Flipping the Table

After 15 years on the federal food and agriculture policy beat, perhaps no other American of her generation has a better perspective on what might or might not happen under the new Administration. RFK Jr and the MAHA movement are having an impact. What could it all mean?

The author, musician, homestead farmer, and host of the Full Expression podcast Dan Imhoff flips the table on Michael Dimock to explore the origins of Michael's interest in and career path within the good food movement.

Diana Donlon has cultivated, mentored and inspired a growing community of regenerative agriculture activists through her leadership of SoilCentric. She reveals how she remains optimistic despite the challenges ahead.

Are tariffs good for American Agriculture? It is a very important question given the new administration's pledge to add tariffs to imported goods. Hear a large-scale, no-till, commodity soy bean farmer, describe his experience and knowledge about the impact of tariffs on the nation's farmers. A special broadcast provided by Rodger Wasson from his show Farm to Table Talk.

Animal right activists placed the terribly written anti CAFO Measure J on the November 2024 Sonoma County ballot. It threatens the future of this small and mid-scale farming community and others like it across the nation. Professional Ducati motorcycle racer, organic dairy woman and Covergirl model Shelina Moreda is co leading a campaign to stop this misdirected measure while still keeping the dia...

Cole Mannix's family has ranched in the Black Foot Valley of Montana since 1882. Even with thousands of acres and hundreds of cattle, the return on investment is bleak. Learn how his family and four other ranches have come together to create the Old Salt Co-op and beef brand with two restaurants, online sales and an annual ranch event all in order to ensure these agrarian families thrive rather th...

Today Michael talks with Lisa Hamilton, a great chronicler of uncommon agrarians, and the author of the new book, The Hungry Season. Agrarians are those who live from working in agriculture. With only 2.2 million agrarians are less than 1% of the US population. These few feed our nation and much of the world. An even smaller percentage of those few farm or ranch outside the mainstream, the convent...

Nutritionist and leader of the Dairy Council of California, Amy DeLisio, and 6th generation organic dairy farmer from Humboldt County, Cody Nicholson Stratton, dialogue with Michael around the opportunities and challenges related to nutrition and the environment faced by California's gargantuan dairy industry.

If you are hearing the news lately you know the campuses, now educating Gen Z, are rocked by angry students on both sides of the war in Israel. This is an energized group and may indicate a sea change in the level and type of activism in the country in the years ahead. In this episode we'll learn from three members of " Gen Z " if the y believe the passions of their generation could also be felt i...

Tim Johnson CEO of California Rice Commission shares how rice growers are modeling the future of agriculture by delivering a fabulous array of ecosystem services, wealth creation and delicious, healthy food for California and the world.

Alegria De La Cruz has a history of creating spaces and moments for farmworkers and other historically marginalized brown and black people to fairly and wisely engage the powers that be: employers, judges and policy makers.

As 30-year-old Native American rancher, mother and nonprofit leader, Kelsey Ducheneaux-Scott reflects the power of the millennial generation born between 1981 and 1996. Indigenous knowledge, the future of food and her role in the film Common Ground are deeply explored in this episode.

A 5 th generation commodity crop farmer from Indiana, the Heartland of America, Rick Clark had an awakening during a one-inch rain event in 2007 that washed topsoil from his fields. That moment spawned a ten-year journey during which Rick created rich healthy soil that captures carbon and holds water, diversified his crops and increased his profits. This success placed him at the center of the fil...

Farm boy and entrepreneur Jim Kleinschmit started a company called Other Half Processing to ensure that the hides and other byproducts from cattle and bison production are fully utilized. When USDA began its funding campaign to promote regenerative agriculture, he hatched an idea that has bloomed into a $35 million project to build lucrative markets in Europe and beyond for hides and more livestoc...

After decades of economic decline around the Harris family's farm, Will experienced an epiphany that led to a journey to what we now call regenerative agriculture. His story is about a pioneer's perseverance, love for animals, the land and a community. His example could transform rural America.

Josh and Rebecca Tickell produced and directed the newly released film, Common Ground . It is a compelling look at the expanding acceptance of regenerative agriculture as an antidote to many of the challenges faced by farmers, ranchers, consumers and policy makers. Josh and Rebecca share about why they included a powerful diversity of voices and perspectives to compelling convey their hopes for re...

Hear how Loren Poncia, a former Monsanto sales rep, became a model regenerative rancher. He and his wife faced the omnivore's dilemma to transform the family dairy into a multimillion dollar iconic grassfed organic meat brand.

For the 100th Episode of Flipping the Table, Michael shares his perception of the advances being made by those seeking a healthier, resilient and just food system. He makes the case for remaining optimistic about our future.

Grassfed, grass finished, pasture raised are all terms you see on meat and dairy packages these days. But what do they actually mean? Can they be trusted? Michael dives into this question with Carrie Balkcom the executive director of the American Grassfed Association. AGA is the nation's singular independent certification program that confirms livestock are fed only their natural diet for their en...

Spencer Smith is a self-described soil nerd who has raised livestock his whole life. He believes California is a great place to produce grass-fed beef. His goal as a consultant is to help livestock producers optimize the health of their land in order to ecologically, humanely and profitably manage businesses that deliver healthy food for humans.

Since 2016, California has provided $30 million in matching funds to attract nearly the same amount from the USDA in order to provide SNAP families with matching dollars to support their purchase of healthy fresh and organic produce. Minni Forman, Valeria Velazques Duenas and Shawn Harrison, who manage nutrition incentive programs in their communities, share their work and the impact of both CNIP...

In the national effort to reanimate local and regional meat supply chains serving primarily organic and regenerative ranchers, the key is a what is known as a "cut and wrap facility." These are where animal carcasses are skillfully cut into steaks, chops and roasts and ground into burger and hot dogs sought by shoppers, restaurants and cafeteria food providers. Cream Co, founded by Cliff Pollard,...

California has declared that species diversity is a major environmental goal. After 150 years of intensive agriculture, achieving that goal is a challenge. But there is a great example underway on the Sacramento River where endangered salmon are being saved by proactive rice farmers. The Nigiri Project reveals an approach that has implications for crop and livestock operations across the state and...

We need more farmers and many of them must be women, Black, Indigenous and other people of color in order to sustain the nation's food abundance and heal the wounds of the nation's persistent racism. After a 35-year farming career, Leonard Diggs, a Black farmer from California's Great Central Valley, is fully engaged in supporting the emergence of that healing generation of new farmers.

Food justice and climate change demand an end to good waste. Food Forward in Los Angeles is the most impressive food recovery program we've ever seen. Founder Rick Nahmias shares the story of how he and his team have delivered over 1 billion servings of food to 150,000 people per day.