The Appropriate Omnivore with Aaron Zober: Recent Episodes
The Appropriate Omnivore
The Appropriate Omnivore is hosted by environmentalist and meat lover Aaron Zober. Breaking the myth that eating meat is bad for the environment, Aaron talks about how meat, as well as the other food groups, are best when they're local, organic, and sustainable.
Each week, Aaron brings on a guest to share experience and wisdom about what's good to eat. Think you know what foods are good for you and the planet? What you hear may surprise you and get you on a shopping spree for a new diet.
The Appropriate Omnivore
http://www.AppropriateOmnivore.com
For the latest episode of The Appropriate Omnivore podcast, host Aaron interviews Michele Thorne of Good Meat Project. Michele describes her journey into food systems transformation, beginning with concerns about food company transparency, ingredient adulteration, and corporate control, and shares her wide-ranging background from nonprofit management to raising animals herself. She explains Good Meat’s mission to advance an ethical meat system and details their programs, including FARMIN (farmer marketing support), BACON (butcher-chef partnerships), Good Meat Breakdown (consumer education), and various annual promotions. Michele emphasizes the organization’s focus on small and mid-sized local producers nationwide, busting myths about affordability and highlighting the benefits of direct-to-consumer bulk buying. She also discusses efforts to connect stakeholders and build community through initiatives like the Good Meat Switchboard and quarterly journals, while outlining challenges faced by the movement. Finally, Michele shares her vision for future resources and collaborations from Good Meat and invites listeners to join the community and explore their free educational offerings.
The 2025 Wise Traditions Conference in Salt Lake City is just one week away. For his final guest in the conference speaker series, Aaron welcomes Bob Quinn, founder of the newly established Quinn Institute. Quinn’s presentation, “Healing the Earth as Medicine – A New Profit Center for Farmers and Ranchers,” delves into the Institute’s core mission to advance regenerative organic research, education, and health-oriented agriculture, with the goal of healing both people and the planet through improved farming and food systems. The conversation clearly distinguishes between organic and regenerative agriculture, as Quinn reflects on his transition away from chemicals on the farm and shares research about ancient grains, such as the wheat grown by Kamut International, which Bob also founded. He discusses the nutritional shortcomings of refined foods—especially wheat flour—and advocates for whole grain and traditional sourdough preparation for better health and nutrition.
As host Aaron Zober continues to count down to the Wise Traditions Conference on The Appropriate Omnivore podcast, his speaker for this week is microbiome coach Vanessa Hargrove. Vanessa is author of the book Homestead to Homestead and teaches a course called Targeted Microbial Therapy. Vanessa will be speaking at the Wise Traditions Conference in Salt Lake City, giving two talks: one on targeted microbial therapy and the other on sourdough's health benefits. Vanessa shares her personal health journey, including overcoming fertility challenges by adopting nutrient-dense eating patterns inspired by the Weston A. Price Foundation. She explains her coaching program, which helps clients rebuild gut health through a 12-week fermented food course, lifestyle changes, and nutrition. The conversation covers the importance of fermented foods, particularly homemade milk kefir, and how microbes boost nutrient bioavailability. Vanessa also tells Aaron about some of her favorite recipes in her book, including sourdough, fermented condiments (mustard, ketchup, sauerkraut, etc.), as well as natural skincare and cleaning products she makes and teaches others to craft.
It's the next installment of the Wise Traditions Conference speaker series, with host Aaron Zober interviewing Judith McGeary, founder of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA). Her presentation, "Changing Laws that Govern Our Food," focuses on promoting common-sense agricultural policies and reforming food system laws. Judith, an attorney, activist, and regenerative farmer, discusses key topics including Texas cottage food laws, efforts to simplify regulations, egg sales and grading laws, meat processing reforms, regenerative agriculture and certification, and national legislative issues. She emphasizes bipartisan cooperation and the importance of challenging corporate control over food systems to benefit farmers and consumers alike. This episode serves as both a legislative update and a call to action for building a diverse, locally based, regenerative food system through pragmatic policy and grassroots activism.
The Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober continues with his Wise Traditions Conference speaker series, interviewing Mike Keen of Eat Your Environment in this episode. Mike’s presentation, “Eating Greenland - An Evolutionary Diet Revelation,” shares his background as a chef with global experience that led him to a transformative journey focused on ancestral and evolutionary diets. Mike emphasizes the importance of eating seasonally and locally based on evolutionary principles. He strongly critiques the modern industrial food system's detrimental impact on health and the environment. Looking ahead, he plans a significant project in 2026 to live one year eating three distinct diets—hunter-gatherer, agricultural, and industrial—while undergoing scientific health monitoring to analyze the effects. Throughout the conversation, Mike discusses traditional food preservation methods, the role of fermented foods in evolutionary diets, and the loss of culinary and survival skills in contemporary culture as key issues to address.
In just over a month, the Weston A. Price Foundation will host its annual Wise Traditions Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Continuing his tradition on The Appropriate Omnivore podcast, Aaron Zober begins his series of interviews with featured speakers by welcoming back James Barry, founder of Pluck. James's presentation, "The Original Superfood: Why Organ Meats Belong Back on the Plate," delves into the definition of organ meats and the long history of humans consuming the whole animal. He explains that organ meats are "nature’s multivitamin," rich in nutrients essential for health and detoxification. Aaron and James explore the global culinary traditions that feature organ meats and discuss the cultural hesitance many Americans feel toward eating them. James offers practical strategies for introducing organ meats, including using his Pluck organ meat seasoning line. He also previews new Pluck flavors and upcoming product collaborations listeners can anticipate.
In this episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, Aaron Zober welcomes back registered dietitian Laura Mathes, founder of Rest, Digest, and Heal. Laura shares insights from her new 7‑module, self‑paced program, which blends practical education with weekly group coaching calls. She and Aaron then dive into common misconceptions about gut health, the importance of food quality and preparation, and the powerful connection between stress and digestion. Laura also highlights supportive practices, key supplements, and the value of maintaining lifestyle balance. This conversation encourages a grounded, practical path to lasting digestive wellness.
In this episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, host Aaron Zober welcomes back Weston A. Price Foundation (WAPF) founder and president Sally Fallon Morell to discuss recent insights into olive oil quality, focusing particularly on the discovery that some olive oils contain higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids than previously recognized. They explore how this discovery was made and the subsequent actions taken to address it. Sally also highlights key speakers expected at this year·s Wise Traditions conference, encouraging listeners to engage with the foundation·s ongoing educational efforts surrounding real food and traditional nutrition. Finally, Sally discusses additional studies and policy initiatives that WAPF is pursuing alongside their educational work on traditional foodways.
On this episode of The Appropriate Omnivore podcast, host Aaron Zober welcomes back Alexia Kulwiec, executive director of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Alexia discusses issues surrounding access to safe and healthy raw milk, with a particular focus on the role of herdshares —- a system in which a group of consumers collectively own a portion of a dairy herd, granting them legal access to raw milk produced by their animals. The conversation explores why herdshares have become a popular option for raw milk seekers in states with restrictive laws, and how they offer an alternative to conventional distribution. Additionally, Alexia updates listeners on other raw milk legislation the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is involved with, as well as broader food and farming policy efforts.
For this episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, host Aaron Zober interviews Chantale Houle, founder of Biora and Kefiplant, about utilizing kombucha and other fermented botanicals beyond beverages, with a focus on their application in vinegars and salad dressings. Chantale shares how Biora was created as an offshoot of Kefiplant, her company that produces over 50 different fermented botanicals for the B2B market. She details her motivation for developing kombucha-based vinegars and salad dressings as innovative, health-focused alternatives to conventional products. Chantale explains her fermentation process, emphasizing the use of high-quality, certified organic botanicals and a commitment to clean, functional ingredients. She and Aaron discuss Biora’s range of offerings, including various vinegars and dressings, and explore the health benefits these products provide—particularly their abundance of postbiotics. The conversation also covers sourcing and certification practices, as well as the versatility of these products in different types of foods.
In the latest episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, Aaron Zober welcomes back Tim Richards, founder of Philosopher Foods, to discuss the accidental discovery and development of Gut Nuts — a unique line of fermented nuts. Aaron shares his passion for sour and fermented foods, while Tim explains how a kitchen mishap led to a new product, now made with lactic acid bacteria for enhanced flavor and nutrition. The conversation covers the journey from initial discovery to product launch, changes made after receiving feedback, and the science behind the health benefits of fermentation. Tim also shares plans for future innovations, including new flavors, nut butters, and entirely new fermented products.
As we enter the month of July and celebrate National Hot Dog Month, The Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober interviews Kevin Pallaoro, president of Teton Waters Ranch, to discuss grass-fed beef, regenerative agriculture, and the real food movement. Kevin shares how farming has always been a part of his life. Aaron and Kevin delve into animal welfare and ranching, dispelling misconceptions about the industry and emphasizing the importance of caring for animals and the land. They discuss Teton Waters Ranch’s sourcing and standards, the shift from organic to regenerative agriculture, and why regenerative practices are essential for the future. The episode wraps up with both sharing their favorite toppings for grass-fed hot dogs.
In this episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, host Aaron Zober interviews Emily Moose, Executive Director of A Greener World (AGW), to discuss the importance of food transparency and credible labeling. Emily shares her background in agriculture and explains how AGW was founded to address the need for trustworthy, third-party certifications. Together, Aaron and Emily explore which food labels are meaningful and which are misleading, emphasizing the value of independent verification in a crowded marketplace. Emily then details AGW’s four certification programs and highlights the consumer resources AGW offers, such as their comprehensive food label guide. The conversation underscores the need for reliable information to help consumers make informed, values-based food choices.
Aaron Zober hosts Holly Howe on The Appropriate Omnivore podcast, where they discuss their shared interest in sauerkraut and its health benefits. Holly shares how she first became interested in fermentation and why she focuses specifically on sauerkraut. She then explains how creating her website Make Sauerkraut eventually led to writing her book "Mouthwatering Sauerkraut". Holly highlights the benefits of consuming raw, fermented sauerkraut and why making it at home is best. They also discuss similar ferments from other cultures. Finally, Holly previews her future plans to teach listeners more about the joys and benefits of sauerkraut.
The Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober interviews Maxi Heidenblut, founder of Happy Candy, a company that makes “better-for-you” gummy candies. Maxi, originally from Germany — a country famous for its gummy candy — explains her inspiration for starting Happy Candy after being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition that required her to reduce sugar intake. Disappointed by existing low-sugar candies due to their texture, aftertaste, and digestive side effects, she set out to create her own version. Maxi lets the listeners know all about the ingredients she chose. Happy Candy is focused on sustainability in many ways from its sourcing to the packages it's sold in.
For this episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, Aaron Zober interviews Phoenix Be of Simply Grassfed. Phoenix discusses the prevalence of greenwashing in the natural products industry and explains why labels can often be misleading. He addresses a wide range of related issues, including loopholes in organic certification, challenges in meat and produce processing, and concerns about seafood and wild game sourcing. Despite these obstacles, both Phoenix and Aaron (who describe themselves as apocaloptimists) remain hopeful that these problems can be overcome, even those that many sustainable food advocates may not recognize. Phoenix also shares how he established processing standards for Simply Grassfed and how other farms have joined him in adopting these higher practices.
Aaron Zober welcomes David Dottorini to the Appropriate Omnivore podcast. David is an export manager for Ficacci Olive Co., which is based out of Italy. David and Aaron share a love for olives, especially when unpasteurized. The two cover everything about olives, including some information you may not know. David starts with the different between olives sold in Italy and the U.S. and what the colors of different olives mean. He then explains the benefit of eating fresh olives. Also discussed is the history of where Ficacci has sourced its olive. Plus how olives are becoming more popular with the masses and what the target audience is. And how Ficacci is not only sustainable with its olives but the packaging they come in. The state in the U.S. which introduced sustainable packaging may surprise you.
On the latest episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, host Aaron Zober interviews Nehru Karim, founder of Agi's Caribbean, a family-run startup specializing in Caribbean and Guyanese cuisine. Inspired by the popularity of his mother Nehru’s home-cooked meals, Nehru launched the business at farmers markets, initially offering traditional and vegetarian samosas with homemade tamarind sauce. The menu has since expanded to include entrees like chicken curry and potato curry, served with roti. Nehru discusses the company’s commitment to quality ingredients, balancing health and taste, and making traditional comfort foods accessible without sacrificing flavor. He highlights health-conscious choices such as frying in avocado oil and offering gluten-free options. Aaron and Nehru explores the underrepresentation of ethnic cuisines like Guyanese food in the CPG market and how Agi's plans to introduce more people to these unique flavors.
This week on The Appropriate Omnivore, host Aaron Zober interviews Elizabeth Bruckner of The Create Wellness Project and author of The Homesteader Mindset. Elizabeth explains that in order to homestead, you not only need to learn the necessary skills for practices such as gardening, composting, or fermenting, but you first have work on your mental health. Elizabeth discusses her background with the listeners working as an acupuncturist and first becoming a homesteader while recovering from chronic illness. The pandemic additionally contributed to Elizabeth becoming more aware of the food system and wanting to grow the food herself. Explaining that more than will power is needed to learn traditions skills, she breaks down the myth of what stifles positive change and how you can kick them to the curb. Aaron then asks Elizabeth about the eight tools of mental wellbeing. Plus Elizabeth shares how learning foreign language has helped her as a homesteader.
Last week in Anaheim, New Hope Network held its annual Natural Products Expo West. The Appropriate Omnivore host gives his fourth annual show recapping his discoveries. There's no guest this week as Aaron himself lists the five major takeaways from Expo West as far as trends and new products he found on the exhibit floor. Every year there's a different take, although some similar elements may repeat. And while no main interview for this episode, recordings taken on the Expo West halls with some of Aaron's favorite exhibitors and their thoughts on the convention.
The Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober views the sustainability of packaging for products as important as the sustainability for how the food in the packages are grown and processed. So Aaron proudly welcomes rePurpose Global co-founder & chief impact officer Aditya Siroya to the program. Aditya grew up in Bangalore, India, which went from garden city to garbage city of India in the 2010s. He tells his story of how went from his town and country to a plan which eventually led to rePurpose with the idea of scaling up solutions on the ground. Aditya address that it’s a a myth that plastic can be gotten rid of overnight. rePurpose works with all types of realistic solutions to CPG brands reducing plastic waste, including solutions still using plastic.
This episode of The Appropriate Omnivore is about ghee, one of host Aaron Zober’s favorite fats to cook with. His guest Avi Nalwaya shares this passion. Avi tells his story of originally using ghee to help with his son’s gut issues to eventually founding Nalwaya Foods. Aaron and Avi discuss how saturated fats have demonized and why they're needed in your diet. Avi mentions what he looks for in terms of dairy farms to source from and why raw dairy makes the best ghee. He then explains why ghee is better to cook with than butter. Avi talks about some of his favorite foods to use with ghee. Plus Avi shares future products which Nalwaya Foods is developing and local businesses which are using his ghee in their products.
A major aspect of the nutrition Aaron Zober recommends on The Appropriate Omnivore is related to fermentation. So Aaron is pleased to welcome on Austin Durant. Austin founded Fermenters Club and more recently authored the book Fearless Fermenting. Austin shares his journey with Aaron and what he means by being the Forrest Gump of fermentation. He explains how his organization then led to the book he wrote. Aaron asks Austin about the best ferments for beginners, the intermediate level ferments, and which ferments are the hardest. Aaron also explains how he's partial to Austin's recipe for dill pickles. Austin explains the nuances of a ferment which may not be the easiest, but is a popular ferment nonetheless. Aaron and Austin also delve into some of the overlooked ferments. Austin also lets the listeners know the meaning of his book title. Plus we find out the possibility of the San Diego Fermentation Festival returning.
For the first podcast of The Appropriate Omnivore in 2025, host Aaron Zober welcomes somebody who has helped so many of us be appropriate omnivores. Guest Brad Johnson is CEO of Verde Farms, the leading provider of 100% grass fed beef. Brad gives his background in CPG from being in brand marketing & sales to wanting to work on brands that advocated for improvement to his current position at Verde. Aaron & Brad both agree that natural CPG is the future. Brad then gets into the importance of 100% grass fed beef, why it's better, and why certified organic is also important. Brad & Aaron then mention what cuts of meat they think are underrated. And since the Super Bowl is this weekend, Brad discusses what he'll be making with Verde grass fed beef while his family watches the big game.
With the 2024 Wise Traditions Conference coming, The Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober welcomes another speaker for the conference. Today's guest is Will Harris, a fourth generation cattleman running the farm White Oak Pastures in Blufton, GA. Will talks about his great grandfather starting the farm and how Will's dad changed things when he took over. Will discusses the transitioning away from industrial agriculture and what it means to be regenerative. While White Oak Pastures has several certifications, Will explains how visiting the farm yourself is the greatest certification of all. Aaron and Will delve into many topics of regenerative agriculture, such as undergrazing and overgrazing, multispecies farming, and White Oak's zero waste program. Other highlights of White Oak Pastures which Will tells the listeners about include its nonprofit wing Center for Agriculture Resilience, and how White Oak has help rebuild the community of Blufton, GA.
The Weston A. Price Foundation will be holding its annual Wise Traditions Conference at the end of October. Leading up to the event, Aaron Zober returns with his series speakers interviewing people who will be giving talks at the conference. His first is Sophia Eng of the blog Sprinkle with Soil, co-host of the podcast Call to Farms, and author of the cookbook and author of The Nourishing Asian Kitchen Cookbook. Since the pandemic, Sophia has gone from working in real estate in California to homesteading in Tennessee. She tells the listeners how her upbringing in Vietnamese culture has influenced her cooking in terms of the similarities between Asian cuisine she grew up with and Wise Traditions diet. Aaron and Sophia then get into the problems with MSG and why it isn’t needed to get the umami flavor. Plus what it means for Sophia's farm to be regenerative. And a preview of what Sophia will be discussing in her Wise Traditions Conference presentation entitled East Meets Weston A. Price: Nourishing Asian Cuisine Reimagined – A Journey To Reclaim Authentic Flavors, Free from MSG and Excitotoxins.
With this weekend being Labor Day, millions will be grilling burgers to celebrate, so The Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober devotes this podcast episode to one of his favorite foods. With him to talk about everything burgers is Corey Dunn of the blog For Nutrient's Sake! as well as a co-host of the podcast Modern Ancestral Mamas. Aaron & Corey cover all the ingredients in a burger from grass fed patties to organic buns, veggies, and condiments. The two discuss the best products you can find in supermarkets to include on your burger as well as the idea of making everything from scratch. Aaron & Corey also touch upon the popular sides for a burger, such as fries, potato chips, soda pops, and shakes.
Aaron Zober with The Appropriate Omnivore podcast, welcomes another wonderful regenerative organic CPG brand founder as he interviews Ben Ripple. Ben tells his story of how Big Tree Farms came to be. Aaron and Ben discuss how Big Tree's practices fall into the certification requirements of the Regenerative Organic Alliance in terms of soil health and social fairness and why organic needs to be a part of regenerative. The episode then moves into why coconut sugar is a great option over both cane sugar and other natural sweeteners. Ben lays out the benefits coconut sugar has in terms of taste, sustainability, work conditions, and health. Aaron and Ben also cover Big Tree Farms other products, such as the coconut aminos and sauces, and what products we can expect from Big Tree in the future.
The Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober continues his coverage of regeneratively sourced CPG with Raj Vable, the founder of Young Mountain Tea. Raj tells his story from growing up with parents from India who drank tea to a friend in grad school introducing him to single origin tea. He then goes into the problems with conventionally grown tea and the benefits of regenerative organic tea, including a higher yield from crops. Aaron then talks about the principles of regenerative agriculture and Raj explains how Young Mountain Tea's practices fit into all of those. Raj then goes into the different flavors of teas he offers and Young Mountain Tea's project to launch a farmer owned tea factory in the Kumaon village of Champawat.
The topic of regenerative agriculture has been addressed many times on The Appropriate Omnivore podcast. So for this episode, host Aaron Zober gives a warm welcome to Elizabeth Whitlow, executive director of the Regenerative Organic Alliance. As regenerative agriculture is taking on many meanings, Aaron asks Elizabeth how she would define regen ag. Elizabeth explains what she sees as the three pillars. Conversation leads into the roles organic, animal welfare, and farmer & worker fairness play in being regenerative. Elizabeth then mentions the brand that went through the pilot program to become Regenerative Organic Certified. And Aaron talks about the ROC brands he likes. All of the plus where Elizabeth and Aaron would like to see regenerative ag headed in the future.
It's another hot summer, so for the latest episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, host Aaron Zober welcomes SorBabes & Fudgy Pop co-founder Deborah Gorman. With her two products, Deborah has taken the fruit bar and fudge pop, respectively, and put a healthier and more sustainable twist on them. Both products are free of dairy, GMO sugar, and artificial colors. Deborah explains how SorBabes and then Fudgy Pop came to be. She gets into how she's created the different flavors and what possible ones we can expect in the future. Deborah tells Aaron what she looks for in terms of ingredients to source and ways that the two businesses can become even more sustainable.
The Appropriate Omnivore podcast is back for a new series of episodes. Host Aaron Zober kicks it with Sonia Acuña-Rubio. Aaron has talked about all types of productions certifications on this show. Now he brings on a person from the organization which works with so many of the food certifiers. Sonia tells Aaron what the some of the new and popular certifications are. As the program is called The Appropriate Omnivore, Aaron asks Sonia about the various types of animal products certifications the NSF works with. While the NSF is known for all of its food product certifications, it actually began as a certifier food equipment. Sonia explains this in great detail. Plus Aaron and Sonia discuss the future of food and consumers looking for more transparency in what they buy.
On this episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, host Aaron Zober has Melissa Clemente of Wildfare on his podcast. Melissa gives her background working in marketing and sustainable food and then talks all about Wildfare. Wildfare is known for providing a great variety of Mediterranean food from ajvar to olives & olive oil to pasta and many other wonderful products. Melissa explains to Aaron what makes their offerings sustainable. This includes their Empowering Woman Farmers where they partner with fair trade women owned farms and production companies. Melissa also gets into specifics about many of the foods in Wildfare's line and what we can expect from the company in the future.
For the latest episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, host Aaron Zober welcomes Sara Kelly of Season Brand to talk about sustainable seafood. Season is a 100-year-old company known for offering canned fish such as sardines, mackerels, and anchovies. Sara mentions how tin fish is a hot trend and explains exactly what tin fish is. She then moves into discussing the different certifications which Season products have and what makes their seafood healthy and sustainable. Sara also talks about her role as marketing director and the major rebranding which Season is currently working on, which she describes as Season 2.0. Plus Sara tells Aaron what types of future products we can expect from Season in terms of both other seafood and possibly expansion into other types of food.
Aaron welcomes back Dr. Nakisa Nowroozi to The Appropriate Omnivore podcast. Nakisa is the founder of Luv Maman. She also has a PhD in cell and molecular biology and masters in biochemistry and currently teaches anatomy and physiology at Orange Coast College. For this episode Nakisa talks about her family’s experience on the GAPS (Gut & Psychology Syndrome) Diet. As she’s not a GAPS practitioner, she explains the diet from a mother’s point of view. Nakisa had her sons go on GAPS to resolve health issues they were having. To show support, her whole family went on it. Nakisa explains the various stages of GAPS in terms of transitioning to each one and then when you know you’re ready to end GAPS. She also discusses what do after the GAPS Diet and how there are more GAPS friendly products on the market now then when she and her family did it.
2023 is almost over. But before the year ends, Aaron Zober does one more podcast for The Appropriate Omnivore. Aaron welcomes back Lani Fox, founder of Rosemallow Artisanal, for a holiday special. Lani has several holiday themed artisanal marshmallow truffles (or rosemallows as she refers to them) for Aaron to sample them. Aaron and Lani both taste the rosemallows and state their thoughts. Listeners can follow along by looking at the Rosemallows on the website (https://rosemallowartisanal.com/products/mallow-truffles-festive-winter). After sample the rosemallows, Lani and Aaron then discuss the topics of finding better options for holiday treats, whether marshmallows can be come the next elevated dessert, and what to expect from Rosemallow Artisanal in 2024.
This week's guest on The Appropriate Omnivore podcast is Dr. Adam Wuollet. Dr. Adam tells his story from going to med school and working in allopathic medicine to where he is now with what he calls wholistic medicine. He explains wholistic medicine (not to be confused with holistic medicine) is about the whole approach. Dr. Adam and Aaron discuss the ideas of food as medicine. Dr. Adam then gets into other areas of medicine he focuses on, such as frequencies and water. He sees these as two of the most critical aspects of life and our own health. In addition to having transitioned into wholistic medicine, Dr. Adam is now a homesteader raising cows, pigs, and chickens to feed his family. He explains how he sees parallels between gardening, regenerative farming, and our own health. Aaron concludes the podcast having Dr. Adam Wuollet talk about how he's improved his own health.
About a year ago, The Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober joined the networking group known as Naturally Los Angeles. This organization is part of the Naturally Network. The Naturally Network has chapters in various cities for people in the natural product space to connect. Aaron welcomes Naturally LA executive director Rana Manzi to the podcast to inform the listeners what Naturally LA and the Naturally Network offer. Rana explains that she's been working in the natural industry her entire life based on how her mother raised her. Rana's been employed in various areas of the natural CPG world from being a nutritionist to retail to nutraceuticals to trade shows to now Naturally LA. Rana goes into great detail about Naturally LA in terms of what the membership consists of, what her role as executive director entails, and upcoming events in 2024. Rana and Aaron both discuss the benefits of emerging natural CPG brands. Rana and Aaron also delve into current trends of the natural product space and their overall thoughts on the future of natural food and food in general.
For the latest episode of The Appropriate Omnivore podcast, Aaron Zober dives into one of the best ways you can be an appropriate omnivore. And that is consuming organ meats. Still many are scared to try them. That's where guest James Barry comes in. James founded Pluck, which offers seasonings made with various organs and coming in various flavors. James tells his story of going to culinary school, working as a chef, and coming up with the idea for Pluck while he was a stay-at-home dad. James also goes into stories of people who have benefitted health wise from his organ meat seasonings. He lets Aaron know what new products and flavors we can expect in the not too distant future. And James and Aaron discuss all that they know about sourcing sustainable meats.
On this episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, Aaron Zober does a first with an interactive podcast. His guest Lani Fox founded Rosemallow Artisanal, which makes the sophisticated adult treat of artisanal marshmallow truffles, or Rosemallows as they're referred to. Aaron samples Lani's Rosemallows while recording the interview and states his thoughts. Listeners can follow along by looking at the Rosemallows on the website (https://www.rosemallowartisanal.com/). In addition to the tastings, Lani tells her story how she's been growing food since childhood as well as cooking her entire life and how this led to Rosemallow. Lani explains what makes her Rosemallows different than conventional marshmallow. She gets into why it's called Rosemallow. (There may be more than one reason.) Lani also discusses how her Jewish culture plays into her products, which Aaron can relate to also being Jewish.
In a few weeks, the Weston A. Price Foundation will be holding its annual Wise Traditions conference. Leading up to the event, The Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober will be interviewing a few of the speakers. Aaron's first guest in this series is Corey Dunn. Corey is a Weston Price chapter co-leader in Brunswick, GA and runs the blog For Nutrients Sake! as well as co-hosts the podcast Modern Ancestral Mamas. Her talk at the conference is entitled Nourish Your Family with Proper Foods Cooked Right, a topic Aaron Zober can very much relate to. Corey gives her background going from paleo to Weston Price, where she was able to incorporate properly prepared grains. Corey and Aaron share their appreciation of how the WAPF allows for properly prepared grains as well as the inclusion of all of our favorite comforts foods when they're done the right way. Corey shares her favorite comfort foods to make for her family. Corey and Aaron connect with their love of the burger. And Corey tells the listeners about her homesteading journeys since she's moved from Maryland to coastal Georgia.
The Weston A. Price Foundation's 2023 Wise Traditions Conference in Kansas City, MO is only a few days away now. The Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober's third and final guest of the speaker series is Nathalie B. of Bee Mindful. Nathalie's talk at the conference is entitled Easy Horizontal Beekeeping to Source Your Own Unfiltered Raw Honey and Other Products of the Hive. Along with Nathalie managing almost 400 colonies in the greater Austin, TX area, Nathalie keeps very "bee-sy" with her involvement in numerous beekeeping organizations. With all that she does, Aaron is glad Nathalie can take some time to "bee" on the podcast. Nathalie tells the story of how she was interested in bees at a young to where that leads to her today as a beekeeper. Topic which Aaron and Nathalie delve into include beekeeping for underprivileged communities, problems with organic, honey as a natural sweetener, and how honey has personally benefited Nathalie health wise. Nathalie and Aaron conclude the episode exploring the question of whether the general public is more aware of the plight of the bees.
As the Weston A. Price Foundation's annual Wise Traditions conference in Kansas City, MO is almost a week away, The Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober continues his series of interviews with speakers at the event. This week his guest is Alex Miller. Alex describes himself as a flash flight farmer. He works during the day as a business professor at the University of Tennessee and he farms during nights and weekends at Lick Skillet Farm. His talk at the conference is entitled The Loss of Local Farms and What You Can Do about It. Alex sees himself as a venture capitalist, providing capital to grow new business and enterprises on the farm. Alex and Aaron discuss the current state of local farms. Alex and Aaron then cover many areas of the agriculture system, including why we need more young farmers, the problems with foods labels, reasons to support local farms, and if there's a confusion as to what regenerative agriculture means.
For the latest episode of The Appropriate Omnivore podcast, Aaron Zober brings on Amantia Muhedini, an executive director and sustainable & impact investing strategist for UBS. Amantia has dedicated her academic training and whole career to S & I investing. While she's he had a long time interest in the field, it precedes her career. Amantia tells us about the origins of S & I investing back in the 70s when it was known socially responsible investing and how it got to where it is today. Amantia explains the differences between sustainable investing and impact investing. Aaron and Amantia then discuss how impact investing can relate to agriculture and CPG with types of investing such as nature based solutions. Aaron asks how issues such as biodiversity, supply chains, antimicrobial resistance, and renewable energy fall under sustainable & impact investing. Amantia goes into how investable biodiversity currently is and what's needed to make it more investable.
Aaron Zober returns with a fall series of new Appropriate Omnivore podcasts. As his focus is the best natural products available, Aaron kicks off the new cycle interviewing Asher Cowan, the co-founder of Dr. Cowan's Garden. Dr. Cowan's Garden strives to offer the best real food products across every food category. Asher Cowan founded Dr. Cowan's garden with his father Dr. Thomas Cowan. Asher recaps the unique circumstances which formed the business. He then moves into the company starting out with selling different garden blends. Aaron mentions that he's impressed with the products being beyond organic and not needing to use any additives or preservatives. Asher discusses how including either of those was never an option. Asher next moves into talking about other products you can find from Dr. Cowans' Garden, explaining they're all foods he's wanted for his own pantry. And Asher previews what future products we can expect from Dr. Cowan's Garden.
As The Appropriate Omnivore is all about supporting family farms and family business, Aaron Zober welcomes Brita & Bryce Lundberg of Lundberg Family Farms. Lundberg Family Farms is a successful CPG rice brand known for its regenerative and organic practices. Brita & Bryce discuss how they went from growing up on a farm to then how they themselves ended up working for the company. Aaron converses with Brita & Bryce about how regenerative and organic are related. Brita & Brice also share the many ways Lundberg Family Farms practices sustainability. Then Brita & Brice let Aaron know all about the great products Lundberg offers and what new products we can expect from them in the future.
July is National Pickle Month, so The Appropriate Omnivore podcast host Aaron Zober couldn't be more excited to devote a show to a favorite food of his since childhood. To talk about everything pickles with Aaron is Chris Glab, chief innovation officer for Bubbies Fine Foods and Fermented Food Holdings. Like Aaron, ferments such as pickles were a staple of his growing up. Chris discusses how he got into CPG, founded Wildbrine, and then sold it to Fermented Food Holdings. Fermented Food Holdings also owns Bubbies. Chris tells the listeners all about Bubbies' key to making real fermented pickles and where he sees the market headed. Chris talk about other Bubbies products and even asks Aaron what foods he'd like to see them offer. All of this plus information about the diverse fermented goods throughout the various Fermented Food Holdings labels.
The leading natural product distribution group KeHE just held its annual Holiday Show. The Appropriate Omnivore podcast host Aaron Zober brings on Ari Goldsmith, vice president of marketing & digital media at KeHE Distributors, to give a recap of the Show and other development news about the company. Ari lists the major trends seen with the various brands at the Show and mentions some of the new products showcased. Ari also talks about the OnTrend winners and the new International Pavilion. Ari then delves into other projects KeHE is involved with, including the company's exclusive supplier programs, its commitment to sustainability, KeHE's exclusive partnership with the Rodale Institute, and Smart Shelf Tags. Plus Ari and Aaron discuss where regenerative and organic agriculture are headed.
Aaron Zober returns with a new cycle of The Appropriate Omnivore podcast for the summer season. His first guest back well represents the idea of being an appropriate omnivore. Jasen Urena is vice president of NestFresh Eggs and New Barn Organics. Jasen explains how you should never take the position that any one segment of food is bad. So Jasen offers healthy animal products with the regenerative New Barn eggs and the pasture raised NestFresh eggs and healthy plant based products with New Barn's almond and coconut milks. Jasen and Aaron talk about the importance of sourcing sustainable and regenerative almonds and coconuts as well as keeping the ingredients simple in plant based milks.
For his latest podcast, Aaron Zober welcomes on two people from Tractor Beverage Company, chief brand officer Justin Herber and consulting agronomist Dr. Stephanie Bledsoe. Tractor Beverage is the only organic certified, non-GMO beverage company in restaurants. In partnership with the research company HowGood, Tractor Beverage recently debuted its Organic Impact Tracker. The Organic Impact Tracker measures the amounts conventional pesticides present in food ingredients. Justin and Dr. Stephanie discuss the results they discovered in Tractor Beverage drinks as a result of the tracker, in terms of which ingredients were shown to be potent with pesticides and how Tractor can source in the future. They also get into the specific restaurants and other places where Tractor Beverage can be found. Plus potential new flavors we can see Tractor Beverage Company introduce.
The Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober loves all kinds of jerky. In a field dominated mainly by beef jerky, Aaron was excited when Brave Good Kind launched and focused on chicken. Prabal Chaudhri comes on his program to tell the story of founding Brave Good Kind. Prabal explains that his products differ not only in terms of protein type, but also by making bars and bites instead of typical jerky and meat sticks. He talks about how his daughter being born was an influence in terms of what he should feed her and feed himself. While Aaron and Prabal have different reasons for wanting more chicken snacks on the market, they both understand the importance of meat snacks using clean ingredients, free of items such as nitrites and MSG. Prabal then discusses the future of Brave Good Kind as well as what he sees for the future of meat snacks.
This week on The Appropriate Omnivore, host Aaron Zober welcomes Sam Binkley to the podcast. Sam discusses how her career path lead her to found Healthy on You, which sells organic spices all with names based on popular songs. Sam began with “No Woman No Spice”, a Jamaican jerk spice which was an ode to her Jamaican heritage. Healthy on You now has 20 different blends. Sam talks about the many ways music plays a role in her life. Aaron and Sam both get into how music is important while they cook. San then mentions what spices we can expect from Healthy on You in the future and other types of products her brand is planning on expanding into. Plus Sam shares the ways which Healthy on You goes beyond what other organic companies do as it focuses on very clean and simple ingredients.
This week on The Appropriate Omnivore podcast, Aaron Zober welcomes Anna Vocino of Eat Happy Kitchen. Anna is both an author with her cookbooks "Eat Happy" & "Eat Happy Too" and a CPG entrepreneur with her product line Eat Happy Kitchen. Anna shares her story of becoming an entrepreneur at a young age as she was raised by a single mother and needed money in her pocket for yummy food. Anna currently wears many other hats as well. She's also a voice over artist and standup comic. She jokes about being diagnosed with Celiac's disease for it was cool. Hating all of the gluten free options, she started making her own dishes and blogging about them. After hosting a podcast, she shifted her focus from gluten free to grain free. Anna discusses the origins of the recipes she created. Plus how both her Italian heritage and California influence played a major role in her cooking. Aaron also gets her to talk about her venture into CPG, what we can expect from Anna in the future with both more cookbooks and more products from Eat Happy Kitchen, and all the ways that a low carb/grain free diet has helped her live healthier and happier life.
Aaron Zober devotes another podcast of The Appropriate Omnivore to his love of butter. The episode, it’s combined with his advocacy for raw dairy. Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) executive director Alexia Kulwiec joins him to discuss legalizing raw butter sales across state lines. Alexia talks about the petition filed by California dairy farmer Mark McAfee and the FTCLDF and where we go from the upheld ban issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals last year. Alexia then delves into why she sees raw butter as safe to sell across state lines as well as why all daw dairy should be legal on a national level. Aaron and Alexia converse in how we can make raw milk safe and the importance of keeping it legal. The podcast concludes with Alexia discussing further developments in law milk legislation in various states and if she sees us heading in the right or wrong direction in terms of legally obtaining raw milk.
The Appropriate Omnivore podcast host Aaron Zober says he can spread butter on any food he likes. For this episode, he brings on a guest who shares this sentiment. While working as a fine chef, Michael came up with the idea of a chef-to-shelf CPG business for flavored butter, which became known as Churn Foods. At the time, he didn't see any others being offered nationwide. While there are some flavored butters on the market now, none of them go for sustainable sourcing like Michael does with organic grass fed butter. He also sources relatively local in terms of getting butter from his home state of California. Michael delves into what it's like producing a gourmet butter as the market is changing and more people are consuming butter. What foods do the various flavored Churn butters pair well with? Can you savor the Churn flavors by themselves? And what can we expect for future flavors from Churn as well as products outside of butter and maybe even expansion beyond CPG? All of this and more as Aaron and Michael share their love of butter and other fine foods.
Nakisa Nowroozi makes her return to the Appropriate Omnivore podcast to discuss her new brand Luv Maman Superfood. Luv Maman sells organic sprouted seed spreads, including ones with mixed ghee. Nakisa gets into how the word superfood is often misused while explaining what she defines as a real superfood. Mislabeled superfoods are why she started making her own. Nakisa and host Aaron Zober find they share many of the same views when it comes to what real, healthy food is. They go through a whole variety of food topics in this episode, including sprouted foods, ghee, the GAPS diet, natural sweeteners, sugar alcohols, gluten free products, and natural flavors. Nakisa mentions what products we can expect from Luv Maman in the future, including keto products different than what we're used to seeing on the market.
Super Bowl Sunday is coming up this weekend. Appropriate Omnivore host Aaron Zober loves this holiday both due to it being the big game for his favorite sport plus a time when he can serve all of his favorite sustainable snack foods. This year's Super Bowl episode focuses on crackers with Donn Kelly, co-founder of The Dr. in the Kitchen, maker of Flackers flax seed crackers. Donn co-founded the company with Dr. Alison Levitt M.D. as she did integrative medicine and had clients on the side. The focus of Flackers is gluten free crackers made with sprouted seeds. Flackers also recently launched a line made with the ancient grain fonio. Donn talks about the process of making a great tasting cracker and the importance of Flackers' various certifications. Plus Donn gets into what products we can expect from Flackers in the future. And Don and Aaron discuss what to pair Flackers with at your Super Bowl parties this Sunday.
The Appropriate Omnivore kicks off its new season in 2023, talking about what else? Locally sourced meat. Aaron welcomes Nick Wallace, co-founder of 99 Counties, to the program. 99 Counties delivers local and sustainable beef, pork, and poultry to the front doors of people living in the midwest. Nick tells his story of overcoming serious health issues as he had a father who worked with farmers in the organic industry and learned about the Weston A. Price Foundation. This led Nick to do local farming using traditional grazing methods and starting 99 Counties. 99 Counties sees regenerative agriculture as the key to solving many of our problems. Nick explains how he defines regenerative agriculture. Aaron then asks Nick about where we can see 99 Counties expanding as a far as both territories and other products, including produce, prepared foods, and honey.
This week on The Appropriate Omnivore, Aaron talks to Joshua Rood; co-founder, CEO, and managing director of Dr. Hops. Dr. Hops is an organic beverage in the ever growing market of hard kombucha. Aaron and Joshua delve into who high alcohol kombucha is targeted toward and the benefits of it. Joshua explains the sourcing of all of their ingredients and the transparency of what goes into Dr. Hops. Joshua then talks about the different flavors of Dr. Hops with Aaron suggesting some ideas for future flavors. Joshua then brings up some other possible beverages we could expect from Dr. Hops. All this plus Joshua lets know exactly who this Dr. Hops is!
Having been a guest on The Appropriate Omnivore podcast 10 years ago, Aaron Zober welcomes back Chris Kerston. When Chris was previously on the show, he had been working on a farm. Chris now works for the Savory Institute heading their Land to Market program. Chris talks about how he originally got into got into agriculture and then regenerative agriculture. He next explains how Land to Market works in terms of certifying products with Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) for being regenerative. In addition to meat products, Land to Mark has also given EOV to apparel made from grass fed leather. Chris explains what's needed for crop products to be certified by Land to Market and why many aren't. Aaron and Chris share in how they're both devoted to products on the consumer level and how working with the marketplace is needed to push the message of regenerative agriculture.
For Aaron's latest podcast, he welcomes on Hart Dairy marketing manager Mandy Schulz. Hart Dairy is another brand he discovered at the Natural Products Expo West last month. Being a new company, they exhibited for the first time at the show. Mandy explains to Aaron everything that Hart Dairy has to offer in terms of how they do dairy right. Hart Dairy is a farm in the ever expanding arena of regenerative agriculture. They also have their cows grazing outside on the grass 365 days a year. Additionally, Hart Dairy is non-GMO and humane certified. Mandy tells Aaron the details about all of them and makes him extremely pleased at how they're raising the bar for dairy standards.
For the latest episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, Aaron welcomes on Big Picture Foods co-founder Sotiris Kitrilakis. Big Pictures produces on Aaron’s favorite things to eat — olives. These are olives different from what we typically see on the market. Most of the olives available in supermarkets aren’t fully fermented and have chemical products added into them. Sotiris tells the stories of how each of the different types of olives go through the traditional fermentation process. In addition to being truly fermented, the olives are also grown using regenerative agriculture. More recently Big Picture Foods has expanded into regenerative and fermented peppers and capers, two foods also long overdue. Plus Sotiris tells the listeners what other products Big Picture Foods has in development.
Aaron's guest for this episode of the Appropriate Omnivore is Rich Pauwels, founder of Rich Nuts. Rich begins with his story of going from being a firefighter to selling sprouted nuts. Rich talks about the health benefits of sprouting nuts, how they improved his health and how they can improve yours. In addition to the nuts being sprouted, they're also certified organic and sourced from regenerative farms. Rich concludes with telling Aaron what it means for Rich Nuts to be a triple bottom line business.
Aaron welcomes author Alex Lewin to the Appropriate Omnivore podcast. Alex recently released the second edition of his book Real Food Fermentation. Real Food Fermentation is both a book about fermentation and a cookbook with many recipes of popular ferments. Alex delves into the books he read which led him to learning about fermentation. He discusses how with the pandemic, many people turned to fermentation. Alex even talks about the possibility of a certain ferment being able to help with COVID. Aaron and Alex then discuss how to ferment correctly, their favorite types of ferments, and foods that many don't realize are fermented.
For the latest episode of The Appropriate Omnivore podcast, Aaron Zober does something a little bit different. As Aaron attended the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim last week, he recaps the highlights. No guests. Just Aaron talking about the takeaways he discovered in terms of natural food trends and new products. What's in and out in the sustainable food world? How does the show rank in terms of meat products vs. plant products? And how does Aaron feel about all of this? Plus while no main interview, Aaron does play sound bites taken on the floor of Expo West with his favorite exhibitors saying what they thought of the show.
For his latest podcast, Aaron Zober welcomes Lisa Steele to The Appropriate Omnivore. Lisa is a fifth-generation chicken keeper and runs the blog Fresh Eggs Daily. She’s also the author of the recently released “The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook”. Aaron and Lisa discuss everything people should know about eggs: why they're good for you, what labels to look for when buying, what shell and yolk colors mean, and why you should raise backyard hens. Aaron and Lisa also talk about their favorite types of egg dishes, including some dishes you might not have heard of and foods you wouldn't necessarily think to put eggs in.
Aaron Zober welcomes olive oil professional David Neuman to The Appropriate Omnivore podcast. David has a career in the natural food industry in numerous areas from supermarkets to cereal to his long and current involvement in olive oil. David sells his olive oil through EVOOGuy.com and authored the upcoming book "Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The Truth in Your Kitchen". Extra virgin olive oil is one of the foods which is most often defective. Aaron asks David all of the question about what makes your olive oil rancid from the production of it to when it gets into your kitchen. Aaron also asks David about the labels we often see. Do they help at all in choosing better olive oil? Are some of them meaningless? Are there labels we need which aren't on the olive oil bottles? David then gets into how to find real extra virgin olive oil, including tasting it for yourself.
Aaron welcomes Dr. Nakisa Nowroozi to The Appropriate Omnivore podcast. Naskisa has a PhD is in cell and molecular biology and masters in biochemistry. She currently teaches anatomy and physiology at Orange Coast College. She also founded Nourishality, which produces grain free nutrition bars and energy balls. Nakisa gets into how she makes her treats to be the most nutrient dense by using sprouted nuts, natural sweeteners, and organic ingredients. In addition to making the bars and balls with real food, Nourishality also strives to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The products have green and net zero certifications. And Nakisa is very transparent about everything that goes into her foods. She openly tells Aaron the sources of her ingredients. All of this plus what Nakisa and Aaron see for the future of better snack food.
It’s the first Appropriate Omnivore podcast of the 2022 season. Aaron Zober kicks off the new year as one of his favorite holidays is soon approaching - Super Bowl Sunday. The day is also observed as National Pork Rind Appreciation Day, being that the football is referred to as the pig skin and pork rinds are the perfect Super Bowl snack. To discuss this wonderful carnivorous food, Aaron brings on Field Trip co-founder Tom Donigan. Tom gets into how Field Trip got started, what he looks for in terms of farmers and ranchers to partner with, and how they decide on the right ingredients for all of their products. In addition to pork rinds, Field Trip also produces jerky, meat sticks, and chickpea butter. All of their foods, both meat and veggie, make for perfect Super Bowl treats. Tom also discusses how the business has changed now that all of the co-founders have families. Plus Aaron and Tom state their choices of who they’d like to see win the Super Bowl.
For the last podcast of 2021, Aaron Zober welcomes Scott Lively to The Appropriate Omnivore podcast. Scott was working in IT before getting into the organic grass fed beef industry. He founded Dakota Grass Fed Beef and now runs the grass fed beef company Raise American. He also recently released the book "For the Love of Beef: The Good, the Bad and the Future of America’s Favorite Meat". His book covers everything about beef from the different cuts to the benefits of being grass fed. Aaron asks Scott about what inspired him to write it. Aaron then has Scott get into the parts of the book which intrigued him the most, such as if we need to worry about E. coli, the importance (or lack thereof) of all the different labels, the roles processing plants play, and what are the underrated cuts of beef. Aaron and Scott conclude things with what they see as the future of grass fed beef.
With the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) having just occurred, Aaron Zober welcomes Seth Itzkan of Soil4Climate (https://www.facebook.com/groups/Soil4Climate) to The Appropriate Omnivore podcast. Seth is an environmental futurist advocating for holistic land management in order to reverse climate change. He makes a visit to the show having just been to the U.N. Food Systems Summit where he and his team presented a paper on regenerative agriculture. After the Food Systems Summit he also attended COP26 and was able to address people there about holistic management. As he's on a program called The Appropriate Omnivore, Aaron has him address the meaty issue of why animals are needed for regenerative agriculture and reducing carbon emissions. Seth then gets into what foods we need to eat less of and what he'd like to see as the theme for next year's Climate Change Conference.
Aaron Zober welcomes Leah Segedie of the blog Mamavation to The Appropriate Omnivore podcast. Leah runs a successful blog reaching millions of American women annually about the hormone-disrupting chemicals their families are exposed to and how reduce that exposure. Recently, Leah has been focusing perflurochemicals or PFAs as they're commonly referred to. They’re also known as forever chemicals because they build in up in your body from consuming products with them and remain in your body for several years. The first type of food Leah discovered often contains PFAs is ketchup. She then gets into other products were PFAs are found. This includes products used in food preparation or cooking, such as parchment paper and water filtration systems. Leah mentions what other types foods she's looking at examining for PFAs. Plus with Halloween having recently taken place, Aaron and Leah share what they see as better candy to hand out to trick-or-treaters.
Aaron Zober welcomes back Pam Schoenfeld of Women and Family Nutrition to The Appropriate Omnivore podcast. Pam talks about vitamin A, a vitamin which has been overlooked in terms of its importance. She gets into all of the health benefits of vitamin A, especially with vision and pregnancy. Pam says liver is the best source of vitamin A. As many people are afraid to try liver, Aaron and Pam share ways to make it taste better. Pam then talks about other animal based foods which are good sources of vitamin A and if plant foods can provide all of the needs of it. Aaron also asks Pam about getting vitamin A through supplements, whether it's through the desiccated liver capsules or the vitamin supplements themselves.
Aaron Zober brings on Tim Richards to The Appropriate Omnivore podcast. Tim recently rebranded The Philosopher’s Stoneground as Philosopher Foods. Philosopher Foods makes organic craft almond and coconut butters. Tim talks about everything almond farming. Conventional almond farming is one of the most unsustainable types of agriculture with its heavy use of water and pesticides. Tim explains though that we don’t need to give up our love for almonds as they can be grown sustainably. He then gets into how almonds have many health benefits. Philosopher Foods also produces coconut butter. While the coconuts currently used come from regenerative agriculture, Tim gets into his quest to use regenerative almonds. Plus Tim talks about issues related with using truly raw almonds and what products we can expect from Philosopher Foods in the future.
With Halloween soon approaching, Aaron Zober brings on Sweet Apricity founder Tonya Butts. Tonya had been following the paleo diet for several years. After creating a caramel which her friend on the autoimmune protocol (AIP) diet could eat, Sweet Apricity was born. Tonya has since expanded into other caramel product along with marshmallows using grass fed gelatin. Tonya talks about how she's been able to make the cleanest sweets without using refined sugar, grains, dairy, or even any emulsifying agents such as guar gum or xantham gum. Tonya then explains what she looks for in terms of sourcing her ingredients. Tonya talks as well about future plans for sourcing to make the products even more sustainable. Aaron and Tonya then discuss Halloween, the best options for eating real sweets, and what to hand out to trick-or-treaters.
Aaron Zober welcomes on Dave Greening, chief executive and general manager of the Organic Meat Company to The Appropriate Omnivore. The Organic Meat Company is one of the first organic companies and one of the companies which inspired Aaron to first get into sustainable food, especially sustainable meat. Dave shares his experiences from having several generations in his family farming in Wisconsin to working for various food companies in Wisconsin to where he is now at OMC. OMC is one of the largest providers of organic pasture raised beef, poultry, pork, and dairy through its labels Organic Prairie and Organic Valley. In addition to being organic, they also have prided themselves on being grass fed, pasture raised, and regenerative. Dave talks about the how being organic, pasture raised, and regenerative all work together. He gets into what Organic Prairie is doing to become more regenerative and more overall sustainable in their practices. Plus Dave talks about what kind of future products they're looking at developing and what he sees as the overall future of regenerative and organic agriculture.
On this episode of The Appropriate Omnivore, Aaron Zober delves into how restaurants are becoming more sustainable. To discuss sourcing regenerative, organic, and natural ingredients for a restaurant, he welcomes Brad Kent to the program. Brad previously founded Blaze Pizza and Olio Wood Fired Pizzeria. His upcoming restaurant Bagel + Slice will also feature pizza, but will differ with serving bagels as well and its focus on sustainability. Brad talks about how he got into the restaurant industry in the first place and how his upcoming venture is all about caring for the environment from the ingredients sourced to the energy used in the operation to the use of Ozone treatment for the restaurant. In addition, Brad stresses the importance of paying employees well, charging affordable prices for his food, and serving the Highland Park community of Los Angeles.
On The Appropriate Omnivore, Aaron Zober stresses the importance of knowing your farmer. Now Aaron makes the case to know your baker so you know the ingredients they source and the processes they take in making the baked goods. To demonstrate how to know your baker, Aaron welcomes Lisa McCullough Roark. Lisa is the founder of the Topanga Grain Company, which she sell at Aaron’s local farmers market. Lisa stresses the importance of using organic ingredients and whole grain in her bread. She goes through all of the steps in making it from milling the fresh grains to the fermentation process. Lisa also delves into the successful health stories she’s seen with her family and her customers from eating her sourdough creations plus how it's important for her to make the sourdough taste great along with being natural and healthy.
Aaron Zober welcomes back Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA) founder and executive Judith McGeary for her third visit to The Appropriate Omnivore. As FARFA supports common sense agricultural policies, Judith weighs in on California’s Proposition 12. Prop 12 goes into effect at the beginning of 2022. The initiative will prohibit farm owners and operators from knowingly causing any covered animal to be confined in a cruel manner. Judith is here to answer any questions about how the proposition will affect the livestock industry. How do the big meat producers feel about it? Will it have any effect on small pasture based farms? Will we really be having meat shortages like we’re hearing about? Judith McGeary address all of these issues and more.
For this episode, Aaron Zober welcomes Sharon Brown of Bonafide Provisions onto the program. Aaron first met Sharon back in 2012 at the Wise Traditions Conference. At that time, Sharon was just launching her bone broth business. Bonafide Provisions' frozen real bone broth is now sold at supermarkets nationally. Sharon shares her experience of going from healing her son's health issues to becoming a clinical nutritionist to launching a bone broth business. Sharon talks about Bonafide's recently launched shelf stable broths. She explains why her company expanded into that area as well as releasing their first veggie broth. Sharon then gets into what plant based really means and why it's important we all need to include a good amount of plants in our diet. Sharon mentions other important foods and supplements to consume and how her family has maintained a healthy lifestyle by eating real food.
Aaron Zober welcomes registered dietician Laura Poe Mathes to his podcast. Laura explains how she sees benefited having learned both conventional nutrition and the functional nutrition with traditional foods which she practices now. A major principle of her current nutritional counseling is maintaining good gut health. She explains why she focuses a lot on the gut and how introducing foods you may not be consuming are a big part of healing it. Aaron and Laura discuss making nutrient dense foods yourself vs. buying them. They both agree we're seeing better options of real foods at supermarkets. Laura recommends eating all kinds of fermented foods, broths, organ meats, and digestive bitter. In the show, she delves into how all of these are key in your journey to a healthy gut.
Aaron Zober welcomes registered dietician Laura Poe Mathes to his podcast. Laura explains how she sees benefited having learned both conventional nutrition and the functional nutrition with traditional foods which she practices now. A major principle of her current nutritional counseling is maintaining good gut health. She explains why she focuses a lot on the gut and how introducing foods you may not be consuming are a big part of healing it. Aaron and Laura discuss making nutrient dense foods yourself vs. buying them. They both agree we're seeing better options of real foods at supermarkets. Laura recommends eating all kinds of fermented foods, broths, organ meats, and digestive bitter. In the show, she delves into how all of these are key in your journey to a healthy gut.
Aaron Zober is joined by fourth generation farmers Blake & Stephanie Alexandre of Alexandre Family Farm to talk about all things dairy. Blake & Stephanie discuss the breakthrough in the dairy industry known as A2 milk, which many have found easier to digest. Like many real foods, this is going back to what food used to. Traditionally, only the A2 protein was found in dairy until mutation occurring over the years and creating the A1 protein. The majority of people diagnosed with lactose intolerance are actually A1 intolerant. Blake & Stephanie then get into busting other dairy myths, such as claims about methane and saturated fat. Along with A2 milk, Alexandre Farm is also known for its excellent pasture raised eggs under the label Alexandre Kids. Blake & Stephanie explain just why it's called that plus more about what we can expect from Alexandre Family Farm now and in the future.
Aaron Zober welcomes author Nicolette Hahn Niman to his program. Nicolette recently released the second edition of her groundbreaking book "Defending Beef", which blew the lid off against all the myths surrounding the environmental and health claims against beef. Nicolette explains the reason she's released a new version of her book with updated information. She then gets into the details debunking claims of cattle and methane, insufficient land, and intensive water use. Nicolette talks about how cattle are important to soil science, which there's a growing focus on. In addition to letting people know about all of the environmental benefits of beef, Nicolette also delves into the importance of beef to human health and even the ethics of eating meat.
Aaron Zober celebrates National Ice Cream Month on his podcast by bringing on Alec Jaffe, founder and CEO of Alec’s Ice Cream. Alec gets into how he made ice cream in the first place and what led to forming his business. Aaron and Alec both agree that grass fed ice cream still largely untapped market in the natural foods world. Alec makes his grass fed ice cream stand out from the other by targeting the more demanding customers of premium ice creams whereas other ice creams are devoted to kids. Alec explains what he looks for in farms to partner with, all the ways his company is sustainable, and what we can expect from Alec’s Ice Cream in the future.
Aaron Zober is joined by clinical nutritionist Sara Keough of Eco Nutrition. Sara's practice focuses on having her clients be healthy by eating food which is both nutrient dense and environmentally sustainable. Aaron and Sara both see grass fed pasture raised meats as important for a person's health and for the health of the planet. Yet some are confused by their messages and ask both of them if they recommend these fake meats such as Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat. While Aaron and Sara see that there's no one size fits all diet and are okay with people being vegetarian or vegan if it works for an individual, they break down why these fake meats aren't the correct way to do a plant based diet. Sara shares her take as both a nutritionist and a consultant on regenerative agriculture as to why the fake meats are bad both for in terms of health and sustainability.
One of Aaron’s favorite foods has always been eggs. Like all foods, Aaron looks for the most sustainable. He brings on Ryan Miller, co-owner and president of Farmers Hen House, which is one of Aaron’s favorite pasture raised eggs. Farmers Hen House is sustainable in many ways from its eggs being organic and pasture raised to the solar power on the farms to even its compostable cartons. Another amazing feature of Farmers Hen House is its QR codes on the cartons, which uses a blockchain technology to trace where the eggs came from. Plus Ryan lets the listeners know all about the different certifications Farmers Hen House and what we can expect from them in the future.
The Appropriate Omnivore podcast reaches its 100th episode. To celebrate this momentous occasion, Aaron Zober brings back to his most frequent guests, Hannah Crum of Kombucha Kamp and Monica Ford of Real Food Devotee. The three have a round table discussion on the past, present, and future of real food. All three of them now live in Los Angeles and have attended many events in person, but they all lived in other places before moving west. They each share their stories of what brought them to Southern California, how they first learned about real food, and how their businesses have evolved. They then get into how they see their businesses and the world of real food currently. Aaron, Hannah, and Monica conclude with what types of organic and sustainable practices they'd like to see more of and predictions for what real food will be like 10 years from now.
For National Dairy Month, Aaron Zober is joined by Nicola O’Connell of the excellent Irish dairy farm Truly Grass Fed. Truly Grass Fed is known for its cows grazing outside on the lush green grasses of Ireland. They produce two of Aaron's favorite dairy products, butter and cheese. Nicola explains how the company is a coop of small family dairy farms. She lets Aaron know what they look for in terms of farms to be part of the coop. Nicola then gets into what it means for Truly Grass Fed to be 95% grass fed and what’s involved with their Certified Animal Welfare Approved label by A Greener World. Aaron hears from Nicola about what we can expect from Truly Grass Fed in the future in terms of new products, new certifications, and new research studies on dairy.
One of the grow trends in sustainable meat are butcher shops. Eagle Yu of the upcoming Los Angeles butcher shop Meat and Essentials joins Aaron on the Appropriate Omnivore podcast. Eagle tells the listeners all about how he got into butchery in the first place and what people can expect at his shop. Eagle delves into where he'll be sourcing his meats from. Aaron and Eagle share in what they think makes meat sustainable in terms of local and regional farms, practices of how the livestock is raised, and regenerative agriculture certifications. Aaron and Eagle then get into what they hope will be the future of sustainable meats and butcher shops where you can buy them.
It’s Valentine’s Day on The Appropriate Omnivore, so Aaron brings on Moksha Chocolate co-founder Michael Caines to talk about the amazing food associated with this holiday. Moksha Chocolate is made in Colorado from the farm collective they own Peru. Michael discusses the sustainability of his farm and how it operates as a collective. Moksha has many different types of chocolate. This is includes their CBD chocolates. Michael explains what’s wonderful about CBD and how it differs from cannabis. Another popular chocolate of Moksha is their white chocolate, but this isn’t the typical processed white chocolate you’re used to seeing at the checkout line in supermarkets. Michael gets into how the Moksha white chocolate uses real ingredients. Plus Michael recommends which Moksha’s offerings are the best to get your loved one for Valentine’s Day.
The Appropriate Omnivore is all about sustainability in food, but reducing food waste is also a major part of sustainability. Aaron welcomes Dinesh of Incredible to the program. Incredible makes spoons, which instead of throwing away, you eat at the end. Dinesh discusses the growth of his company. Incredible’s original focus was on restaurants and now they’re targeting the consumer. Their spoons come in several different flavors and they’re looking at expanding into other types of silverware. Dinesh then gets into all of the ways his business is sustainable, which foods work best with the different flavors of the spoons, and the shelf life of Incredible products. Dinesh explains how does also recommend reusable silverware when you can.
For the first Appropriate Omnivore podcast of 2021, Aaron Zober is joined by Shannon Brescher Shea. Shannon is author of the book "Growing Sustainable Together". Shannon's book is all about having children learn more about sustainability. The second chapter of her book focuses specifically on teaching kids how to garden. Shannon talks both about how children in general can be more in touch with the planet by knowing where their food comes from and how it has specifically impacted her own two sons. Experience shows that kids are likely to eat a larger variety of fruits and vegetables if they're involved with growing the food themselves. For children who aren't able to have a garden at their home or their schools, Aaron and Shannon delve into other ways kids can be more in touch with what they eat with options such as CSAs or farmers markets.
The latest episode of the COVID-19 subseries of The Appropriate Omnivore focuses on baking. While sheltering at home, many have learned to bake during the pandemic. Even better, many are baking sourdough and using ancient grains. So Aaron Zober brings on Montana farmer Bob Quinn, who introduced the ancient wheat known as khorasan to the world and trademarked it as KAMUT. Bob gets into the problems modern wheat has which makes it unable to digest it for many. He then discusses KAMUT's practices to produce healthy and sustainable grains. KAMUT is not only organic, but also uses regenerative agriculture. Bob then mentions the various brands which use KAMUT. Aaron brings up how he loves the Eden Foods KAMUT pasta. In addition to KAMUT, Bob Quinn sells a cold pressed organic safflower oil under the name The Oil Barn. Bob explains the advantages of safflower oil and why it needs to be cold pressed. Bob also lets the listeners know what bakeries we can find in Montana with KAMUT baked goods. Aaron ends the program having Bob talk about some KAMUT products available overseas which he'd like to see available in the United States.
The Appropriate Omnivore subseries on the COVID 19 pandemic continues, this time discussing food delivery. Food delivery has seen huge a growth during the pandemic. Aaron brings Monica Ford of the Los Angeles delivery service Real Food Devotee back to the program. Monica’s has been thriving in the delivery business long before everybody was talking about it. Monica gets into which menu items of hers have seen in an increase since the pandemic. Aaron talks with Monica about the correlation between people being concerned about the pandemic and people wanting to eat healthier, which is a big benefit for Real Food Devotee with its offerings such as bone broth and sauerkraut. Aaron and Monica then get into what this new popularity for delivery services means for the future of supermarkets, restaurants and any other food related delivery business. Will this be the new normal? Additionally, Monica talks about how she’s taking the precautions to make sure everything in her facilities is sanitary. This is something she was also ahead of the curve on before the pandemic as hygiene is extra important when it comes to fermentation.
The Appropriate Omnivore continues its coverage of access to real food during the COVID-19 pandemic, Aaron turns to the topic of meat shortages. One way meat shortages can be avoided is a bill proposed in Congress a while back called the Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption (PRIME) Act. The PRIME Act allows farms access to custom slaughterhouses, which currently only people such as hunters and homesteaders can legally use. Aaron brings on Judith McGeary, an attorney, activist, and sustainable livestock farmer in Texas. Judith is also founder and director of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, which supports common sense agricultural policies such as the PRIME Act. FARFA has been pushing for the PRIME Act since it was first introduced by Congress in 2015. Judith explains the problem with the current system of meat processing plants and how things would be changed by passing the PRIME Act. As a farmer herself, Judith has witnessed the long waits to get her livestock into the processing facilities. Aaron and Judith delve into the general safety concerns with meat processing. With overall concerns of safety during the pandemic, that's another reason to pass the PRIME Act. Aaron also takes some time to ask Judith her thoughts on the Farm System Reform Act, which would ban factory farms.
In the second Appropriate Omnivore podcast during the time of the pandemic, Aaron Zober brings on Mac Anderson, a co-founder of Cleveland Kitchen. Aaron is pleased to see a successful natural foods business from his hometown. Mac tells the story of how the business came to be as it was originally called Cleveland Kraut and how they made the transition to it becoming Cleveland Kitchen. Mac and the other co-founders felt after making krauts, they wanted to be the first to make truly fermented salad dressings. And the news of the name change and the salad dressing launches all happened as everybody was quarantining. Mac shares his experience of how he’s been able to promote Cleveland Kitchen over the Internet and social media as the food conventions have all been cancelled. He then gets into describing the precautions Cleveland Kraut is taking with their employees to stay safe. Aaron and Mac discuss how with health being the top priority of people right now, more people are becoming interested in natural foods and many to sauerkraut specifically. Aaron and Mac also share their thoughts on grocery and restaurant delivery. And they get into what the future of the food and restaurant industries could be like post pandemic.
For the first Appropriate Omnivore podcast since we've all been quarantined at home, functional medicine physician Dr. Deborah Gordon from Ashland, OR makes a return to the program. Aaron asks her all of the questions in building immunity to the coronavirus during the time of this pandemic from nutrition to supplements to exercise to vaccines. Dr. Deborah talks about the importance of animal protein to stay immune, but also emphasizes the importance of fruits and vegetables, especially vegetables. Aaron and Dr. Deborah agree that one of the most important types of vegetables are the cruciferous ones. They talk about how roasting them is both a way to consume the optimal nutrition out of them and make them taste better. Aaron shares how he didn't like eating them until discovering the wonders of roasting. Deborah also stresses not to consume too many sugars and avoid all if possible. Additionally, Dr. Deborah gets into how social distancing and sheltering at home have been changing her medical practice.
The Appropriate Omnivore welcomes actor, producer, and adventurer David Moscow to the program. David Moscow hosts the series From Scratch on the FYI Network. On each episode, he literally makes his food from scratch. David doesn’t just buy every ingredient to cook, but he travels all over the world to hunt, gather, dive, forage, and grow the ingredients and then cooks and prepares the meal. David discusses what inspired him to make the episode from what's happening in the world to going to back to how his grandfather got his meals. Some of the most interesting discoveries David had were learning about apples being used as a sweetener and how salt was once used to preserve food. He tells Aaron how hunting his own food has changed him. David and Aaron discuss if his show can change the way we look at food and get more people to make things from scratch. They delve into how this can be done for those who like living in the city. And David gives a little preview of topics he'd like to cover if there are more seasons of From Scratch.
Hannah Crum returns once again to The Appropriate Omnivore, being the first of any guest to be in the interview seat for a total of five times. This time she's here to promote World Kombucha Day, a holiday taking place on February 21 to celebrate the wonderful beverage of kombucha. Hannah gives an update as to how the world of kombucha has evolved since she first started Kombucha Kamp. Hannah now has additionally created the Kombucha Brewers International, a trade association for commercial kombucha brewers. Plus she holds an annual KombuchaKon for the kombucha industry. Aaron and Hannah discuss how the market continues to expand with more kombucha options available at stores, kombucha taprooms, and even kombucha being served at sports stadiums. Hannah tells the listeners how they can take part in World Kombucha Day. And Hannah gets Aaron to do something no other guest has done before - sing. All of this and more in this new Appropriate Omnivore KombuchaKast.
As January is known as Hot Tea Month, The Appropriate Omnivore devotes its first podcast of 2020 to organic tea. Aaron invites Casino Opte, founder of META, to discuss all the health benefits of tea. Casino explains why tea, especially organic tea, is a constantly growing beverage in the natural foods market. He explains how META began, where it is now, and what we can expect from them in the future. META also mentions how he came from the sustainability end into the organic tea business. Because of this, META is not only sustainable with its sourcing of organic tea, but also by selling all of its tea in customized glass jars and recyclable tins in order to keep the oceans plastic free.
Pamela Schoenfeld, author of the book "The Collagen Diet", makes an appearance with Aaron Zober to discuss everything about the hot product on the natural foods market which is collagen and all of its health benefits. Pamela explains that people don't necessarily need to consume the collagen protein powders in order to get the needed amount of collagen in their diet and mentions some of the foods they can consume instead. But if they decide collagen powders are the way to go, Aaron asks Pamela about her thoughts on what to look for and some questions on specific collagen products currently available. Additionally, Pamela lets the listeners know more about her practice Women and Family Nutrition and The Weston A. Price Foundation where she serves on the board handling government relations.
Glen Burrows of the upcoming grass fed meat delivery service The Ethical Butcher joins Aaron Zober as they discuss their thoughts on the recent documentary The Game Changers, which athletes supposedly say they thrived on a vegan diet. Glen breaks down all of the major arguments in the documentary, proving how flawed each and every one of them is. Starting with discussing the trailer which says Roman Gladiators were vegetarians, he explains what the gladiators were really like. Glen points out that the documentary is careful not to say vegan, but plant based instead. But what does plant based really mean? Glen talks about how he researched all of the athletes in Game Changers and found out which ones of them are still on a vegan diet. He gets into the ridiculous studies in the film. And Glen and Aaron talk about how The Game Changers is wrong by saying all meat is bad for the planet and why we should be eating grass fed beef instead products like Beyond Meat or The Impossible Burger.
As the fall season is about to start and people will soon return to the normal schedules, many have trouble maintaining and living healthy lifestyles. That's where this month's guest Ellen Jaworski of Triple Peak Wellness comes in. Ellen is a holistic health coach who helps busy, successful women with losing weight. Ellen tells her personal story of going from working long hours in the entertainment industry and eating healthy to then transforming her life and become a health practitioner so that she can help other women in return. Ellen shares with Aaron some tips when first transitioning to real food and then how people can continue eating clean as a lifestyle. Ellen and Aaron also discuss the many different types of diets and lifestyles within the ancestral health community. Plus they talk about the merits of different labels and terms we give to healthy eating and if they're appropriate or not.
August is known as National Sandwich Month. As today's modern bread has so many problems, Aaron Zober interviews Monica Ford to talk about how einkorn sourdough bread offers both the traditional way of fermenting dough and uses the ancient grain einkorn which even some people with gluten sensitivity can handle. Einkorn sourdough bread is one of the many items on Monica's extensive menu for her home delivery service Real Food Devotee. Monica talks about her health story success of eliminating her allergies plus coming from a family in the restaurant business and how she's now paying it forward and offering everybody a chance to have real food delivered to their homes. Aaron gives Monica a chance to also bring up her other offerings which would go well with her einkorn bread to make the perfect sandwich. And if you're paleo or can't digest any wheat, she's got a gluten free bread made of almond and coconut flour Monica then closes the show out talking about her bone broths and how you can buy them in stores and even in a cafe where you can order it just like coffee.
San Diego will soon be having its first kombucha festival known as Boochfest. Boochfest will be open to the public allowing people to learn more about this wonderful probiotic beverage and to have the opportunity to taste various flavors from over 20 brands all based on the west coast. Aaron Zober interviews Boochfest creators Nick Angulo and Ivory Melone. Nick and Ivory tell their stories about how they discovered kombucha, leading to the birth of the upcoming festival. With Aaron, they let the listeners know some of the highlights to expect at Boochfest, such as the hard booch lounge with high alcoholic content kombucha. They also discuss why kombucha is so successful and what the future holds for one of everybody's favorite ferments.
Aaron Zober continues the All About the Beef series as he know talks about the rise of the sustainable butcher shop. He brings on the show, Jeff Perez and Ruben Perez, who opened a shop right in his Los Angeles neighborhood. Jeff and Ruben discuss how they got into starting up a butcher shop and how they go about sourcing sustainable meat. Aaron, Jeff, and Ruben all get into how we're changing as a society to eat meat that's healthier and better for the planet and what needs to be done to transition. Jeff and Ruben also bring up what else you can find at Chops, including sustainable seafood and even shelves and freezers filled with many organic, sustainable options.
The Appropriate Omnivore podcast is back after a long hiatus. Aaron Zober returns doing the series a little bit different this time as he releases several episodes at once with a common theme throughout all of them. His first series is devoted to his favorite protein -- beef. Aaron kicks off the series with Meredith Bell, founder of Autonomy Farms. They talk about why it's important to know your farmer and where your food is coming from. Meredith talks about how she got into farming, all of the different animals she raises, as well as the crops she grows at Autonomy Farms.
Aaron Zober concludes his All about the Beef series with a show devoted to bone broth. In the previous episodes, he focused on the meat. Aaron now reminds people that part of being an appropriate omnivore is using every part of the animals. And using bones from sustainable animals allows you to make healthy, nutrient dense, and flavorful bone broth. He brings on Lance Roll, founder of The Brothery to discuss everything broth related. Lance talks about his training under Paul Chek in the C.H.E.K. Institute and how he became known as The Flavor Chef. All of this led to him beginning his broth business. Aaron and Lance also talk about how the Weston A. Price Foundation has done a lot to bring bone broth to the forefront.
Aaron Zober continues with the All about the Beef series. After talking about fresh meat in the first two episodes, he now switches the focus to frozen meals. Aaron recently discovered that it's possible to find frozen meals that use grass fed beef and other pastured animals, as well as are free of sugar and hard to read ingredients. He talks with Angela Mavridis, the founder and CEO of Tribali Foods. Angela talks about how she got into starting a company which makes frozen grass fed beef patties. It involved her going to Greece and learning about how there they cooking from scratch — using only real organic, local, and heirloom foods. In fact, paleo is a Greek work. Angela talks about all of this led to where she is today and what we can expect from Tribali Foods in the future.
Aaron Zober brings on C.J. Hunt, who wrote, directed, and narrated the documentary "The Perfect Human Diet", which talks about his experience after going into cardiac arrest and searching for the perfect human diet. C.J. had dabbled in vegetarianism and veganism for discovering optimum health with the paleo diet. C.J. Hunt talks about the top professionals he interviewed in his film in the areas of archaeology, anthropology, nutrition, and medicine about how saturated fat has played in an important role in human evolution and why it’s still needed for optimum health. C.J. and Aaron get into the studies of Dr. Weston A. Price and why the WAPF and paleo communities are more similar than what recent articles have said. Aaron and C.J. also discuss why everyone needs to have saturated fat, even if it's hard to get access to truly pastured meat where you live.
Graham Meriwether makes a return visit to The Appropriate Omnivore. Since his last time on the show, his documentary American Meat has been playing all across the country, starting out at farms and community and now at universities, colleges, and other educational institutions as part of the Young Farmer Screening Series. Graham and Aaron discuss how the film covers the topic of pastured meats by being solutions oriented. The two also discuss how pastured meats are now becoming more available to the public and what the future holds for beyond organic farming. Graham also gives the listeners a little info on his next project, which will be about young farmers.
Still not sure about what to do with your Thanksgiving leftovers? The Appropriate Omnivore brings in its go-to chef, Tender Grassfed Meat author Stanley Fishman, to talk about all the types of foods you can cook with the leftover items from the big Thanksgiving meal. Stanley starts off saying what he served for Thanksgiving dinner and then gets into all types of meals you can make with the leftover turkey and other dishes. One of the best things you can make with leftover turkey is a nourishing turkey bone broth. But there are many other great dishes you can turn the leftovers into, including many great ethnic meals. Stanley and Aaron also go into why they keep the tradition a Turkey Day and not a Tofurkey Day.
Jamil Avdiyez joins Aaron as the two recap what was both their first Weston A. Price Wise Traditions conference. The two are members of the Pasadena chapter and have both gotten involved with WAPF in the past year. Like Jamil and Aaron, many have recently joined Weston Price as the conference had its largest attendance yet. Jamil and Aaron discuss what they see as the future for WAPF. They recall their favorite moments from Wise Traditions in terms of the speakers, the exhibitors, the networking, and the food. Jamil also talks about his business High Brix Nutrient Dense Foods and how it relates to the principles of Dr. Weston A. Price.
The Weston A. Price Foundation's 2012 Wise Traditions conference is now less than a week away. The final Wise Traditions speaker in the series is Dr. Deborah Gordon, MD. Dr. Deborah began with a career in conventional medicine, but became disappointed with a number of the ways the field functions. A big one being the lack of emphasis on nutrition. She also became heavily influenced by the Weston A. Price Foundation and the books by Gary Taubes. Dr. Deborah now practices integrative medicine and has a number of areas of focus, such as the benefits of high fat/low carb diets, obesity, and diabetes.
With 2 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's 2012 Wise Traditions conference, The Appropriate Omnivore continues its series of Wise Traditions speakers. The speaker for this episode is Chris Kerston of Chaffin Family Orchards. Chris is a partner for one of the most sustainable farms. Chaffin Family Orchards follows Joel Salatin's beyond organic methods of farming both livestock and crops. Chris talks about the great meat and eggs you can get from his farm, as well excellent olive and olives and what makes them superior to the ones that you'll find in the supermarkets.
With 3 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's 2012 Wise Traditions conference, The Appropriate Omnivore continues its series of Wise Traditions speakers. The speaker for this episode is Hannah Crum of Kombucha Kamp. Hannah both brews kombucha and teaches classes on how to make it yourself. Hannah and Aaron discuss how brewing your own kombucha provides superior nourishment. The two also get into the recent controversy of a student being suspended for having kombucha in his lunch box and explain why it's safe for kids of all age to be drinking kombucha.
With 4 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's 2012 Wise Traditions conference, The Appropriate Omnivore continues its series of Wise Traditions speakers. The speaker for this episode is Brandon Sheard, co-founder of Farmstead Meatmsith. Brandon went from being an English major to starting a meat business with his wife. Brandon's job involves visiting small farms as a butcher. In addition, he teaches classes in on various topics such how to cure your meat and sharpen your knives. He explains what's involved in all of this and how his cutting and curing makes for healthy and sustainable meat.
With 5 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's 2012 Wise Traditions conference, The Appropriate Omnivore continues its series of Wise Traditions speakers. The speaker for this episode is Judith McGeary, founder and executive director of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance. Judith explains about how her legal and farming background helped her start FARFA, which supports independent farms. She's involved with a variety of areas in real food, including farm bills, the right to purchase raw milk, and getting people to know what's behind GMOS.
With 6 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's 2012 Wise Traditions conference, The Appropriate Omnivore continues its series of Wise Traditions speakers. The speaker for this episode is Tara Smith of Tara Firma Farms in Petaluma, CA. Tara talks about how she went from being an executive in the long term care insurance industry to becoming a beyond organic farmer in both meat and produce. She explains how eating food that's farmed sustainably is both healthy and good for the environment. Tara also explains what she defines as beyond organic.
With 7 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's 2012 Wise Traditions conference, The Appropriate Omnivore continues its series of Wise Traditions speakers. The speaker for this episode is Rachel Kaplan, co-author of the book Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills for Sustainable Living. Just what is urban homesteading? Rachel explains how urban homesteading applies to food and to an overall lifestyle. She talks about how she balances being an urban homesteader, giving lectures and writing about it, while also working a full time job as a marriage and family therapist.
With 8 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's 2012 Wise Traditions conference, The Appropriate Omnivore kicks off its series of Wise Traditions speakers. The first in the series is Mark McAfee, who runs Organic Pastures, one of the most sustainable farms around. Mark talks about how Organic Pastures operates to make sure that its raw milk is safe for consumers and its cows are treated in the most humane way. He explains why raw milk is healthier than pasteurized milk. Mark also mentions the other products that Organic Pastures offers and how everything they produce has been because of the customers' requests.
Sandrine Hahn is the founder of the educational organization Nourishing Our Children, an initiative of the San Francisco Weston A. Price Chapter. Sandrine comes to the show to talk about how today's kids aren't eating the proper nutrients as they fall victim to both processed foods and the troubles of the low fat diet. She explains that being healthy for our children starts before birth. Sandrine also talks about how and where you can learn more of what Nourishing Our Children teaches, including her booth at the upcoming Wise Traditions annual conference.
Stanley Fishman, author of the books Tender Grass fed Meat and Tender Grass Barbecue, returns to The Appropriate Omnivore. Just in time for Labor Day, Stanley talk about how grilling your meat in the traditional way is the healthy way to go. Stanley has researched traditional grilling with various cultures and found that the meat should never be cooked directly over the heat. Stanley and Aaron also state why it's best to serve grass fed beef at your picnic on Monday. Going with grass fed beef on Labor Day and any other Monday is a much healthier decision than going meatless for the day.
To Your Health Sprouted Flour owner and founder Peggy Sutton pays a visit to the show. To Your Health is a leader in sprouted flours and sprouted grains. Peggy explains that sprouted grains are what we used to bake with before the Industrial Revolution. She talks about the different varieties of flours and grains offered by her company, including ones for people that have wheat allergies or gluten sensitivities. Peggy also mentions To Your Health's new processing facility and how we'll soon be able to find her sprouted flour in more stores near us.
Children's book author Suanne Hastings makes a visit to the Appropriate Omnivore to discuss how she deals living with soy allergies. Soy is found in more than just fake meats and milk. Ingredients such as soy lecithin are used to process everything from breads to desserts. Plus animals in feedlots are given soy as part of their diet. Suanne talks about how she has to carefully read labels in the supermarkets and ask questions to the waiters when eating at restaurants. Suanne also mentions other foods she's allergic that she has to avoid.
Reflex Performance owner and personal trainer Tom Legath pays a visit to the show to talk about not only what type of diet is best to maintain optimal health, but also what is the best type of exercise to engage in. Tom explains his support of a nutrition based along the Weston A. Price/paleo guidelines. He also weighs on in all of the different types of workouts from running to weights to kettlebells.
Dee McCaffrey, founder of Processed Free America and author of the recent book The Science of Skinny, makes a return visit to the show to talk about fats and oils. Dee gets into the science of what fats and oils are healthy to consume and which ones you should stay clear from. Dee also tells you how you can avoid the bad fats when eating at restaurants.
Rory Odell, general manager of the recently opened Burger Lounge in Beverly Hills, stops by The Appropriate Omnivore. Rory talks about how the Burger Lounge is sustainable from the farms they pick their food from to go to their restaurants to the compost and bio diesel trucks that leave the restaurants. Rory also talks about specials that the Burger Lounge will be offering and plans for expansion into more of Los Angeles and California.
It's the first show of July, where we celebrate our independents -- as in independently owned businesses. The first topic tackled on the Appropriate Ominivore is soft drinks. As the food industry is heavily dominated by companies like Coca Cola and Pepsi, Hannah Crum of Kombucha Kamp talks about why kombucha is a great alternative beverage. Hannah also talks about why you should include more fermented foods in your diet and where you can see her give demos to learn how to brew your own kombucha.
Kangen Water nutritionist Isabel Charleston has the knowledge and passion to tell you why it's important to avoid genetically modified foods and support the upcoming proposition in November for mandatory GMO labeling. Isabel and Aaron share their experience of the campaign so far and their experience of where you can find foods that are non-GMOs.
The Appropriate Omnivore is joined by Transition to Green founder Diana Brandt, as well as Terry Kubar who serves on the T2G board with Aaron. The trio talks about their three very different dietary backgrounds. From Aaron's appropriate omnivorism to Terry's veganism to Diana's diet falling somewhere in between, they find that they actually share many similar views on what they consider real food. They also promote upcoming events with the Transition to Green community, including the first Monthly Dining with the Appropriate Omnivore.
Dee McCaffrey joins the Appropriate Omnivore and gives her definition of processed foods. She talks about the dangers of refined sugar and what alternatives can be used in its placed. Dee also explains how she first got interested in living a healthy lifestyle and founded the organization known as Processed Free America, as well lets the listeners know about her upcoming book The Science of Skinny.
After The Appropriate Omnivore appeared on the Good Green Witch an hour earlier, the table are turned and now Aaron interviews Rhonda DeFelice. They continue discussing why some bans are good (the plastic bag ban), some bans are bad (sugary drinks, foie gras, trans fats), and some bans fall in between (the fur ban). Aaron and Rhonda also talk about where these bad bans could lead and what should be done instead of banning foods like sugary drinks or foie gras.
The final show for Meat Lovers May gets down to the issue of whether cholesterol is really responsible for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and many other illnesses. To shed some light on the issue is Chris Masterjohn, a grad student at the University of Connecticut, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in nutritional sciences with a concentration in biochemical and molecular nutrition. Chris is also someone whose health improved when he went from being a vegan to eating organic meats, butter, eggs, and other foods with cholesterol. He talks about the origins of cholesterol being linked heart disease. He also brings up other factors from diet to lifestyle of what could be responsible for sickness and diseases in the U.S.
Meat Lovers May continues as we talk to Stanley Fishman, author of the books Tender Grassfed Meat and Tender Grassfed Barbecue, as we learn the best way to cook grassfed meats. Stanley shares his story about how he discovered the Weston A. Price Foundation and pastured beef. Stanley gets into the best things to marinate grass fed meat with. He also talks about cooking other types of meat, such as bison and lamb.
It's the first show of Meat Lovers May as Luis Quismorio makes a visit to the Appropriate Omnivore. Luis is President & CEO of the Figueroa Produce Market, the local natural food store in Aaron's neighborhood of Highland Park. Luis talks about how he's able to keep prices on organics affordable and why grassfed beef and raw milk are superior to their conventional counterparts. He also talks about upcoming ventures for more specifically tailored natural food stores in the Northeast Los Angeles area.
The Appropriate Omnivore is joined Ryan Mason of The Bu Kombucha as the two discuss one of the best things you can drink -- kombucha. Ryan tells listeners the story behind his relatively new SoCal kombucha company, where to find out, and the future of The Bu. Aaron and Ryan also get into how they've both been able to drink more kombucha in place of beverages like pop, coffee, and beer.
Kimberly Hartke, publicist for the Weston A. Price Foundation, makes a visit to the show. She discusses all of the great recources the WAPF offers in terms of what's real food and where you can get it. Kimberly also talks about current campaigns being run on Facebook, such as Red Meat Won't Kill You and Soy Alert.
Aaron brings on Jason Jones, President of Vital Farms, which produce some of the most sustainable eggs available in supermarkets across the country. Jason and Aaron share their views on why pastured eggs are the best eggs to eat and what the difference is between pastured and free range. Jason also talks about how Vital Farms being located in Austin has been the perfect city for his business.
Aaron is joined by Anet Aguilar, who's been out there working hard to get an initiative on the California ballot that would require all GMO foods to be labeled. Anet talks about how GMOs affect not just the U.S., but also Mexico, as corn is a staple food there. The two, having learned about genetically modified corn from very different backgrounds, share their knowledge on the issue and let the listeners know what they can do to stand up to Monsanto.
The Appropriate Omnivore is joined by the Kombucha Mamma, Hannah Crum. Hannah talks about her business Kombucha Kamp and the two get into why kombucha and other types of fermented foods are great to consume. They also discuss more ways to go back to the way we used to eat by including things like raw milk, sprouted foods, and of course, grass beef back into our diets.
Good Green Witch Rhonda, DeFelice and the Appropriate Omnivore discuss the greenwashing they've both witnessed in the environmental world from so-called earth friendly products that are packaged in plastic to natural foods made from some unnatural ingredients. They also share what they saw at the Natural Products Expo from the good to the bad. And Aaron and Rhonda get into how vegalicism involves a lot of greenwashing.
Graham Meriwether, director of the documentary American Meat, speaks of his experiences going across the country visiting farms with pastured animals. He also talks about how his film is unique as far as content and the way it's been released without going the festival route. In addition, Graham lets people know about his organization Leave It Better, which provides community gardens to the youth and documents people with environmental solutions.
It's the Appropriate Omnivore and the Angry Omnivore (Johnny Dam) sharing why they both think the world isn't suitable for the vegangelical dream of abolishing animal products. They get into how abstaining from eating animals could lead to scenarios where we're competing for crops or our vegetables lack the needed nutrients that come from animal fertilizers. And they propose more sustainable solutions, such as eliminating factory farming and making agriculture completely community based.
Adam Rinella, General Manager of the Burger Lounge in West Hollywood, joins Aaron Zober to explain how his restaurant has been successful by offering burgers and other foods made with more sustainable and healthy ingredients. He also gets into Burger Lounge obtaining a liquor license and serving great southern California craft beer.
With only a couple days until the Weston A. Price Foundation's Wise Traditions Conference in Atlanta, Aaron Zober interviews his final guest for the Speaker Series. Joann Grohman has been raising backyard cows for most of her life and has written the book "Keeping a Family Cow". Joann explains how much space you need to raise a cow in your backyard and the benefits you'll get, such as obtaining fresh milk and having compost for your crops. Aaron and Joann then debunk myths about cows being responsible for environmental problems, humans being the only animals that drink milk, and the idea that we've only been drinking milk for 10,000 years. Aaron and Joann also talk about why raw milk is superior to pasteurized milk.
With less than 2 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's Wise Traditions Conference in Atlanta, Aaron Zober invites Pure Indian Foods founder Sandeep Agarwal to talk about his Butterworld exhibit that will premier at the Conference. Butterworld gives a history of butter, containing artifacts from the 17th-20th century, including various churns and a cream separating bottle. For the Wise Traditions Conference, there will also be an exhibit on cod liver oil. Sandeep then discusses his business Pure Indian Foods. Sandeep is the 5th generation in his family to have a ghee business. Sandeep explains the difference between butter and ghee and the advantages for using each, as well as the advantages for the other oils that he sells, such as almond oil, coconut oil, mustard seed oil, and sesame oil.
With less than 3 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's Wise Traditions Conference in Atlanta, Aaron Zober brings on the debaters for the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense FundRAISER Dinner. For the Fundraiser dinner in Atlanta this year, there’s an extra bonus of a Lincoln/Douglas style debate on whether the federal government should mandate labeling of genetically modified organisms on food products. Taking the side for government labeling is Dr. Joseph Mercola. Debating the position against GMO labeling is Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms. First, Aaron interviews Dr. Mercola. Mercola gives reasons why he believes a direct democracy for labeling genetically foods will help us eliminate GMOs. Then Aaron brings on Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms. Joel explains why government is not the answer to avoiding genetically modified organisms and what he sees as the solutions. Finally, Aaron closes the show out giving a special interview with GMO expert Jeffrey Smith. Jeffrey talks about the I-522 ballot initiative to label genetically modified foods in Washington, what our next step will be after that, and some foods that people met not realize contain GMOs.
With less than 4 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's Wise Traditions Conference in Atlanta, Aaron Zober interviews another speaker. Hannah Crum of Kombucha Kamp is able to take a break from her busy schedule, speaking at various conferences, festivals, and fairs, to make a return visit to the program and give a little preview of her presentation in Atlanta. Hannah will be part of the track on curing cancer with holistic methods as she talks about how kombucha is beneficial in keeping your gut healthy to avoid developing cancer and other chronic illnesses. Hannah discusses how the cultures that live the longest consumer lots of fermented foods, including kombucha. Hannah talks about other great probiotic drinks and other uses for kombucha and SCOBYs. Hannah also gets into the upcoming book she's writing on kombucha and the Kombucha Brewers Association that she's starting up.
With less than 5 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's Wise Traditions Conference in Atlanta, Aaron Zober interviews another speaker. The speaker for this episode is Chris Masterjohn, who is currently working as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois where he's studying the benefits of fat soluble vitamins*. He's a frequent speaker at the Wise Traditions Conference. For the upcoming Conference, he'll be talking about how fat soluble vitamins are important in preventing heart disease. Chris explains to the listeners what fat soluble vitamins are and what food are the best sources of the vitamins. He talks about how fat soluble vitamins can also help prevent and cure other chronic illnesses. Additionally, Chris debunks the recent studies linking TMAO to heart disease. Chris says we need to move away from the perspective of simplifying any molecular compound as being good or bad; whether it's cholesterol, TMAO, fructose, gluten, or anything else, and learn how to enable the body to healthfully use all that's given to it.
*Chris Masterjohn's discussions on this podcast, as well his writings in various journal blogs, represent his independent work and do not represent the positions of the University of Illinois.
The Wise Traditions speaker series continues. With less than 6 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's International Conference in Atlanta, Aaron interviews Pete Kennedy, president of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund. Pete talks about the success of the recent BaconPalooza that was held by the FTCLDF at Joel Salatin's Polyface Farms. Pete then gets into the programs the FTCLDF will be involved with at the upcoming Wise Traditions Conference, including the debate at the fundraiser dinner with Dr. Joseph Mercola and Joel Salatin on mandatory government labeling of GMOs. At the Conference, Pete will be speaking about legal developments in raw milk access. Pete shares with Aaron some recent news about raw milk in various states. Pete also discusses the issue of right to farm acts, including some cases going on with the right to farm in Michigan.
The Wise Traditions speaker series continues. With less than 7 weeks to go until the Weston A. Price Foundation's International Conference in Atlanta, Aaron interviews none other than Sally Fallon Morell, founder of WAPF. Sally gives a brief intro about how she got into founding WAPF and then lets the listeners know what to expect at this year's Wise Traditions Conference. Sally mentions a number of the presenters in Atlanta, including some of the ones that will be speaking about this years theme "Curing the Incurable: Holistic Therapies for Chronic Disease". Sally gets into the other reasons to attend the conference, such as the nutrient dense food served at the meals and the chance to meet great like minded people. Sally also discusses other developments she has going on from the new regional Wise Traditions Conferences, a Wise Traditions cell phone app for shopping, and a book on bone broths that she's writing with Kaayla Daniel.
The Wise Traditions speaker series on The Appropriate Omnivore is back. In less than 8 weeks is the Weston A. Price Foundation's International Conference in Atlanta. But before that, there's a regional conference in Portland, OR. Aaron Zober brings on Lisa Bianco-Davis to discuss the real food scene in Oregon. Lisa is the leader for the Eugene, OR Weston A. Price Chapter. She runs one of the most active chapters as they consistently hold potlucks, DVD showings, and classes. Lisa also started Kraut Pounder, originally to raise money for her chapter. Lisa will be speaking at the Portland Conference about taking the fear out of fermentation. She explains what people can expect from her presentation and what they can get out of attending the regional Wise Traditions conference in Portland.
Justin Smith has a background as a personal trainer and a nutrition coach. From working in the health field, he learned about the cholesterol myths. This lead to write a book about the myths and then make the documentary $tatin Nation, where he also talks about the dangers of cholesterol lowering statin drugs. Justin tells Aaron about the people that were influential in his research, such Malcolm Kendrick and Kausik Ray. Aaron and Justin discuss the many problems with statins, including their side effects, how they don't improve overall health, and that we don't know the long term effects of them. Justin also gets into how he's now researching the true causes heart disease and how that's the topic of his follow up documentary.
It’s the Appropriate Omnivore joined by the Ethical Omnivore. Lana Salant has created the web page The Ethical Omnivore Movement (EOM). Lana explains just what an ethical omnivore is. It’s about honoring your body, your food, and our planet. Lana talks about her exposure early on eating all kinds of meats of such as beef tongues and chicken feet and how she came to start EOM. In addition to getting pastured meats, Lana also discusses her issues with the sustainability of seafood and why she’ll only eat fish from lakes, not any from the oceans. Lastly, Lana also mentions how her Mindful Meat Mondays came to be with the Meatless Mondays not doing anything to educated people about the benefits of grass fed meats.
With the Jewish high holidays coming up in a little over a week, Uri Laio, founder of the Yahoo! group Nourishing Traditions Kosher, makes a visit to The Appropriate Omnivore. Uri talks about the relationship between the Jewish Traditions and Sally Fallon's "Nourishing Tradtions". Uri discusses how fermentation is found in many traditional Jewish foods, such as challah, wine, and pickles. Uri then goes into the difficulty of not being able to get local, kosher meat in Los Angeles and the efforts he's been making to change things, so it can be easier for people in LA that are following a kosher diet to get pastured, nutrient dense meat and poultry. Uri also talks about his experience as a backyard beekeeper.
Katie Falbo runs Cultivate Events, which is responsible for organizing many festivals and conferences related with traditional foods. She shares the details of the upcoming Santa Barbara Fermentation Festival, letting listeners know about the speakers, demos, vendors, and lunch that are all related with real food. Katie explains why this is a great local event for people to learn about fermention, food producers in their area, as well as how to get involved with a local Weston A. Price chapter. Plus, the Santa Barbara Festival will have fun things, such as a cultured petting zoo and Patti the Pickle. In addition to the Fermentation Festival, Katie gives some info on other events she's organizing, such as the SOL Food Festival and some others that will be happening next year, such as the Take Back Your Health coference and the Real Food Symposium, that she'll now be running.
The Appropriate Omnivore is joined by Frank Fitzpatrick of 5 Bar Beef, who describes himself as a terrestrial carnivore. Since a young age, Frank had wanted to be a cowboy and ended up becoming a pioneer in the grass fed beef movement. Frank talks about the principles he applies to his food that are related with the Weston A. Price Foundation and the Savory Institute. Aaron and Frank get into how they share a love of grass fed beef and how they both see it as important to cook muscle meats with in a tallow or bone broth. Frank also talks about how the only meat you'll find with the 5 Bar Beef name on it is from his own farm and the farmers markets you can go to in Orange County to find his wonderful meat.
Jesus & Jutta Gamboa make a visit to The Appropriate Omnivore as they let the listeners know about all of the farm fresh, local, and organic produce that they offer with their community supported agriculture (CSA), Zucchini Xpress. Aaron explains all about why CSAs are a great and convenient way to get real food straight to your door. The Zucchini Xpress surpasses many other CSAs as they not only offer produce, but also great grass fed beef, olive oil, raw honey, chocolate, and coffee. And Jesus and Jutta want to include even more types of food as well as expand the geographical area where people can join. Jesus and Jutta also have an online magazine, Free Range Zucchini, that's filled with recipes and resources where people can find organic food.
Aaron Zober closes out the 2013 edition of July Independents Month. The final independent business showcased for the month is The Brinery in Ann Arbor, MI with its owner and founder David Klingenberger being interviewed. David comes from working on a farm and being an early follower of Sally Fallon's "Nourishing Traditions", where he learned all about fermentation. David talks about the different fermented products the Brinery offers from sauerkraut to pickles to kimchi. David discusses how The Brinery is expanding with a new facility, some new products, and a wider reach of customers. David also explains what wild fermentation is and how it differs from the other types of fermentation.
Independents Month continues as Aaron Zober interviews Mike Konanyan of Art Is In Bread. Mike has a sourdough bread business called Art Is In Bread. To make the perfect sourdough, it's all about sourcing. Even before using the right ingredients, you need to look at what type of mill you need to grind the grains. From there, it's important to use organic ingredients. Mike talks about how his breads are GMO free and offers some bread made from alternative grains. Aaron and Mike get into why fermenting sourdough makes the bread superior nutrition wise to breads made with baker's yeast. Mike also discusses other foods that can be bakes with sourdough and future plans for Art Is In Bread.
The Appropriate Omnivore kicks off the first show of the July Independents Month by welcoming back Jason Jones, president of Vital Farms. Vital Farms is one of the most successful natural foods businesses. Aaron and Jason discuss how Vital Farms has truly pastured eggs that differ from the ones you'll see labeled as "free range" or "cage free. In addition, Vital Farms avoids using any GMO feed for its chickens. Taking a pledge to avoid GMOs is one of several causes that Vital Farms has taken part in. Vital Farms is also based out of Austin, TX, which is becoming known as the paleo capital. Aaron and Jason talk about how Austin is a great place with several natural product companies and lot of great restaurants that are Weston Price/paleo/primal friendly.
Gary Collins is the founder of New American Nutrition and recently released the e-book "Primal Power Method". Gary and Aaron discuss many of the key points of his new book. Gary explains how the primal diet is similar and different to other traditional diets, such as Weston A. Price and paleo. A big part of "Primal Power Method" is never do anything to the extreme, a point which resonates well with Aaron as he's seen many people get too strict with their ways. Gary and Aaron go over what are the important foods to eat and what foods are viewed as treats that you don't need in your diet to be healthy. They talk about everything from meats to fruits and veggies to carbs to sweeteners. Gary also talks about what exercise he sees as the best, since exercise along with nutrition is a very important part of "Primal Power Method".
The Institute of Domestic Technology was founded to teach people many lost arts, learning how to make foods such as sauerkraut, cheese, bread, and even how to cure bacon. Institute founder Joseph Shuldiner talks to Aaron about how his background as an artist has shaped his love for teaching people about cooking and baking and how chefs are now seen as artists. One of the most popular classes of Joseph's include milkcrafting, where Joseph teaches people at the creamery in Altadena about the benefits of raw milk and how to make cheese. The bacon curing course is also one that should be of interest to any appropriate omnivore. Aaron and Joseph discuss that class and get into the nitrate curing controversy. Jospeh also talks about his cookbook and the Altadena Farmers Market that he runs.
As people are realizing the benefits of probiotics and consuming more fermented foods, sauerkraut is one of the most popular ferments. Kathryn Lukas is the founder and chief kraut officer of Farmhouse Cutlure, a sauerkraut which you can find at supermarkets as well as at farmers markets in the Santa Cruz area. Kathryn talks about how she got into sauerkraut making from living in Germany to how she founded Farmhouse Culture. One of the great things about the different kraut varieties of hers is she mixes together sauerkraut with the concepts of other ferments, such as kimchee, dill pickles, horseradish, and jalapenos to create a ferment fusion. Kathryn also discusses what's involved in using organic, locally sourced, and non-GMO ingredients in all her products.
One of most popular trends in the restaurant world is farm-to-table. Of course, at The Appropriate Omnivore, it's not seen as a trend, but as how all restaurants should operate. Ari Weinzwieg, owner of the Zingerman's Restaurant pays a visit to the show. His deli has been serving food directly from farmers since the 80s, before there even was the term farm-to-table. Since then, Ari opened several other businesses, including a bbq joint called Zingerman's Roadhouse, a creamery, a bakehouse, a catering company, a mail order online shop, cooking classes, and even a Camp Bacon. Ari discusses how all of these different operations are sustainable and what's in store for the future.
For the final show of Meaty May, Aaron interviews Liz Wolfe. Liz Wolfe is known for the popular blog Cave Girl Eats and hosting the podcast Balanced Bites with Diane Sanfilippo. Liz talks about her involvements with the Weston A. Price, paleo, and primal communities. Aaron and Liz discuss what it's like living in a society where the vast majority of people aren't invested in the real food movement, even though Liz and Aaron see themselves as people in the norm. They talk about dealing with things such as factory farming, GMOs, and vegangelicals. Liz also gives a little insight into what will be talked about in her upcoming book "Modern Cave Girl: Paleo Living in The Concrete Jungle".
Peggy Sutton, owner and founder of To Your Health Sprouted Flour, makes a return visit to The Appropriate Omnivore. As her company has just released a line of einkorn grains and flour, she brings Jade Koyle to talk about einkorn with her. Jade is the President of Einkorn.com, the supplier of To Your Health's einkorn products. Peggy and Jade talk about how einkorn is the original wheat and its gluten content is different than all other forms of wheat. It's an heirloom grain, meaning it's not hybridized like modern what. Peggy and Jade also mention what their favorite foods are to bake with einkorn flour. They explain how it differs from other flours and what you need to do to bake the tastiest breads and desserts with this wonderful ancient grain.
As Meaty May continues, Aaron Zober interviews Dr. Deborah MD. Dr. Deborah discusses what meats to eat on a regular basis as well what fruits and vegetables should make up a heart healthy diet. They debunk all of the studies from the lipid hypothesis to the recent studies about TMAO and explain why meat, especially red meat, is good for you. Aaron and Deborah get into the benefits of organ meats and the best dishes to incorporate them into if you don't like eating things such as liver by itself. Dr. Deborah also talks about natural supplements that she sees as important for maintaining health. In addition to meat being good for your health, they bring up the ways that eating meat is important for the environment.
For the first show of Meaty May, Aaron Zober interviews WAPF West LA/Santa Monica Chapter Leader Victoria Bloch. Victoria discusses how she transitioned from a macrobiotic diet to restoring her health eating nutrient dense foods after learning about Sally Fallon and the WAPF. Victoria founded one of the longest running chapters. She talks about the series of meetings she's doing with her chapter on forbidden foods that are actually good for you. Aaron finds himself in line with what Victoria sees as healthy foods and even gives some suggestions for forbidden foods topics. Victoria and Aaron also let listeners know about the upcoming open house at Dey Dey's farm in the Santa Barbara area, where Victoria will be speaking.
Scott Grzybek of Zukay Live Foods makes a visit to The Appropriate Omnivore. Scott talks about how reading Nourishing Traditions and learning about the Weston A. Price Foundation led him to create Zukay Foods. He began fermenting different foods and realized that while there were many great ferments on the market, nobody was making beet kvass. Scott found a great in with kvass and in addition to making it with beets, Zukay offers many other flavors of kvass. He also talks about how he find his sources for local and organic ingredients as well as using fluoride free water.
Paul Greive of Primal Pastures makes a visit with Aaron Zober, The Appropriate Omnivore. Primal Pastures is a poultry farm in Temecula, CA that's a newcomer to the beyond organic farming scene. Paul explains how he got into agriculture and what it means to be raising chicken sustainably and along the guidelines of Price, paleo, and primal community. Primal Pastures will also help people set up backyard chickens and Paul lets you know how you can have one at your house today. Additionally, Paul speaks about the future of Primal Pastures and how they're looking at farming other animals as well.
Aaron interviews Roy Walkenhorst and Judy Brooks, executive producers and hosts of the long running PBS series Healing Quest. Throughout season 10 of Healing Quest, Roy and Judy did segments on the Weston A. Price Foundation, including grass fed beef, raw milk, bone broth, cod liver oil, water filtration, and avoiding soy plus some cooking demos for great tasting meals. Roy and Judy explain how they found out about WAPF and how it’s changed their outlook on natural health. Roy and Judy will also give a preview on what they’ll be covering on the upcoming season 11 of Healing Quest.
Gary, general counsel for the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense makes a visit to The Appropriate Omnivore. The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is a terrific non-profit organization that defends the rights small farms to be able to sell goods and products directly to the consumers. Gary gives an explanation of how the FTCLDF came to be and what cases they're currently taking on. Many of the FTCLDF's work is in regards to raw dairy farmers and Gary mention some specific cases. Gary also lets listeners know how they can become members and donate, so the FTCLDF can continue doing the excellent work that it does.
Monika Kozdrowiecka and Gosia Reed were raised in Poland, where they were used to food being organic and local. When they moved to the U.S., they experienced a huge culture shock in food when seeing how everything is prepared. With that, they found the benefits of eating raw and formed the company Virgin Raw. Virgin's Raw's flaghip product is bee panacea, a probiotic consisting of raw honey and numerous superfoods and herbs. Aaron and the two raw sisters discuss everything about raw honey from how it's the perfect natural sweetener to replace sugar to its health benefits, including increasing your metabolism and detoxifying the body.
It's another holiday-themed episode of The Appropriate Omnivore. Village Green Network blogger Lisa Rose of Real Food Kosher talks about how she makes a Passover with nutrient dense foods. Aaron and Lisa discuss how a Passover seder consists of many traditional foods, such as brisket, chicken broth, and eggs. Lisa also mentions how she transitioned into real food for her family and how it can be a challenge being able to find products that are both kosher and real food.
With the Weston A. Price Foundation’s Regional Wise Traditions Detroit Conference a week away, the Appropriate Omnivore interviews Kelly the Kitchen Kop, a Michigan native who will be speaking at the conference. Kelly's presentation is on bringing your family from junk food to real food. Kelly explains what she defines real food and junk food and how the transition has been for everyone in her family. Kelly also explains exactly how she became the Kitchen Kop, how she got involved with the Village Green Network, and her experience being a co-leader for the Grand Rapids Weston A. Price Chapter.
Jamil Avdiyev returns to The Appropriate Omnivore to talk more about his business High Brix Nutrient Dense Foods. High brix nutrient dense farming is a type of agriculture that goes way beyond organic. High Brix uses fertilizers that replenishes our soils and make the crops rich in nutrient and minerals. Jamil talks about his influences in learning about high brix agriculture. Jamil then gets into the foods he sells from almonds to blueberries to heirloom grains. He explains why he doesn't see all wheat as bad and why heirloom wheat is the way to go. Jamil and also discuss other advantage of high brix nutrient dense foods, such as being able to keep bugs away and being good for your teeth.
Robert Cain, founder and president of SeaAgri, stops by The Appropriate Omnivore. Robert founded his company, which produces sea mineral solids, after reading the work of Dr. Maynard Murray. From reading Dr. Murray, Robert learned our soil is missing minerals and that taking minerals from the sea can help replenish the soil to grow more nutrient dense plants. His company SeaAgri has created the product SEA-90 to provide better fertilizer for our plants. In addition to crops, Robert has found that SEA-90 works well with livestock, providing better tasting meat and poultry. SeaAgri has also started selling Seasons 90, a gourmet sea salt. And Robert gets into explaining the difference between sea salt and earth salt.
The Appropriate Omnivore is joined by Karl Burgart, a distributor for Olea Estates Olive Oil. Olea is a farm in Greece that offers real olive oil, which can be hard to come by today. Karl explains what real olive oil looks like and talks about what it means to be first pressed and unfiltered. Olea also sells olives, which are cured differently than the ones you find in stores and Karl & Aaron discuss how you won't go back to the ones at the supermarket after tasting Olea's. In addition, Karl gets into his other business, Healthy Harvest Gardens, which sells gardens supplies and different types of produce depending on the season. Karl encourages more people to get into growing their own food.
Megan Reamer tells her story about how the Weston A. Price diet has been able to help her son Jackson and how that lead to the potato chip business with his namesake. Megan talks about how the book Nourishing Traditions was a big influence on getting her son on a better diet and learn about healthy fats, such as coconut oil. Jackson's Honest Chips is currently the only potato chips out there that are fried in coconut oil. Megan gets into some of the challenges of running her business and gives a forecast at some future plans for Honest Chips. Megan also talks some of the paleo influences in her family's diet.
The Appropriate Omnivore is joined by another person with a passion for grass fed beef. This time by Caitlin Weeks, who has a blog appropriately titled Grass Fed Girl. Caitlin talks about her experience switching from being a vegetarian to learning about the health and environmental benefits of grass fed beef. She explains how the Weston A. Price Foundation and the paleo movement have influenced her diet. She also delves into how she felt better eating more fats than carbs and how she gets other woman to not be afraid of red meat.
The Appropriate Omnivore is joined by The Naughty Nutrionist, also known as Kaayla Daniel. Kaayla Daniel has written the book "The Whole Soy Story" as is the foremost expert on the dangers of soy. Kaayla discusses the problems of soy from its anti-nutrients to the GMOs to the processed soy foods. Kaayla gets into how there are some types soy people can consume if properly prepared. Kaayla also talks about the benefits of animal products and upcoming projects she's working on with Sally Fallon and the Weston A. Price Foundation.
The Appropriate Omnivore is joined by Gary Collins, founder of New American Nutrition. Gary wrote a book "Factor X", which is described as "The Last Health Program You Will Ever Need". Gary and Aaron talk about how they've gone against the politically correct nutrition that's been preached and began following the wisdom of people such as Weston A. Price, Gary Taubes, and Sally Fallon. They also talk about how not one diet fits all and it's important to find a lifestyle that you'll be able to stick with.
Peter Ballerstedt, forage product manager for Barenbrug USA joins the Appropriate Omnivore. Peter puts the "grass" in grass fed meat by explaining how you need the right grass in order to produce the type of animal products you're looking at selling. He explains how he transitioned into this business and talks about how Barenbrug is a worldwide leader in grass. Peter also breaks the myth that grass fed meat has to be lower in fat. He explains that if it's lean, then you're not doing it right.