Podcasts about food conference

What if Canada could become a global food superpower—from farm to fork, from field to plate? In this live-recorded episode taped at Farm Credit Canada's Future of Food Conference, I sat down with two titens transforming Canada's agricultural landscape: Curt Vossen, the visionary CEO of Richardson International, and Kristjan Hebert, a farmer who manages his tens of thousands of acress of land with intelligence, passion, and pursuit. Together, they tackle the future of food—from battling inefficiencies in our supply chains to seizing untapped global markets. They speak with brutal honesty about what's holding Canada back: our mindset, our infrastructure, and our humility. Their solution? A call to action that blends bold vision with incremental, achievable steps. In the final segment, Lisa Ashton of RBC Thought Leadership shares powerful insights into Canada's strengths, risks, and unrealized potential in agriculture, backed by data, policy, and her personal story, which began on a farm. My take: Canada does not need to be reliant on one trading partner, we have what it takes to create an economy powered by purposeful jobs and those who both dream and do. Let's all work together to make Canada a Food Superpower.   To find out more about Farm Credit Canada: https://www.fcc-fac.ca      

Going To Seed: Inspiring a shift in agriculture towards adaptation, community and diversity.This is my first solo podcast after Shane Simonson started his own podcast -- Zero Input Agriculture. We wish Shane joy and success in his new endeavor.In this episode, I'm posting the presentation that I did at the Utah Farm and Food Conference, January 11th 2024, in Cedar City Utah.Red Acre Center for Food and Agriculture hosts the conference. Red Acre Center advocated for the passage of Utah's Food Freedom law, which allows individuals to sell food to each other without licenses or regulations.The center attends the legislative sessions each year advocating for increased food freedom, and continuing preservation of the gains already made.I highly value the work of Red Acre Center, and pause for a moment of reverence for Sarah, Symbria, Mark, Shawn, and all others involved in supporting this work.Going To Seed sponsors this podcast. Join us there for seeds, farmer support, and complimentary content like video courses, and online forums.

Farmer Sarah Patterson of Red Acre Farm in Cedar City, Utah, was just 14 years old when she started her first CSA on her parents' land after they moved to Utah from LA. Now, 15 years later, she has built Red Acre Farm into a thriving one-acre certified organic farm with a year-round, full-diet CSA, farm stand, farm kitchen, AND farm stay, along with hosting farm dinners, workshops, and other community events. She also founded the Utah Farm and Food Conference, now in its eighth year, and with her mom established the Red Acre Center for Food and Agriculture, a nonprofit with a focus on farmer education and advocating for farmers at the state level. Since 2015, she and her mom have worked together to pass more than 19 bills directly related to small agriculture and artisan producers in Utah. Sarah is a powerhouse of energy and drive to make small-scale farming and local food accessible to all in her community and to inspire others to do the same. Check out the folks who make the show possible... RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels. Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources. BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements. ... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

Farmer Sarah Patterson of Red Acre Farm in Cedar City, Utah, was just 14 years old when she started her first CSA on her parents' land after they moved to Utah from LA. Now, 15 years later, she has built Red Acre Farm into a thriving one-acre certified organic farm with a year-round, full-diet CSA, farm stand, farm kitchen, AND farm stay, along with hosting farm dinners, workshops, and other community events. She also founded the Utah Farm and Food Conference, now in its eighth year, and with her mom established the Red Acre Center for Food and Agriculture, a nonprofit with a focus on farmer education and advocating for farmers at the state level. Since 2015, she and her mom have worked together to pass more than 19 bills directly related to small agriculture and artisan producers in Utah. Sarah is a powerhouse of energy and drive to make small-scale farming and local food accessible to all in her community and to inspire others to do the same. Check out the folks who make the show possible... RIMOL Greenhouses quality greenhouses and high-tunnels. Johnny's Selected Seeds vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. Visit the Growers Library for a wealth of growing resources. BCS America for two wheel tractors + implements. ... and, as always, our work is powered by the individual growers who support us every month over at patreon.com/notillgrowers. You can pick up a copy of The Living Soil Handbook if you don't have one already, as well as a No-Till Growers hat or other merch, check out our YouTube channel, and you can ask you questions or share your insights into ecological market gardening on our free growers forum at notillgrowers.community.chat

Thanks to Alex Ketchum for joining us to talk about the Queer Food Conference. A couple other links for the things mentioned:Culture + Flavor—Klancy MillerBeer Sessions—10 Years of Transmitter BrewingAmuse News is hosted and produced by RJ Bee and Heritage Radio Network. Original music by Amar Sastry.

806: The Rogue Food Conference with Joel Salatin and John MoodyShowcasing those who are making a difference in our food systems.In This Podcast: The Rogue Food Conference" is an annual gathering of innovative thinkers and passionate advocates who are challenging the status quo of the food industry. Hosted by Joel Salatin and John Moody, this conference showcases individuals and organizations that have found creative solutions to navigate the regulatory hurdles and bring nutrient-dense, local, and authentic food to their communities.Joel Salatin and his family owned Polyface Farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Featured in the iconic foodie book, Omnivore's Dilemma, An award winning film, Food Inc., the farm's moniker is Healing the Land One Bite at a Time. Joel is a prolific author and speaker. He promotes local food systems, freedom of food choice, and farming systems that build the commons. Joel was a guest on our podcast and appeared in episode 310.John Moody lives in his homestead in the rolling hills of Kentucky. He founded the whole life buying club, one of the largest alternative food distribution approaches in the country. He is the author of five books and a well known speaker at conferences across the country on health, food, farming, and freedom. John is a returning podcast guest and appeared on episode 116 and 535.NOTE: the tickets are available at the Rogue Food Conference website, which is RogueFoodConference. comVisit www.UrbanFarm.org/806Rogue for the show notes and links on this episode! Need a little bit of advice or just a feedback on your design for your yard or garden?The Urban Farm Team is offering consults over the phone or zoom. Get the benefits of a personalized garden and yard space analysis without the cost of trip charges. You can chat with Greg, Janis or Ray to get permaculture based feedback.Click HERE to learn more!Become an Urban Farm Patron and listen to more than 850 episodes of the Urban Farm Podcast without ads. Click HERE to learn more.*Disclosure: Some of the links in our podcast show notes and blog posts are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, we will earn a nominal commission at no cost to you. We offer links to items recommended by our podcast guests and guest writers as a service to our audience and these items are not selected because of the commission we receive from your purchases. We know the decision is yours, and whether you decide to buy something is completely up to you.

Inizia oggi 22 febbraio a Bologna, negli spazi che ospitavano Fico, l'Ecommerce Food Conference, summit ecommerce verticale sulle strategie online del Food & Beverage, organizzato dall'Ecommerce School. L'azienda veneta Fonte Margherita 1845 è sponsor dell'evento formativo che richiama numerosi partecipanti e relatori per approfondire i vari temi inerenti la vendita online, creare nuove occasioni di networking e di business.

In this episode Elysabeth gives a recap on the Plant Based World Expo 2023 and the Good Food Conference 2023. In the last half of the episode she is joined by Founding Partner at Alwyn Capital, Heather Courtney. They discuss the plant-based sector and the latest conferences. Subscribe! For plant-based media/branding consulting and public speaking, reach out at elysabeth@elysabethalfano.com. For more information, visit ElysabethAlfano.com. For more information, visit ElysabethAlfano.com. Connect with Elysabeth on Linked in here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elysabeth-alfano-8b370b7/ For more PBH, visit ElysabethAlfano.com/Plantbased-Business-Hour.

In this episode Elysabeth gives a recap on the Plant Based World Expo 2023 and the Good Food Conference 2023. In the last half of the episode she is joined by Founding Partner at Alwyn Capital, Heather Courtney. They discuss the plant-based sector and the latest conferences. Subscribe! For plant-based media/branding consulting and public speaking, reach out at elysabeth@elysabethalfano.com. For more information, visit ElysabethAlfano.com. For more information, visit ElysabethAlfano.com. Connect with Elysabeth on Linked in here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elysabeth-alfano-8b370b7/ For more PBH, visit ElysabethAlfano.com/Plantbased-Business-Hour.  

This is the second in our series of podcasts from the 2023 Water for Food Global Conference, May 8-11. In this episode, we hear from Dr. Mure Agbonlahor, who works at the African Union Commission as senior Policy Officer, and Louise Mabulo, chef, farmer, entrepreneur, and founder of The Cacao Project. 

Soumya Balasubramanya, Senior Economist at The World Bank, was a speaker at the recent 2023 Global Water for Food Conference in Lincoln, Nebraska. This is the first in a series of podcasts from the conference. 

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast. I'm Cindy Zimmerman This episode comes to you from the 2023 Water for Food Global Conference, which was held May 8-11 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This was the 10th Water for Food Conference but the first time it's been held since 2019, thanks to COVID. The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska works to address the global challenge of achieving food security with less stress on water resources through water management in agricultural and food systems and the conference brings together experts and thought leaders from around the world to help find solutions to water and food security challenges. In this episode, you will hear from DWFI executive director Peter McCornick, DWFI board member Felicia Marcus, Colorado farmer and LRE Water consultant Dick Wolfe, Nebraska farmer Debbie Borg, and Louise Mabulo, founder of The Cacao Project. We hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Low-sugar, keto-friendly snack brand HighKey announced it will be launching a sugar-free sandwich cookie featuring two crispy chocolate wafers around a layer of vanilla crème. In this episode of the Xtalks Food Podcast, Sydney talks about this new Oreo alternative that contains no sugar, two grams of net carbs, seven grams of fiber, 60 calories and is made with gluten-free, soy-free and keto-friendly ingredients. She discusses the downfall of Oreo Thins and the success of HighKey's other healthy snack products, especially via online channels. The team commends the new product for not only offering a healthier alternative to a popular snack, but also for featuring fiber and not solely empty calories. Also in this episode, Sydney talks about five food tech products that were featured at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Among the thousands of exhibitors at this year's CES, food makers, restaurateurs and consumers witnessed dozens relevant to the food industry — particularly when it comes to sustainability, robotics and wellness. From a smart oven with a heat-resistant internal camera to monitor cooking progress from Brava to a robot that 3D prints meatless burgers from SavorEat, the show featured the latest in food tech. The team delves into some of the products discussed and reflects upon how far food tech has come in the last decade and how far it will go in the future. Read the full article here:Are HighKey Cookies the Next Sugar-Free Oreo Alternative?CES 2023 Food Tech Products to WatchFor more food and beverage industry content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.Follow Us on Social Media Twitter: @XtalksFood Instagram: @Xtalks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Xtalks.Webinars/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/XtalksWebinars/featured

Il 23 e 24 febbraio, presso il parco tematico enogastronomico Fico Eataly World, si svolgerà la seconda edizione di "Ecommerce Food Conference", il primo summit ecommerce verticale sul food&beverage, con i migliori speaker e i player tra i più autorevoli del settore food.Dopo il successo della prima edizione di dicembre 2021, che ha visto oltre 200 partecipanti con il 100% delle recensioni positive, Ecommerce Food attende per l'edizione 2023 ben 850 partecipanti, più di 50 relatori e 40 casi studio che verranno presentati al pubblico di operatori del settore, che potranno giovare anche di una piattaforma online di Business Matching e di esclusive occasioni di Networking per creare nuove opportunità di Business.

Wine critic Esther Mobley looks back at the legacy of Fred Franzia, who championed inexpensive wine and brought Two Buck Chuck to the masses. Chef Vishwesh Bhatt reflects on his childhood in India and how his cooking took shape in the American South. Dr. Nancy Rawson provides an update on her research on the loss of smell and taste as a symptom of COVID. As a child, Grace Young stood in line to meet Julia Child. Now she's being honored with an award named after her culinary icon. Political reporter Ximena Bustillo explains the agenda of the White House Food Conference. Chef Spencer Bezaire is roasting squash in a 600-degree oven at his Silver Lake restaurant Eszett.

Food insecurity and nutrition are major concerns for people around the world and in the United States. In fact, ‘sometime' in September, The White House will hold a Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. This is the first time a conference like this will be held in the US since 1969, but with few details coming out, the question is, what will this conference actually cover? And how will it impact the quality of life for American families? Today, Boyd is joined by an award-winning reporter and founder of FoodFix.co, Helena Bottemiller Evich to hopefully answer those questions and give us a guide for the upcoming White House Food Conference.  ‘Inside Sources with Boyd Matheson,' former opinion editor at Deseret News, takes you inside the latest political news and current events, providing higher ground for today's discussions. Listen live Monday through Friday from 1 to 3 pm at 1160 AM and 102.7 FM, online at KSLNewsradio.com, or on the app. Listen on-demand as a podcast on your favorite platform or web browser. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we have something new: a monthly chat with Jack Spirko and John Willis. These First Tuesday talks are at 12:30 CT and we stream them live on various video channels. Be prepared for the f bomb in these episodes. Headed to rogue Food Conference this weekend. Get your tickets for the June 11-12 Self-Reliance Festival Stump the Sauce Feedback from Jon in West Virginia on Siloing. Main topic of the Show:  Fireside Chat with Jack Spirko and John Willis Connect with us! Jack Spirko, The Survival Podcast John Willis, Special Operations Equipment Nicole Sauce, Living Free in Tennessee Why we are doing this new show series and what do you think? Covered on this episode: Proper prepping Unkraine Coffee Building a Business Finding Employees Membership Plug Make it a great week! GUYS! Don't forget about the cookbook, Cook With What You Have by Nicole Sauce and Mama Sauce.  Community Mewe Group: https://mewe.com/join/lftn Telegram Group: https://t.me/LFTNGroup Odysee: https://odysee.com/$/invite/@livingfree:b Advisory Board The Booze Whisperer The Tactical Redneck Chef Brett Samantha the Savings Ninja Resources Membership Sign Up Holler Roast Coffee Harvest Right Affiliate Link

Join us for an engaging discussion on how to break down the digital barriers between your brand and your target audience. Marketing is all about passion. If you don't have a passion for it, it will show. It's not the volume that matters - it's the quality of what you do and delivers that you do. This same passion helped our guest today to grow his LI connections from 200 to 22,000 by focusing on the human connection we all strive for—professionally and personally.People want to connect with people - not a company name. So, keeping this in mind, you either innovate or perish in the modern post-Covid digital age. Jeffrey shares his journey with us from being constantly airborne - flying worldwide to visit and recruit new business — to using LinkedIn as his primary platform for communicating with existing and canvassing new business leads. Using LI as a publishing forum for industry-specific and quality content, Jeffrey then used it to personally interact and communicate 1-on-1 with the connections he has made there.  Although it is a time-consuming approach - it allows him to form personal and trusted relationships with his target audience - breaking through the digital barriers that often remove and alienate us from our customers. You can listen to how Jeffrey uses LI as the starting point for connection and how he then engages with his connections to move them along the funnel to becoming valued customers.Our guest:Jeffrey Khoo - Chief Marketing Officer, APAC at Edbroking.comJeffrey is a well-respected and prominent influencer in the Singaporean agriculture sector. As a well-respected and popular speaker on Agriculture insurance, he has given keynote speeches at the World Agriculture Forum, Aginvest Asia, Responsible Business Forum, International Rice Conference, Future of Food Conference, International Fertiliser Association Conference, Asia Agriculture Insurance Conference and many more. He has been featured in Asia Insurance Review, Insurance Asia News and various other publications. Jeffrey has been the Organising Chairman for dialogues with luminaries such as Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, Indonesia Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and various Ambassadors from the USA, Indonesia and Poland.Please feel free to comment below. We value your feedback and discussion. If you would like to talk about how your organisation can find innovative and creative ways to reach your audience you can reach us at:  info@mediagroupww.com, and we would be happy to chat with you.

It’s a Brave New World. Truly. I believe we are living in the time of incredible transition. Just as the invention of the car changed the world to what it is today, the innovation of tasty plant-based meat and dairy alternatives will be upending animal agriculture, impacting our climate crisis, changing our health care system and affecting our culture – all for the better.  Today’s podcast is different from others in that I will be giving you an overview from what I learned at the recent Good Food Institute Conference in September.  From there I will be segueing into a series of short interviews from the conference.  I interview Lisa Feria, CEO of Stray Dog Capital, Lou Cooperhouse and Chris Dammann of BlueNalu (cellular agriculture) and Thomas Jonas of biotech company, Sustainable Bioproducts. Listen in for not just the future of food, but the future of life on the planet.  For more information and to watch the video version of this podcast, visit http://ElysabethAlfano.com .

The Moody family farms and homesteads on 35 acres in Kentucky. John Moody discovered more than a decade ago that his diet was killing him, with duodenal ulcers, seasonal allergies, and other health problems. So, the family began to transition … Continue reading →

This Friday's Interview is the 15th installment in the Self-Construction Block of podcasts. This weeks focus is

In this bonus episode Hazel sits down with 4 experts from The Future of Food conference Ryan Andrews; Dr Rupy Aujla, Prof Gareth Leng, and Dr Sandro Demaio.Make sure to get involved in our challenge of the week with the #TheFoodMedicChallenge.Hear more from The Food Medic over on www.thefoodmedic.co.uk or on social media @thefoodmedic.

Cake Work. With Pies and Community. Welcome to my latest episode! Thanks for being my guest. After experiencing the magic that was the Big Love Bake Sale, and the Big Love Birthday, it seems only fitting to be speaking with another advocate. Someone whose commitment to dessert and community-based action is equally strong. Meet Arley Arrington of Arley Cakes. I first met Arley during last summer's Business of Food Conference where I did my first guerilla-style podcast, interviewing several folks for 5 minutes each. I was struck by Arley's passion, enthusiasm, and knew immediately we had to do a proper episode. The fact I chose her Rosemary, Bourbon, and Brown Butter Apple Pie as the best thing I ate in 2016? Just the icing on the proverbial cake. Arley's mother immigrated here from Jamaica and Arley grew up with her four brothers in New Jersey and Brooklyn. Before it was the hipster haven it is today. Jamaican cuisine was plentiful, and Arley's mother, who sadly passed away when she was very young, was into healthy food like kale and no sugar before it was a trend. The sweetest cereal she was allowed? Kix. Which makes her current vocation incredibly ironic! Eventually, her family made it here to Virginia where she landed at UVA. After college, Arley waitressed on and off at the sadly now-closed Brookville restaurant where she began to think about baking for a living. Owners Harrison and Jennifer Keevil encouraged her efforts and eventually, she became their Cake Queen. Which led to Arley Cakes. Initially, Arley had thoughts about creating a socially-minded bakery, employing women from disenfranchised backgrounds. This remains a goal but currently, her business focuses on creating special, one-of-a-kind pies and desserts for every event imaginable. Her Cookie-Of-The-Month-Club is stellar, and she can even cater your breakfast! As for cakes? Just give her some flavors and she does the rest. I had a pretty major milestone birthday yesterday and the cake Arley made was indescribable. All I told her was lemon and raspberry. The result? A tasty, stunning work of art! "I do a lot of simple cakes...they are pretty simple and sweet in looks…they’re not too sweet in flavor because I like…the savory elements…I like the natural look…a cake that’s definitely pretty but also that’s enjoyable to eat." Her approach to creating her special pies start with good spices. Which means a visit to The Spice Diva. Fresh spices make all the difference. If you use the cinnamon that's been sitting in your pantry for three years it won't taste like anything. She experiments with different herbs, spices and combinations, using her palate to create things like that Best of 2016 pie. Brown butter can often figure prominently, always a good thing. The Flavor Bible, a popular chef resource, is her constant companion for unique combinations of texture and taste. Masala Sweet Potato Pie? Yes, please! Her methods for rolling out dough are unique and frowned upon by some. To me? Who cares if it turns out wonderfully. What are they? You'll just have to listen to find out. She is also a strong community advocate, and her work for the Charlottesville Abundant Life Ministries reflect that commitment. After college she became their Director of Girls' Programs, reshaping a summer camp program calling it Radiant Girls Camp, after a beloved Bible verse where she guided middle-school aged young women to look at all the positive aspects of their physical and emotional selves, giving them more confidence. I dare you to look at the photos her friend Amy Jackson took without grabbing the tissues. Beautiful stuff and something we all could use more of in these challenging times. "I tried to shape the different activities that we did during camp around...these girls...learning to be the best version of who they are already...and celebrating that...and taking care of themselves...I wanted to be sure they thought about food as something that strengthens you...it’s not something that controls you...you use it as a tool." Arley writes as well as bakes. Her post about sweet potato pie on the Brookville Restaurant blog started with pie but delved deeper into issues of race, class, and appropriation. It was thought-provoking, poignant, a wonderful example of food writing. Add in her fantastic eye for photography? I mean, have you SEEN her Instagram account? Wow. If Arley ever chooses to solely write full time the rest of us are in big trouble. "My days basically consist of me reminding myself to live with the confidence of a rich white man every 30 minutes or so. This practice is my general plan for success." Recorded in February during National Pie Month, my conversation with a fellow alum of the Community Investment Collaborative was by turns yummy and profound. We discuss Pie Day, the movie Waitress, French macarons, cooking shows like Master Chef Junior, self-defense tactics, the election, and the special challenges of teaching an old dog like me how to create proper pie crust. I took Arley's pie class at The Spice Diva, and without a doubt, her methods and nurturing ways have made me way less apprehensive about rolling out dough. I highly recommend it taking it, as well as listening to this wonderful episode. Preferably with a slice of pie or cake. Cheers! SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast: The Flavor Bible - Looking for unique taste pairings in recipes? Refer to this volume which lives on many a chef's bookshelf. Edna Lewis - The Grande Dame of Southern cooking. The Taste of Country Cooking is my bible. Flora Restaurant - Oaxacan cuisine with a great tequila selection. In Richmond. Thank you so much to Michele Jones and Jason Alley who gave an incredibly generous amount to my recent Big Love Birthday campaign. Their donation helped bring us over the top! Big Love guys! Help Scotty Recover - My best friend has Stage 3B Colorectal cancer. Bills are piling up. He can't work. Can you help? Share! Donate! No amount is too small. Thank you and BIG LOVE to everyone who donated and shared the Big Love Bake Sale and Big Love Birthday! Next up? Tee shirts! Look for them soon. Subscribe to This Podcast. Stay Edacious! - Come on, after this episode? You know you want to. Subscribers get new episodes instantly, while non-subscribers have to wait a few hours or days depending on the iTunes gods. Never miss a chance to be edacious! Subscribe to Edacious News - Never miss a food event in our area! Learn about regional and national food stories so you can stay edacious! This episode is sponsored by Teej.fm and listeners like you who donated their support at Patreon, who wants every creator in the world to achieve a sustainable income. Thank you.

Ag News: Markets closed for Good Friday, ag information in our regular market slots ... Susan talks lambing season with an SDSU sheep expert ... we get our weekly weather panorama with Ne Extension Ag Climatologist Al Dutcher ...Sean Callahan, Husker Online.com previews the Spring Game Saturday ... Mike Boehm, Harlan Vice Chancellor of IANR of UNL wraps this week's Water for Food Conference and NE FFA Convention

Salt Work. Welcome to an episode that's a "Must Listen!" if you have an artisanal food product or you have any interest in starting a business. Meet Cass Cannon, owner of Peg's Salt, a delicious seasoning salt with a great story attached. Cass didn't set out to become a salt purveyor, but her journey has brought her here. And she's done her homework. Companies like hers are why I started Edacious in the first place. One of her most important tips is to tell your story right up front both on your website's homepage and as part of every sale. Who is Peg? She's Cass's mother who created her special salt, a secret blend of kosher flake and over 25 herbs and spices, back in the 1960's. Cass grew up outside Dayton, Ohio and her mother Peg was a terrific cook. A cook who found Jane's Crazy Mixed-Up Salt lacking. So she created her own, giving it away to friends and family as gifts. Over time, folks began requesting her special salt blend when they ran out. Luckily, Cass got her mother to write down the recipe. And like Peg, she began making and giving away her special salt. Except this time when folks asked for more Cass decided to take her mom's legacy a bit further. Peg's Salt was born and its special blend has a balance of flavor that's extraordinary. Her own variation, Peg's Pink Salt, is a blend of Himalayan pink salt and the same spice blend. Pink salt brings a softer flavor to dishes, not as sharp and biting as you might get in a white salt. Like that famous hot sauce commercial says I put it on everything! No worries if you're watching your sodium intake because a little goes a long way. I first met Cass during the Tom Tom Founder's Festival, then again at the Business of Food Conference last summer. Where I discovered she's a marketing genius. Her background is in educational public relations both in New York state and here in Albemarle county. Many of the skills she learned in those jobs translate well into selling salt. How did she develop her logo? How does it fit into the story of her business? What are her tips for getting your product into Whole Foods, the so-called "holy grail" for food purveyors? Sadly, it's becoming more difficult with the changing food market, but not impossible. Pro tip: if you don't see your favorite artisanal product there, say something! Be an advocate for your favorite local purveyors! Cass has been in business four years and is spreading her wings, hiring an intern to do some of the more tedious work. Because having your own business isn't all glamorous tasting events and fancy food shows. There are jars to pack, labels to print, books to balance. An important part of having a food business is demo-ing the product to folks who haven't tried it. With most products this is a no-brainer. But how do you demo salt? We talk about that as well as creative ways to get your product into the hands of folks who haven't tried it. One way is by handing out "Pinch Packs" small pill-box-sized samples. I carry mine in my purse. This kind of creative out of the box thinking will ensure Peg's Salt is around for many years to come. Cass is not immune to the lure of our current burgeoning wedding market here in Charlottesville. She's done three weddings so far, passing out Peg's Salt as favors. Salt and weddings are not as odd a pairing as you think. We talk about the Salt Covenant part of some wedding vows and salt's long history in relation to love and commitment. The history of salt as a commodity and the origins of many salt-related phrases. Salt water as a curative. The importance of minerals. Cass ships her salt all over the world and folks often order more than one jar to give as gifts. I popped one into Vivian Howard's gift bag when I talked to her back in October. It really does make the perfect gift. A culinary stocking stuffer. You can find Peg's Salt at many area retailers including The Spice Diva, Whole Foods, Greenwood Grocery, Carter's Mountain, Libbie Market, Ellwood Thompson, Reid's Market, Integral Yoga, and many many others. I hope you'll enjoy this episode as much as I did. Happy Holidays everyone! SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast: Salt - Mark Kurlansky delves into the history of all things salt. J. Q. Dickinson Salt Works - artisanal salt farmed in West Virginia for seven generations. Small Food Business - a website resource for everyone interested in starting their own culinary endeavor. Michael Gredio - Offers up tips and tricks for anyone in the business of food. Museu Frederic Marès - An 19th century Spanish sculptor who collected literally, everything This episode is sponsored by MarieBette Café and Bakery.

Best Food Business Advice. What if you got almost 100 local food business folks together to learn and share how to be more successful and avoid common pitfalls? You'd have the Business of Food Conference held June 20th at the Omni. I was thrilled to be named a Community Partner and spent the day recording interviews, gathering valuable tips and information to strengthen our food community. The result is five terrific short interviews, each one offering a different viewpoint from a unique area of our local food scene. First up is Melissa Meece, owner of Firefly Restaurant and Arcade, a living tribute to its founder Mark Weber, who passed away from cancer in January 2015.  His girlfriend Melissa inherited the restaurant and carries on his legacy and wish to create a community space around food, games, and fun. Through craft beers, ping pong, skeeball, pinball, board games and a great menu of family friendly favorites, Firefly does this and so much more. And the tips Melissa had for encouraging other food businesses to share their story and their history with customers are ones you don't want to miss. I'd love to have her on a future podcast - Firefly is a great space, and Mark's spirit lives on in the smiles of its patrons. Next up is Cass Cannon, owner of Peg's Salt. Not your ordinary table salt, Peg's is a special seasoning salt using kosher flake and 25 different spices. A secret family recipe created by her mother Peg. I use it on pasta but you could literally throw it on any food to make it taste just a bit better. Peg's Salt can be found in over 40 stores throughout the region including Whole Foods, Greenwood Grocery, Great Value in Crozet, and Ellwood Thompson in Richmond. I loved hearing the story of how this public relations expert took an old family recipe and her love for marketing to create a successful artisanal food business. You will too. A terrific lady and someone I hope to talk with again. Third we have Eric Breckoff, Program Head and Associate Professor of Culinary Arts for PVCC at the Jefferson School. In this role, Eric teaches, supervises other faculty, and performs important administrative duties like managing purchasing and the budget. Important for a program like PVCC, which currently has 15 students who have recently completed their that 2-year program and 14 young chefs enrolled in their first year. PVCC's Culinary Arts program includes five semesters and covers every aspect of food business and the culinary arts. Sure there are classes in knife skills and sautéeing, but also nuts-and-bolts courses in cost control, purchasing, menu planning, nutrition, and food safety and sanitation. I loved hearing about the behind the scenes aspects of running a restaurant. The unglamorous aspects you rarely hear about, but are just as important as running a successful business. Because as Eric so rightly stated, without them the whole ship sinks. Arley Arrington of Arley Cakes is a former artist who translated her passion for the visual into beautiful edible creations. Have you seen her Instagram? Wow! Gorgeous stuff! She should teach next year's breakout session on food photography! I first tasted Arley's creations at Brookville Restaurant, where Arley has waitressed on and off for the past five years and where Chef Harrison Keevil suggested one day, "Hey, why don't you come in next Tuesday night and bake a pie?" Thus a food business was born. Recently Arley has branched out into wedding cake territory. How did she learn the fine craft of icing roses and tiered cake skyscrapers? Why are visual aesthetics so important to her and her new food business? Listen to find out. Her thoughtful responses are so reflective of the supportive food community in Charlottesville that I continue to discover and be constantly amazed by. We truly live in a special place folks. And I'm eager to have Arley on sometime for a much longer conversation. Lastly, but by no means leastly, we have Marty Butts of Small Potatoes, who specializes in food business consulting. Marty was a featured speaker at the conference, and my personal favorite. The minute he opened his mouth at his first breakout session, I knew I had to speak with him.  In our conversation we talk about the pluses and minuses around Yelp, but more importantly, how he teaches his Foodshed Model to help businesses learn what exactly is "local" and what isn't. Which is unique to each area of our country. And infinitely complex. Marty discovered his passion when he looked around his community of Syracuse, New York and saw many food producers who had difficulty expanding beyond their immediate region. By stepping in to help, sometimes acting as a sales representative, other times acting as a marketing guru, he helped these producers succeed in an ever-changing market. This led to a career in consulting and education, traveling the country to speak at events about the complex world of local, organic, sustainable. Marty's mission is to help small food businesses grow. His past experiences working as a buyer and merchandiser in food co-ops and grocery stores has also helped him spread knowledge where it needs to go. The Johnny Appleseed of local, organic, sustainable if you will. Helping get people engaged with local food in emerging small-scale food producing markets like Charlottesville, Virginia. Is local 100 miles or 300 miles? When you see buzzwords like additive-free, organic, all-natural, what should you expect? What does each term mean exactly? It can get very specific but Marty helped navigate this complex arena. Connection, community, inclusiveness, transparency, strong relationships. All are important core values in small food businesses. How do you grow locally, regionally, nationally? Transparency especially is becoming increasingly important. Just ask any farm to table restaurant in Tampa. Or the folks at Chipotle. Is a sense of place important? What aspects of a community make its food scene unique? Should you build your brand according to a sense of place? Build it around where you're from because that creates a unique identity? And does this uniqueness help or hurt as you attempt to expand? What does Marty think is a good example of that? And which business does exactly that and is the one he noticed first upon arriving in Charlottesville? Listen to find out! Food has cultural impact. As he says so well, chefs and farmers are treated like rock stars these days, helping to define the culture of a community while at the same time being one of the building blocks of local economy. Which is very powerful. And very cool. Marty is such an amazing speaker, knowledgeable and interesting and quick. I did the ugly laugh more than once. I absolutely loved our conversation and I know you will too, as well as all of the other great local folks I talked with during this year's Business of Food Conference. Enjoy! Important Tips for Food Business Owners That Came Up During Our Conversations: It's important to keep open communication, both between an employer and employee and between an owner and their customer. Use video on your homepage to tell the story of your business Do you have a mission statement? What are your business's core values? Before you do anything else with your business, do this. Human resources law which is an important, but often overlooked aspect of a food business. In the hiring process, what questions can you ask and not ask? In the old days restaurant kitchens were the Wild West, but these days a wrong word or action can derail a business. How do you stay ethically and legally compliant? What technology, social media, or apps do these folks use to make running their business easier? Are folks moving away from Facebook toward visual social media like Instagram and Pinterest? Being able to take a great picture of your product is becoming more and more important every day. And not always possible under dim restaurant lights. Packaging is so important and often overlooked. If your bottle of barbecue sauce is too tall to fit within a store set it might be relegated somewhere to the back. Or the buyer may not purchase it at all. Making sure your product displays well, and is the right amount size-wise, is just as important as your branding. Even if you've been in business a while, there is always more to learn. Things like taxes, accounting, finances, and regulations change all the time which is why conferences like this are so valuable. Get away from your business sometimes to learn and network! SHOW NOTES – Links to resources talked about during the podcast: The Charlottesville 29 Restaurant Auctions - Every dollar you bid goes toward four meals for our area's hungry. Auctions close DAILY starting yesterday so bid early and often for the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience! Central Virginia Small Business Development Center - Need help with your small business? SBDC offers one-on-one counseling for free and many events and courses, often free or for just a small fee. The Sporkful Podcast - Is the burrito a sandwich or not? This fun podcast asks and answers the important questions. This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

Food Business Support. Do you have a great idea for a food business? To succeed, you're going to need more than that. Over half of new restaurants in this country fail within the first year. That's not good news in a place like Charlottesville where you might be competing with over 400 other restaurants for customers. Luckily, we have such an encouraging community here for small business. I've never presented an idea to someone and been discouraged. But as in so many things, you can't succeed alone. It takes a village. Betty Hoge, Director of the Charlottesville Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is here to help. Their mission is simple. SBDC works to enhance our local economy by providing assistance to local and midsize businesses. For FREE or very little cost. There is no hidden agenda or bias to convince new owners to use a particular service. SBDC only works to enhance the local economy. Because a world full of nothing but big box stores would be a sad one indeed. Independently-owned small businesses provide a lot to the social atmosphere and culture of a community. It keeps money within the community and makes that community rich in culture and uniqueness. May 1st through 7th was National Small Business Week! I didn't know that when we spoke, but what better way to celebrate than to speak with her about all the ways SBDC can help new and existing small food business owners in our community. SBDC helped local restaurant Nude Fude get off the ground. If you listen to our talk in Episode 11, both Ken and Dani Notari speak at length about how SBDC helped them create a business plan, scout a location, and figure out the best way to ensure their restaurant would succeed. Because of confidentiality agreements SBDC cannot brag about the many restaurants they have helped. But believe me, it's a lot. SBDC offers FREE confidential consulting then customizes services based on the owner's needs. They offer business development training and numerous resources, most at no cost for businesses not yet large enough to hire professionals on their own. Last year they helped 150-200 businesses navigate things like accounting, licensing, and figuring out how to expand. Many times folks come to SBDC with a grand idea but very little capital. SBDC can help them see the truth, change to realistic goals, and help them grow slowly within their means so eventually a bank may give them a loan. How did this former foodie and restaurant owner of The Dog and Pickle Beanery, Pub, and Banquet Hall become the director of our local SBDC? It's a super interesting story, particularly since she first got experience in small business direction by volunteering at her local chapter! Yes, you can get your dream job by volunteering within the field people! How does SBDC help folks without 10 investors and huge budgets who can't afford a space on The Downtown Mall? How are food trucks a good stepping stone to a brick and mortar establishment? What free course is offered monthly at SBDC? What do pharmacists, artists, and food business owners have in common? Listen to find out. To further SBDC's mission, the 2nd Annual Business of Food Conference will be held at the Charlottesville Omni on Monday, June 20, 2016 from 8am-4pm. At the Tom Tom Food Business Summit last month local restaurateurs, chefs, and food producers got serious about the business of food, discussing their issues, triumphs, questions, and concerns. This conference will carry on that important conversation. The Business of Food Conference is a way for new and existing food business owners to get together, network, talk, and learn from one another. A shared conference with the SBDC in Harrisonburg, this conference celebrates our entire region because, thankfully, we are awash in food businesses. Topics will include local food trends, business trends, and practices that allow a food business to be successful. Attendees will learn accounting, understanding financial statements, marketing tips, insights on social media, and even menu design. What optimal wording gets people to order more? At this conference, you'll find out. There will also be breakout sessions on designing a kitchen. Where should things go? What essential equipment do you need? Maybe that sous vide machine isn't as important as you think. Lunch is provided and confirmed speakers include Crissanne Raymond of No Bull Burger (Episode 13), Katrina Didot from Harrisonburg's A Bowl of Good, Erin Ludwig of Jack Brown's, and Nathan West of Mad Hatter Hot Sauce. There will also be some craft cocktail activities on The Downtown Mall after the conference at participating restaurants so the conversations can continue. Ticktets are only $119 until June 14th, then go up to $139 for an entire day of networking, food, and valuable learning. Costs go toward expenses to put on the conference. Money which stays in the community to help the community. Betty Hoge and the SBDC are such valuable assets to our  Charlottesville food community and I'm thrilled to have talked with her. I'll be helping promote the conference, including broadcasting a special extra episode of Edacious closer to conference time. If you have ideas for topics, speakers, or would like to be a corporate sponsor for this event, contact me here or Betty Hoge at 434-979-5610. Enjoy this important episode! SHOW NOTES - Links to resources talked about during the podcast: Berkshares - One local community creates its own money so funds spent locally, stay local. Charlottesville Small Business Development Center Webpage Charlottesville Small Business Development Center on Facebook Business of Food Conference Homepage This episode is sponsored by In A Flash Laser Engraving.

This the first of our Commentary Episodes which we'll alternate releases with our usual interviews. Our hope is that through these shorter, commute-friendly episodes, we can bring the latest news in the food world to you without you having to sift through the deluge out there. After all, information overload is just as big, if not bigger, a problem than the lack thereof! For this first one, I'm sharing my experiences at the Just Food Conference which covered a range of topics aimed at finding ways to make healthy, local food available to underserved communities, thus helping create more just societies. Needless to say the day was inspiring, thought-provoking, and forced me to confront some of the most pressing issues facing food today at the local level. Listen on for a short recap on how changemakers are preventing burnout, youth are addressing food deserts, farmers are using food to end racism, and what the "local food movement" should really mean.  Be sure to check out the show notes for links to the groundbreaking work these folks are doing!

Host Laura Theodore, the Jazzy Vegetarian, chats with Sharon Greenspan, Board Certified as a Holistic Health Practitioner by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, a Healing Touch Certified Practitioner and a certified yoga teacher. We’ll share delicious recipes to warm your winter holidays! Sharon Greenspan has authored several books and is a national speaker at the Raw Spirit Festivals, Mother Earth News Fair; DC Green Festival; North American Vegetarian Society Summerfest; and Natural Health and Food Conference. Connecting knowledge, experiences and resourcesin order to help people build a better life for themselves is the driving theme for Sharon's career and her personal mission Sharon learned her Life Purpose when she was in her twenties and it has been the yardstick by which she measures her decisions. And they have led her on a wonderful journey through a very adventurous life! She's worked on 5 continents, traveled to 31 countries and 2 territories. Normally she stays with local residents so that she can see life through their eyes. Sharon is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. She also volunteered and lived with the Aboriginies of Australia. She's lived with indigenous people, worked on a farm, and most of her travel homestays are through the Hospitality Club and SERVAS, an international travel and peace organization that believes through one-on-one interactions we can break down stereotypes and build friendships.