Eat Your Heartland Out

On today’s show, we are embracing the Bread Basket of America. Agriculture is the industry responsible for putting food on our tables. And, it’s also an economic engine for many parts of the Midwest. Ag organizations across the country support the efforts of generations of farmers to develop leadership skills, learn new industry practices and provide a sense of community.

We are lucky to be joined by some great guests representing 3 of these groups. Brett Evans, a Supervised Agriculture Experience Education Specialist from the Future Farmers of America or FFA, shares how the FFA is empowering youth and training more than just future farmers. Mike Anderson, a program specialist with the Iowa 4H, gives us a front row seat to the work of his state’s 4H organization. And, Amanda Brozana-Rios the Director of Membership, Leadership Development and Communications at the National Grange gives us insight into the storied history of this organization that was founded after the Civil War.

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In this episode, we will meet two more leaders in the indigenous food sovereignty movement who are using food to both empower and inspire. From seed cataloguing to sustainable fishing, Indigenous persons are decolonizing their diets, preserving their traditions, and educating their non-Native neighbors about the important role food plays in all of our lives

Daniel Grooms, business manager of the Red Cliff Fish Company in Wisconsin, shares how the Red Cliff band of Lake Superior Chippewa stepped up to create their own fishing business to thwart discrimination in commercial fishing and feed their community directly.

Elena Terry, from the Ho-Chunk Nation, tells us why she founded Wild Bearies, an organization that educates indigenous youth about traditional indigenous foodways to preserve tradition and empower the next generation.

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We explore the business of food tours and what they have to offer to both locals and visitors alike. And, It’s not just the big cities that offer unique culinary tours. We visit with hosts from Oskaloosa Food Tours (Iowa), Madison Eats Food Tours (Wisconsin) and Sioux Falls Food Tours (South Dakota) who take pride in showcasing the flavors of their regions. Hear what inspired these women to start their food tour companies, and how they design each experience to highlight the best cuisine of their town.

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Today we are celebrating the spirit of summer through the time-honored tradition of county and state fairs.

There is nothing quite as American, or Midwestern for that matter, than the county fair. On today’s show we're pleased to welcome Marla Calico, President & CEO of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions, who discusses the history behind the agricultural fair and how fairs have both changed and stayed the same over the years. Then you'll meet Carol Kratz & Drake Hokanson, authors who travelled the country to capture the cultural essence of county fairs in their book Purebred and Homegrown: America's County Fairs. Finally, we will introduce you to Catherine Lambrecht, President of the Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance, which organizes a state fair recipe competition where the story behind the food is almost more important than the food itself. This episode is way more than talking about fried Oreos on a stick or butter sculptures. It's about community.

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In this episode, we meet refugee chefs who now call the United States their home. In Milwaukee, Tables Across Borders brings the community together through food with a variety of events that spotlight the talents of refugee chefs. In Missoula, Montana, we meet the founder of Soft Landing Missoula, an organization that supports refugees through their United We Eat program. And, we learn about the work of Home Dish, an organization in Omaha, Nebraska that is empowering refugee women through culinary opportunities. Hear from organizers and from refugee chefs about their experiences.

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In this episode, we explore how community fridges, pantries and even ovens are helping address food insecurity across the Midwest. These concepts have popped up in larger cities on the coasts, but are also present in cities and towns big and small in the Midwest. Unsurprisingly, Chicago is leading the way on community fridges. In the Windy City, the Love Fridge brings communities together through mutual aid, placing refrigerators in areas struggling with food apartheid. In Minnesota, we explore the concept of the community oven as a tool of outreach and engagement And, we speak with Aley Cristelli, a Nebraska native who brought the community pantry movement to Oklahoma City by founding Pine Pantry.

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In this episode, we meet some pioneers of the “pay what you can” café movement throughout the Midwest. In South Dakota, we visit Fork Real Community Café, where local lawyers dine along side the homeless. In Ohio, we head to Fennel and Thyme Café, a meal prep business committed to paying it forward to those in need. And, out in Grand Rapids, Iowa we visit Groundswell Cafe, an initiative of a local non profit organization helping feed people with dignity.

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If you have ever wanted to learn more about the food and culture of the Ozarks, today’s show is for you.
We are joined by Rob Connoley, founder of Bulrush in Missouri. Rob will tell us about his journey from non-profit professional to restaurant owner and how his search for authenticity inspired his unique approach to designing menus and educating diners in the process.

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Fat Tuesday and Friday fish fries are well-known food traditions of the Lenten season. In this episode, we go beyond the usual Lenten staples to explore some tasty and maybe surprising Lenten dishes. In Missouri, beaver is served instead of fish on Fridays. Brenton Brown of Bootleggin' BBQ tells us why. Lana Yeager of the Russia House of Kansas City introduces us to the Russian Orthodox celebration of Maslenitsa, where pancakes take center stage. Finally, we head to Polish Home Omaha where Tom Jodlowski will share insights into Pączki Day, a Polish American answer to Mardi Gras.

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Mead is an often overlooked and misunderstood drink. But, in recent years, it has grown in popularity, especially in the Midwest.

Mead makers come to the craft from a variety of backgrounds. On today’s show we will meet Kent Waldeck, a former manufacturing project manager who took his Ohio mead making business full time. In Wisconsin, we are introduced to Colleen Bos, who has two master’s degrees in Medieval History and plays in a bluegrass band. She’s also the founder of Bos Meadery that blends history and music together in their mead hall. We also welcome Susan Ruud, founder of the Prairie Rose Meadery in North Dakota and a board member of the American Mead Makers Association

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