Podcasts about environment reporting network

The chemical industry is big business in Louisiana. Companies here manufacture plastics, fuels, pesticides, and cleaning products. But one part of the chemical industry that's often overlooked is the fertilizer business. Today, you're going to hear the story of modern fertilizer, and how this powerful concoction of chemicals has radically reshaped how we farm and what we eat. In this episode, we follow the journey of fertilizer from Louisiana to the Midwest, then back down along the Mississippi River to a place it creates in the Gulf. A place called: The Dead Zone.This episode was produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit news organization. We also had support from the Mississippi River Basin Ag and Water Desk. This episode was hosted by Carlyle Calhoun and reported by Garrett Hazelwood and Eric Schmid. This episode was edited by Eve Abrams. Additional help from Carlyle Calhoun, Eva Tesfaye, Ryan Vasquez, Ted Ross, and Brent Cunningham. The episode was fact-checked by Naomi Barr. Sea Change's executive producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Our theme music is by Jon Batiste, and our sound designer is Emily Jankowski. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production. We are part of the NPR Podcast Network and distributed by PRX.Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. It's also supported by the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. 

We're taking a long train ride on the California Zephyr. The Amtrak line winds through Emeryville, Sacramento, Truckee and then heads east toward Chicago. Parts of the trip are spectacularly beautiful, with scenes of the Rocky Mountains, Donner Lake and the Truckee River. This route also holds so much rich California history – a portion of it is close to the first transcontinental railroad. Starting in the late 1800s, the railroad developed in parallel with the state's agriculture business, food industries, and dining traditions. It also exploited land and workers, spurring civil rights activism. For her series CA Foodways, reporter Lisa Morehouse explores some of the little-known history of the connection between the railroad and food in our state.  This episode was produced with support from the Food and Environment Reporting Network, and California Humanities, a nonprofit partner of National Endowment for the Humanities. Big thanks also go to the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, the library and archives at the California State Railroad Museum, and Rachel Reinhard. This episode orgiinally aired on December 20, 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s hard to overstate the role immigrant workers play in the U.S. economy. Key industries rely on them — nearly half of meat-processing jobs, for instance, are held by immigrants. And many work in low-wage jobs that are vulnerable to exploitation. Ted Genoways, a reporter with the Food and Environment Reporting Network, said Trump’s promises of mass deportations is creating fear and uncertainty for immigrant workers, both authorized and unauthorized, as well as for the massive food companies that employ them. “If history is any guide, this will probably mean increased food prices, if only for companies trying to hedge against the possibility of something disastrous happening,” said Genoways. On today’s show, Genoways gives us a snapshot of the low-wage immigrant workforce’s role in our economy and unpacks how Trump’s deportation plans could disrupt America’s food supply. Plus, why aren’t food companies held accountable for exploiting their employees? And, we’ll get into what restrictions on the U.S. Agency for International Development could mean for Cuba. Plus, would you trust Kai with the aux? Here’s everything we talked about today: “This Week's Episode of Reveal: Immigrants on the Line” from Mother Jones Opinion | “How Trump's Deportation Plans Could Blow Up the Food System and Increase Migrant Labor” from Politico “Brooke Rollins, Trump's Agriculture Pick, Addresses Tariff and Immigration Impact on Farmers” from The New York Times “How Trump’s plan to deport undocumented immigrants threatens the workforce for U.S. farm workforce” from CBS News “Trump's Pause of U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America: An ‘America Last’ Policy” from WOLA “US secretly created ‘Cuban Twitter’ to stir unrest and undermine government” from The Guardian “Chappell Roan wins best new artist at the 2025 Grammy Awards” from AP News Got a question or comment for us? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

It’s hard to overstate the role immigrant workers play in the U.S. economy. Key industries rely on them — nearly half of meat-processing jobs, for instance, are held by immigrants. And many work in low-wage jobs that are vulnerable to exploitation. Ted Genoways, a reporter with the Food and Environment Reporting Network, said Trump’s promises of mass deportations is creating fear and uncertainty for immigrant workers, both authorized and unauthorized, as well as for the massive food companies that employ them. “If history is any guide, this will probably mean increased food prices, if only for companies trying to hedge against the possibility of something disastrous happening,” said Genoways. On today’s show, Genoways gives us a snapshot of the low-wage immigrant workforce’s role in our economy and unpacks how Trump’s deportation plans could disrupt America’s food supply. Plus, why aren’t food companies held accountable for exploiting their employees? And, we’ll get into what restrictions on the U.S. Agency for International Development could mean for Cuba. Plus, would you trust Kai with the aux? Here’s everything we talked about today: “This Week's Episode of Reveal: Immigrants on the Line” from Mother Jones Opinion | “How Trump's Deportation Plans Could Blow Up the Food System and Increase Migrant Labor” from Politico “Brooke Rollins, Trump's Agriculture Pick, Addresses Tariff and Immigration Impact on Farmers” from The New York Times “How Trump’s plan to deport undocumented immigrants threatens the workforce for U.S. farm workforce” from CBS News “Trump's Pause of U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America: An ‘America Last’ Policy” from WOLA “US secretly created ‘Cuban Twitter’ to stir unrest and undermine government” from The Guardian “Chappell Roan wins best new artist at the 2025 Grammy Awards” from AP News Got a question or comment for us? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

It’s hard to overstate the role immigrant workers play in the U.S. economy. Key industries rely on them — nearly half of meat-processing jobs, for instance, are held by immigrants. And many work in low-wage jobs that are vulnerable to exploitation. Ted Genoways, a reporter with the Food and Environment Reporting Network, said Trump’s promises of mass deportations is creating fear and uncertainty for immigrant workers, both authorized and unauthorized, as well as for the massive food companies that employ them. “If history is any guide, this will probably mean increased food prices, if only for companies trying to hedge against the possibility of something disastrous happening,” said Genoways. On today’s show, Genoways gives us a snapshot of the low-wage immigrant workforce’s role in our economy and unpacks how Trump’s deportation plans could disrupt America’s food supply. Plus, why aren’t food companies held accountable for exploiting their employees? And, we’ll get into what restrictions on the U.S. Agency for International Development could mean for Cuba. Plus, would you trust Kai with the aux? Here’s everything we talked about today: “This Week's Episode of Reveal: Immigrants on the Line” from Mother Jones Opinion | “How Trump's Deportation Plans Could Blow Up the Food System and Increase Migrant Labor” from Politico “Brooke Rollins, Trump's Agriculture Pick, Addresses Tariff and Immigration Impact on Farmers” from The New York Times “How Trump’s plan to deport undocumented immigrants threatens the workforce for U.S. farm workforce” from CBS News “Trump's Pause of U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America: An ‘America Last’ Policy” from WOLA “US secretly created ‘Cuban Twitter’ to stir unrest and undermine government” from The Guardian “Chappell Roan wins best new artist at the 2025 Grammy Awards” from AP News Got a question or comment for us? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

It’s hard to overstate the role immigrant workers play in the U.S. economy. Key industries rely on them — nearly half of meat-processing jobs, for instance, are held by immigrants. And many work in low-wage jobs that are vulnerable to exploitation. Ted Genoways, a reporter with the Food and Environment Reporting Network, said Trump’s promises of mass deportations is creating fear and uncertainty for immigrant workers, both authorized and unauthorized, as well as for the massive food companies that employ them. “If history is any guide, this will probably mean increased food prices, if only for companies trying to hedge against the possibility of something disastrous happening,” said Genoways. On today’s show, Genoways gives us a snapshot of the low-wage immigrant workforce’s role in our economy and unpacks how Trump’s deportation plans could disrupt America’s food supply. Plus, why aren’t food companies held accountable for exploiting their employees? And, we’ll get into what restrictions on the U.S. Agency for International Development could mean for Cuba. Plus, would you trust Kai with the aux? Here’s everything we talked about today: “This Week's Episode of Reveal: Immigrants on the Line” from Mother Jones Opinion | “How Trump's Deportation Plans Could Blow Up the Food System and Increase Migrant Labor” from Politico “Brooke Rollins, Trump's Agriculture Pick, Addresses Tariff and Immigration Impact on Farmers” from The New York Times “How Trump’s plan to deport undocumented immigrants threatens the workforce for U.S. farm workforce” from CBS News “Trump's Pause of U.S. Foreign Assistance to Latin America: An ‘America Last’ Policy” from WOLA “US secretly created ‘Cuban Twitter’ to stir unrest and undermine government” from The Guardian “Chappell Roan wins best new artist at the 2025 Grammy Awards” from AP News Got a question or comment for us? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Mackenson Remy didn't plan to bypass security when he drove into the parking lot of a factory in Greeley, Colorado. He'd never been there before. All he knew was this place had jobs…lots of jobs. Remy is originally from Haiti, and in 2023, he'd been making TikTok videos about job openings in the area for his few followers, mostly other Haitians.What Remy didn't know was that he had stumbled onto a meatpacking plant owned by the largest meat producer in the world, JBS. The video he made outside the facility went viral, and hundreds of Haitians moved for jobs at the plant. But less than a year later, Remy—and JBS—were accused of human trafficking and exploitation by the union representing workers at the plant. “This is America. I was hoping America to be better than back home,” says Tchelly Moise, a Haitian immigrant and union rep. “Someone needs to be held accountable for this, because this is not okay anywhere.” This week on Reveal, reporter Ted Genoways with the Food & Environment Reporting Network looks into JBS' long reliance on immigrant labor for this work—and its track record of not treating those workers well. The difference this time is those same workers are now targets of President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda. Support Reveal's journalism at Revealnews.org/donatenow Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the scoop on new episodes at Revealnews.org/weekly Instagram Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Part 1:We talk with Teresa Cotsirilos, staff reported and producer at Food & Environment Reporting Network.We discuss the abuses that are being perpetrated against agricultural and food service workers, many of whom are immigrants. We discuss what Temporary Protected Status workers are subjected to by abusive employers, and how little power they have to fight back. In addition, we also look at how H2A and H2B visas are used by employers to treat this captive work force as virtual slaves, and are used to undercut wages for ALL workers, including documented, undocumented, and citizens.Part 2:We talk with Dr. Robert Kopack, human and historical geographer at University of S.C.We discuss Muslk's Stargate Rocket Testing facility in Texas. A 'company town' is being built, with its attendant changes to the environment and culture there. In addition, we look at the implication of Musk's more extensive role in government space and defense programs. These serve to put more power into his hands, with no oversight or accountability. WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: David Rovics, "Time to Act", for Will Von Sproson

This week, we're taking a long train ride on the California Zephyr. The Amtrak line winds through Emeryville, Sacramento, Truckee and then heads east toward Chicago. Parts of the trip are spectacularly beautiful, with scenes of the Rocky Mountains, Donner Lake and the Truckee River. This route also holds so much rich California history – a portion of it is close to the first transcontinental railroad. Starting in the late 1800s, the railroad developed in parallel with the state's agriculture business, food industries, and dining traditions. It also exploited land and workers, spurring civil rights activism. For her series CA Foodways, reporter Lisa Morehouse explores some of the little-known history of the connection between the railroad and food in our state.  This week's episode was produced with support from the Food and Environment Reporting Network, and California Humanities, a nonprofit partner of National Endowment for the Humanities. Big thanks also go to the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, the library and archives at the California State Railroad Museum, and Rachel Reinhard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Louisiana Considered, we hear the second part of the latest episode of Sea Change: Redfish Blues. We learn the story of the red drum, better known as the classic redfish, and whether the decline of this fish is a warning of a bigger collapse.This episode was produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit news organization. This episode was reported and hosted by Boyce Upholt. Halle Parker introduces the show. The episode was edited by Carlyle Calhoun and Morgan Springer. Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Emily Jankowski is our sound designer, and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production.To check out more of Boyce's work: Pick up a copy of his new book about the Mississippi River, coming out in June. It's called The Great River. And, find other stories on his Substack called Southlands.Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

The red drum, more commonly known as the classic redfish, is a popular fish in the region. But now, the population is starting to decline. What does it say about a bigger collapse of similar species? Boyce Upholt, a reporter for the Food & Environment Reporting Network based in New Orleans, tells us about the rise and fall of this famous fish on the first part of the latest episode of Sea Change. Black baseball history runs deep in the South, and New Orleans fielded plenty of talented teams, including New Orleans Black Pelicans, Crescent City Stars and Armstrong Secret 9. But the stories of some of the most talented Black athletes to come out of the city have been lost to time. This includes Johnny Wright, a player in the Negro Leagues Brooklyn Dodgers just months after Jackie Robinson, who almost became the first Black pitcher in the Major Leagues. Back in October, we spoke with Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro League Baseball Museum, about Wright and his legacy. Today, we give that story a second listen.And before we go, next Wednesday we are airing the first episode of our new podcast, Road to Rickwood. Hosted by comedian Roy Wood Jr., and executive produced by Alana Schreiber, the podcast looks at the history of Rickwood Field in Birmingham Alabama —the oldest baseball stadium in the country — and how that one venue touched multiple historic events throughout the 20th century. Today, we get a sneak peek of the podcast. Today's episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber; our contributing producers are Matt Bloom and Adam Vos; we receive production and technical support from Garrett Pittman and our assistant producer, Aubry Procell.You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:00 pm. It's available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts.Louisiana Considered wants to hear from you! Please fill out our pitch line to let us know what kinds of story ideas you have for our show. And while you're at it, fill out our listener survey! We want to keep bringing you the kinds of conversations you'd like to listen to.Louisiana Considered is made possible with support from our listeners. Thank you!

Back in the early 1900s, the burgeoning city of Los Angeles needed water, and the Owens Valley—more than 200 miles northeast—had plenty of it. Today, about a third of LA's water supply comes from the Owens Valley and other parts of the Eastern Sierra. But the city got that water at the expense of the Nüümü people, who have been working to get it back ever since. This week, reporter Teresa Cotsirilos from the Food and Environment Reporting Network brings us the story of one tribal elder's fight to reclaim these water rights for his community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we hear the story of one fish and its journey to fame: the red drum, or more commonly known as the classic redfish. And whether the decline of this fish is a warning of a bigger collapse.This episode was produced in collaboration with the Food & Environment Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit news organization. This episode was reported and hosted by Boyce Upholt. Halle Parker introduces the show. The episode was edited by Carlyle Calhoun and Morgan Springer. Our managing producer is Carlyle Calhoun. Emily Jankowski is our sound designer, and our theme music is by Jon Batiste. Sea Change is a WWNO and WRKF production.To check out more of Boyce's work: Pick up a copy of his new book about the Mississippi River, coming out in June. It's called The Great River.  And, find other stories on his Substack called Southlands.  Sea Change is made possible with major support from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. WWNO's Coastal Desk is supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Meraux Foundation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation.You can reach the Sea Change team at seachange@wwno.org.

REAP/SOW: dispatches from the front lines of food, farming, and the environment, is the latest audio project from the Food and Environment Reporting Network, an independent, non-profit news organization. Learn about what you can expect and check out the trailer for our upcoming limited series, BUZZKILL!

Host: Holli Cederholm Editor: Clare Boland Common Ground Radio is an hour-long discussion of local food and organic agriculture with people here in the state of Maine and beyond. This month: The December 2023 episode of MOFGA’s Common Ground Radio explores seaweed, a source of food, fertilizer, and carbon sequestration off the coast of Maine. The majority of the episode is a panel discussion on seaweed — called “Is Seaweed the Solution to Climate Change?” — that was recorded at the 2023 Common Ground Country Fair in September. The panel was organized and facilitated by Bridget Huber from FERN, the Food and Environment Reporting Network. The guests were: Nichole Price, a benthic marine ecologist with Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine; Aurora Burgess, seaweed aquaculture coordinator at Atlantic Sea Farms in Biddeford; and Severine von Tscharner Welcome, of Smithereen Farm in Pembroke, who is also a co-founder of Seaweed Commons. Guest/s: Aurora Burgess, seaweed aquaculture coordinator at Atlantic Sea Farms in Biddeford. Bridget Huber, a staff writer with FERN, the Food and Environment Reporting Network. Nichole Price, a benthic marine ecologist with Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine. Severine von Tscharner Welcome, of the Greenhorns and Smithereen Farm in Pembroke. FMI Links: “A Precautionary Approach to Seaweed Aquaculture in North America: A Position Paper by the Seaweed Commons” — seaweedcommons.org Atlantic Sea Farms — atlanticseafarms.com Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences — bigelow.org “Climate savior or ‘Monsanto of the sea'?” by Bridget Huber — thefern.org/2023/06/climate-savior-or-monsanto-of-the-sea Food and Environment Reporting Network — thefern.org MOFGA Certification Services' “Guidelines for Organic Sea Vegetables” — mofgacertification.org Running Tide — runningtide.com Seaweed Commons — seaweedcommons.org Smithereen Farm — smithereenfarm.com Tags: Seaweed cultivation and wild harvest Seaweed propagation/seed sourcing Seaweed for carbon sequestration Climate change Opportunities and challenges in cultivating seaweed for carbon storage Marine ecology PFAS/arsenic uptake of seaweed About the hosts: Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a long-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA. Caitlyn Barker has worked in education and organic agriculture on and off for the last 17 years. She has worked on an organic vegetable farm, served on the Maine Farm to School network, worked in early childhood education and taught elementary school. She currently serves as the community engagement coordinator for MOFGA. The post Common Ground Radio 12/14/23: Seaweed and Climate Change first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

A young girl was lost to her family. Torn away during the internment of Japanese Americans, institutionalized, and thought to be gone. But now, somehow she is rumored to be alive. And when a boy gets bullied it isn't the kids at school he has to worry about. STORIES Seeking Shizuko A young girl was lost to her family. Torn away during the internment of Japanese Americans, institutionalized, and thought to be gone. But now, somehow she is rumored to be alive. A very big thank you to David Masumoto for sharing his story. Mas wrote about Shizuko in his book, Secret Harvests. This story is part of Lisa's podcast California Foodways. It gets support from California Humanities and the Food and Environment Reporting Network. Produced by Lisa Morehouse, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, artwork by Teo Ducot Nellie's Pond When Peter Aguero got picked on as a kid, but it wasn't the other kids he had to worry about. Hear more stories, and find where Peter's performing next on his website, www.peteraguero.com Produced by Ana Adlerstein & Joe Rosenberg, sound design by Leon Morimoto Season 14 - Episode 48

President Joe Biden is kicking off his reelection campaign in part by trying to finish a decades-long effort to establish parity in insurance benefits betweenmental and physical health. Meanwhile, House Republicans are working to add abortion and other contentious amendments to must-pass spending bills. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News' chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News' Céline Gounder about her podcast “Epidemic.” The new season focuses on thesuccessful public health effort to eradicate smallpox. Click here for a transcript of the episode.Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: The Nation's “The Anti-Abortion Movement Gets a Dose of Post-Roe Reality,” by Amy Littlefield. Joanne Kenen: Food & Environment Reporting Network's “Can Biden's Climate-Smart Agriculture Program Live Up to the Hype?” by Gabriel Popkin. Anna Edney: Bloomberg's “Mineral Sunscreens Have Potential Hidden Dangers, Too,” by Anna Edney. Sarah Karlin-Smith: CNN's “They Took Blockbuster Drugs for Weight Loss and Diabetes. Now Their Stomachs Are Paralyzed,” by Brenda Goodman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When it comes to improving soil health and carbon sequestration, cover crops have been heralded as a key practice. But research to prove out the impact is coming to a rather underwhelming conclusion on cover crops’ ability to actual build organic matter. Gabriel Popkin has published a report on the Food & Environment Reporting Network... Read More

A tiny local election in the Central Valley caught our attention last month. A group of candidates promising change took over control of a big, farmer-run organization that delivers their irrigation water: Westlands Water District. It's an empire built on imported water and political power. But these newly elected Westlands board members – all farmers themselves – are now saying: We need a new strategy. A recognition that water is scarce, and large-scale farming will have to shrink. Reporter Dan Charles brings us this story as part of a collaboration with the Food and Environment Reporting Network. And we hear from author and disability rights activist Alice Wong, who's had a tough time trying to figure out how to get the care she needs to survive. Earlier this year, she was finishing the final edits to her memoir, “Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life,” when she suffered several medical crises. She lost her ability to speak and started using a text to speech app, which you'll hear in her story. Plus, ever since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, California legislators have been passing bills aimed at providing abortion access for out-of-state patients. And last month, voters overwhelmingly agreed to enshrine the right to an abortion in our state's constitution. But in some rural communities in California – like Bishop, in the Eastern Sierra – access to abortion remains extremely limited. That's where Reporter Lauren DeLaunay Miller is from and she started hearing from women in her hometown about how hard it's been for them to figure out where to get an abortion for an unwanted pregnancy. And finally, California is home to so many immigrant communities who have their eyes glued to The FIFA World Cup in Qatar right now. One of those fans who's been rooting for his home country is KQED's Sebastian Miño-Bucheli.

A Bay Area member of Congress says federal immigration authorities plan to end their contract with a Northern California county jail, the last public facility in the state to hold immigrants fighting deportation. It comes after years of outcry over substandard conditions. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED A tiny local election in the Central Valley could have big ripple effects for farming, and water. The Westlands Water District produces crops like tomatoes, garlic, and almonds – and it's historically fought with environmentalists, who accuse the wealthy farmers there of hogging water. Westlands has just elected a slate of board members promising a new strategy - a recognition that large-scale farming will have to shrink. Reporter: Dan Charles in collaboration with the Food and Environment Reporting Network

Our latest episode — on soil carbon and regenerative agriculture — could never have fit everything that needs to be said on the topic. So, we're leaning on a couple of other podcasts that we think you'll love. First up, we're running an episode from Hot Farm, from our friends at the Food and Environment Reporting Network. It's all about what farmers are doing (or could be doing) to take on the climate emergency. In this episode you'll hear about a novel grain that farmers are starting to grow, and that could be part of the solution. This is Hot Farm part 3: "Is Kernza the Grain of the Future?" Find more episodes of Hot Farm wherever you get your podcasts, or at https://thefern.org/podcasts/hot-farm/ Catch up on our own treatment on soil carbon sequestration and regenerative agriculture: on FE4.8 — Ground Truthing https://www.futureecologies.net/listen/fe-4-8-ground-truthing

We're currently working on some fresh content based on listener questions. We'll have new episodes next week! This week, we're running an episode from a podcast called Hot Farm. It's from our friends at the Food & Environment Reporting Network. The podcast is about what farmers are doing – or could be doing – to take on the climate emergency.  In this episode, you'll hear from farmers who are skeptical about climate change. But you'll also hear about how they are joining the fight against global warming once the issue is reframed. Hint: it's about the soil. Find Hot Farm on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

What's rich, buttery, and tastes like opportunity? Callo de Hacha. The shellfish delicacy that gave one Sinaloan town... "White Gold Fever.” And "Escape From Mammoth Pool," the harrowing rescue of 242 people and 16 dogs from the blazing fast "Creek" wildfire. STORIES White Gold Fever What's rich, buttery, and tastes like opportunity? Callo de Hacha. The shellfish delicacy that gave one Sinaloan town... "White Gold Fever. Thank you, Belen, and to everyone in Teacapan for sharing this story with us! This story was produced in collaboration with Fern: the Food & Environment Reporting Network, a nonprofit investigative journalism outlet. BIG thanks to Brent Cunningham and Sam Fromartz at Fern. Our friends at Fern have a new podcast called Hot Farm. Over four episodes, host Eve Abrams talks to farmers across the Midwest about the reality of climate change and what they are doing -- or could be doing -- to fight it. Find Hot Farm wherever you get your podcasts. Produced and reported by Esther Honig Edited by Nancy López with production support from John Fecile Original score by Renzo Gorrio Voice acting by Leonel Garza Escape From Mammoth Pool We like to think of time as a constant, as steady, unfluctuating, and infallible. But in some situations—like if you think you're about to be overtaken by a raging wildfire—time can bend and flex. This week, Snap spotlights Escape From Mammoth Pool, a podcast about the harrowing rescue of 242 people and 16 dogs from one of the fastest-moving wildfires in California's recorded history. Produced out of KVPR in Fresno, California, by reporter/producer Kerry Klein. Edited by Alice Daniel, engineering and sound design by Kerry Klein, web support from Alex Burke, music by Kevin MacLeod (songs: Acid Trumpet, Beauty Flow, Half Mystery, Rising Tide, Unanswered Questions, Winter Reflections), and sound effects by FreeSound. Episode art by Teo Ducot Season 13 - Episode 32

Year after year, wildfires have swept through Northern California's wine and dairy country, threatening the region's famed agricultural businesses. . Evacuation orders have become a way of life in places like Sonoma County, and so too have exemptions to those orders. Officials in the county created a special program allowing agricultural employers to bring farmworkers into areas that are under evacuation and keep them working, even as wildfires rage. It's generally known as the ag pass program. Reporter Teresa Cotsirilos investigates whether the policy puts low-wage farmworkers at risk from smoke and flames. This story is a partnership with the nonprofit newsroom the Food & Environment Reporting Network and the podcast and radio show World Affairs. Then KQED's Danielle Venton introduces us to Bill Tripp, a member of the Karuk Tribe. Tripp grew up along the Klamath River, where his great-grandmother taught him how controlled burns could make the land more productive and protect villages from dangerous fires. But in the 1800s, authorities outlawed traditional burning practices. Today, the impact of that policy is clear: The land is overgrown, and there has been a major fire in the region every year for the past decade, including one that destroyed half the homes in the Karuk's largest town, Happy Camp, and killed two people. Tripp has spent 30 years trying to restore “good fire” to the region but has faced resistance from the U.S. Forest Service and others. Twelve years ago, the Forest Service officially changed its policy to expand the use of prescribed burns, one of the most effective tools to mitigate massive, deadly wildfires. But Reveal's Elizabeth Shogren reports that even though the agency committed to doing controlled burns, it hasn't actually increased how much fire it's using to fight fire. The Forest Service also has been slow to embrace another kind of good fire that experts say the West desperately needs: managed wildfires, in which fires are allowed to burn in a controlled manner to reduce overgrowth. To protect the future of the land and people – especially with climate change making forests drier and hotter – the Forest Service needs to embrace the idea of good fire.   This is a rebroadcast of an episode that originally aired in September 2021.  Support Reveal's journalism at Revealnews.org/donatenow Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get the scoop on new episodes at Revealnews.org/weekly  Connect with us onTwitter,Facebook andInstagram

The complete guide to “Forest Bathing," plus a roadmap to climate change mental health. The Food & Environment Reporting Network presents the Hot Farm podcast, and May 4th is Japan's Greenery Day!

SOLIDARITY | Connecting Across the Food Chain ~Co-presented with Real Food Media~ For the 21.5 million people who work across the food chain—from farm fields to meat packing factories to grocery stores—their jobs were already among the most low-paid, exploitative, and dangerous in the economy before COVID-19. The crisis has only heightened the stakes for food workers. Today, in the midst of the pandemic, these workers are among the most impacted while they toil to keep food on our tables. In this third conversation in the 2022 Roots of Resilience series. Leah Douglas is the agriculture and energy policy reporter at Reuters. Previously, they were a staff writer and associate editor at the Food and Environment Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Leah's reporting has been published in the Guardian, the Nation, the Washington Post, Mother Jones, NPR, the American Prospect, Time, and other outlets. Leah's reporting has been cited in dozens of print and television media outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, AP, NBC Nightly News, and John Oliver's Last Week Tonight. In 2021, ​Leah was a fellow in the U.C. Berkeley – 11th Hour Food and Farming Journalism Fellowship and won two awards from the National Association of Agricultural Journalists for feature and investigative reporting. ​Leah was the 2020 recipient of the National Farmers Union Milt Hakel Award for excellence in agricultural reporting. Ligia Guallpa, Workers Justice Project / Los Deliveristas Unidos For more than twelve years, Ligia Guallpa has been organizing New York City's day laborers, construction workers, domestic workers, and, most recently, app-based delivery workers to build a government and economy that works for all of us. She is currently leading some of the most important issues of our time, including immigration, workers rights, climate change and runaway inequality. She is the co-founder and executive director of the Worker's Justice Project and Los Deliveristas Unidos. Under her leadership, WJP has 12,000 members and is growing. Suzanne Adely, Food Chain Worker's Alliance Suzanne joined the Food Chain Workers Alliance in 2017. A former New York City educator, she has a background in community organizing, public interest law, and international worker advocacy. Suzanne worked with several community-led organizations in Chicago and New York before beginning her global labor rights work. From 2011-2014 she was the UAW Global Organizing Institute India coordinator and since has collaborated with many local and global organizations on behalf of workers in New York, Host Anna Lappé, Real Food Media Anna is a national bestselling author, a renowned advocate for sustainability and justice along the food chain, and an advisor to funders investing in food system transformation. A James Beard Leadership Awardee, Anna is the co-author or author of three books on food, farming, and sustainability and the contributing author to fourteen more. One of TIME magazine's “eco” Who's-Who, Anna is the founder or co-founder of three national organizations including the Small Planet Institute and Small Planet Fund. In addition to her work at Real Food Media, Anna developed and leads the Food Sovereignty Fund, a global grantmaking program of the Panta Rhea Foundation. East & North Africa and elsewhere. Host Anna Lappé, Real Food Media Anna is a national bestselling author, a renowned advocate for sustainability and justice along the food chain, and an advisor to funders investing in food system transformation. A James Beard Leadership Awardee, Anna is the co-author or author of three books on food, farming, and sustainability and the contributing author to fourteen more. One of TIME magazine's “eco” Who's-Who, Anna is the founder or co-founder of three national organizations including the Small Planet Institute and Small Planet Fund.

Year after year, wildfires have swept through Northern California's wine and dairy country, threatening the region's famed agricultural businesses. . Evacuation orders have become a way of life in places like Sonoma County, and so too have exemptions to those orders. Officials in the county created a special program allowing agricultural employers to bring farmworkers into areas that are under evacuation and keep them working, even as wildfires rage. It's generally known as the ag pass program. Reporter Teresa Cotsirilos investigates whether the policy puts low-wage farmworkers at risk from smoke and flames. This story is a partnership with the nonprofit newsroom the Food & Environment Reporting Network and the podcast and radio show World Affairs. Then KQED's Danielle Venton introduces us to Bill Tripp, a member of the Karuk Tribe. Tripp grew up along the Klamath River, where his great-grandmother taught him how controlled burns could make the land more productive and protect villages from dangerous fires. But in the 1800s, authorities outlawed traditional burning practices. Today, the impact of that policy is clear: The land is overgrown, and there has been a major fire in the region every year for the past decade, including one that destroyed half the homes in the Karuk's largest town, Happy Camp, and killed two people. Tripp has spent 30 years trying to restore “good fire” to the region but still faces resistance from the U.S. Forest Service and others. Twelve years ago, the Forest Service officially changed its policy to expand the use of prescribed burns, one of the most effective tools to mitigate massive, deadly wildfires. But Reveal's Elizabeth Shogren reports that even though the agency committed to doing controlled burns, it hasn't actually increased how much fire it's using to fight fire.The Forest Service also has been slow to embrace another kind of good fire that experts say the West desperately needs: managed wildfires, in which fires are allowed to burn in a controlled manner to reduce overgrowth. To protect the future of the land and people – especially with climate change making forests drier and hotter – the Forest Service needs to embrace the idea of good fire. 

Last month, FERN.org (The Food and Environment Reporting Network) reported that “school meal programs have lost more than $483 million so far during the pandemic.” What exactly is going on here, and why does this situation make the case for universal free school lunch?To learn more about the financial stresses on school nutrition programs, Kat Johnson speaks to Karina Piser, who wrote that piece on FERN.org.Then, Dr. Katie Wilson, Executive Director of the Urban School Food Alliance, makes the case for universal school lunch. By taking the burden of family income off of children, shifting resources from bureaucracy to nutrition, and destigmatizing poverty, universal school lunch would fundamentally change our public education system – and our society as a whole.This episode is part of a three-episode mini-series created in collaboration with The Rockefeller Foundation. To learn more about the Foundation's Food Initiative and global commitments, visit rockefellerfoundation.org/commitment/food.Have a question you want answered? Email us at question@heritageradionetwork.orgThis project is funded in part by a Humanities New York CARES Grant with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the federal CARES Act. This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.The Big Food Question is powered by Simplecast.

Did you know that meat-packing plants have been centers for Covid-19 outbreaks? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and registered dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Leah Douglas, staff writer and associate editor at the Food and Environment Reporting Network. Douglas discusses her ongoing investigations into COVID-19 outbreaks in meat packing and processing plants, as well as her story on racism within the FFA. Douglas’ Covid-19 mapping project can be found here: https://thefern.org/2020/04/mapping-covid-19-in-meat-and-food-processing-plants/ Her report on racism in FFA here: https://thefern.org/2020/09/at-the-nations-largest-student-farm-organization-a-reckoning-on-race/ Related website: https://thefern.org/ag_insider/few-states-release-data-about-covid-19-in-the-food-system/

0:08 – How long will it take to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, and what can the public expect from the human vaccine trials underway right now? Art Reingold is the Division Head of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. 0:34 – There has been an explosion of Covid-19 cases in U.S. meatpacking plants among workers. Tyson, JBS and Smithfield workers have died from the virus. Investigative reporter Leah Douglas (@leahjdouglas) of the nonprofit investigative news outlet Food and Environment Reporting Network has been tracking the spread of Covid-19 in the food system, and says it is likely being massively undercounted, in part because of the reticence of meat companies to disclose the extent of the sickness. Read Douglas's reporting here. 1:08 – A recent study of misinformation in Nature mapped the online spread of pro- and anti-vaccination views. It suggested anti-vaccination social media posters are more successful at posting their content where “undecided” viewers will see it, even though anti-vaccination advocates are a smaller portion of users. We talk with Neil Johnson, professor of physics at George Washington University and lead author of the study.  1:18 – What's the crossover between anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown views at recent protests at state houses across the U.S.? We speak with Devin Burghart (@dburghart), executive director of the Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights, based in Seattle, which examines racist, anti-Semitic, and far right social movements.  1:34 – An appeals court has paved the way for a massive, polluting coal export terminal at the Port of Oakland. We get the latest update from journalist Darwin BondGraham, news editor of Berkeleyside's forthcoming Oakland newsroom.   Photo by Don Barrett The post Covid-19 cases in meatpacking plants are likely undercounted; Anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown views cross-pollinate online; Appeals court paves way for polluting coal terminal at Port of Oakland appeared first on KPFA.

As it has done in so many other aspects of American life, the novel coronavirus outbreak has lifted the curtain on the nation’s food-production system. The conditions at meat-packing plants, in particular, have become headline news, as clusters of COVID-19 cases have led to thousands of infections and dozens of deaths. In response many factory farmers ceased operations, leading to fears of disruption to the food supply chain. Citing those fears, the Trump administration ordered  these plants to reopen, albeit with additional protective gear for workers. For the latest episode of the Crosscut Talks podcast, host Mark Baumgarten speaks with Leah Douglas of the Food and Environment Reporting Network about the virus’s toll on the food industry and its workers, and whether any amount of protection could get us back to normal. We also speak with Crosscut reporter Lilly Fowler about a recent report showing the virus’s disproportional impact on Washington state’s Latino population.

Leah Douglas illustrates the divisions in ag communities between pro and con CAFOs through a story for the Food and Environment Reporting Network.What Doesn't Kill You is powered by Simplecast.

Leah Douglas illustrates the divisions in ag communities between pro and con CAFOs through a story for the Food and Environment Reporting Network.What Doesn't Kill You is powered by Simplecast.

We talk to investigative freelance journalist Barry Yeoman and Sam Fromartz, editor-in-chief of the Food & Environment Reporting Network, about why the state of North Carolina is way behind other states when it comes to keeping tabs on the factory farm pollution that is devastating our state's rural communities of color. Plus, we'll check in on the youth-led global climate strike and speak with attendees of the strike in Raleigh on September 20th.

Host Stacy Mitchell speaks with Leah Douglas, a staff writer and associate editor at the Food and Environment Reporting Network. As a reporter, Leah focuses on corporate power and political economy in the food sector. Her work sheds light on alarming consolidation in the food industry and its implications for farmers and consumers. Leah Douglas, Journalist Although grocery stores offer an illusion of choice with many different brands lining shelves, most brands are owned by just a handful of companies. Leah and Stacy unpack how consolidation in the food industry is bad for both consumers and farmers. They explore this problem by examining the poultry industry, where vertical integration of the supply chain has rendered chicken farmers dependent on the whim of their corporate buyers, forcing farmers out of business. Stacy and Leah also discuss the dairy sector. Dairy farms have long been the backbone of many rural towns across the nation. Leah explains why the number of dairy farms in America has dwindled from 600,000 to only 40,000 today. Stacy and Leah discuss how a major change in U.S. farm policy in the 1970s led to the consolidation we see today and the growing debate about whether we should reverse course and return to supply management, a policy approach that's more conducive to independent farming. They also explore some encouraging examples of communities fighting back against giant corporate actors including the success of a small town in Missouri, which blocked a large scale livestock farm from coming to their community. Tune in to hear how advocates, local communities, and states are taking on agriculture monopolies! Anything you can point to in the food system has really been rolled up to the point where just a few companies are controlling 50, 60 or as much as 80 percent or more of the market. Related Resources Factory Farms No Longer Have to Report Their Air Emissions. That's Dangerous for Their Neighbors A Democrat Hopes to Tip the Vote in Pennsylvania's Cow Country Farmers Are Struggling to Make Ends Meet. This Controversial Policy Could Help Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Idaho's Ag-gag law How Rural America Got Milked African Americans Have Lost Untold Acres of Land Over the Last Century Psst! The Farm Bill Includes a Rare Provision That Could Help Black Farmers Farmers increasingly look to supply management to steady U.S. agriculture ABI's Venture Capital Fund Quietly Expanding the Mega-Brewer's Reach Weighing In: Obesity, Food Justice, and the Limits of Capitalism by Julie Guthman Freedom Farmers: Agricultural Resistance and the Black Freedom Movement by Monica M. White Right Proper Brewing Company DC Brau Running for Congress on an Anti-Monopoly Platform (Episode 53) Supporting Family Farming in the Age of Monopoly with Joe Maxwell (Episode 33) This Ag Economist Preached Bigger is Better. Now He Says the Evidence Favors Small Farms. (Episode 32) Transcript Stacy Mitchell: Hello and welcome to building local power. I'm Stacy Mitchell of the institute for local self reliance. Today on the show we have Leah Douglas, Leah is a reporter who covers food and agriculture. Her main focus is corporate power, consolidation and political economy in the food sector. She's a staff writer and associate editor at the food and environment reporting network. And you can find her work online at theFERN.org. She's also a regular contributor to mother Jones. And before that, she created the website food and power, which is a project of the open markets institute. Leah, so nice to have you on the show. Leah Douglas: Thank you so much for having me. Stacy Mitchell: I feel like if we had done this right, we would be recording this after work over some craft beer. Leah Douglas: That would be great. Yeah I would come up to visit in Maine and we could go to one of the many local breweries. Stacy Mitchell: Yeah it would be nice. Except these days what's kind of challenging is that you go to reach for a craft...

  Globally and locally, the public has been warned that the world's climate is changing and it is not getting better. Almost everyone now agrees on that but many don't agree whether to call it climate change, global warming, weird weather or something else that aligns with their politics. The scientific reports are snowballing now from the US government, World Resources Institute and experts from every corner of the globe.  Farming systems, the source that sustains the world, is being blamed for 25% of the problem at the same time that there is another scientific consensus that the world will need to grow 50% more food to feed the world's growing population. We need more food at the same time that we need to reverse the trend of producing green house gases. So what? Coastal cities will flood, fires will rage, droughts increase but food will be grown in different ways, different regions and higher cost.  Not terrible news if your biggest worry is paying $25 for a  future daily latte but tragic news if you are responsible for feeding a a family on poverty level income. Sam Fromartz is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Food and Environment Reporting Network.  He joins Farm To Table Talk podcast host Rodger Wasson to discuss the state of these emerging stories  and implications for what we eat and how it's grown.  www.thefern.org  

Earlier this year, our writer Rene Ebersole partnered with the Food and Environment Reporting Network to report on New York's growing indoor agriculture industry. Some-not-all of these businesses profess that they're posed to revolutionize local food, but as Rene found, that future's not so clear. We take a look inside Gotham Greens' rooftop farm and Farm.One's jungle-like basement. We also nerd out over some truly special plants and poke a few holes in the common high-tech-farms-will-save-the-world marketing.

As the nation finds itself recovering from yet another record-setting and devastating hurricane, NET’s “On the Table” looks at how farmers and ranchers receive federal disaster relief. Whether it’s a plantain plantation demolished by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico or a wheatfield destroyed by wildfire in Oregon—the Farm Bill sets aside funds to offset losses for damage to crops and livestock.FERN, the Food and Environment Reporting Network, https://thefern.org/Allison Keyes, @allisonradioiCyclone footage from Hurricane Maria, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae96xf293Dc

Sales of organic food have been growing fast and show no signs of slowing down. But what do consumers think they’re buying? In this episode of NET’s “On The Table,” we look at what organic means and how the 2018 farm bill could change the course of the industry.Show notes:FERN, The Food and Environment Reporting Network:https://thefern.org/Barry Yeoman:http://barryyeoman.com/Organic sales trends from the Organic Trade Association:https://ota.com/resources/organic-industry-surveyMusic by Blue Dot Sessions:http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/

In recent weeks, the Novo Dia Group, an Austin-based company that processes approximately 40% of SNAP transactions at farmers markets nationwide, said it will end its service by July 31st, leaving a big gap in the ability for farmers markets to serve low-income customers. Joining Host Jenna Liut to dig deeper into what exactly happened and the repercussions of Nova Dia’s decision is Leah Douglas, Associate Editor and Staff Writer at the Food & Environment Reporting Network who has covered this issue extensively, and Cheryl Huber, Greenmarket Assistant Director at GrowNYC, a non-profit that oversees a network of farmers markets throughout the NYC that are affected by this development. Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

This week, we walk the US-Canada border with Border Patrol agents, and hear the concerns of civil rights lawyers who worry about their ability to stop people they suspect of living in the country without documentation. We’ll also hear the story of an unusual experiment proposed for Martha’s Vineyard, one that asks residents to trust a scientist who’s trying to stop the spread of Lyme disease. We meet a man who’s become a Boston institution while playing music in a bear suit. And we go to church on an uninhabited island. U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brad Brant on the U.S. -Canada border in Highgate, Vt. Photo by Ryan Caron King for NENC South of the Border United States Border Patrol agents are dedicated to protecting the border 24 hours a day, monitoring for things like drug smuggling and human trafficking. Their jurisdiction also extends significantly inland. Within 100 miles of the border and the coastline they have broad authority to stop cars for immigration questions. Civil rights advocates say recent stops in New Hampshire and Vermont are concerning. Vermont Public Radio's Kathleen Masterson reports. Carlos Rafael’s fleet, nearly one fifth of the fishing fleet in New Bedford, Massachusetts, photographed on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016.  Photo by Tristan Spinksi for Mother Jones/FERN. Earlier this year we brought you the intriguing true crime story of Carlos Rafael, also know as “The Codfather.” Back in March, the New Bedford Massachusetts – based fishing magnate plead guilty to 28 counts of fraud. The Codfather grossly under-reported his catch – at the expense of smaller fishermen who lacked the permits to bring in more valuable fish. Last week, Rafael was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, plus a $200,000 fine. Because of his outsized influence, Rafael's imprisonment has the potential to reshape New England's groundfishing business. To learn more, we invited back Ben Goldfarb, a freelance journalist who’s covered the case of the Codfather for Mother Jones Magazine and the Food and Environment Reporting Network. Veteran Cindy McGuirk speaks up for women veterans at a town hall meeting addressing concerns about the Manchester VA on July 31, 2017. Photo by Peter Biello for NHPR NEXT  has also been keeping an eye on problems at the VA medical center in Manchester, New Hampshire. This past July, the Boston Globe Spotlight Team published an investigative report detaining unsanitary conditions and patient neglect at the VA – a facility that was given a four-star rating by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The next day, two top officials were removed. Two days after that, a pipe burst, flooding five floors at the hospital. One of those spaces was dedicated to women’s health. Now, as the Manchester VA rebuilds itself, some see an opportunity to improve the experience for women veterans. New Hampshire Public Radio's Peter Biello reports. Surrounded by Water Not only was Lyme Disease discovered here in New England, it's had a pretty profound effect. As we've reported, the Northeast has the biggest concentration of Lyme cases, and the problem seems to be getting worse. Public health officials have tried all sorts of efforts to cut down on the transmission of the disease, which is spread by deer ticks – after they are infected by rodent hosts. Geneticist Kevin Esvelt (right) takes questions from a Martha's Vineyard audience. in July 2016. Photo by Annie Minoff for Science Friday One of the places with the highest concentrations of Lyme cases is also one of New England’s most famous vacation destinations: Martha's Vineyard. That's where the podcast Undiscovered went to track a geneticist who's proposing a novel solution – releasing genetically modified mice on the island. Undiscovered co-host Annie Minoff joins us to talk about a science experiment that has as much to do with people and politics as mice and ticks. Margie Howe Emmons sits in the outdoor chapel on Chocurua Island on New Hampshire’s Squam Like. Photo by Sean Hurley for NHPR Every Sunday morning through the summer, a bell rings out three times from an island in the middle of Squam Lake. It’s a signal that boaters, kayakers, and even swimmers, should begin to make their way to the island – because church is about to start. With a granite boulder serving as an altar and music from a hand cranked organ, Chocurua Island has hosted religious services of all kinds for more than a hundred years. New Hampshire Public Radio’s Sean Hurley visited the island with one of its most devoted caretakers. Net Zero The all-concrete “Home Run House” in Warren, VT. Photo by Jon Kalish for NENC We've been bringing you stories of super-energy-efficient housing as part of our series, The Big Switch. Most of these dwellings use a combination of traditional building materials, some high tech advancements, and renewable energy sources like solar and geothermal to get to what's called “net zero” – meaning NO fossil fuels. Reporter Jon Kalish found another such building in the small town of Warren, Vermont. But the key to this house is its unconventional building material. Renderings show the “Home Run House” when complete. Image courtesy of Dave Sellers. Bostonians are not exactly known for the warm fuzzies, but in recent years a fuzzy, costumed street performer has won the affection of many in New England's largest city. The busker dresses in a bear suit, plays the keytar, and is known as Keytar Bear. Freelance reporter Carol Vassar wanted to know more about the bear, and the man inside the costume. She brings us this report. A post on the “We Love Keytar Bear” Facebook page after the performer was attacked by teenagers this June. Keytar Bear is not the hero we deserve but the hero we need. @KeytarBear pic.twitter.com/8wwLlbISit — Roomba (@TheRoomba) September 18, 2017 About NEXT NEXT is produced at WNPR. Host: John Dankosky Producer: Andrea Muraskin Executive Producer: Catie Talarski Contributors to this episode: Kathleen Masterson, Ben Goldfarb, Peter Biello, Annie Minoff, Sean Hurley, Jon Kalish, and Carol Vassar Music: Todd Merrell, “New England” by Goodnight Blue Moon Get all the NEXT episodes. We appreciate your feedback! Send praise, critique, suggestions, questions, and story leads next@wnpr.org. Tweet your Keytar Bear photos to us @NEXTNewEngland.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex Ciccolo — a 24-year-old who was arrested two years ago in Adams, Massachusetts on charges of attempting domestic terrorism — is back in the news. His mother spoke with our reporter Jill Kaufman. Later in the show, we take a look inside the world of eel trafficking in Maine, and learn about an effort on Martha’s Vineyard to help small fishermen get a foothold. Plus, we discover the surprising origins of a body pulled in by a fishing boat off the coast of Cape Cod, and explore our region’s ambiguous relationship with inclusivity through the arts. On the fishing boat Diversion, Marvin Benitez dumps a pail full of crabs into a bin for preparation for sale to seafood retailers and restaurants on Martha’s Vineyard. Government-issued permits for fishing rights can be expensive, but nonprofit permit banks are leasing them to small fishermen at lower rates. Photo by Jesse Costa for WBUR In Despair, and Angry Shelley MacInnes holds pictures of her son, Alex Ciccolo, who faces domestic terrorism charges. Photo by Jill Kaufman for NEPR Alex Ciccolo, 24, of Adams, Massachusetts, has been in federal custody since July 4, 2015. He’s charged with attempting to commit domestic terrorism. Ciccolo’s father is a Boston police captain, and was among the first responders at the 2013 marathon bombings. He was the one who tipped off federal officials his son was becoming “obsessed” with ISIS. That led to an FBI sting, where Ciccolo described to a government informant his plans to explode pressure cooker bombs in a crowded place. After Ciccolo’s arrest, his father made a single statement to the public. His mother, Shelley MacInnes, has kept an even lower profile, until recently. New England Public Radio’s Jill Kaufman reports. Below, Alex Ciccolo is interviewed by the FBI hours after his 2015 arrest. Reporter Trevor Aaronson of The Intercept has been investigating the connections between domestic terrorism charges that have led to 800 arrests since 9-11. He told Jill Kaufman how Alex Ciccolo fits into the mix. Hauling It In Dutcher’s Dock in Menemsha, Martha’s Vineyard. Photo by Jesse Costa for WBUR The Massachusetts fishing industry in recent years has taken a beating. Stiff regulations and expensive fishing permits are making it difficult for small fishermen to stay above water. A nonprofit in Martha’s Vineyard now wants to help by acquiring fishing permits, and leasing them at subsidized rates to emerging fishermen. WBUR’s Simon Rios reports. What's slippery, see-through, and goes for $1,300 a pound? Listeners in coastal Maine probably know the answer. Our guest Rene Ebersole is a contributing writer for National Geographic and a reporter for the Food and Environment Reporting Network. Her recent article: “Inside the Multi-Million Dollar World of Eel Trafficking.” Glass eels are American eels in their juvenile phase. The price per pound of these animals jumped from $99.94 in 2009 to $891.49 in 2011. In 2012, it went over $1,800. Alvah Wendell, 43, rhythmically swishes his dip net to catch young eels as they swim up the Bagaduce River in Maine. He uses a green headlamp because white light spooks the fish. “You don't need to see them to catch them,” he says. “But I like to watch.” Photo by Sarah Rice for National Geographic  The little eels are destined for aquaculture farms in Asia, where they’re later harvested for sushi. The demand for American eels skyrocketed earlier this decade, because the European Union banned eel exports in 2010. European and Asian eels are considered superior to American. The 2011 tsunami, which damaged Japan’s fishery, also had an impact. Eels transform from leaf-shaped larvae into two-inch elongated juveniles with haunting eyes and a visible spine just before they swim from the ocean up freshwater rivers. Photo by Sarah Rice for National Geographic These days, if you're in the eel-catching business, Maine is the place to be. Fishing for American eels is illegal in every other East Coast state, except for South Carolina and Florida, where fisheries are small. High prices have led to poaching. In March, two Maine fishermen, Bill Sheldon and Timothy Lewis, were indicted for illegally trafficking wildlife. Sheldon could face a maximum of 35 years in prison. The Hera II, sister ship to the vessel that brought in a very unexpected catch last year. Both boats are draggers, trailing nets that scrape the ocean floor for groundfish. Photo by Andy Short Whether you're catching eel swimming upstream or haddock in the Atlantic, the work of fishing can get monotonous. On an early December morning, that routine was upended for the crew of the Hera, a commercial groundfishing boat from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Andy Short has the tale. Craving more fishy news? Listen to our own Episode 35: Outfished. You’ll learn about Carlos Rafael, a.k.a. “the Codfather” — the New Bedford fishing magnate who in March plead guilty to 28 counts of fraud. (On a side note, Rafael just happens to be the owner of the Hera). Making Good Neighbors Juan De La Cruz comforts his youngest daughter, Isabella, at their home in Vergennes, Vermont. Photo by Kathleen Masterson for VPR A Vermont father of six is facing deportation to Mexico in a case that highlights shifting federal immigration enforcement priorities. Juan De La Cruz came to the U.S. illegally over a decade ago, and later married a U.S. citizen. They formed a family and a farm business together, and Juan obtained a federal work authorization permit. But a previous deportation on his record now makes De La Cruz a target for ICE. Vermont Public Radio’s Kathleen Masterson has the story. Visiting the ICA on vacation from Colombia, Maria Alejandra Garcia Velez and her daughter Maria Jose Cortes Garcia, 9, approach the shoelace work by Nari Ward, “We the People.” Photo by Jesse Costa for WBUR Life often inspires art, and art in turn often reflects society. In a time of divisive political discourse, especially around immigration, an art show currently featured at Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art opens up a space for dialogue. The exhibit offers museum-goers a glimpse into the naturalization process and what it means to be, and to become, American. WBUR’s Shannon Dooling takes us there. Thea Alvin is a “dry mason,” meaning she builds stone walls without using mortar. Photo by Amy Noyes for VPR Of course, we know that New Englanders have, and have always had a rocky relationship with inclusivity. For instance, the famous line from Robert Frost's 1912 poem “Mending Wall” — “Good fences make good neighbors” — has been used to describe Yankee culture. But building stone walls like the one in Frost's poem has become something of a dying art. Stonemason Thea Alvin explained to Vermont Edition how she builds her walls for their series “Summer School.” About NEXT Do you have a question about New England you’d like NEXT to investigate? Tell us about it here. NEXT is produced at WNPR. Host: John Dankosky Producer: Andrea Muraskin Executive Producer: Catie Talarski Digital Content Manager/Editor: Heather Brandon Contributors to this episode: Jill Kaufman, Simon Rios, Andy Short, Kathleen Masterson, Shannon Dooling, Amy Noyes. Music: Todd Merrell, “New England” by Goodnight Blue Moon Special thanks this week to Jane Lindholm at Vermont Edition Get all the NEXT episodes. We appreciate your feedback! Send critique, suggestions, questions, reflections and wildlife trafficking tips to next@wnpr.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“He has no compunction about telling you how he’s screwing you,” is how one fisherman described the way the man known locally as “the Codfather” did business. This week, how one man gamed the system meant to keep New England fishing fair and sustainable. Plus, we talk gentrification in two very different Boston squares. And with the first hints of spring, we bring back the story of a grandma who conquered the Appalachian trail. Boats belonging to Carlos Rafael, AKA “the Codfather,” photographed in December 2016 in New Bedford, Mass. New Bedford, a historic whaling port, is now one of the most valuable fishing ports in the United States, with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of seafood brought in annually. Carlos Rafael, owner of Carlos Seafood and known as the “Codfather,” was one of the most successful commercial fishermen in New England. Photo by Tristan Spinksi for Mother Jones/FERN. Big Fish In Boston Federal court Thursday, Carlos Rafael, a man known as “the Codfather,” plead guilty to 28 counts of fraud. Charges against the fishing magnate included conspiracy, false entries involving labeling cod as haddock in order to avoid regulatory oversight, and cash smuggling. Rafael was a fishing magnate who controlled one fifth of New Bedford’s fishing fleet. He dominated the New England fishing industry with a bravado he likened to the Al Pacino character Scarface. It was that signature bravado that brought the Codfather down. Our guest is environmental reporter Ben Goldfarb, who covered Raphael for the Food and Environment Reporting Network in collaboration with Mother Jones Magazine. His article is entitled “The Deliciously Fishy Case of the Codfather.” We spoke with Ben earlier this week in New Haven, Connecticut. A Tale of Two Squares The Abbott Building at 5 JFK Street in Harvard Square Cambridge, Massachusetts, photographed in 2010. The Abbott has been bought by the investment firm Equity One. The firm plans to turn the property into a mall, but is facing opposition from locals. Photo by Daderot via Wikimedia Commons For Harvard Square neighbors bemoaning the loss of independent businesses to rising rents, the latest blow hit last weekend. On March 26, the 150- year old Schoenhof's Foreign Books on Mount Auburn Street closed its brick and mortar location, moving to online-only sales. Upscale retail chains continue to pour into Harvard Square, from D.C.-based craft pizza to Swedish outdoor apparel. Long-term residents are worried that Harvard Square has become so commercial that it's losing what makes it special. Jim Cronin, father of our guest Louie Cronin, serving Boston baked beans to Elizabeth Taylor. Photo courtesy of Louie Cronin. At the center of the latest controversy is the historic Abbott Building at Five JFK Street. It houses the world's only Curious George store and is also the former home of NPR's Car Talk. The developer that bought the Abbott and its two adjoining buildings last year — for $85 million — plans to turn them into a mall. Long-term residents are worried that Harvard Square has become so commercial that it's losing what makes it special. About five miles south, a historically Dominican and African American neighborhood, Egleston Square, is experiencing rapid gentrification. Below, watch a summer concert in Egleston Square. Egleston Square residents and the city government are mulling over, and sometimes butting heads over, how much affordable housing to require and what the business mix will look like. What can and/or should residents do to mitigate the effects of gentrification? To answer that complicated question, Louie Cronin joins us, author of a new novel, Everyone Loves You Back, which takes place in Cambridge in the 1990s. Cronin grew up in Cambridge, where her father owned a restaurant, and worked in the Abbott building as a producer for Car Talk. Also joining us is Luis Cotto, executive director of the not-for-profit Egleston Square Main Street. Take A Hike If you’re thinking, that tree couldn’t have grown that way naturally, your instincts are correct. (Credit: John Voci/NEPR) If you spend any time walking in the woods, you see a lot of strange looking trees — trees shaped by the wind, or split by lightning. Occasionally, some twists and turns are man-made. When walking in the woods near his Putney, Vermont, home, Dan Kubick discovered a most unusual tree. New England Public Radio's John Voci has our story. Emma Gatewood with Thomson brothers (from left) Tom, seven; David, nine; and Peter, 11; near the Thomson home in Orford, New Hampshire, on her through hike of the Appalachian Trail in 1955. (Courtesy of Peter Thomson) You might know someone who’s gone out looking for his or herself along the Appalachian Trail. Next year will mark the 80th birthday of the 2100-mile footpath. This year marks the 80th birthday of the 2100- mile footpath that goes from Georgia to Maine. A third of the trail runs through New England, including its most rugged parts, ending at the summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine. This is the time of year when through-hikers traditionally get started in Georgia. Emma “Grandma” Gatewood made headlines when she became the first woman to hike the entirety of the Appalachian Trail, back in 1955. She was 67 years old, and wore Keds. Writer Ben Montgomery, Emma's great great nephew and author of the book Grandma Gatewood's Walk, tells her story. About NEXT NEXT is produced at WNPR. Host: John Dankosky Producer: Andrea Muraskin Executive Producer: Catie Talarski Digital Content Manager/Editor: Heather Brandon Contributors to this episode: Benjamin Goldfarb, John Voci, Elliot Rambach, Ben Montgomery Music: Todd Merrell, “New England” by Goodnight Blue Moon, “Unsquare Dance” by Dave Brubeck, “Sunrise Blues” by Samuel James Get all the NEXT episodes. We appreciate your feedback! Send praise, critique, suggestions, questions, story leads, and fish stories to next@wnpr.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Eating Matters, we feature not one but two good food startups making meaningful changes to the food system. Host Jenna Liut and Associate Producer Taylor Lanzet speak with Sam Fromatz, Editor-in-Chief of the Food & Environment Reporting Network, and Craig Wichner, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Farmland, LP. The FERN is an independent news outlet focusing on the critically underreported areas of food, agriculture, and environmental health and Farmland LP is a company that forged a new model for how farmland is owned and managed. Jenna and Taylor discuss how each impacts our agricultural practices and the environment and why these types of innovative companies are critically important.

With the Rio Olympics 2016 underway, host Jenna Liut and associate producer Taylor Lanzet dive into Brazil's food system – unpacking how Brazil is combating obesity while improving farmer livelihoods through progressive policy changes. Joined by Bridget Huber, a journalist at the Food & Environment Reporting Network, Jenna and Taylor examine how Brazil is working to shift purchases of ultra-processed foods through a sweeping national policy that advocates for the pleasure of eating. Later on the show we are joined by David Foster, Co-Founder of Everytable, an LA-based restaurant chain on a mission to make good food available to everyone.

On this episode, host Jenna Liut and associate producer Taylor Lanzet discuss the USDA’s proposed changes for retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or, SNAP). This program is the largest in the domestic hunger safety net and over 44 million Americans rely on it. According to the USDA, as of September 2015 over 250,000 firms were authorized to participate in SNAP. Recently, the USDA released its proposal to require retailers to supply a wider variety of healthy and whole foods for SNAP recipients, which has been met with a great deal of resistance. Joining us on the line today to dig into the details of the USDA’s proposal, what the response to it has been and what it means for the people relying on the program is Chuck Abbott, editor of Ag Insider published by the Food and Environment Reporting Network, who has covered food and agriculture policy in Washington for three decades. Later in the show we will be joined by Tri Tran, Co-Founder & CEO of Munchery, a meal service delivery company and our featured startup of the week.

_ Eating Matters _ is back for it’s 4th season as hosts Kim Kessler and Jenna Liut welcome Helena Bottemiller Evich and Chuck Abbott to recap the biggest stories in food policy that broke in 2015.  Helena is a senior food and agriculture reporter for POLITICO Pro while Chuck is a Contributing Editor at the Food and Environment Reporting Network. Between the genetically modified salmon dubbed ‘frankenfish’ to the Food Safety Modernization Act to the WHO labeling processed meat as carcinogenic to humans, both guests relay that this has been quite a newsworthy year!  Tune in to catch up on the headliners you may have missed! “The Campbell’s decision to be for mandatory GMO labeling is putting the pressure on other companies to figure this out.” [29:00] –Helena Bottemiller Evich on Eating Matters  

Tired of the way big media covers environmental and agricultural issues? There’s a pure voice amidst the noise in FERN, The Food & Environment Reporting Network, Inc. Tune in as Katy Keiffer is joined by Sam Fromartz, author of In Search of the Perfet Loaf and Editor in Chief of FERN for a conversation on media, journalism and integrity. They also discuss the upcoming event, FERN Talks & Eats, which will cook up their written reports as dynamic, interactive storytelling. FERN is an independent, non-profit news organization that produces investigative reporting on food, agriculture, and environmental health. Their stories fall under the classic mandate of investigative reporting-to reveal corruption, abuse of power, and exploitation wherever it happens; to expose activities and subjects that the powerful work to keep hidden or which are simply overlooked by major media; and to give a voice to the voiceless. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “Bread is my attempt to keep my sanity as a journalist.” [30:00] –Sam Fromartz on What Doesn’t Kill You

Tired of the way big media covers environmental and agricultural issues? There’s a pure voice amidst the noise in FERN, The Food & Environment Reporting Network, Inc. Tune in as Katy Keiffer is joined by Sam Fromartz, author of In Search of the Perfet Loaf and Editor in Chief of FERN for a conversation on media, journalism and integrity. They also discuss the upcoming event, FERN Talks & Eats, which will cook up their written reports as dynamic, interactive storytelling. FERN is an independent, non-profit news organization that produces investigative reporting on food, agriculture, and environmental health. Their stories fall under the classic mandate of investigative reporting-to reveal corruption, abuse of power, and exploitation wherever it happens; to expose activities and subjects that the powerful work to keep hidden or which are simply overlooked by major media; and to give a voice to the voiceless. This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA. “Bread is my attempt to keep my sanity as a journalist.” [30:00] –Sam Fromartz on What Doesn’t Kill You

This week, host Angelo Coppola discusses: the Chicken McNugget diet, McDonald's changing it's burger recipe and why, what you should know about supermarket meat, antitrust and "big beef," house husbands, stone-age social networking, cold weather weigh loss, specialization, why you might benefit from exercising less, the original affluence (Moment of Paleo), and Zeitgeist Movie (After the Bell). Links for this episode:Latest in Paleo Podcast Home ==>The (almost) World Famous Latest in Paleo Facebook Page ==>Stacey Irvine, 17, collapses after eating only McDonald's chicken nuggets since age 2 | Mail OnlineTeen Hospitalized After Eating Only Chicken NuggetsMcDonald's Is Changing Its Burger Recipe To Take The 'Pink Slime' Out Of Its MeatSupermarket Meat Comes From Sick Animals | Mother JonesDispute Over Drug in Feed Limiting US Meat Exports | Food and Environment Reporting NetworkAntitrust Official Gets Stampeded By Big Beef : The Salt : NPRMan about the house | Life and style | The GuardianStone Age Social Networks May Have Resembled Ours | Wired Science | Wired.comCold Weather: A Weight Loss Secret? | Video - ABC NewsMusings on Specialization and Self-Sufficiency in the Modern World | Mark's Daily AppleWhy You May Need To Exercise Lessneolithic hunter-gatherers: Marshall Sahlins- The Original Affluent SocietyZEITGEIST: MOVING FORWARD | OFFICIAL RELEASE | 2011 - YouTube77Zero / Global Zero Fuel Expeditions

Helena Bottemiller, a reporter for The Food & Environment Reporting Network, looks at the controversial animal feed additive, ractopamine hydrochloride, which is widely used in the united states but the EU and China have banned it’s use, citing health concerns.

This week on Straight, No Chaser, Katy is joined by the new Editor-in-Chief of the Food and Environment Reporting Network. Sam discusses how food writing and blogging has changed over the years and what it takes to create an interesting online publication in today’s digital landscape. Hear his thoughts on waste management, industrial agriculture and the issues facing the dairy industry. This episode was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “The most important thing about food, agriculture and environmental health is the fact that they are connected.” “Farmers are in-tune to climate, more than anybody else.” –Sam Fromartz on Straight, No Chaser

This week on Straight, No Chaser, Katy is joined by the new Editor-in-Chief of the Food and Environment Reporting Network. Sam discusses how food writing and blogging has changed over the years and what it takes to create an interesting online publication in today’s digital landscape. Hear his thoughts on waste management, industrial agriculture and the issues facing the dairy industry. This episode was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “The most important thing about food, agriculture and environmental health is the fact that they are connected.” “Farmers are in-tune to climate, more than anybody else.” –Sam Fromartz on Straight, No Chaser