Farm to Table Talk

Food is life but our food system isn’t helping. Designed in a different century for a different purpose—to mass-produce cheap calories to prevent famine—it’s now generating obesity, ill health, and premature death. We need to transform it into one that can nourish all eight billion of us and the planet we live on. That is the story learned in Food Fight by Stuart Gillespie. Dr. Gillespie has been fighting to transform our broken food system for the past 40 years. Stuart has been at the helm of the IFPRI’s Regional Network on AIDs, Livelihoods, and Food Security, has led the flagship Agriculture for Nutrition and Health research program, was director of the Transform Nutrition program, and founded the Stories of Change initiative, amongst a host of other interventions into public food policy. His work has driven change across all frontiers, from the grassroots to the political.FOOD FIGHT shines a light inside the black box of politics and power and, crucially, maps a way toward a new system that gives us hope for a future of global health and justice.

Farmhand supports CSA farmers and this podcast: farmhand.partners/farmtotabletalk

The long-anticipated MAHA Report : “Making our children healthy again” is published. In the preamble it claims “to be a call to action, presenting the stark reality of American Children’s declining health, backed by compelling data and long-term trends.” It unpacks the potential dietary, behavioral, medical and environmental drivers behind the crisis. Rodger Wasson and Callie Eideberg of the Vogel Group studied the report and discus the implications to the food industry in this episode of Farm To Table Talk. Callie Eideberg is a well-regarded policy expert on agriculture, land conservation, water policy and environmental issues, known for her ability to work with both political parties. Before joining the Vogel Group she served as Senior Professional Staffer to Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee.

Agriculture, from farms to tables, have voices to be heard.  Farm To Table Talk host Rodger Wasson brings his own voice to the table with farmers, chefs, policy makers, innovators and dreamers with conversations that offer ideas and inspiration to the food system . The table turns in this conversation as Rodger is a guest on Capri Cafaro’s Eat Your Heartland Out podcast on the Heritage Radio Network sharinghis journey from farm to work for and with large, small, local and community farmers raising livestock, grain, produce, nuts and hopes. Farmhand supports this podcast: farmhand.partners/farmtotabletalk

Farmers work too hard for what they earn. They need to earn more and work less for their way of life that should be profitable. Small farms are critical to local communities and food systems, but are especially outmatched by the resources available to larger farms — technology, equipment, sales and marketing teams, and back office staff. So in partnership with local farms in Sonoma County California, Ari Memar founded Farmhand to level the playing field by equipping farmers with the technology and services to win back local share of the food dollar and support a thriving local food system. www.farmhand.partners/farmtotabletalk

To be a good Doctor and to do good health  you really need to understand farming and agriculture, because good farming also equals good health and overall wellness, once said Wendell Berry. Dr. Camilla Petersen owns her own concierge medical practice in Missoula Montana where creating good health starts with what we are putting into our bodies. Camilla is a ND, MD, FAAFP who grew up in the Ukraine and has practiced in Africa, South America, New Zealand, all over the USA and now in Missoula Montana where she is also a wife, mother of two, member of the Montana Medical Board, and a business owner.

www.petersenconciergemedical.com

Regenerative agriculture is the opposite of Degenerative agriculture. Research and innovative farmers are showing that no-till with cover crops increases net profit,  organic matter, water quality, air quality and builds soil while reducing runoff. Regenerating soil allows farmers to literally gain more land and grow more crops profitably without losing tons of soil per year from degenerative farming.  Mike Lessiter is president of Conservation Ag and the NoTill Magazine. 

www.notillfarmer.com

covercropstrategies.com 

Changing what you eat is a journey that may lead to growing, preparing, and marketing before sharing and consuming your food focused dreams. When the destination of the journey is a plant based diet, it may be a challenging transition. When Heather and Reggie Donaldson were moving from LA back to Cincinnati, they knew delicious plant based cheeses would be key to the success of their own plant based journey. Heather shares how that journey led to producing their own plant based cheese, opening a “Mad Cheese” shop in Cincinnati and establishing a following of the cheese and of their journey. www.madcheese.com

Small and mid-sized  farms face a storm of economic pressures, worsening labor shortages, climate extremes, and relentless market disruptions (tariffs) With profit margins squeezed farmers are turning to precision agriculture, leveraging advanced, autonomous drone technology to optimize resources, reduce waste, overcome labor gaps, and maintain profitability. Arthur Erickson, CEO of Hylio, a US based ag drone manufacturer, shares how small to large-scale farmers are integrating drones into their regenerating operations.

www.hylio.com