Farmer Stories and Farmer Voices
Food doesn’t have morals: Episode 42
Do you feel guilty for not being able to afford the “better” food label? Food Science Babe is back for a rousing game of “Guess What I Saw in the Grocery Store?” Super foods, non-GMO, and other food bullying labels cause unnecessary guilt. “Food doesn’t have morals – food isn’t good, food isn’t bad.” Erin, a chemical engineer and a food scientist joins us for an eye-opening discussion about food labels, guilt, and her experience as a mom feeding a child with special needs.
Read MoreParenting a child with diabetes through food bullying: Episode 39
Having a child with different dietary needs opens the door to bullying. Parents have to make the choice about what is right for their family. We need to respect the choices and the benefits of science.
Heather is married to a second-generation farmer, a professional in agriculture, and mom to three sons, ages 7, 4 and 1. Their oldest son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder four years ago and their middle son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes almost one year ago.
Read MoreSustainability trade-offs on Earth Day: Episode 38
Did you know the term “sustainable” is used in food marketing to achieve price advantage, without any science backing the claim? In this Earth Day episode, Dr. Alison Van Eenennaam, a livestock geneticist at University of California, Davis, sheds light on why genetics is an important component of sustainability. She also warns that anytime breeding innovations are taken off the shelf (e.g., GMOs), the tradeoff a less sustainable food production system.
Read MoreThe unintended consequence of food elitism: Episode 35
Fancy shoes and cheap prices. Chicken breasts and hormone myths. Food snobbery and the hungry. Healthy food and fat. Cheap food and sustainability. “It’s really easy for us to look at a product that has a fancy name or claim and assign higher perceived value to it.”
Read MoreA plea to agriculture during Coronavirus: show compassion, provide assurance
The COVID-19 pandemic calls for agriculture to offer our neighbors reassurance about the stability of their food supply. Show compassion in the face of fear. Demonstrate resiliency by talking about coping with the very real struggles agriculture faces. Connect on a human level. Help build confidence in the food system. Isn’t now the time to offer hope and be a bright spot for someone else?
Read More
