Food Freedom Radio

Four organizations share ways to volunteer to make this election Too Big To Rig!   To connect: ACLU’s People Power volunteer Shea Foote Hansen. Find her music here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVwiTg18MjA Rico Durant  https://copalmn.org/ Jolene Jones https://nacdi.org/programs/civic-engagement/make-voting-a-tradition Lisa Erbes  https://indivisibletwincities.org

Laura Hedlund sits down with Norbert Nielubowski and Taliesin Nyala to explore the deep connections between woodworking, nature, and human healing. They swap stories about creating heirloom furniture, the therapeutic value of working with your hands, and how the Minnesota Woodworkers Guild builds community through shared craftsmanship. Grab all the details on the upcoming free…

Laura Hedlund kicks things off with a clip of Chef Sean Sherman, who explores the Ring Diet, an indigenous alternative to the corporate-backed national food pyramid. Later, Food Tank president Danielle Nierenberg joins the show to unpack major agricultural takeaways from Climate Week in New York City. They highlight critical food challenges, ranging from global…

Laura Hedlund held a heartfelt celebration on this week’s show for the late former State Rep. Karen Clark, reflecting on her trailblazing work for environmental justice and urban farming. You’ll hear archival audio of Karen sharing her own vision, alongside a timely update from guest Dean Dovolis on the East Phillips neighborhood’s ongoing fight for…

Laura Hedlund welcomes eco-entrepreneurs Nora Schopper of Hello HiBar and Taylor Hall of Evergreen Collective to tackle the reality of a modern economy that often puts profit over the planet. Their chat breaks down the hidden environmental costs of single-use plastics, the challenges of navigating a disposable supply chain, and the power of becoming an…

Laura Hedlund visits with Caroline Hallstrom, Laura Steinkopf, and Kate Guiney to explore how communities are teaming up to build resilient local food networks. You will hear the inspiring stories behind grassroots mutual aid projects like the Noko Rebel Gardeners and the We Feed Us program. The conversation wraps up with a preview of the…

Laura Hedlund is joined by the Wild Farm Alliance’s Courtney Tchida to discuss how agricultural practices that embrace nature can benefit both humans and wildlife. They dive into the details of a bird-friendly farming exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair’s Eco Experience building while sharing simple ways backyard gardeners can support local ecosystems. They also…

Laura Hedlund chats with a lineup of local entrepreneurs who are building resilient businesses that prioritize both the planet and the economy. Windom Shields of GenH3 (https://www.genh3.co) explains a new method for producing green ammonia, and Chad Simons of Three Cricketeers (https://3cricketeers.com(opens in new tab)) shares the nutritional and environmental benefits of eating insects. Patrick...

Laura Hedlund sits down with Vincent Hackel of NSK-SD (https://www.nsk-sd.info/) to explore the cardiovascular benefits of a unique Japanese superfood. They dive into the science behind NSK-SD, a patented natural supplement derived from fermented soybeans that is designed to naturally improve blood flow. Vincent explains how his team isolates this specific enzyme from the traditional…

Laura Hedlund sits down with NBC’s The Voice star Manny Cabo and the passionate founders of the Slavic Experience festival for an inspiring chat about culture and connection. They dive into the unifying power of music, mouth-watering traditional foods, and embracing our diverse heritages. You’ll walk away feeling empowered to find your true voice and…

With one in five pollinators facing extinction, it’s time to rethink those endless stretches of concrete and Kentucky bluegrass. Host Laura Hedlund teams up with Megan Reich from Metro Blooms to chat about turning standard yards into lush, water-friendly native habitats. Get ready to dig into simple, rewarding ways to bring life back to your…

Laura Hedlund sits down with Chef Lachelle Cunningham to uncover the deep ancestral roots of soul food and its vital role in community healing. The two dive into the powerful significance of Juneteenth, exploring the ongoing fight for agricultural equity and true food justice. By honoring historical struggles, they showcase the incredible resilience found in…

Join Laura Hedlund and Laurie Fitz for a chat with the owners of Mastel’s Health Foods, a beloved local wellness staple since 1968. We’re diving deep into the wild world of natural supplements, women’s health, and the absolute importance of being your own best medical advocate. Tune in for an empowering conversation about building a…

After a relentless ten-year battle against city pollution, a group of stubborn utopians in Minneapolis finally secured the funding to turn an old warehouse into a massive indoor urban farm. Laura Hedlund chats with Dean Dovolis from the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute to hear the incredible grassroots story behind this hard-won community victory. Get ready…

Lily Gross as a teenager wrote about Factory Farms, as a college student she studied declining bee population and today she is opening Minnesota’s first Farm Stop.  Radish Farm Stop sells only local food.    Laura talks about the intentional destruction of 420,000 Peach Trees in California and says humans need a new operational system -one…

Join Laura Hedlund as she dives into the delicious world of the Farmers Kitchen + Bar, a Minneapolis gem that’s bringing the farm right to the heart of the city. She sits down with Gary Wertish from the Minnesota Farmers Union to chat about why supporting our local growers is about so much more than…

Laura Hedlund digs into the idea that what we do to the earth, we ultimately do to ourselves, while highlighting some incredible local efforts to build a more resilient food system. Urban farmer Elyssa Eull of California Street Farms shares the realities of feeding a neighborhood from a tiny city plot, and Chef Lachelle Cunningham…

Laura Hedlund welcomes James Kaechele from The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (https://www.ftpf.org) to discuss the “Fruitful Minnesota” initiative, a massive project planting 1,000 fruit and nut trees across the Twin Cities to provide fresh food and environmental benefits. We also hear from Clara Lewis at the Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) (https://www.neon-mn.org/) abo...

Laura Hedlund is joined fellow AM 950 host Philip Anthony of the Downright Upright Show to swap stories about their “lazy yards” and the magic of freezing garden raspberries for that perfect summer smoothie. They don’t shy away from the heavy stuff either, digging into how heart-centered economics and local farming can help fix a…

Laura Hedlund takes us behind the scenes of the “People Not Polluters” coalition to reveal why it might cost a staggering billion dollars a year to clean up Minnesota’s nitrate-contaminated water. She’s joined by Laura Schrieber of the Land Stewardship Project to explore the terrifying link between groundwater pollution and health, plus how the “Oat…

If you’ve ever felt like your kitchen cabinets are secretly judging you, Laura Hedlund and guest Colleen Waterston (host of Sorting Through Life Sundays at noon on AM950)  are here to tell you that it’s time to drop the shame. They dig into the emotional baggage we keep in our junk drawers and share why…

Laura Hedlund sits down with James Beard Award-winning food writer Beth Dooley to chat about why perennial foods are the “pioneer saplings” of a brand-new kind of integral living economy. From the deep, earth-healing roots of Kernza to the satisfying crunch of local hazelnuts, they explore how shifting our agricultural focus can actually restore the…

Laura Hedlund sits down with agroecologist Liz Carlisle and Aubrey Streit Krug from The Land Institute to dive into their new book, Living Roots: The Promise of Perennial Agriculture. You’ll hear all about how switching from short-lived annual crops to deep-rooted perennials like Kernza and fruit trees can actually heal our soil while feeding our…