Meat + Three

When we talk about agriculture in the U.S. there is often an archetypical  American farmer that comes to mind. Perhaps they’re in overalls, maybe a cowboy hat, but they’re almost always white. The white farmer trope has become a fixture in America’s invented agricultural past. However, American agriculture has long relied on  the labor and expertise of Black people, while perpetually writing them out of history. Produced by our intern Tash Kimmell, this episode will explore the fraught history of Black agriculture in the US. From land grabbing, to shady USDA lending practices, to the government's most recent attempts at righting the wrongs of a racist past. Further Reading:To learn more about Dr. Gails non-profit visit farmstogrow.comKeep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

How food is presented can shape the way we interact with it. Just take a look at your phone, for instance. Today’s world of social media is inundated with pictures of pretty food that make our mouths water. A picture is worth 1000 words, and looking good implies tasting good.This week, we bring you an episode on the ways that food and style play off each other, from culinary photography to fashion to restaurant design. We learn about how trends are changing in food styling and listen to an editor matching her outfits to her drinks. We hear from a New York artist making edible fashion, and explore how restaurant spaces can tell stories. Further Reading and Listening:Linne Halpern is a writer, editor, and illustrator. Her work explores the intersection between style and identity. She is a regular contributor to Architectural Digest, and her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, Refinery29, The Daily Beast, and more. Her debut children’s book, Marina and the Mermaids, is out now. Order Mariana Velásquez’s recent

There are edible plants all around us, but without an expert, you shouldn’t go tasting random bushes. So where should you start? It may feel daunting, but the ability to find your own food, whether in urban parks or an untouched forest, opens up a world of cultural and culinary opportunities. A plant you may have considered a weed could be a salad for six the next time you have friends over. A mushroom hunting expedition could connect you to a new community. The opportunities are endless.That’s why this week, we unpack foraging practices. We’ll start small – literally speaking – to learn how smartphone apps are paving the way for a new generation of mushroom foragers. We offer some safety tips for budding foragers and hear about the significance of foraging on Indigenous North American lands. Finally, we explore one entrepreneur’s resourceful use of foraged ingredients.Further Reading and Listening:Learn more about “Wildman” Steve Brill’s foraging tours.Find out about the New York Mycological Society’s member

This week we're featuring an episode of HRN's newest series: Pizza Quest. Before the episode, Kat Johnson speaks with Jeff Michael and Peter Reinhart about the formation of Pizza Quest, the stories they are trying to tell, and how this particular project was born out of quarantine last year.  Pizza Quest is certainly about pizza, but it’s so much more!  It’s an engaging celebration of artisanship in all its shapes and forms. In this episode, Peter interviews Chris Bianco. Chris is rightfully acclaimed as the poster boy of the artisan pizza movement. Not only is he an important and unfiltered thought leader in the realm of sustainability and right action, but his pizzas represent the benchmark to which all others aspire. Today we take a deep dive into the mind and heart of Chris Bianco of Pizzeria and Pane Bianco.Subscribe to Pizza Quest episodes as they launch! (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS). Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat a

We might think of insects as pests, annoying little creatures that enter our homes uninvited, that buzz incessantly and bite us without cause. But insects make the world go round. They can be found in nearly every environment, and it’s estimated that over 90% of the animal life forms on Earth are insects. The balance of the natural world depends on them. This week, we’re putting insects front and center. We unpack the mysterious patterns of cicadas in the US, investigate the presence of radioactive isotopes in bees, meet a self-professed edible insect ambassador, and do some insect cooking of our own. Further Reading and Listening: For more of DJ Armen Hammer’s music, check out his Soundcloud.Find professor Raupp’s undergraduate lab, the Cicada Crew.To learn more about Paul Volante’s study on cesium-137 in honey, you can read the full article in Nature Communications.Learn more about Joseph Yoon and Brooklyn Bugs at brooklynbugs.com or on Instagram. For more on David George Gordon visit davidgeorgegordon.com

It’s bought, it’s sold, it’s debated. But what is organic food? This week on Meat and Three, we travel into the world of organics. In the land we now refer to as the “United States,” indigenous communities have been growing their food “organically” for centuries. But “organic food” in the U.S. is now tied to a slew of technical regulations required for certification. The United States Department of Agriculture defines organic food as food produced without the use of antibiotics, pesticides, growth hormones, synthetic fertilizers, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. This is why organic food can be more costly than food produced with polluting chemicals.When the organic food movement went mainstream in the United States in the 1970s, it wasn’t just about compiling a list of regulations. Its roots dug deep into efforts to protect human health and the environment. Our stories this week explore the meaning of “organic.” We start off with an organic food 101. Then we report on how corporations in the United Stat

In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we dedicate our episode to memory and how it has shaped AAPI food experiences. Many of us have probably eaten meals where long after the plate has been cleared, the taste still lingers in our mind. But we don’t just remember food — food can spark and capture memory as well. For those who have immigrated across countries, food can act as a vessel through which the flavors and stories of their past live on.Today, our episode explores how the smell, taste, or story behind dishes can inspire art, preserve heritage and forge connections across cultures and continents. First, we visit a family in the Bay Area to learn about how food has evoked nostalgia for them after immigrating from China. Next, we hear from an educational organization based in O’ahu about their mission of promoting environmental preservation. We then head to the backstage of a one-woman play, where we talk to the playwright about her relationship to food as an Indian-American.

In honor of May Day (celebrated world-wide on May 1st), we bring you four stories about workers organizing and unionizing around the country. First, we’ll start in our own backyard: New York City. We dive into the world of  food delivery workers and their efforts to legislate the delivery apps that push them around the City. Next, we’ll move upstate to and look at farm workers fighting for more overtime pay before turning to the Texas Service Industry Coalition. Finally, we’ll end this episode in San Francisco with Anchor Brewing. The brewery is over 100 years old and ratified its very first union contract in 2019. Although not officially recognized in the United States, May Day has its origins in America. On May 4th, 1886, workers gathered in Chicago’s Haymarket square to rally for an eight-hour work day. But a bomb was thrown into the demonstration, and several were killed. May Day commemorates the tragedy of the Haymarket Affair. But really, it celebrates every fight for better working conditions. Further

This week we're presenting another Heritage Radio Network show, which gives us a glimpse into the culinary culture of the 1970s. The Shameless Chef was developed for public radio in 1977 but many of these audio treasures have never been heard before. The show’s original host, Michael A. Davenport shares his fearless attitude towards food and encourages home cooks to have fun and take risks in the kitchen. The podcast takes us back in time but still has a lot to teach us today. In Episode 2: How to Be Audacious, Michael shares his belief that there’s no excuse for being a ‘meat and potatoes man’ and suggests throwing out the rules to break up the monotony of your meals. He shares recipes for ‘wing dings’ and black olive soup and suggests adding an orange peel to your coffee. Ultimately, Michael subscribed to this sentiment, “don’t react to your prejudices, react to your palette.” Subscribe to The Shameless Chef on your favorite podcast app. (Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS)Keep Meat and Three on the

When someone you love is sick, sending food is often the first way we show our love and support. It can offer satisfaction and heartiness when a hug is not possible.This was definitely true for Eric Poretsky, a close friend of Meat and Three producer and episode host, Dylan Heuer. Eric was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago and talking to him, Dylan noticed that food has played a big role during his treatment. It’s become a marker of his sickness and wellness, of what’s changed and what still feels normal. Eric is an avid home cook and in this episode he brings us with him on the winding path he has traveled to keep food a joyful part of his life.Keep Meat and Three on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. Meat and Three is powered by Simplecast.

For this special episode, we teamed up with Discover South Carolina and Charleston Wine and Food to celebrate the state’s incredible restaurant and agriculture scene. Who better to hear from than the state’s chef ambassadors?Each year, a group of chefs is tapped to elevate visitor awareness about the state’s restaurants, farms, food producers, and tourism locales. We got to speak to this year’s group on two special episodes of HRN Happy Hour. Both are out now, and we’ll link to them in our show notes! In this week’s Meat and Three, we’re bringing you highlights from those conversations. And in the second half of the show, we have some of our favorite moments from Charleston Wine and Food 2020 - one of the last in-person events HRN attended before the pandemic. Further Listening:HRN Happy Hour #131, South Carolina Chef Ambassadors Raffaele Dall’Erta and Jason TuftsHRN Happy Hour #132, South Carolina Chef Ambassadors Kevin Mitchell and Jamie DaskalisHRN On Tour #351, Steve Palmer and Shari BayerHRN On Tour #356

We know and take for granted that foods will look and feel like we expect them to. So it’s especially disorienting when food doesn’t give us that anticipated sensory experience. This week, we’re looking at food that is not as it seems. We’re peeling back the layers of texture, taste and technique that help some foods imitate others. First, we’ll savor the layered and whimsical field of artificial fruit flavoring. We’ll watch as food deceives, in the sinister world of olive oil fraud. And when it duplicates, like the food that’s stamped out of a 3D printer. Finally, we’ll consider some of the ethical choices facing the emerging meat substitute industry, which risks reproducing the same inequalities as “real” meat production.Further Reading:Browse the catalogue or reach out to Joshua Cobos through Dolce Foglia’s website.For more on artificial flavoring, from blue raspberry to snacking, follow Dr. Nadia Berenstein’s work on her website, or follow her on Twitter.To learn more about the 3D printed food projects at

Many of us probably have family recipes that have been passed down from generation to  generation. These recipes, which have transcended time, are a reminder of how elders in our family tree continue to have lasting influences on our lives, even and especially in a time of isolation.This week, we dedicate our stories to elders, grandparents and family members who came before us. First, we follow a food delivery program for elders on a rural island in Maine as they bridge the distance to build community. Then we  take a seat at the table to learn how retirement home residents are rejoicing in the simple act of dining together. We journey to Georgia, where a farmer is continuing a century-long family legacy and we dive into the various ways food is used to remember ancestors around the world.Further Reading and Listening:Check out Robyn Grant’s research and work with The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care here. You heard a clip from Episode 1 of Jupiter’s Almanac. Listen and subscribe wherever y

When you think of bubbles, what pops into your mind? Is it rainbow colored soap? Carbonated soda? Perhaps even social distancing bubbles? This week, we’re jumping into a world filled with fizz, iridescence and deliciousness. We’re talking about how to make bubbles. How to eat them. And the unexpected ways in which they’ve shaped our culture and history. We’re looking at how the pandemic led to a domino effect from a gasoline decrease to a CO2 shortage and, eventually, a craft beer crisis. But bubbles aren’t just limited to the type that make you burp. Diving to the bottom of a cup of delicious bubble tea, we examine what lies at the core of the popular drink. Finally, we take it back to a bubbly classic, seltzer, and examine its significance in New York City.Further Reading:DJ Armen Hammer’s SoundcloudYou can find Grey Sail Brewing at https://greysailbrewing.com/Check out Robert Ku’s other work on Asian-American diaspora, including “Dubious Gastronomy: The Cultural Politics of Eating Asian in the USA”, hereTo

When you think of corn, you might think of the 90s metal band (spelled with a ‘K’ and embodying a raucous explosion of angst and anger). More likely, corn conjures images of a summer barbeque: bright yellow ears grilled, buttered, and eaten straight off the cob.However, the story of corn is more expansive and complicated than these contemporary reference points. Right now, industrial corn farming consumes 96 million acres of United States farmland (the US is the world’s largest producer of the crop). It receives billions of dollars in government subsidies every year, and it has turned the once-rich grassland of the midwest into the industrial corn belt, a vast monoculture with weak, pesticide-ridden soil.This week, we unpack the role that corn plays in our ecosystems, economies, and the experiences of farmers. We start with a story about organic corn being fed to livestock. Then, we dive into the world of ethanol, and learn why it may not be the answer to our energy needs. We explore the complicated politics

We’re spotlighting a new show on HRN: Fields. Fields brings you the stories of people who are working in urban agriculture—for money, for fun, to feed the hungry, and for entirely other reasons. In each episode, hosts Melissa Metrick and Wythe Marschall delve into different foods grown in cities. Moreover, they investigate the whys behind getting up in the morning and working as a farmer in the shadow of skyscrapers. You don’t need to be a farmer to enjoy this podcast, or even a foodie! With their expert guests, Melissa and Wythe break down the realities and possible futures of urban farming to their elements.Today we share Episode 5: ‘Shrooms! Indoors, Foraged, and Friendly. Why are mushrooms so popular recently, and who is growing them—and searching for them in the wild—in New York City? To find out, the hosts interviewed a whole bunch of fungi-focused folks. Learn about the cello-inspired origins of the commercial vertical farming startup Smallhold, which grows oyster mushrooms and lion’s mane all over the

Surplus is usually defined as what’s left over when the demand, or need, of a population has been met. However, in the context of the food system, this definition leaves us with more leftovers than answers. What might be referred to as surplus food faces a core contradiction: while approximately 35% of the food we produce goes to waste, about 50 million people in the U.S. are experiencing food insecurity. This number has increased from previous years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which begs the question – is it possible to have a food surplus when the need for nourishment is only going up?This week, we rethink the meaning of surplus. We start off with a lesson on embracing the food sharing economy. Then, we walk through the process of upcycling leftover grain from breweries into crackers and learn about eliminating surplus in dairy production as a response to Covid-19. Last but not least, we look at an example of closed-loop manufacturing that turns surplus waste into a common household product. Further Readi

From coffee shops to cocktail bars, the world of beverages has been turned upside down by the pandemic. You can’t always drink what you want. And now, more than ever, you can’t always drink where you want. But even before Covid-19, transformations in the production line, farming practices, and workplace inclusivity have affected what we drink. In this episode, splash into the world of beverages – from the drinks we sip on to the places we imbibe. We’ll investigate the ways access, history, legislation, and simple circumstance may limit the beverages we consume. We’ll explore how to make the most of the ingredients lying around the dustiest of liquor cabinets. And for those who are tired of making at-home drinks, we’ll hear from a North Carolina state representative and bar owners about the state of to-go cocktails. We’ll learn about the future of the American craft cider industry and its potential to diversify the labor force backed behind it. Finally, we’ll delve into the increasingly popular caffeinated dri

Seeds are the source and symbol of life. In our modern food system, with fewer and fewer people physically involved in the practice of agriculture, it’s easy to forget that our sustenance comes from the heroics of these persistent organisms. With spring just around the corner, we’re sowing the seeds of knowledge and empathy through four unique stories. We dig into why some seed sellers’ shortage of seeds was actually due to an abundance of zealous home-gardeners. We harvest ideas from an episode of Fields, a new urban farming podcast on HRN, on how seeds are the world’s first and only time travelers, and what they can share with us about the future. We forage through the world of invasive species, and how they can be a proxy for migratory groups and sentiments towards immigrants. Finally, we conclude with a story on the cultural importance of heirloom seeds in the Cherokee nation and their historical struggle to attain seed sovereignty. Further Reading:Fields: This episode featured “Episode 1: Seeds and Time

It’s the final episode of our series on global trade, and we’ve got our eyes set on the future.In the past, trade was hindered by distance and limited communication, which today’s internet and fast travel routes have helped to mediate. These days, trade is confronted by new issues: global inequalities that force people to migrate, machines so efficient they’re making human labor redundant, and alarming threats to cybersecurity.We’ll start by looking at the borders that still divide countries, and the people whose profession it is to cross them. Then, we’ll hear about job automation, and why sitting back and letting robots do our work for us may not be as relaxing as it sounds. Next, we’ll dig deep into the dark corners of the internet. And finally, to conclude our series, we’ll travel to the “new” Silk Road.Further Reading:You can find a longer interview with Alyshia Gálvez on a November episode of Meant to be Eaten. To read more about how NAFTA impacts public health and people’s lives in Mexico, check out he