Lunch Agenda

"Nacho" -- member of Migrant Justice’s Farmworker Coordinating Committee --has negotiated powerful legal changes in Vermont. Jose Ignacio “Nacho” de la Cruz and Julie Kurtz discuss the path from his family farm in Mexico to the dairies of Vermont – and his aspiration for bringing basic labor and human rights to all Vermont farms through the MILK WITH DIGNITY program and ongoing campaign with Hannaford grocers. Will Lambek assists with translation.

Migrant Justice dairy farmworker leaders in Vermont have been re-writing the farm labor rules for dairy…by following the money. Julie Kurtz speaks with Migrant Justice Staff Coordinator Marita Canedo about how migrant farmworker communities have achieved policy reforms, organized for economic justice and human rights – and how you can join the MILK WITH DIGNITY CAMPAIGN so that Hannaford grocery store profits are equitably shared with workers in their supply chain.

Julie Kurtz hosts US Senator Cory Booker’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Adam Zipkin, in this final episode of the Eating the Green New Deal series. We discuss how Senator Booker has flushed out Green New Deal concepts through the Climate Stewardship Act, Farm System Reform Act and other legislation. We consider the stakeholders willing to support these Acts for their potential benefits to farmers, rural communities and the climate – and the farmers and agribusinesses that could block their success. Powered and distributed by Simplecast

In 2017 Ben & Jerry’s reached a historic agreement with Migrant Justice, implementing the worker-driven Milk with Dignity Program in Ben & Jerry’s Northeast dairy supply chain. Julie Kurtz hosts Cheryl Pinto, Ben & Jerry’s Global Values-Led Sourcing Manager, to discuss how they’re incorporating environmental and labor values of the Green New Deal into their regional and global business. Powered and distributed by Simplecast

General Mills aims to bring 1 million acres into regenerative agriculture by 2030. Julie Kurtz hosts Shauna Sadowski, Head of Sustainability for General Mill’s Natural and Organics Operating Unit, to discuss how regenerative agriculture could be part of solving the climate crisis, support farm communities, and how food businesses can lead the way in achieving the social justice, equity and environmental principles of a Green New Deal. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

Losing two-thirds of US farmers this past century while farm size tripled, has disproportionately squeezed out small farms, especially African-Americans—where we’ve lost 98% of farmers. Julie Kurtz hosts attorneys Jillian Hishaw and Mavis Gragg, who discuss the strategies they pursue to keep African-American landowners own their land, sustainably managing forests or maintaining their agricultural heritage. They discuss how reimagining government institutions, USDA programs, and reparations would be necessary food system elements of a Green New Deal. Powered and distributed by Simplecast

Is a sustainable farming future possible without farmers? Till just recently, the US has hemorrhaged young farmers, who face a myriad of barriers to entry and to maintaining generational family farms. Today features Davon Goodwin of NC and Jake Ehret of MN to talk about land access, farm communities, and how a Green New Deal could impact their farming futures. Powered and distributed by Simplecast

If this episode doesn’t convert us all into a soil farmers, it at least makes clear how much soil matters. Host Julie Kurtz speaks with Dr. Andrea Basche and Steven Tucker of Nebraska about the power of soils to transform how we do modern agriculture, by using nature’s lessons to help us protect our communities from floods and droughts, create vibrant ecosystems and grow healthy food. They share how vision for healthy soils is spreading in Nebraska, among university students, the state legislature, and the agricultural community. #SexySoils Powered and distributed by Simplecast

The Food System employs more workers than any other sector, but pays less. Guest host Julie Kurtz speaks with Jose Oliva—longtime Organizer, James Beard Award Recipient, and American Food Hero Awardee—about the inseparability of labor, race, immigration and food. We consider how a Green New Deal, as well as the private business sector, could support dignified labor and a food system that supports healthy people and a healthy planet. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

Despite enthusiastic response among some, not all farmers, ranchers and rural communities find the Green New Deal easy to swallow. In the second episode with guest host Julie Kurtz, today we talk with Scott Blubaugh of Blubaugh Angus Ranch in Oklahoma and Roger Noonan of Middle Branch Farm in New Hampshire, both leaders in the National Farmers Union, about how they’ve encouraged strong on-farm environmental conversation practices in the midst of challenging social, political and financial pressures -- and how they continue to fight hard to keep midsize family farmers and ranchers at the heart of agriculture.Powered and distributed by Simplecast

Powered and distributed by Simplecast

Powered and distributed by Simplecast

Powered and distributed by Simplecast

In 1996, Lene Tsegaye co-founded Kefa Cafe coffee shop in Silver Spring. Lene joins Lunch Agenda to discuss the past, present, and future of Kefa Cafe and its relationship with a rapidly changing neighborhood.

On this episode of Lunch Agenda, guest host Alexya takes a deep dive into one of the largest student-run food justice organizations in the country. In 2011, several students from the University of Maryland, College Park organized to recover leftover food from the campus dining halls to deliver it to community members in need and to reduce food waste. Today over 230 chapters of Food Recovery Network operate across the nation, powered by student action. Yuzhu Shi, current president of the inaugural chapter at University of Maryland, sits down to discuss the origins of the student-powered non-profit, the impact FRN has on the community and for food waste, and about youth leadership and activism.

DC Central Kitchen is one of the city's most impactful organizations. Not only does the nonprofit provide food access through a variety of programs, DCCK also recognizes the systemic link between food access, poverty, and economic empowerment. Now in its 30th year of operation, DC Central Kitchen has launched the DCCK Cafe, located on Mississippi Avenue SE. Listen to this interview with Alexander Moore, Chief Development Officer of DC Central Kitchen and Angelo Thompson, production lead at the new Cafe. We talk about DCCK's job and culinary training programs, the impact the organization has on Wards 7 and 8, and why intergenerational intervention is a huge key to solving hunger and poverty in the District.

Though Wards 7 and 8 are home to over 150,000 DC residents, there are only three grocery stores open in these neighborhoods, causing a food access issue that must be addressed. This episode marks the first guest host spot on Lunch Agenda. Join Alexya in discussion with Clarice Manning and Raul Edwards, board members of the upcoming Community Grocery Co-op to be located east of the river. Through the Co-op, they hope to not only provide affordable, healthy foods to residents but to also uplift the community's voice and build bonds. Learn all about the history of cooperative business and about what food access really means in this episode!

Beyond the public safety and public health impacts of inadequate nutrition in correctional facilities, the food served there affects the emotions, relationships and aspirations of those on the inside. Kiko learns about issues of food environment from Leslie Soble, an ethnographer with Impact Justice. The series ends on a high note in conversation with Seth Sundberg, an entrepreneur whose mission-driven nutrition bar company began during his five years in federal prison. Stick through the end of the episode, when Kiko reveals two guest hosts who will be your Lunch Agenda dates over the summer during her maternity leave!

Roughly 2.8 million incarcerated Americans--who on the outside would present significant power as consumers--are often ignored or forgotten in our food system. Kiko talks with Halim Flowers about the lived experience of eating while incarcerated for 22 years in facilities from the east coast to the west coast; Halim shares why he’s especially worried about adolescents whose bodies and brains develop on the inside. We also hear from Kanav Kathuria about the Farm to Prison Project that is using food to change the consciousness of people in his Baltimore community toward those who are incarcerated.

Our institutional food exploration moves to hospitals, another setting where huge amounts of people (who don’t necessarily have a choice in the matter) eat every day. Kiko speaks with Jeff Klova, Executive Chef at Temple University Hospital and Shelley Chamberlain, the Healthy Food in Healthcare Specialist for Philadelphia's Good Food Healthy Hospitals initiative, about sourcing more ingredients locally, serving less meat, wasting less food, and "nudges" that steer people to use food as medicine while at the hospital.

Kiko kicks off a long-awaited series examining food offerings in hotels, hospitals and prisons. In conversation with Spike Gjerde of A Rake's Progress in the Line Hotel DC and Jessi Silverman of Center for Science in the Public Interest's report on hotel food, we explore why food served in institutions lacks the transparency of sourcing, accountability to nutrition and standards of flavor that we expect elsewhere...and what is being done about it.

If you’re an investor looking to drive equity through your funding decisions, today’s episode is for you. Kiko talks with Dennis Derryck of Corbin Hill Food Project about how he’s structured that non-profit around equitable ownership and participation. Then Olivia Rebanal of Capital Impact Partners shares her perspectives as a funder who has worked to break down barriers for those traditionally left out of food investment so they can equally access the funds on the table. Leave this series armed with practical tips to inform your action plan for consciously driving towards the food system you want to see!

In conversation with Radha Muthiah of the Capital Area Food Bank and Pamela Hess of the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture, we discuss how funders are supporting work to help people take the steps towards purchasing food for themselves, in a journey toward more sovereign community-wealth building approaches.

Chris Bradshaw and Tom McDougall identified gaps in Washington’s food landscape, and founded a non-profit (Dreaming Out Loud) and a business (4P Foods) to address them. In the second episode of this series, the two entrepreneurs are joined by Katie Jones, the Director of the Bainum Family Foundation's Food Security Initiative, to discuss how they source and deploy investment to fuel their work.

Want to get inside the head of people who invest in food concepts? In partnership with the Bainum Family Foundation, Kiko kicks off a special series all about the who, why and how of food investment. Today’s guests--Eric Kessler of Arabella Advisors, Leila Otis of the Bainum Family Foundation, and Celeste James who leads Kaiser Permanente’s Community Health Philanthrophy in the Mid-Atlantic region--help us understand the different types of food funding that exist in 2019, and give us a window into how funders make their decisions.

We’re nearing the end of February and Black History Month, but there are 10 months left this year to mark the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans landing on American soil. Kiko talks with Tambra Raye Stevenson, the DC-based food educator and founder of NativSol Kitchen and WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture, about creative ways to honor the milestone. We preview the workshop we'll offer at Rooting DC this Saturday 2/23, and explore how to teach black food history without being “Tone Deaf as F%$k".

Leah Penniman co-founded Soul Fire Farm with a committment to ending racism and injustice in the food system, and last year published Farming While Black, a how-to guide for African-heritage people ready to reclaim their agency. In today's episode Kiko asks her about Ujumma, Susus, and other ways African farmers have organized, pooled resources and supported each other both in Africa and her diaspora.

This week marks the beginning of Black History Month, and this year marks the 400th anniversary of the transatlantic slave trade beginning in the United States. In that spirit, Kiko kicks off a new Lunch Agenda series in conversation with Michael Twitty, a black culinary historian, food writer, and author of the James Beard Foundation’s 2018 Book of the Year, The Cooking Gene. She'll ask him to school her on foods and traditions that travelled across the Atlantic from Africa, evolved along with the African American community since, and have shaped the food experiences of us all.

Fifth graders from Mundo Verde Bilingual Public Charter School take the mic to interview Chef Dot Steck about their school's own from-scratch kitchen, and Lea Howe of DC Greens about work being done across DC to improve school food. These students have persevered for months to learn about podcasting, explore topics, identify expert guests, write and rewrite their script, and practice for their Full Service Radio debut!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so we take a break from hard hitting food system topics for a little holiday mixup. After the last Food News headlines of 2018, Kiko introduces three other food and drink-focused Full Service Radio hosts worth listening to over your holiday break. PLUS: A sneak peak at what's to come when Lunch Agenda kicks off its second year in January!

Many of the people who work in food jobs haven’t always had the most balanced relationship with food in their own personal lives. An extra layer of shame sits with those of us who aren’t sure we have the right to teach healthy eating, or to feed others, if we at one time struggled to feed ourselves. Joined by Lina Salazar, Maddy Beckwith and Patrilie Hernandez, Kiko opens up about her past struggles. We dig into the impacts of this reality on our work and mental health, and how to move forward.

DYK that less than 3% of the tomatoes, potatoes, and blueberries consumed in the Washington, DC area are grown here? The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments just released a report that is the closest thing we have to a real-time snapshot of farming in the broader DC foodshed. Kiko is the first to interview Lindsay Smith, who coordinated the report as the Council’s Regional Food Systems Program head. We learn further insights about agricultural land use from Chris Van Vlack, a hay farmer and conservationist with the Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District.

Through his New York Times columns, his 20 cookbooks and beyond, Mark Bittman has mastered the art of meeting the "student" where we are. His novel recipe formats--from the "Recipe Matrix" to "Vegan Before 6" to the "Choose Five" approach--have made cooking less intimidating, and more creative. In the last episode of Lunch Agenda's Fall "Teaching Food" series, Bittman reflects on his work as one of America's most famous teachers of home cooking.

How do city folks learn to grow food in their urban garden plots? And how do farmers learn to grow food in huge quantities on production farms, with all of the machinery, strategic planning, and environmental knowledge it requires? Kiko catches up with three food growing teachers: Shawna DeWitt and Attila Agoston of Mountain View Farm in Neersville, VA and Dana Bourne of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Grow NYC. We talk about what techniques they think are most important for rural and urban food growers to know, and get their recommendations for each of us to seek out agricultural learning opportunities wherever we live.

What does it take to change the habits that dictate our every food decision? Kristy McCarron, who oversees all nutrition, culinary education and anti-hunger programs for the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington, promotes a Theory of Behavior Change that relies on consistent, repeated practice and intentional maintenance of new habits. She's joined in studio by Dr. Kofi Essel, a Children's National pediatrician and George Washington University professor who tackles the health disparities caused by a lack of consistent access to healthy food in the doctor's office and the classroom.

Sasha Bernstein-Skon of The Cooking Project in San Francisco and Elizabeth Bennett-Parker of Together We Bake in Alexandria, VA are growing the pool of talent for the restaurant industry nationwide while providing life skills like confidence and self-sufficiency to their students. Kiko interviews the two entrepreneurs about how their non-profits teach culinary curriculums that open doors to careers in the kitchen.

As a culinary educator focused on eating well on a budget, JuJu Harris starts classes by sharing her own story of growing up with overweight parents and raising her children using SNAP and WIC benefits. During her popular cooking demonstrations, she imparts wisdom about buying food, getting the most value possible from what's in her kitchen, and growing what she can herself. On today's show JuJu shares a few of her favorite tips and reflects on the sacrifices required to teach food insecure neighbors about healthy eating.

Lola Bloom (Director of Food and Wellness at DC Bilingual) and Jenn Mampara (FRESHFARM's Director of Education) are together responsible for thousands of Washington, DC kids being schooled in cooking and gardening. Kiko digs into their approaches to aligning the classroom with the cafeteria in pursuit of healthier students.

Kiko kicks off the fall back-to-school season in conversation with the woman who may be more responsible than anyone for what is taught about food in school: Marion Nestle is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, emerita, at New York University, and author of ten books. She discusses her approach to Teaching Food, from cooking lessons in elementary school to political advocacy campaigns for college students.

America's favorite mac and cheese company Annie's Organic has blazed a trail in the regenerative agriculture movement by introducing soil-focused products and an agricultural scorecard. And because Annie's was purchased by General Mills in 2014, this means they can use the tool to track progress towards environmental sustainability across its myriad brands. So maybe instead of selling OUT, this is a smaller food brand selling IN? In our last BIG FOOD Stars episode, Senior Associate Marketing Manager Ali Kelley discusses how Annie’s product innovation and mission impact work is rippling across the General Mills portfolio.

We're in the middle of a national dairy crisis, with failing economics of the traditional small dairy farm coupled with the rise of factory mega-farms. So the time is right to look at how a BIG dairy company can do things differently. Melissa "Missy" Hughes, Organic Valley's Chief Mission Officer and General Counsel, comes on Lunch Agenda to school us on the company's co-op model, what's going on with America's dairy industry, and the impact we can have through our choice in the milk aisle.

We live in the era of fast casual, where it's increasingly easy to find higher quality food on the fly. But what happens to the quality of food at a fast casual restaurant when it grows from 1 location, to 5 to--in the case of Honeygrow--32 restaurants across the country? Our BIG FOOD Stars series continues in conversation with Daniel Abelson, Purchasing and Logistics Manager for Honeygrow, about how his BIG fast casual chain is scaling nationally, responsibly. Maddie Morales, Outreach Coordinator for The Common Market, chimes in about the impact restaurant chains that prioritize local sourcing can have on farmers and foodmakers.

Let's see if we can turn our preconceived notions about the food system upside down! If you, too, have learned to assume the worst about BIG FOOD, Lunch Agenda's new series is for you. We'll hear from leaders who are pushing forward big food businesses in innovative ways that offer positive societal externalities. In this first episode of "BIG FOOD Stars", Amaris Bradley of Partnership for a Healthier America explains how they convince huge corporations to cut sugar, sodium and saturated fat from their products. Then Jeff Lenard of the National Association of Convenience Stores shares how its Partnership has led to improved fresh food and beverage offerings (and more) at over 75,000 stores across the US.

If you’re a DC voter preparing for the elections on June 19th, and you care about the local food system, this episode is for you. Washington recently held its first ever DC Candidates Food Forum, where candidates for at-large council seats shared their platforms for improving food access, nutrition, and food business sustainability in this city. In the latest episode in Lunch Agenda's "Food Policy Class" series, Kiko shares clips from the Forum and recaps the key issues to help you form your opinion of who is best suited to make the change you want to see. Beverley Wheeler, Executive Director of DC Hunger Solutions, joins in-studio to weigh in on what the hunger community is looking for in the upcoming election.

Lunch Agenda's Food Admin series has showcased jobs that are often overlooked or undervalued in our food system. The series closes in conversation with two successful food marketing executives: Jen Pelka of SF-based The Riddler and Magnum PR, and Nikki Rappaport of national fast-casual Mediterranean chain Cava. Kiko digs into their work in branding, promotion and beyond, and learns how they measure success in a field traditionally devoid of data.

Leah Campbell recently wrote about Human Resources, “In many restaurants in this industry, big and small, there is no one in this role. There’s a simple enough reason: restaurant margins are razor thin, and HR isn’t seen as contributing to the bottom line.” Lunch Agenda's third dive into lesser-known food jobs features Leah, Owner and HR Director of Hart's and Cervo's in NYC, along with Clare Parker, HR Director of Neighborhood Restaurant Group. Tune in to learn how HR does contribute to the bottom line (and to many other aspects of a food business’s sustainability).

As Administrative Assistants, Sheila Gilbert and Shannon Bailey have set the staff culture at the food nonprofits where they've worked. Beyond that, they have literally sat on the front lines of the Washington area’s fight against hunger. The second episode in Lunch Agenda's "Food Admin" series shines a light on administrative assistants as a service corollary to those who serve us in restaurants.

Kiko kicks off Lunch Agenda's "Food Admin" series in conversation with Matt Hetrick, an accountant that helps make food business clients sustainable. Matt describes the compromises he guides restaurants through to hit their targets, and shares financial tips for aspiring food biz owners. Stay tuned for the rest of the Food Admin series, which will illuminate other roles that are often overlooked or undervalued in our food system.

Katherine Miller, Senior Director of Food Policy Advocacy for the James Beard Foundation, trains chefs on how to advocate for the change they want to see in American food. On Lunch Agenda's second Food Policy Class, she gives us a behind-the-scenes look at work being done by the people who make our most special meals: chefs! Amy Brandwein, the chef and owner of DC's Centrolina, discusses how she votes with the $1 million she spends on food each year and relationships she's built with congress people. Her progress shows us that no matter where we sit (or stand) in the restaurant, we can all take small actions toward important change. Sponsored by:

Julia Turshen uses food as a jumping off point to guide us on our own activist journeys. Her 2017 title Feed the Resistance convened leading voices in America's food justice movement to grow their collective impact. And her new project Equity at the Table aims to give women of color and of the queer community a seat at the table. Today, we explore the social nature of activism, think about privilege in our own activism work, and brainstorm creative ideas to make lunch an activist act! Sponsored by:

Instacart co-founder Max Mullen goes head to head with Glen's Garden Market founder Danielle Vogel in #LunchAgenda's first live on-air debate, about the future of the grocery distribution industry. Over the past five years, we’ve seen mega-retailers like Target and Walmart become increasingly significant players in the grocery space and come to sell even more organic food nationally than natural-oriented grocery chains. We most recently have watched Amazon’s take over of Whole Foods lead to changes in the chain’s product assortment, and pilots of cashier-less grocery stores. So what should we as consumers expect next? Will brick and mortar grocery stores continue to be a viable model, or will customers increasingly stay home and order our food online? And most importantly for Lunch Agenda listeners, who believe in voting with our dollars, which model do we want to use for getting groceries to our homes 10, 20, and 50 years from now?