Eating Matters

Paul Willis, farmer and founder of Niman Ranch Pork Company, joins host Jenna Liut in the studio to talk about how he got his start, the impact of the Purdue acquisition, and two of the most urgent agricultural policy fixes he would like to see happen now.

Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut sits down with Foodshed.io's Co-founder and Managing Director, Daniel Beckman, to learn more about how this startup is leveraging blockchain to create an efficient, reliable and transparent marketplace that connects urban markets to local farmers and strengthens regional food systems.

Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Lab-grown, or "cultured," meat is a new kind of protein produced by growing animal cells into muscle fibers. Ben Wurgaft joins host Jenna Liut to talk about his new book, "Meat Planet: Artificial Flesh and the Future of Food," where he considers the cultural and philosphical questions about what we as humans eat and how innovations like lab-grown meat will effect the future of food.

Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.

Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Veteran nutrition director Betti Wiggins has been working for almost 30 years to improve school food for urban children. She has been credited with making enormous changes to the quality of school meals served at Detroit Public Schools and is now leading the Houston Independent School District’s nutrition services department, responsible for feeding over 200,000 students every day with ~ $1.00 to spend on food per meal. Through her conversation with host Jenna Liut, you will quickly learn why she is widely regarded as a "school food hero."

Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.

Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Acclaimed author and food systems expert, Mark Winne joins host Jenna Liut to discuss his new book, “Food Town, USA: Seven Unlikely Cities That Are Changing the Way We Eat”, where he features the inspiring work people across the country are doing to leverage the power of healthy and sustainable food to revitalize communities ravaged by disappearing industries and histories of inequity. Through their discussion, Winne describes the elements of an impactful food movement and how all of us can effect change wherever we live.

Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

In a July report, the USDA found that crop insurance payouts are likely to increase due to the expected increase in climate volatility. But is the program that is designed to protect farmers against the hardships caused by these climate events just making the problem worse? Journalist Jessica McKenzie joins host Jenna Liut to talk about the current structure of the Federal Crop Insurance Program and why conservatives and environmental advocates alike think it needs to change if we want to encourage farmers to adopt more sustainable growing practices.

Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut interviews authorJennifer E. Gaddisabout her forthcoming book "The Labor of Lunch: Why We Need Real Food and Real Jobs in American Public Schools." Gaddis’ book exposes the labor crisis in school cafeterias and why we can’t keep ignoring these workers if we want healthier school lunches. Listen to this episode to learn more about the feminist history of the National School Lunch Program and how organizing together and empowering those responsible for serving 5 BILLION lunches per school year coud be the missing piece to better eating habits in children nationwide.

Eating Mattersis powered bySimplecast.

Although 76% of consumers are reported to be concerned about farm animal welfare, food labels and marketing claims have become alarmingly misleading, making it incredibly difficult for consumers to have the impact they seek to make through their purchasing power. Daisy Freund, Director of Farm Animal Welfare at the ASPCA, joins host Jenna Liut to discuss the exciting work the organization is doing to help consumers navigate food labels, elevate meaningful farm animal welfare certifications, and support small farmers, large producers, independent businesses and large corporations in building a more humane, transparent and accountable food system.

Photo courtesy of ASPCA.

Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Kim Kessler, the Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Tobacco Control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - and Eating Matters creator! - joins host Jenna Liut to discuss the agency's innovative and impactful work in promoting and protecting the health of all New Yorkers.

Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast.

Host Jenna Liut welcomes Dr. Marlene Schwartz, Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut, back on the show to discuss the article she co-authored with Dr. Kelly Brownell and Dr. Lee Miller that was recently published in the American Journal of Public Health. The article, “Primer on US Food and Nutrition Policy and Public Health,” explores the critical and inextricable link between agriculture and public health and demonstrates the need for policies that simultaneously address hunger, obesity and the effects of agricultural production on the environment.

It's HRN's annual summer fund drive, this is when we turn to our listeners and ask that you make a donation to help ensure a bright future for food radio. Help us keep broadcasting the most thought provoking, entertaining, and educational conversations happening in the world of food and beverage. Become a member today! To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we have brand new member gifts available. So snag your favorite new pizza - themed tee shirt or enamel pin today and show the world how much you love HRN, just go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate

Eating Matters is powered by Simplecast