
Chews Wisely
Welcome to Chews Wisely with Caroline Nelson, where we deconstruct food & sustainability topics with nuance and primary sources. Conversations will range from conscientious omnivory, supply chains, and regenerative agriculture, to the latest food studies, "Big Ag," and more. At Chews Wisely, we’ll go beneath the headlines and hot takes. We believe that real climate solutions are nuanced, that facts are friendly, and that there are many right ways to eat and be sustainable. Keep the conversation going at @chewswiselypodcast on Instagram!
Latest episodes

Aug 15, 2023 • 33min
Stirring The Pot #1 (Caroline Answers Listener Questions)
A rapid fire round of listener questions! Caroline explains the difference between farming and ranching, how she is able to get off the ranch every now and then, and how she deals with the uncertainty of not owning the land on which her livelihood depends. We wrap up with thoughts on the divisiveness within agriculture, and speculate at what’s behind it.
Stay in touch with Chews Wisely:
Instagram
Patreon
Email: chewswiselypodcast@gmail.com
Chews Wisely is brought to you by Little Creek Lamb & Beef. Get regeneratively raised, pasture raised meats shipped directly to you from our Montana ranch. For a limited time we’re offering 10% off your first order over $100 with the code WISELY.

Aug 8, 2023 • 56min
Lab-Grown Meat: Climate Cure or Recipe for Disaster?
In June, the first lab grown chicken was approved for sale in the US. Today we unpack the company’s grandiose claims about cultured meat’s potential. What is it made of and how is it made? What are the environmental impacts? And nutritionally, how does it stack up to conventional meat? This episode poses a lot of questions, but the reality is that the industry is so new and there is very little information out about these products. But the early information is out, and it’s worth unpacking.
Stay in touch with Chews Wisely:
Instagram
Twitter
Patreon
Email: chewswiselypodcast@gmail.com
Chews Wisely is brought to you by Little Creek Lamb & Beef. Get regeneratively raised, pasture raised meats shipped directly to you from our Montana ranch. For a limited time we’re offering 10% off your first order over $100 with the code WISELY.
Sources
Scientific American - “Lab Grown Meat Approved for Sale”
Nature - “Lab Grown Meat”
Good Food Institute - “The science of cultivated meat”
ABC News: Lab-grown chicken approved for sale in US
PR Newswire: “Upside Food Raises a 400m Series C Round”
“Sensorial and Nutritional Aspects of Cultured Meat in Comparison to Traditional Meat
The Atlantic - “Is Lab Grown Meat Good for Us?”
Financial Times: “Lab Grown Meat Isn’t About Sustainability, It’s Big Business”

Aug 1, 2023 • 1h 20min
The Meat Packer Monopoly with Matthew Greco of My Health Forward
Bribery. Corruption. Trafficking. Today’s episode takes you inside the real villains of the beef industry, the “Big 4.” Four multinational conglomerates control most of the global beef industry and over 80% of American beef processing, and it affects everyone from ranchers to consumers at the grocery store. Matthew Greco of My Health Forward is here to tell us all about our fragile, too big to fail meat supply chain, and how to forge a more optimistic and regenerative food system.
Follow My Health Forward
Instagram
TikTok
Website
Find a Farm
Stay in touch with Chews Wisely:
Instagram
Twitter
Patreon
Email: chewswiselypodcast@gmail.comChews Wisely is brought to you by Little Creek Lamb & Beef. Get regeneratively raised, pasture raised meats shipped directly to you from our Montana ranch. For a limited time we’re offering 10% off your first order over $100 with the code WISELY.

Jul 18, 2023 • 1h 20min
What Butchery Teaches Us About Life with Kate Kavanaugh, Part 2
How does a butcher feel when people tell her “I could never do what you do?” Today, we dive into big questions with Kate Kavanaugh. How did becoming a butcher inform her farming practices? And change her relationship with food? How do we bring more embodiment back into our food system and ourselves? What do butchers most want the public to know?
Follow Kate
Instagram
The Mind, Body, Soil Podcast
Western Daughters Butcher Shop
Stay in touch with Chews Wisely:
IG: @chewswiselypodcast
Twitter: @chewswiselypod
Patreon: Chews Wisely
Email: chewswiselypodcast@gmail.com
Chews Wisely is brought to you by Little Creek Lamb & Beef. Get regeneratively raised, pasture raised meats shipped directly to you from our Montana ranch. For a limited time we’re offering 10% off your first order over $100 with the code WISELY.

Jul 11, 2023 • 46min
What Butchery Teaches Us About Life with Kate Kavanaugh, Part 1
A vegetarian becomes a butcher trying to save the prairie one steak at a time. Kate Kavanaugh shares her story from harvesting her first chicken to opening up Western Daughters Butcher Shoppe.
Follow Kate
Instagram
The Mind, Body, Soil Podcast
Western Daughters Butcher Shop
Stay in touch with Chews Wisely:
IG: @chewswiselypodcast
Twitter: @chewswiselypod
Patreon: Chews Wisely
Email: chewswiselypodcast@gmail.com
Chews Wisely is brought to you by Little Creek Lamb & Beef. Get regeneratively raised, pasture raised meats shipped directly to you from our Montana ranch. For a limited time we’re offering 10% off your first order over $100 with the code WISELY.

Jun 27, 2023 • 1h 13min
Debunking Dairy with Lily Andersen, Part 2
Do you love dairy, but feel kind of weird about it? Caroline was in the same boat until a local dairy farmer reached out and invited her to the farm. Today she sits down with Lily Andersen for an honest and wide ranging conversation. Caroline asks all her burning questions about dairy practices and Lily offers a real peek under the hood of a small, multi-generational, pasture raised operation, as well as much needed nuance on the industry as a whole.
Follow Lily
IG: Lily Andersen
IG: Milkmaid Meats
Spur Line Ranch Supply
IG: @chewswiselypodcast
Twitter: @chewswiselypod
Patreon: Chews Wisely
Email: chewswiselypodcast@gmail.comChews Wisely is brought to you by Little Creek Lamb & Beef. Get regeneratively raised, pasture raised meats shipped directly to you from our Montana ranch. For a limited time we’re offering 10% off your first order over $100 with the code WISELY.

Jun 20, 2023 • 1h 45min
Debunking Dairy with Lily Andersen, Part 1
Do you love dairy, but feel kind of weird about it? Caroline was in the same boat until a local dairy farmer reached out and invited her to the farm. Today she sits down with Lily Andersen for an honest and wide ranging conversation. Caroline asks all her burning questions about dairy practices and Lily offers a real peek under the hood of a small, multi-generational, pasture raised operation, as well as much needed nuance on the industry as a whole.
Follow Lily
IG: Lily Andersen
IG: Milkmaid Meats
Spur Line Ranch Supply
IG: @chewswiselypodcast
Twitter: @chewswiselypod
Patreon: Chews Wisely
Email: chewswiselypodcast@gmail.com
Chews Wisely is brought to you by Little Creek Lamb & Beef. Get regeneratively raised, pasture raised meats shipped directly to you from our Montana ranch. For a limited time we’re offering 10% off your first order over $100 with the code WISELY.

Jun 13, 2023 • 54min
Animal, Vegetable, Mineral
It’s not plants OR animals, it’s plants AND animals. Today’s episode covers the myriad of ways that plant and animal agriculture are intertwined. (Did you know the dairy industry and the almond industry are linked?) We focus particularly on crop byproducts, on the benefits of grazing, and the importance of manure as fertilizer. Then we zoom out to discuss nature at large, the importance of food webs, and Caroline gets to nerd out on trophic levels.
IG: @chewswiselypodcast
Twitter: @chewswiselypod
Patreon: Chews Wisely
Email: chewswiselypodcast@gmail.com
Chews Wisely is brought to you by Little Creek Lamb & Beef. Get regeneratively raised, pasture raised meats shipped directly to you from our Montana ranch. For a limited time we’re offering 10% off your first order over $100 with the code WISELY.

Jun 6, 2023 • 40min
The Moral Equivalent of War Crimes (Fossil Fuels, Big Oil, And The Climate Cover-up)
The podcast delves into the climate cover-up by Big Oil, discussing their crimes and deceit. It explores the disproportionate blame on cow burps, methane 'bombs,' and the moral equivalent of war crimes. The podcast exposes the industry's suppression of climate change warnings and their deceptive tactics. It also highlights the need for renewable energy and the hindrance caused by the fossil fuel industry.

May 30, 2023 • 36min
Burning Out While Living The Dream
“You pay a price to live your dreams.” Working in agriculture can certainly be a dream. It can also, occasionally, feel like a nightmare. Today’s episode meanders through burnout, romanticization, and the tangibles that are given up when one chooses to pursue ranching.
IG: @chewswiselypodcast
Twitter: @chewswiselypod
Patreon: Chews Wisely
Email: chewswiselypodcast@gmail.com
Chews Wisely is brought to you by Little Creek Lamb & Beef. Get regeneratively raised, pasture raised meats shipped directly to you from our Montana ranch. For a limited time we’re offering 10% off your first order over $100 with the code WISELY.
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