Fields

What will our diets be like in the future due to climate change? How will restaurants change due to the pandemic, rising inequality, and an increasing commitment on behalf of eaters to local food and ethical production? Artist, photographer, radio host, all-around smarty-pants, and friend of the pod Allie Wist joins Melissa and Wythe to muse upon the answers to these questions and more. We talk ab...

Why does it matter what a specific kind of tomato is named—or who named it? Picking up the theme of seeds, history, representation, and changes to the land, Melissa and Wythe chat with tomato wizard Steph Gaylor of Invincible Summer Farms on Long Island about the birth of the modern seed industry—and why we eat so few of so many varieties out there. She tells us about the origins of the seed indus...

Why is now the perfect time to start a garden? The energetic and inspiring Kevin Espiritu —the “Epic Gardener” himself—joins Melissa and Wythe to tell us why, drawing from his own journey from successful professional poker player to plant-obsessed square-foot gardener and social media expert. He offers practical advice on getting started growing at home, with or without soil. Moreover, Kevin share...

How are seeds gender-defying time travelers? Subscribe to Fields and find out! In our first story, Melissa and Wythe talk to plant-focused artists Ellie Irons and Anne Percoco of the Next Epoch Seed Library and to Ken Greene , expert seed breeder and seed librarian. We explore how different seeds travel across time and space—sometimes becoming “invasive” “weeds,” and sometimes disappearing from hu...

Fields brings you the stories of people who are working in urban agriculture—for money, for fun, to feed the hungry, and for entirely other reasons. In each episode, hosts Melissa Metrick and Wythe Marschall delve into different foods grown in cities. Moreover, we investigate the whys behind getting up in the morning and working as a farmer in the shadow of skyscrapers. You don’t need to be a farm...