The Food Safety Dish

On this especially curious dish, we are digging into a poisonous history of the United States with Deborah Blum, a Pulitzer-prize winning science journalist, the best-selling author of six books, and a writer with a long-standing interest in poison, in our everyday lives, in our history and in far too many murders. Deborah takes us on a broad journey over time from ancient Rome to the Industrial R...

Have you pondered the meaning and legacy of seeds, from our human agricultural origins, to now? What does it mean to be a good steward and ancestor to not only land, but also to the seeds passed down along these generations from past to present to future? This special episode explores transformative visions for a more just and sustainable food system, which fundamentally connects every human back...

We're shining a spotlight on Missouri Farmers Union! Hear from Brittany Sullivan of Fayette's Sullivan Farms and learn all about her family farm's first-generation-farmer journey into a regenerative, small-scale pasture and vegetable operation. Brittany also highlights how Missouri Farmers Union has been instrumental in their farm story and how being a part of the Local Food Safety Collaborative h...

Lights...camera...action...Biofilms! Slimy, microorganisms, cellular life forms on surfaces-- from algae to the kitchen sink, they were some of the first life forms on Earth! What are they exactly and how do they work? Learn the science of the mysterious, slimy biofilms that present themselves in everyday life-- the good, the bad, and the ugly. We got the dish from Dr. Angela Walla of Texas Tech U...

We're kicking off season 3 of the Food Safety Dish with the inspiring story of Regenerating an Iowa Family Farm with food & agriculture writer and farmer Beth Hoffman. Follow her story from coastal journalist to the heartland as she and her husband cultivate their new regenerative farm visions on Whippoorwill Creek Farm , raising beef, goats and veggies without the sprays, chemicals, or the GM...

On this exciting season 2 finale, we explore the world of cooperatives and the co-operative advantage with the longstanding and pioneering Ashland Food Co-op in Ashland, Oregon. With produce manager Joe Reyes and cooperative expert Annie Hoy, we talk AFC's origin story and evolution, how they developed into the northwest's first Certified Organic Retailer, the many parallels between food safety an...

With the recent 2024 final rollout of FSMA's Produce Safety Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water (Subpart E), there's been a lot of chatter and some confusion about what growers need to do to comply. We got the dish from Michigan State University extension educator and on-farm food safety statewide coordinator Phil Tocco. Hear what Phil has to say about water hazards, risks, and assessing your o...

Past, future, and present visions of ancient grains all intersect in Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley Heritage Grain Project --farmer Chris Hardy's pursuit of ancient, nutrient dense grains and legumes that will thrive in the increasingly arid bio-region of lower Cascadia. Starting with a spoonful of seeds, to embarking on a worldwide search for rare and resilient heritage cultivars, back to the inn...

In recent years, wildfire disasters in the United States have prompted many growers to ask questions about how to navigate post-wildfire food safety concerns with their crops and livestock. We talk with wildfire resilience expert Amber Schat-Kenig, shepherd & butcher Dylan Boeken, and Community Alliance with Family Farmers' (CAFF) Farmer Support Services Director Kali Feiereisel on the collabo...

We got the dish on seaweed from marine aquaculture specialist Anoushka Concepcion, an associate extension educator at UConn Avery Point's SeaGrant program and leader of the National Seaweed Hub, which collaboratively addresses the emerging needs of the national seaweed aquaculture industry. We take a deep dive into seaweed aquaculture: what it consists of, new market opportunities and challenges,...

Yes, we CAN utilize Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs)! Hear from inspired producer, baker, and entrepreneur Shamilla Roberts and Carolina Farm Stewardship Association's Food Systems Specialist Keisha Rainey on how CFSA's cGMP online module program has helped Shamilla grow her food business. We discuss how the module is a great foundation for building thriving, food-safe businesses, pres...

Hear all about the buzz from apiary operations at two different ends of the country: urban bee keepers Timothy Paule and Nicole Lindsey of Detroit Hives in Michigan, and from Tara Chapman of Two Hives Honey in Austin, Texas. They share how pollinators fit into and enhance the fabric of an urban landscape, how they navigate consumer expectations on honey, and how food safety and security are tied t...

In this exciting, jam-packed episode, we talk with National Farmers Union's Government Relations team members Mike Stranz and Aaron Shier, as well all-star urban growers Akello Karamoko and Romondo Woods II from Detroit, Michigan. We discuss how NFU's grassroots advocacy works, and hear from Akello and Romondo's experience bringing issues from the farm all the way up to their representatives on Ca...

Longtime food safety expert and consultant Dr. Jennifer McEntire joins us to talk recordkeeping, the FDA Traceability rule, and how to best incorporate a good traceability system on your farm. Resources: FDA Traceability Rule Food Traceability List Produce Traceability Initiative GS1 US FSMA 204 Readiness Checklist GS1 Guide to How Standards Fit Into the Rule Jennifer's Consultancy: Food Safety St...

Kicking off Season 2 of the Food Safety Dish is a compelling conversation on produce recalls, crisis management strategies, and how to navigate a recall should it strike. We got the dish from experts Gretchen Wall, former Director of Food Safety & Quality at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), PR communications expert Amy Philpott, and Margaret Dominguez, VP of Food Safety &amp...

In an exciting bonus episode, we share a roundtable discussion with some of our esteemed season one guests on the topic "Creating Cultures of Food Safety." Anita Adalja, Lorig Hawkins, and Nathan Stacey all sat down with us to share their visions for good food safety farm cultures, and leave us with some maps on how we might arrive there. Check out our guests' websites: Not Our Farm Middle Ground...

Anita Adalja, founder of Not Our Farm, sat down with the food safety team to discuss how community care and considerations for farmworkers--the heart of farm operations--lead to healthy work environments, healthy food, happy people, and beyond! Resources Not Our Farm Website Not Our Farm Zine: A Guide to Working on Farms Fair Share CSA Coalition Help us continually improve! Respond to the Food Saf...

The food safety team sat down with Donna Clements, Produce Safety Alliance Coordinator and Northeast Regional Extension Associate. We discuss what sanitizers are, how to choose and use them wisely, and about plenty of tools and resources to guide you in your practice. Resources Produce Safety Alliance: https://cals.cornell.edu/produce-safety-alliance Introduction to Selecting an EPA-Labeled Saniti...

Compost... one of the great wonders of the world! We got the dish from Seattleites Nathan Stacey, Farm Programs Director at Tilth Alliance and Liv Johansson, Compost Facility Operator at the Woodland Park Zoo & Vice President of the Washington Organics Recycling Council (WORC.) We talked soil science, the basics of compost, the coveted "Zoo Doo" compost program at Woodland Park Zoo, and how co...

Have you pondered ponics systems? Sean Fogarty is a Research Specialist at the Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety focused on-farm produce safety in the Northeast, and hydroponic and aquaponic food safety nationwide. We talked all about aquaponics & hydroponics, risks to consider, and how interested growers can venture into ponics operations of their own. Some post-show notes from Sean: Wh...

Fellow local food safety collaborators, Kentucky Horticulture Council's Dakota Moore and Dani D'Antonio, dive in to the world of water testing--various sources, how to test your water, and best practices to ensure your water is continually safe with minimal risk. Kentucky Horticulture Council Resources: Ag Water Sampling & Testing Resources: https://kyhortcouncil.org/ag-water-sampling-testing/...

University of Vermont Extension Associate Professor of Agricultural Engineering and Director of the Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) Chris Callahan clarifies common questions and misconceptions around cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting, and shares some simple methods to incorporate hygienic design practices into your operation to streamline your food safety management. LINKS: UVM A...

Wisconsin Farmers Union members Danielle Endvick, LaDonna Green, and Kriss Marion share their individual farm stories, discuss why storytelling matters more than ever, and how to share yours with audiences hungry for both good food and good stories big or small.

University of Minnesota Extension educator Annalisa Hultberg and Laura Frerichs of Loon Farm, a diversified 40-acre organic farm in Hutchinson, Minnesota, shine a light on food safety risks commonly hidden in plain sight and simple ways to effectively reduce those risks.

Farmer Lorig Hawkins takes us through their food safety journey and how they formed a dynamic food safety plan at Middle Ground Farm in Central Texas.