson is the Executive Director for the organization 18 Reasons, a non-profit cooking school in the San Francisco area, with the mission to empower the community with the confidence and creativity to buy, cook and eat good food every day. Tune in to learn more about: Why and when we stopped cooking and the negatives effects it had/has on our health; About 18 Reasons and why flavor and deliciousness needs to be incorporated into nutrition; How home cooking can be sustainable while it incorporates budget and shopping planning; About Bi-Rite Family of Businesses' desire to create a space where community members could deepen their relationships with food and with each other; How sharing food, recipes and the experience of cooking can benefit a community on an emotional, psychological and social level. To learn more about Sarah's work go to https://18reasons.org. 

Dr. Ricardo Salvador is a senior scientist and director of the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. He has over four decades of experience working with citizens, scientists, economists, and politicians to transition our current food system into one that grows healthy foods while employing sustainable and socially equitable practices. Tune in to learn more about: About the Union of Concerned Scientists and their mission to fight back when powerful corporations mislead the public on science; How the pandemic demonstrated that most of the food industry values profits over the health and well-being of their workers; The political and economical power of the food industry; How the current food system exploits people and the environment; The issues with corporate research, their studies and their powerful message to the public; The power of policies in food and farm. To learn more about Dr. Salvador and The Union of Concerned Scientists, go to https://www.ucsusa.org. 

Michelle Horovitz is co-founder and Vice President of Innovation at Appetite For Change (AFC), a nonprofit social enterprise organization in Minneapolis, MN, which is dedicated to using food as a tool to build health, wealth and social change. AFC works with residents to build strong families and healthy, equitable communities around food. Tune in to learn more about: The different reasons for starting Appetite For Change; The racism of cities in the Heartland; Why food is a tool to build health, wealth and social change; How food chains are set up differently with products in lower income areas; About North Market, a full-service grocery store and wellness center in North Minneapolis; About Community Cooks, a major program of AFC where people come together to cook, eat and learn; The involvement of youth and how they shape the programs and bring in new ideas incorporating music, art and poetry - check out their music video Grow Food; How COVID changed and shaped new programs for the organization. To learn more about Michelle's work and Appetite For Change go to https://appetiteforchangemn.org. 

Jeanette Burlingame is the Program Manager at the Community Hunger Solutions in Viroqua, Wisconsin. Community Hunger Solutions is dedicated to connecting healthy, locally produced food with community members who face barriers to access. Tune in to learn more about: Jeanette's story; About Community Hunger Solutions and their programs; How food pantries are still filled with processed food and how solutions on filling them with organic and nutritious food are being sought; The work they do with their distribution partners; How to best reach people that are food insecure; Why education (early childhood and in schools) can be part of the solution. To learn more about Jeanette's work go to https://www.community-hunger-solutions.org. 

Originally from New York, Alicia Kennedy is an accomplished food writer based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her weekly newsletter “From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy” delves into the topics of food culture, politics and media and has over 17,000 subscribers. She also contributed a recipe to the 50th anniversary of Frances Moore Lappé's “Diet for a Small Planet”. Tune in to learn more about: Alicia's story on becoming a food writer; Her weekly newsletter “From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy”; How she became first vegan and then vegetarian; What is really wrong with the industrial meat industry; Why good and sustainable choices are not accessible to everyone; Why your food choices are influenced by how much money you earn, how many jobs you have, and also the healthcare you receive; The collective and individual nature of food; The true cost of food. To learn more about Alicia, go to https://alicia-kennedy.com/.

Dr. Robert Kremer is an adjunct professor of soil science in both the Division of Plant Science and the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. Dr. Kremer served as a research microbiologist for 32 years with the Cropping Systems and Water Quality research unit in Columbia, MO. Tune in to learn more about: The job of a microbiologist; The billions of microorganisms found in a teaspoon of soil; Why glyphosate will stay and built up in the soil for several years and harm beneficial microorganisms including those that act as biological controls of pathogens; The discovery that Roundup ready soybeans and regular soybeans sprayed with glyphosate became overly infested with soil fungi during the dying process from the effects of glyphosate; How glyphosate is taking out important nutrients from the plant, like manganese, iron and copper; Why glyphosate is patented as an antibiotic; About the project on the Mitigation of Potential Adverse Effects of Transgenic Crop Production for Long-Term Improvement of Soil Health; To learn more about Dr. Kremer's work, go to https://cafnrfaculty.missouri.edu/rkremersoilhealth/. 

Dr. David Haas is the Robert A. Munsick Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Vice Chair for Research in the OBGYN Department at Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Haas, a former US Navy Medical Corps Commander, is also on the Board of Directors for the Heartland Health Research Alliance, the sponsor of our radio and podcast show. Tune in to learn more about: His professional medical career; Diabesity - the combination of having both diabetes and obesity; Why a person's health begins in the womb; Preconception care is the key and could help to optimize health before pregnancy, during pregnancy and after The Hoosier Moms Cohort (HMC) Study, which  focuses on the prevention and progression of diabetes, especially in women with gestational diabetes; The Heartland Study, which studies the potential impacts of herbicides on mother and infant health, including whether or not there is a connection between herbicide exposure and birth defects or developmental challenges; Why premature babies are prone to more health challenges during their life. To learn more about Dr. Haas' work, go to https://precisionhealth.iu.edu/areas-of-focus/disease-research-teams/type-2-diabetes.html and https://hh-ra.org/projects/the-heartland-study/.