What Doesn't Kill You

What could be more ‘local’ than buying produce that was grown at your supermarket? On this week’s episode of Straight, No Chaser, Katy Keiffer is talking with Paul Lightfoot, CEO of BrightFarms. BrightFarms designs and builds greenhouses that use hydroponics to grow produce such as tomatoes and leafy greens at supermarket retail locations. Because there is a lack local food to fill the demand, Paul is taking a large-scale approach to create a system to provide healthy, local food at a reasonable price. Hear about how terms like ‘locavore’ have entered the mainstream lexicon, as well as the importance of creating an avenue for local food in poorer communities. Hear about BrightFarms recent business deal with A&P, and how Paul hopes it will provide healthier food for a larger section of the population. To learn more about BrightFarms, tune into this week’s Straight, No Chaser! This episode has been brought to you by White Oak Pastures. “If you put a tomato on a truck starting in Mexico and it bounces all the way to Chicago, that’s about the worst thing you can do to a tomato.” “In most supermarkets across the country, ‘local’ is a hugely successful strategy in the marketing departments, but isn’t getting any traction in the produce department.” — Paul Lightfoot on Straight, No Chaser See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode of Straight, No Chaser, we’re talking about the 2012 Farm Bill. Katy Keiffer is joined in the studio by Benjamin Solotaire of the Brooklyn Food Coalition and the NYC Food and Farm Bill Working Group, and Caitlin Salemi of the Urban Rural Alliance Building Committee, and also the NYC Food and Farm Bill Working Group. Tune in to hear discussions concerning cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and what it means in terms of food security for low-income families. Learn about the budget dedicated to crop insurance subsidies, and how these affect commodity crops such as corn, sugar, and soy. Why it is so important for an agreement to be reached concerning this year’s Farm Bill? Learn more about the process in the Senate and the House of Representatives that determine what the final bill will look like. This program has been brought to you by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons. “One in five kids in the United States are at risk for food insecurity”. — Benjamin Solotaire on Straight, No Chaser “Farmers who grew commodities were paid regardless of what the price of the commodity was on the market, and regardless of whether or not they actually had that commodity planted. It was based on historic base acres, or what they could have planted. So the fact that that was eliminated and replaced with a much smaller commodity support system is a big deal.” “The largest farms will not be eligible for the same amount of subsidies on what they pay as a premium. Now, farmers- regardless of income or size- the government subsidizes 62% of their premium that they pay for that crop insurance. That’s almost a reverse of what it was in the year 2000.” —Caitlin Salemi on Straight, No Chaser See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to another episode of Straight, No Chaser! On this week’s installment, Katy Keiffer is talking with Raoul Baxter of R.J.B. World Wide, and formerly of Smithfield Foods Company. Today’s theme is the commercial meat industry; topics range from health regulation to growth promotion. Tune in to hear Katy and Raoul discuss the need for transparency in the beef industry, the phenomenon of ‘stress meat’, and the pink slime controversy. The discussion also touches on antibiotics in commercial cattle feed and ethanol production, as well as the need for the beef industry to turn a profit while considering public health. Will cuts to subsidies from The Farm Bill cause beef prices to rise? And is there a way to meet the demand for beef internationally without feeding cattle grain? Find out the answers on this week’s Straight, No Chaser! This program has been brought to you by White Oak Pastures. “As you look at all the programs that go on, from different groups…it seems like you’re having a government convention at each plant everyday. The question becomes, ‘How much information do you need to make a decision [about beef safety]?'” “Humanity and good business go hand in hand.” “It’s the most difficult thing to do – raising cattle on grass.” — Raoul Baxter on Straight, No Chaser See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode of Straight, No Chaser, Katy Keiffer is on the phone with Tim Fitzgerald. Tim currently directs EDF’s sustainable seafood program, and specializes in the intersection of environmental sustainability and public health. He is also a senior member of EDF’s National Policy team, advocating for more sustainable federal fisheries management policies. Tim serves on the conservation board of Ecofish LLC and is an advisor to SeaWeb’s KidSafe Seafood campaign and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Coastal Sharks Board. Tune in to hear Tim discuss the My Gulf Wild program, which uses tagging methods to provide traceability for customers and protect them against “fish fraud”. Tim and Katy also talk about the state of Gulf seafood. Is it safe? How is seafood being tested for contaminants? And who is doing the testing? Finally, Katy and Tim discuss the Whole Foods Sustainable Seafood initiative, and the dichotomy between supporting local fisherman and trying to preserve certain fish species. Also, HRN’s own Jack Inslee calls in with a report live from Bonnaroo. This episode has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch. “One of the most frustrating things from my perspective as a scientist and trying to look at the scientific and ecological ramifications of the spill is that there’s just so much information that is still being guarded or not being released to public because of this whole legal process. BP hired a bunch of scientists and consultants to collect data to support their case.” — Tim Fitzgerald on Straight, No Chaser See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week’s episode of Straight, No Chaser, Katy Keiffer is joined in the studio by Peter Kaminsky, food writer and author of Culinary Intelligence. Peter defines “culinary intelligence” and discusses his weight loss process by eliminating “white foods”: sugar, flour, potatoes, etc. Tune in to hear Katy and Peter discuss the cost effectiveness of eating seasonally, the importance of eating home-cooked meals, and why portion sizes in restaurants are causing the country’s waistbands to expand. Hear about how the Food Network has turned cooking into a sport, why a petroleum-based agricultural economy is not sustainable, and how the Western fast-food diet has spread internationally. Listen to this episode of Straight, No Chaser to learn more about health and sustainable eating! This episode has been brought to you by Cain Vineyard & Winery. “If things don’t have flavor, they’re not going to satisfy you. And if they don’t satisfy you, you’re going to compensate with a lot of sugar, salt, and fat.” “They ain’t gonna change the portion size just because you walk in with health on your mind.” “We have blazed a path, [people across they world] picking up our Slurpees and french fries.” — Peter Kaminsky on Straight, No Chaser See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Straight, No Chaser Katy Keiffer has an in-depth conversation about vertical farming with Dr. Dickson Despommier, the author of The Vertical Farm: Feeding the World in the 21st Century. A professor emeritus at Columbia University, Dr. Despommier spent thirty-eight years as a professor of microbiology and public health. Hear some radical ideas including underground farming without daylight and plasma arc gasification. From wind power in Holland to seed banks in Japan, hear about some of the concepts being integrated into new agricultural models across the globe. This show was made possible by Fairway Market. “Vertical farming is simply tacking high tech green houses on top of each other and integrating the systems.” “The concept of vertical farming is not new. If you look back at history you can find hanging gardens of Babylon and references of urban gardening and agriculture – but the timing was wrong.” –Dr. Dickson Despommier on Straight, No ChaserSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Straight, No Chaser, Katy Keiffer chats with Michele Simon, a public health lawyer who has been researching and writing about the food industry and food politics since 1996. She specializes in legal strategies to counter corporate tactics that harm the public’s health. She is the author of Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back. She is also president of Eat Drink Politics, an industry watchdog consulting firm. Tune in as Katy and Michele discuss the many issues we face as Americans in trying to improve our public policy surrounding food and health. This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “We’re contaminating the environment to such an extent, that it’s become harder and harder for farmers who want to engage in ethical and organic practices to do so.” “Transparency isn’t really something the food industry is interested in.” –public health lawyer Michele Simon on Straight, No ChaserSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Straight, No Chaser, Katy Keiffer is joined by J.M. Hirsch, Food Editor for the Associated Press. Get an insiders view on how food media has grown over the last decade and how Americans are starting to care more about their food and where it comes from. Hear J.M.’s thoughts on culinary education, food stamps and the sustainable food movement. How can we get people back in the kitchen and away from processed foods? Tune in and find out! This program was sponsored by Hearst Ranch. “It is possible to eat really well without blowing the budget. Often, there’s a knowledge gap. Those of us who best know how to make a food dollar stretch are the people who least need to to it.” “Once people get back in the kitchen and start cooking, basic skills will be learned and come back.” –J.M. Hirsch, food editor for the Associated Press on Straight, No ChaserSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Straight, No Chaser, Katy Keiffer talks urban agriculture with Jennifer Cockrall-King, author of “Food and the City: Urban Agriculture and the New Food Revolution”, a tour of urban agricultural centers in Canada, the US, Cuba and Europe. Tune in as they discuss the viability of growing food in cities and highlight some particular cities that are helping to make agriculture sustainable again in an urban setting. Learn how beekeeping and urban chickens were once commonplace and how the recent explosion of homesteading and self sustenance is a throwback to the way things once were. This program was sponsored by Whole Foods Market. “Urban farming is one single activity that can cure a host of other urban problems.” “We haven’t invented urban agriculture, we’ve just re-discovered it.” –author Jennifer Cockrall-King on Straight, No ChaserSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Straight, No Chaser, Katy Keiffer is joined by Michael Hurwitz, Executive Director of Greenmarket NYC and Stacy Miller, Executive Director of The Farmers Market Coalition. Together they discuss the current state of farmers markets and how the recent growth of these markets has impacted urban life. Find out more about how immigrant populations are being considered at farmers markets and cultural gaps are being bridged through communities. Learn about everything involved in getting food from our farms to our tables. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market. “More and more farmers are realizing that the industrial system is not working for them. 90% of our farmers would not be in production if they didn’t have the ability to sell directly to consumers.” —Michael Hurwitz, Executive Director of Greenmarket NYC on Straight, No ChaserSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.