Food Dignity Podcast

Today, Clancy speaks with Rebecca Valdez, a registered dietitian, public health professional, and food justice advocate who works to improve access to nutritious food and build more equitable food systems. In this episode, Rebecca discusses the importance of connecting farmers and communities, improving the quality and accessibility of fresh food, and understanding the systems that influence what...

Today, Clancy speaks with Martha Elder, Executive Director and one of the founders of Second Chance Foods, a food rescue organization based in New York. Martha shares how the organization grew from rescuing food from one store and delivering it to one soup kitchen into a community food rescue operation that recovers fresh produce, prepares meals, and supports local hunger relief organizations.

In this episode, Clancy speaks with Sydney Zetune, Executive Director of FEAST (Food, Education, Access, Support, Together), a Los Angeles-based community health nonprofit. Sydney shares how FEAST brings together food access, nutrition education, and social connection to address food insecurity, social isolation, and chronic disease.

In this Candid Clancy episode, Clancy shares an important lesson she had to unlearn: funding does not belong to any one organization. Listen as she reflects on accountability, community, and the need to continually look inward and ask where we may be contributing to the problem we are trying to solve.

In this episode, Clancy Harrison sits down with Urszula Lulewicz, founder of TerraNut, to discuss the life experiences that shaped her views on food, family, and entrepreneurship. Raised on a small family farm in Poland, Urszula learned early lessons about hard work, honesty, and the value of sharing meals around the family table. The conversation explores food dignity, access to healthy food, the...

In this solo episode, Clancy Harrison talks about an often-overlooked part of building a strong local food system: relationships. While refrigeration, transportation, trucking, and last-mile logistics are all important, Clancy explains why none of that infrastructure can truly work without trust and collaboration among the people who grow, move, and access food.

Today, Clancy sits down with David Blais, Founder and CEO of Daniel's Table in Massachusetts. David shares how a simple sandwich outreach grew into an organization rethinking how communities respond to food insecurity. Together, they discuss why collaboration is the key to lasting change, how dignity should shape every interaction with people seeking food assistance, and why nonprofits must focus...

In this solo episode, Clancy Harrison introduces the concept of "soldier farming" and explains why she believes it is a hidden issue in today's charitable food system. Drawing from her experience running a food pantry, filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and working directly with farmers, Clancy shares how current food purchasing practices can unintentionally exploit the very people...

Today, Clancy speaks with Ann Larson, author of Cleanup on Aisle Five: Essential Work, Poverty Wages, and the View from Behind the Supermarket Register. Ann shares what she learned after spending more than a year working in a supermarket during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, they discuss food insecurity among grocery workers, the realities of low-wage work, the hidden barriers many families face...

Today, Clancy speaks with Shannon Dobbs, food systems advocate, entrepreneur, and founder of the Fellowship of Living Systems. Shannon shares how his personal health journey led him to rethink food access and community resilience. Together, they explore practical ways communities can improve access to healthy food, remove barriers beyond affordability, and build local food systems that are better...

Today, Clancy speaks with Dr. C.J. Sentell, CEO of The Nashville Food Project. Together, they explore what it means to move beyond food charity and toward true systems change. C.J. shares how The Nashville Food Project has evolved from a food recovery program into a full food systems organization focused on growing, cooking, and sharing nourishing food while building stronger communities.

In this special Candid Clancy episode, Clancy Harrison shares the lessons she's learned from more than 13 years of challenging hunger, food insecurity, and the systems designed to address them. She introduces the four-phase framework she now uses to help organizations rethink, build, and strengthen local food systems across the country.

Today, Clancy speaks with Liz Krug, owner of Endless Roots Farm in northeastern Pennsylvania. Liz shares what it looks like to grow food regeneratively, support local communities year-round, and build relationships between farmers and the people they feed. From food access and food rescue to trust, advocacy, and sustainable farming, this conversation explores the deeper connection between agricult...

Today, Clancy sits down with Leah Smith, Organic School Food Procurement Consultant at Friends of the Earth. In this episode, they unpack what it really takes to get better food into schools, making local, organic, and climate-friendly meals possible for students.

Today, Clancy speaks with Becca Tuholski, a farmer, regional food systems leader, and public health advocate working at the intersection of agriculture, equity, and community resilience. Becca is the co-owner of Tuholski Produce and serves as a Farm to Food Access Manager at the Northwest Indiana Food Council. In this episode, they discuss how regional food systems, partnerships, and community-dri...

In this episode, Clancy sits down with Gerardo Martinez. He is a Marine Corps veteran, farmer, and founder of Wild Kid Acres Farm in Maryland. What began as a small homestead during the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into a thriving community-centered farm, welcoming nearly 60,000 visitors a year. From agritourism and regenerative food production to large-scale aggregation and national advocacy, Gera...

Today, Clancy speaks with Dana Hudson, Coordinator of the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network. With more than 25 years of experience in farm-based education, Dana has worked in classrooms and on farms, supported farmers entering the school food arena, and helped build practical tools that connect students to local agriculture. In this Food as Power series conversation, Dana shares h...

In this episode of the Food Dignity Podcast, Clancy is joined by Denee Bex, a Registered Dietitian and CDCES from the Diné (Navajo) Nation and the founder of Tumbleweed Nutrition LLC. Together, they explore how food sovereignty, representation, and lived experience shape nutrition work in Native communities and why listening, humility, and cultural respect must be at the center of food and health...

In this episode of the Food Dignity Podcast, Clancy sits down with sisters Stephanie and Hayley Painter, co-CEOs of Painterland Sisters. Raised on a fourth-generation dairy farm in Northern Pennsylvania, the sisters share how their farming roots, community values, and commitment to nutrient-dense food led them to build a national organic skyr yogurt brand.

In this episode, Clancy speaks with Dr. Veronica L. Womack, Executive Director of the Rural Studies Institute at Georgia College and Professor of Political Science and Public Administration. A scholar, advocate, and storyteller of the Southern Black Belt, Dr. Womack shares why rural communities, land, and foodways matter deeply, not just to the South, but to the health and dignity of the entire co...

In this episode, Clancy speaks with Kristin Heltman-Weiss, Executive Director, and Hamadi Ali, Deputy Director of Providence Farm Collective in Western New York. Together, they share the story behind a grassroots farming collective that emerged from the lived experiences of refugee and immigrant communities seeking land, food sovereignty, and dignity.

Today, Clancy speaks with Dr. Renee Fillette, Executive Director of Dutchess Outreach and a longtime leader in food security work across New York's Hudson Valley. You won't want to miss their conversation about the hidden power dynamics in food distribution, what the 2025 SNAP crisis revealed, and why local, community-led systems are the only real path to dignity and lasting change.

Today, Clancy speaks with Dr. Meagan L. Grega, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the Kellyn Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to making the healthy choice the easy choice. Their conversation dives deep into how food access, community environments, and lifestyle medicine shape our health, our habits, and our dignity. You won't want to miss this inspiring discussion about how food systems infl...

Today, Clancy speaks with Jeff MacFarlane, social entrepreneur and founder of The Ville Cooperative in Canada. You won't want to miss their conversation about how food can both unite and divide communities, the danger of corporate control over food and energy, and how local innovation can bring back power to the people. Jeff shares his passion for sustainable living, cooperative farming, and creat...

Today, Clancy speaks with Catherine Compitello, CEO of Plentiful, a digital platform helping millions of people access food with dignity. You won't want to miss their conversation about how technology can transform the charitable food system, give food pantries a stronger voice, and make it easier for families to find help when they need it.