Food Sleuth Radio

Did you know that one year ago the community of East Palestine Ohio was poisoned by a Norfolk Southern train derailment and the resulting purposeful burning of vinyl chloride? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jess Conard, Appalachia Director at Beyond Plastics who discusses the ongoing public health consequences facing her community. Conard explains that any community in close proximity to rail lines is at risk for a similar fate, and encourages citizen action to encourage the EPA to ban vinyl chloride.https://www.beyondplastics.org/actions/ban-vinyl-chloride Related website:  https://www.beyondplastics.org/actions/ban-vinyl-chlorideGrist: One Year After the Toxic Train Derailment…https://grist.org/accountability/is-east-palestine-safe-depends-who-you-ask/ 

Did you know that the drugs Ozempic and Wegovy are revolutionizing the medical treatment of obesity and related disorders?  Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Mary Donkersloot, RDN, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and host of the Smart Eating Show. The two will discuss the pros and cons of this new class of obesity drugs and drug-free ways to tweak our diets to increase satiety and reach a healthier body weight.  Related website:  https://www.youtube.com/@smarteatingshow7793 Impact on food industry: https://foodinstitute.com/focus/ozempics-business-impact-weight-loss-drug-could-make-snack-makers-tighten-belts/ 

Did you know that there are multiple benefits resulting from the co-location of solar panels with agricultural production? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Byron Kominek, founder of Jack’s Solar Garden and Executive Director of the Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center in Longmont, CO - the largest commercially active agrivoltaics system in the United States.  Kominek describes how solar panels can benefit farmworkers and livestock and influence plant growth, while generating climate-friendly energy.  Related website:  https://www.coagrivoltaic.org/ 

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/