Did you know that the majority of corn seeds planted in the United States are coated with a powerful pesticide that harms pollinators, birds and other wildlife? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Elizabeth Hilborn, DVM, registered nurse, farmer and author of Restoring Eden: Unearthing the Agribusiness Secret that Poisoned my Farming Community (Chicago Review Press, 2023).  Hilborn recounts her tragic story about how neonicotinoid seed coatings washed onto her farm, and the resulting devastating impact on wildlife and garden crops. Hilborn connects the dots – agricultural practices/pesticides, lack of government oversight, and public and environmental health. Related website:  https://elizabethhilborn.com/ 

Did you know that exercise benefits both physical health and cognition? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Michelle Gray, Ph.D., Head of the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Director of the Office for Studies on Aging, and Professor of Exercise Science at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.  Gray discusses age-related muscle loss and the functional and cognitive benefits of exercise, along with adequate protein intake.  Related website:  https://exercisescience.uark.edu/ 

Did you know that Dollar Stores are the fastest growing food retailer in the U.S.? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Sara John, Ph.D., Deputy Director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and lead author of “Stretching the Dollar: Community Informed Opportunities to Improve Healthy Food Access through Dollar Stores.” John discusses the steady growth of Dollar Stores, their potential impact on community health, and policy interventions to limit their expansion and incentivize improvements in the nutritional value of food sold at the stores.  Related website:  https://www.cspinet.org/resource/stretching-dollar Take action: https://www.cspinet.org/article/dollar-general-dont-discount-families 

Did you know that farm couples often have to find off-farm jobs to secure health insurance?  Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Anna Jones-Crabtree, Ph.D., owner and operator of Vilicus Farms and Institute, in Havre, MT. Jones-Crabtree discusses agricultural challenges and opportunities for farming in light of climate change, policy, and relationships with community and nature. She explains “systems thinking,” and encourages us to recognize how ecology is central to economic and social systems.  Related website:  https://vilicusfarms.com/ https://www.vilicusinstitute.org/ 

Did you know that biodiversity is key to resilience? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Doug Crabtree, owner and operator of Vilicus Farms and Institute, in Havre, MT. From the heart of wheat country in the northern plains, Crabtree discusses the challenges he faces from climate change, U.S. agricultural policies, and the benefits of organic agriculture, biodiversity, ecosystem services. Importantly, he shares his philosophy on farming, as a necessary part of society based on community.   Related website:  https://vilicusfarms.com/ 

Did you know that USDA’s new Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards will help promote animal welfare? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Harriet Behar, organic farmer, inspector, educator and Farmer Services Consultant for the Organic Farming Association. Behar describes the multiple benefits of organic agriculture and explains how USDA’s new organic livestock and poultry standards benefit farmers, inspectors, and consumers.  Related website:  https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/organic-livestock-and-poultry-standards https://organicfarmersassociation.org/ 

Did you know that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves more than 40 million Americans, or about 1 in 8 people living in poverty in the U.S.?  However, large corporations also benefit from the program. Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jennifer Wilkins, Ph.D., RD, a leader in sustainable, community-based food systems. Wilkins discusses SNAP funding, spending, and how the program could be improved to better match U.S. Dietary Guidelines and support both public and planetary health.  Related website:  How Big Food Corporations Take Advantage of SNAP: https://blog.ucsusa.org/alice-reznickova/how-big-food-corporations-take-advantage-of-snap/ https://civileats.com/2017/08/28/congress-could-cut-soda-and-candy-from-snap-but-big-sugar-is-pushing-back/ SNAP Nutrition Security Act: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/eating-well-living-well-enhancing-nutritious-food-access/ 

Did you know that religious beliefs have influenced our eating habits throughout history? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Christina Ward, food historian, Vice President and Editor at Feral House, and author of Holy Food: How Cults, Communes, and Religious Movements Influenced What We Eat – An American History. Ward discusses historical food traditions and unique practices from traditional religions to cults and utopian societies, as well as commonalities, and the power of eating together to foster understanding, peace and community.  Related website:  https://www.christinaward.net/books 

Did you know that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has resulted in the inability of Mexican corn farmers to earn a living? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Dana Geffner, co-founder and former executive director of Fair World Project, the leading fair trade advocacy organization in the U.S. Geffner explains how “free trade” agreements benefit corporate profits at the expense of people and environment, using NAFTA as a prime example. She defines “fair trade,” and provides advice when navigating fair trade product labels in the consumer marketplace.  Related website:  www.fairworldproject.org https://corpaccountabilitylab.org/ 

Did you know that chefs are uniquely positioned to drive food system change for good? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Katherine Miller, advocate and author of At The Table: The Chef’s Guide to Advocacy (Island Press, 2023). Miller was the founding executive director of the Chef Action Network, a  chef advocacy group, and the vice president of impact at the James Beard Foundation where she developed the Chef’s Boot camp for Policy and Change, where chefs learn how to effectively use their skills for advocacy. She discusses the National Restaurant Association’s political force, the key role immigrant labor plays in our food system, and the powerful potential chefs have to advocate for food system reform. Related website:  https://table81.com/