Flipping the Table

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.

Flipping the Table is a production of Roots of Change, a program of the Public Health Institute. Roots of Change has been a major catalyst in the growth and power-building of the good food movement. It was launched in 2002 and this episode features a conversation with 4 individuals who have been deeply involved in its founding and evolution and offer perspectives on what has worked and what has no...

After talking about the day's farm tour on the Oxnard plain of Ventura County to educate CalPolySLO engineering students working to keep drinking water cool for farmer workers in hot fields, Maureen and Michael explore how to solve the many complex challenges faced by farmers in a time of intense political polarization, climate change and escalating prices.

You have probably heard how challenging it is to keep a farm or ranch alive in today's industrial food system. Low prices, high barriers to market entry and climate impacts are killing off the family ranches that are the primary sources of meat. Big corporations are capturing the vast majority of the wealth and impoverishing rural communities. Hear about one attempt to turn the tide in one of the...

Perhaps no one has spoken so clearly about the problem of capitalism and its impact on our food system as Woody Tasch. He is the founder of the Slow Money Institute and the movement it supports. Hear about his latest written statement, A Call to Farms and the Beet Coin initiative launching on September 11, 2022.

Resilience requires access to local food. One model of how to sustain and promote local farms is Sonoma County Farm Trails. Launched in 1973, it is the nation's first community-based organization with such a mission. Carmen Snyder, executive director, shares its story and about its upcoming event: the Gravenstein Apple Fair.

Craig shares his dramatic life journey from the JFK White House to a farm near UC Davis, the challenge of loving a complex father and how his farm brought healing inside and with the Vietnamese people.

The healing power of food has long been recognized by indigenous cultures and through much of human history. Yet only recently has modern western medicine begun to return to food as healing agent. Diet related disease and other factors ignited this change. Dr. Steven Chen from Alameda County's health system describes how produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals are moving front and cente...

Guido Frosini and Sarah Silva, members of the Bay Area Ranchers Cooperative, tell us what production and processing challenges they face and how they are solving these challenges even amidst global warming. 

Community food projects and much more would be funded if we can place the Health Equity and Social Justice Fund in the California Budget. Mar Velez, Rod Lew and Ron Coleman, three veteran policy campaigners leading the charge, describe the fund, its uses and how we plan to win the Governor's support.

Pandemic, heat waves, fires and storms demand robust public health infrastructure that includes networks of well resourced community based organizations (CBOs). The Let's Feed LA County program that included 19 local organizations, Roots of Change, Center for Wellness and Nutrition and Wholesome Wave makes clear the need to permanently invest in CBOs on the frontline so they are ready when things...

Michael talks with John Krist, retired CEO of Ventura County Farm Bureau, about the need and challenge of protecting farmworkers.

A conversation with Maricela about the Achieving Resilient Communities project and her work with Central Coast Alliance for Sustainable Economy. Maricela is a social justice warrior and the project is a core initiative of Roots of Change and its partners at the Public Health Institute.

CA movement leaders describe the $3.3 billion Resilient Food and Farm bond and budget request.

One of Dan's most challenging and interesting interviews with the renown animal welfare advocate and gifted autistic. Dr. Grandin has transformed livestock handling.

Michael and Tom discuss California's immense water problems and potential solutions. S3 E1 sets the stage for a great season of how CA is solving 21st century food system challenges.

Naima shares her path, her poetry and vision for a food system and society that is healed, just and regenerative. An inspiring end to Season II!