Ep.75: Teresa Ish – Foundational Ocean Health

Ep. 75: Teresa Ish, Program Officer of the Environment @ The Walton Family Foundation ||

On Sourcing Matters episode 75 we welcome Teresa Ish – Oceans Initiative Program Officer at The Walton Family Foundation.  Ish manages grants in the Environment Program that leverage the power of the supply chain to advocate for more sustainable fisheries.

Weeks prior to recording I had the opportunity to meet with Ish at the Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in Boston.  Teresa provided a walking tour of the SENA floor – introducing us to three change agents in the future of fisheries:

  1. Casey Marion – the Director of Sustainability Initiatives for Quality Management for Florida based Sea Best.  Casey shared with us some of the systems they’ve introduced to better understand sophisticated supply chains in global fisheries.
  2. Mauricio Orellana – a leader in the Octopus fishery on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.  We learn first hand about this unique example of a future responsible fishery built to service its community of fisherman through first appreciating its resources.   – We also learn a bit more about the soul of an Octopus.
  3. Our final stop was in my native New England waters.  We learn from Richard Stavis – of the iconic brand, Stavis Seafood; Luke Holden – founder of Luke’s Lobster; Dick Jones of Ocean Outcomes, and Sean Murphy of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. This gathering was focused on trends in fisheries and seafood sourcing – on advancements which are better meshing with modern consumer interests.
.
Our 40 minute discussion follows this walking tour of SENA.  We discuss each stop along the way, as well as the Walton Family Foundation’s 2020 Environment Strategic Plan.  We chat about education, and the potential of integrating outreach, education and investment into stable ecosystems – which begins & ends with healthy oceans.
.

TuneIn to hear what a leading foundation

is doing to protect our seas; our future!

.
– – –
.
BIO: Before joining the foundation, Teresa Ish was the seafood project manager for the Corporate Partnerships Program at Environmental Defense Fund, where she worked with leading seafood buyers to develop and implement sustainable seafood purchasing policies. During her tenure at EDF, she played an instrumental role in merging the organization’s seafood buyer work and its extensive experience in the fishery policy arena. Prior to joining EDF, she co- founded FishWise and served as its director of science.
.

–

Ep.74: Live @ Treefort festival in Boise ID – much a/to like

Ep. 74: Live recorded from Treefort music festival in Boise, Idaho – Chef & food system advocate Kris Komori, and farmer & seed propagator Beth Rasgorshek  ||

–

For Sourcing Matters episode 74 we join chef & food system advocate Kris Komori, and farmer and seed propagation Beth Rasgorshek for a conversation @ The Treefort music festival in Boise, ID – recorded in-front of a live audience.
.
With three consecutive James Beard nods, Kris Komori is the rock star of Idaho’s chef world. A graduate of the College of Idaho, he sharpened his kitchen skills in Portland before moving to the Gem State. Komori’s creative, constantly changing menus drew fast admiration when State & Lemp opened in 2013. Most recently, he and his team have been developing a new concept and restaurant that will launch in downtown Boise soon.
.
Beth Rasgorshek has worn many hats: journalist, pioneering CSA farmer, flour producer and now seed farmer. Today, Rasgorshek grows certified organic vegetable seeds on seven tillable acres at Canyon Bounty Farm in Mampa. She now raises and sells both small-seeded and big-seeded crops like green beans, dry beans, edamame, various flower seeds, watermelon, muskmelon, peppers, wheat, leeks and onion.

.

We’re a lot more alike than different. That’s said about people from areas all over the world.  But, when it comes to farmers and food producers – the similarity and bond is unquestionable.  With the regenerative agriculture revolution we’re discovering that we have friends and like minded brethren on every corner of planet -and- increasingly everywhere in between.  TuneIn to hear about what’s going on in Idaho.  Learn how our problems with a common enemy could ultimately unite our diverse stakeholder for battle.

ABOUT TREEFORT: The Treefort Music Fest is a five-day, indie rock festival which is held at numerous venues throughout downtown Boise, Idaho in late March.  Treefort has been called “the west’s best SXSW alternative” and Boise’s preeminent artistic, cultural and musical happening which has “morphed from quirky music festival to consuming community event. It has also been characterized as a “music lover’s joyous mayhem” which showcases and amplifies the soul of Boise.

–

Ep.73: Adam Kesselman & Vince Caguin – New School Meal

Ep. 73: Adam Kesselman, Executive Director & Board Member of the Center for Ecoliteracy; and Vince Caguin, Director of Nutrition Services & Warehousing @ Natomas Unified School District – Sacramento, CA ||

.

On Sourcing Matters episode 73 we welcome Adam Kesselman, Executive Director & board member of the The Center for Ecoliteracy  -&- Vince Caguin, Director of Nutrition Services & Warehousing Natomas Unified School District in Sacramento CA.

.

Kesselman’s programs encourage schools to teach and model education for sustainable living – beginning with a good diet.  The students that Adam and Vince work with have an opportunity to experience and understand how nature sustains life and how to live accordingly.  One such program – California Thursdays – now servers over 334 million school meals a year, which accounts for 33% of the school meals in California.  Every meal serves California-grown, for California kids – and of which has focus on food quality and integrity from the source.  Economists estimate that every dollar spent on local food can generate up to an additional $1.40 in spending, supporting local economies. So, built upon that – what’s it worth to any of us to provide our kids and our neighbor’s kids preventative healthcare and good consumption habits – things that tend to carry-on for a lifetime.
.
In our 40 minute discussion we chat about the importance of regional production models, and how to own – our own – provenance.  We discuss that we’re not all California!  We learn of current initiatives that have seen success; with some home runs in there that could see continued Statewide growth, and capacity for a replicable model for other parts of the US.  We learn what keeps their current programs afloat, and what steps they’re taking to motivate diverse stakeholders to partake in these rewarding programs.
.
Could the buying power of hundreds or thousands of neighborhood schools be pooled to encourage regional production capacity?   What’s the worth of purchase commitments from districtwide buyers?   California has demonstrated that you can guarantee supply of fresh, quality and clean food on a school’s budget – through supporting the growth of modern regional farming infrastructure.

 

TuneIn to hear how about the New School Food plan coming out of California.  The approach may very well help you and your region, where ever you live.

–

Ep.72: Jon Cianfrani – Capturing Fermentation

Ep. 72: Jon Cianfrani – Producer, Director, Editor at ZPZ Production ||

–

On Sourcing Matters episode 72 we welcome Jonathan Cianfrani – documentary & television producer/ editor/ director at Zero Point Zero Production. Over the past ten years Jon Cianfrani has travelled the world in pursuit of unique stories and creative ways to tell them.  He’s been involved in all aspects of capturing and curating these stories through documentary film and television.
.
From episodes of Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown” and the PBS & Netflix program – “Mind of a Chef” – Cianfrani has been worked as a producer, director and editor for New York City – based – Zero-Point-Zero (ZPZ) production.  Most recently, Jon directed the feature documentary titled “Fermented” which is scheduled to air online in April 2019.   Hosted by Chef Edward Lee, the film poses the question: “What is Fermentation?” to chefs and artisans on the west coast, Chicago, and rural Japan.
.
Joining as co-host for this conversation is Jay Vilar – the founder and practitioner at ‘Nourish’ – a bespoke consulting company with a mission to educate, teach, and train people on the benefits of using food to heal your body and optimize your health.  Jay has always been on the forefront of using optimal health techniques, and bio-hacking his nutrition to achieve remarkable results in his career.
.
In our 40 minute discussion we learn more about what it was like to work with Tony Bourdain.   We discuss numerous food categories where cold-firing – or living microbes – are used to value-ad food stuff.  From beer, miso, bread, pickles, salami, kombucha, cheese and more – we hear from Jon about the combination of art and science used in fermentation, and how his recent film explores how these offerings impact our lives, our health and that of the makers.  TuneIn to learn more about this culture of food.

–

 

 

co-host:

Jay Vilar

  • Founder of Nourish
  • A focus on Nutritional Therapy
  • Rodale Institute Fellow
  • Host of  ‘listen to your mother’ show

@twitter

Ep.71: Marc Oshima – Precision Growth

Ep. 71: Marc Oshima – CMO & co-founder of AeroFarms ||

On Sourcing Matters episode 71 we welcome Marc Oshima, co-founder & CMO of AeroFarms. An award-winning marketer and passionate about food, Oshima has led the marketing for major supermarket chains and specialty food retailers. With his B.A. from Columbia College and M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, Marc is also Board Co-Chair of Chefs Collaborative, a 25 year old non-profit improving our sustainable food systems, and a member of the United Fresh Produce Marketing & Merchandising Council.
.
AeroFarms is a leading clean-technology champion, building and operating state-of-the art indoor vertical farms in major cities around the world. Helping set new culinary standards for freshness and flavor, AeroFarms has been recognized as a Global Cleantech 100, Inc.com’s Top 25 Disruptive Companies, Winner of the World Technology Award for Most Impactful Environmental Company, and Finalist for The Circular Awards of The World Economic Forum.
.
It’s argued in Dickson Despommier’s book – ‘Vertical Farming – feeding the world in the 21st century’ that by 2050 – 80% of the world’s population with live in Urban environments.  So, why should we continue to ship our food from remote Rural environments that often use antiqued and wasteful techniques – which are increasingly susceptible to disruption and risk?  TuneIn to hear what one of the market leaders has to say about this future of food production – local, abroad and beyond.

–