The Food Chain - What's Eating What Radio

They call it the “Big Apple.” But if history is any measure, it should really be called the “Big Oyster.” Topics include why the first Europeans found Manhattan Island to be a veritable “garden of eatin;” how the bus

We have re-engineered corn plants to kill insect pests, and now have millions of acres of insect-killing corn plants growing in America’s heartland. That corn now kills insects leads us to ask…

Its hard to imagine civilizations coming to blows over two plants, but they did… twice! This leads us to ask, “Will it happen again?” Topics include the introduction of tea into Europe during the 1600’s; why England’s consu

After being collared and released into the wilds of northeast Oregon, wolf OR-7 took off on the run for northern California. His 3,000 mile run leads us to ask…

Those who live in some undeveloped nations are ten times more likely to live over 100 years than those who live in developed nations. Their diet of ashes leads us to ask…

The federal government is applying child labor laws to the family farm, thus making it illegal for children of farm families to do many of the chores required by their family’s farm. This leads us to ask…

Two decades after the Prince of Wales was scorned for suggesting plants can respond to human speech, science is proving plants can actually talk. And so we ask…

HIV / AIDS currently accounts for an estimated 80 percent of all American financial aid to world health and population issues. Yet an increasing number are denying the efficacy of this food chain, which leads us to ask:

There have been 21 outbreaks traced to contaminated leafy-green produce in the past decade. Many suffered; some died. This leads us to ask: “Can government protect us from bad food?” Topics include a brief history of E.coli 0157:H7 food c

Words have meaning and names have power. “Sustainable” is a word that is trying to become a name, which leads us to ask…

Every once in awhile, like when you get to be 700, you should celebrate by doing something special. And so…

It's the snack everybody loves to make, which leads one to ask, "Who put the pop in corn?" Topics include a brief look at the history of popcorn; how Gary's grandfather, Orville Redenbacher, built the world's largest popcorn brand; and stories of growing

Government exists to serve the people. However, during the time of Joseph Stalin’s Holodomor, government served the people death. That time leads us to ask…

One tragedy of industrial agriculture is that it takes youth off the land and thrusts them into the city, where they find little or no meaningful employment. This leads us to ask, “Where can youth find real work?” Topics include a history of

Bees are so sensitive they appear to die at the first sign of trouble. As such, they have become the canaries in the mine of our environment. But this leads us to ask, “Why are bees thriving in the unnatural environment of Los Angeles?” To

They tell us it is for our own good, that they are simply trying to help, that we should trust them to do what we cannot do for ourselves. They lead us to ask…

We have decided to quit our jobs in the city to start a farm. Now we must ask…

Subject: "Violence is never the answer," claims horse whisperer Monty Roberts. This leads us to ask: How can one break a horse by whispering to it? Topics include the various techniques for breaking horses; why gentleness works better than viol

Money is down. Food is up. Riots are hot! And so we ask, “What happened to cheap food?” Topics include how the dollar is losing its value along the world’s food chain; why the price of the world’s food has risen an estimated 8

Given the number of diets we engage in, and the number of times we engage in them, its plain to see we need someone to lead the way. And so we ask…

Topics include a look at the early history of spices, including frankincense and myrrh; how spices provided people living in very harsh lands with an economic food chain; and how those spices, along with other precious commodities, led to the globalizat

The marauding bears had their choice between the regular and diet sodas left behind in the refrigerator. They left the diet sodas untouched. Those bears lead us to ask…

Topics include a 38-year history of restaurant inspections; common and uncommon kitchen faults; and how restaurant inspectors decide where to eat when they eat out. Topic include... Guests: Retired restaurant inspector Roger Houston and restaurateurs M

With a simple forked willow, the dowser called flowing water at 365 feet, which was exactly where the well-driller eventually found it. That call leads us to ask…

Imagine the surprise when it was revealed that a Taster’s Choice selection for best frozen spinach came from China! And so we ask, “Should manufacturers be forced to reveal a food’s source?” Topics include a look at who is respo