The post Farmer Lee Jones shares gardening & nutrition tips appeared first on The Chef's Garden.

As a young man, he saw how humans devastated the ecology when not managed properly. This ranged from agricultural plowing to cattle damage. This observation affected him negatively, and so he wanted to go in a different direction. Becoming a mechanical engineer, he worked in the gas and oil industry for several years, causing him to recognize how our energy management systems are also damaging the land. 

Tying all of this together, he recognized that our land management was highly problematic. As a final piece to this puzzle, he listened to a TED Talk by the Zimbabwean grassland ecosystem pioneer Allan Savory. Allan and his wife, Jody Butterfield, created the Africa Centre for Holistic Management in Zimbabwe—an award-winning center for its work in reversing desertification.

Through all of these life experiences, Eric recognized the importance of properly moving ranch animals for grazing to mimic how Mother Nature once handled the situation. The goal: to give grass enough time to recover before animals grazed upon it once again. Using the methodologies he formulated allows Eric to produce food for people without damaging the ecosystem at his Double P Ranch in Mounds, Oklahoma, where he raises grass-fed beef cattle. 

To further leave the world a better place, he founded Rep Provision to create unique environmental solutions for agricultural problems and those in related industries. If enough farmers and ranchers get on board, Eric believes, we can truly work with nature.

Here’s where you can find the rest of Eric Perner’s story: in episode #18 of our Farming for Health podcast: Regenerative Grazing, Monarchs and Voting with Your Dollar. 

Past Episodes of our Farming for Health Podcast

If you’ve missed any of our previous episodes, you can find them here:

• Episode One: Keto, Cruciferous Vegetables, Salt and Your Mindset
• Episode Two: Cooking, Conviviality, and Preserving the Harvest
• Episode Three: Ferments, Food Insecurity, and Wasted Food
• Episode Four: Anti-Cancer Diet, Food as Medicine, and Vegetables
• Episode Five: Plants, Happiness, and Mindful Neglect.
• Episode Six: Whole 30, Sustainable Habits, and Loving Vegetables
• Episode Seven: Iodine, Egg Yolk Enzymes, and Miso
• Episode Eight: Fungi, Bitter Foods, and Food Extinction
• Episode Nine: Understanding Food, Nutritional Healing and Farming
• Episode Ten: Enjoying the Process, Connection and Soup
• Episode Eleven: Monica Geller, Community and Limiting Salads 
• Episode Twelve: Nourishment, Creativity, and Full-Spectrum Health
• Episode Thirteen: The Joy of Cooking, Fermentation, and Seasonality 
• Episode Fourteen: Cauliflower, Potlucks, and the Joy of Food
• Episode Fifteen: Time Savers, Pickled Raisins and Cooking With Creativity
• Episode Sixteen: Romanticizing Food, Seasonal Eating, and Shamed Spinach
• Episode Seventeen: Being Present, The Eat-In Method and Food as Fuel

The post Farming for Health Podcast #18: Eric Perner appeared first on The Chef's Garden.

Amanda then earned a permaculture design certification in 2013 at the Mesoamerican Institute of Permaculture in Guatemala. In 2015, she earned dual master’s degrees in global environmental policies from American University in Washington, D.C., and in national resource management and sustainable development from the United Nations-mandated Universidad para la Paz in San Jose, Costa Rica. 

Nowadays, she promotes regenerative agricultural businesses in micro sheds in Mexico by applying permaculture (or permanent agriculture) principles, which she defines as a blend of modern science, technology, and resources with traditional knowledge that can get lost over the generations. This could include weaving palms or planting the three sisters (corn, beans, and squash) in ways that use the best of today’s knowledge with the traditions of yesteryear.

The result? A regenerative, resilient, adaptive production system. 

Here’s what else needs to be woven into permaculture: the invisible structures of a region’s social and economic elements. It’s crucial to know, for example, who the players are in a community. The goal is then to empower local communities to solve their own problems through a combination of transferred knowledge and skills with resources and leadership training. 

Amanda is the permaculture manager for Playa Viva Hotel in Mexico. The hotel is surrounded by large amounts of farmland, where principles of the permaculture philosophy are leveraged in all the choices they make. Function stacking is an important principle, as they use elements that serve multiple functions and consider generations of the future with each action they take. They look to close system loops with an eye on longevity. 

Amanda shared some of her insights about Playa Viva at Roots Conference 2023 in a panel discussion titled “A Sustainable Future for Food: Exploring Farm to Table.”

You can also discover how Amanda uses these principles in her own life and more in the last of our thirty-three-long series, Farming for Health: Permaculture, Regenerative Tourism, and Regionality. 

Past Episodes of our Farming for Health Podcast

If you’ve missed any of our previous episodes, you can find them here:

• Episode One: Keto, Cruciferous Vegetables, Salt and Your Mindset
• Episode Two: Cooking, Conviviality, and Preserving the Harvest
• Episode Three: Ferments, Food Insecurity, and Wasted Food
• Episode Four: Anti-Cancer Diet, Food as Medicine, and Vegetables
• Episode Five: Plants, Happiness, and Mindful Neglect.
• Episode Six: Whole 30, Sustainable Habits, and Loving Vegetables
• Episode Seven: Iodine, Egg Yolk Enzymes, and Miso
• Episode Eight: Fungi, Bitter Foods, and Food Extinction
• Episode Nine: Understanding Food, Nutritional Healing and Farming
• Episode Ten: Enjoying the Process, Connection and Soup
• Episode Eleven: Monica Geller, Community and Limiting Salads 
• Episode Twelve: Nourishment, Creativity, and Full-Spectrum Health
• Episode Thirteen: The Joy of Cooking, Fermentation, and Seasonality 
• Episode Fourteen: Cauliflower, Potlucks, and the Joy of Food
• Episode Fifteen: Time Savers, Pickled Raisins and Cooking With Creativity
• Episode Sixteen: Romanticizing Food, Seasonal Eating, and Shamed Spinach
• Episode Seventeen: Being Present, The Eat-In Method and Food as Fuel
• Episode Eighteen: Regenerative Grazing, Monarchs, and Voting with Your Dollar 
• Episode Nineteen: Childhood Injustice, Soil Health, and Relationship with Nature
• Episode Twenty: Yoga, Climate Changes, and Creating a Livable Future
• Episode Twenty-One: Understanding the Soul, Flow State, and Finding Your Purpose
• Episode Twenty-Two: Regenerative Food Systems, Food Sheds, and Resiliency 
• Episode Twenty-Three: Leaning In: Culinary Trends and the Power of Teaching
• Episode Twenty-Four: Mentorship, Self-Care, and Hospitality
• Episode Twenty-Five: Community, Self-Care, and Mindset Tools
• Episode Twenty-Six: Sustainability, Koji Coffee, Being Intentional 
• Episode Twenty-Seven: Finding Your Passion, Picky Eaters, and Cooking for Levi
• Episode Twenty-Eight: Creativity. Brining Vegetables and Family Pasta Night
• Episode Twenty-Nine: Triathlons, Eat to Nourish, and Be Bold With Your Cooking
• Episode Thirty: Ben’s Friends, Community “WE,” and Taking Action
• Episode Thirty-One: Bread, Celebrating Community, and the California Approach
• Episode Thirty-Two: BIÂN, Holistic Health, and Filling Your Tank

The post Farming for Health Podcast #33: Amanda Harris appeared first on The Chef's Garden.

A club in Chicago that focuses on wellness, work, and connectivity, the goal is to provide physical, emotional, medical, and social health in hyper-individualized ways to members—wellness for mind, body, and soul. Kevin says that people have joked that he’s created something that he wanted for himself but couldn’t find—and that’s actually true.

In their center for holistic health, BIÂN Medical is overseen by a medical director and features doctors who specialize in Chinese medicine, naturopathy, Ayurveda medicine, and more. There’s a psychologist as well. As far as BIÂN’s health club aspects, there’s a yoga room, a Pilates room, a gym, an outdoor gym, steam rooms, nap rooms, and more. In the area of BIÂN Beauty, members can have access to luxurious skincare treatments as well as medical-grade aesthetics such as injectables.

Then there’s the restaurant at BIÂN. For a club setting, it’s important to have a broad menu for each of the three meal times, one that aligns with health goals but is still quite “crave-able.” To make that happen, restaurant offerings have been designed with the intention of using quality ingredient sourcing. Kevin notes that eating at this restaurant is one of the components of his own wellness journey. 

To find out more about Kevin’s adventures, listen to “BIÂN, Holistic Health, and Filling Your Tank.”

Past Episodes of our Farming for Health Podcast

If you’ve missed any of our previous episodes, you can find them here:

• Episode One: Keto, Cruciferous Vegetables, Salt and Your Mindset
• Episode Two: Cooking, Conviviality, and Preserving the Harvest
• Episode Three: Ferments, Food Insecurity, and Wasted Food
• Episode Four: Anti-Cancer Diet, Food as Medicine, and Vegetables
• Episode Five: Plants, Happiness, and Mindful Neglect.
• Episode Six: Whole 30, Sustainable Habits, and Loving Vegetables
• Episode Seven: Iodine, Egg Yolk Enzymes, and Miso
• Episode Eight: Fungi, Bitter Foods, and Food Extinction
• Episode Nine: Understanding Food, Nutritional Healing and Farming
• Episode Ten: Enjoying the Process, Connection and Soup
• Episode Eleven: Monica Geller, Community and Limiting Salads 
• Episode Twelve: Nourishment, Creativity, and Full-Spectrum Health
• Episode Thirteen: The Joy of Cooking, Fermentation, and Seasonality 
• Episode Fourteen: Cauliflower, Potlucks, and the Joy of Food
• Episode Fifteen: Time Savers, Pickled Raisins and Cooking With Creativity
• Episode Sixteen: Romanticizing Food, Seasonal Eating, and Shamed Spinach
• Episode Seventeen: Being Present, The Eat-In Method and Food as Fuel
• Episode Eighteen: Regenerative Grazing, Monarchs, and Voting with Your Dollar 
• Episode Nineteen: Childhood Injustice, Soil Health, and Relationship with Nature
• Episode Twenty: Yoga, Climate Changes, and Creating a Livable Future
• Episode Twenty-One: Understanding the Soul, Flow State, and Finding Your Purpose
• Episode Twenty-Two: Regenerative Food Systems, Food Sheds, and Resiliency 
• Episode Twenty-Three: Leaning In: Culinary Trends and the Power of Teaching
• Episode Twenty-Four: Mentorship, Self-Care, and Hospitality
• Episode Twenty-Five: Community, Self-Care, and Mindset Tools
• Episode Twenty-Six: Sustainability, Koji Coffee, Being Intentional 
• Episode Twenty-Seven: Finding Your Passion, Picky Eaters, and Cooking for Levi
• Episode Twenty-Eight: Creativity. Brining Vegetables and Family Pasta Night
• Episode Twenty-Nine: Triathlons, Eat to Nourish, and Be Bold With Your Cooking
• Episode Thirty: Ben’s Friends, Community “WE,” and Taking Action
• Episode Thirty-One: Bread, Celebrating Community, and the California Approach

The post Farming for Health Podcast #32: Kevin Boehm appeared first on The Chef's Garden.

Reem was always baking, and perhaps that was because she was fascinated by her mother’s scientific work. Through alchemy, different ingredients turned into something magical in her mother’s work and in her baking.

Through her passion for social justice, Reem went to Lebanon in 2010, where she worked as an activist and community labor organizer. She wanted to give voice to people in neighborhoods where development was leading to their displacement instead of investment in them. It was hard to mobilize the communities, though, because they didn’t yet have a vision of the jobs and housing they could fight to have.

Reem then spotted a street corner bakery in Lebanon, and she quickly realized how this symbolized the resiliency of the many generations of people in the Arab world as they endured war, drought, and famine. Because bread—a food that all cultures have in some form—was born in the Arab region of the world, this served as a celebration of the journey: for her, personally, and for the people in the community. So, she ended up bringing back this experience for people in the Bay Area of California. 

In 2022, Chef Reem published Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora. Named one of the top cookbooks of the year by the San Francisco Chronicle and Food & Wine, Los Angeles Times, Saveur, and Epicurious, the book also won a prestigious 2023 IACP Cookbook Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. 

To hear more about Chef Reem’s inspiring story, listen to our Farming for Health podcast titled “Bread, Celebrating Community, and the California Approach.”

Past Episodes of our Farming for Health Podcast

If you’ve missed any of our previous episodes, you can find them here:

• Episode One: Keto, Cruciferous Vegetables, Salt and Your Mindset
• Episode Two: Cooking, Conviviality, and Preserving the Harvest
• Episode Three: Ferments, Food Insecurity, and Wasted Food
• Episode Four: Anti-Cancer Diet, Food as Medicine, and Vegetables
• Episode Five: Plants, Happiness, and Mindful Neglect.
• Episode Six: Whole 30, Sustainable Habits, and Loving Vegetables
• Episode Seven: Iodine, Egg Yolk Enzymes, and Miso
• Episode Eight: Fungi, Bitter Foods, and Food Extinction
• Episode Nine: Understanding Food, Nutritional Healing and Farming
• Episode Ten: Enjoying the Process, Connection and Soup
• Episode Eleven: Monica Geller, Community and Limiting Salads 
• Episode Twelve: Nourishment, Creativity, and Full-Spectrum Health
• Episode Thirteen: The Joy of Cooking, Fermentation, and Seasonality 
• Episode Fourteen: Cauliflower, Potlucks, and the Joy of Food
• Episode Fifteen: Time Savers, Pickled Raisins and Cooking With Creativity
• Episode Sixteen: Romanticizing Food, Seasonal Eating, and Shamed Spinach
• Episode Seventeen: Being Present, The Eat-In Method and Food as Fuel
• Episode Eighteen: Regenerative Grazing, Monarchs, and Voting with Your Dollar 
• Episode Nineteen: Childhood Injustice, Soil Health, and Relationship with Nature
• Episode Twenty: Yoga, Climate Changes, and Creating a Livable Future
• Episode Twenty-One: Understanding the Soul, Flow State, and Finding Your Purpose
• Episode Twenty-Two: Regenerative Food Systems, Food Sheds, and Resiliency 
• Episode Twenty-Three: Leaning In: Culinary Trends and the Power of Teaching
• Episode Twenty-Four: Mentorship, Self-Care, and Hospitality
• Episode Twenty-Five: Community, Self-Care, and Mindset Tools
• Episode Twenty-Six: Sustainability, Koji Coffee, Being Intentional 
• Episode Twenty-Seven: Finding Your Passion, Picky Eaters, and Cooking for Levi
• Episode Twenty-Eight: Creativity. Brining Vegetables and Family Pasta Night
• Episode Twenty-Nine: Triathlons, Eat to Nourish, and Be Bold With Your Cooking
• Episode Thirty: Ben’s Friends, Community “WE,” and Taking Action

The post Farming for Health Podcast #31: Chef Reem Assil appeared first on The Chef's Garden.

Mickey, who is a forty-eight-year veteran of the hospitality industry, bluntly shares his own history, calling himself a “hard-core drug addict and drunk.” He loved to party and play, functioning that way as a Newport Beach, California restaurateur—until he no longer functioned. As his life plunged into chaos, he stole from his employees, his partner, and his next-door neighbor. He subsequently lost his restaurant, ended up in a hospital for mental health issues, and was dead on arrival in an emergency room. 

In 1982, Mickey found the help he needed at Alcoholics Anonymous, and he’s quite grateful for it. The problem? People would tell him that he needed to leave the hospitality industry, but Mickey loved the magic of greeting people, serving them food, and being part of this environment. So, he went into the fine dining niche, struggling—successfully—to stay sober.

During the decades of being in the restaurant environment, Mickey witnessed plenty of people destroying their careers and their families—even dying because of their addictions. So, in 2016, he co-founded Ben’s Friends with fellow restaurateur Steve Palmer to offer hope and support to people struggling with addiction. 
You can hear more of Mickey’s story from when he participated in a Roots panel in 2023 titled “A Balanced Kitchen: Mental Health in the Foodservice Industry” and in our Farming for Health podcast with him titled “Ben’s Friends, Community “WE,” and Taking Action.”

Past Episodes of our Farming for Health Podcast

If you’ve missed any of our previous episodes, you can find them here:

• Episode One: Keto, Cruciferous Vegetables, Salt and Your Mindset
• Episode Two: Cooking, Conviviality, and Preserving the Harvest
• Episode Three: Ferments, Food Insecurity, and Wasted Food
• Episode Four: Anti-Cancer Diet, Food as Medicine, and Vegetables
• Episode Five: Plants, Happiness, and Mindful Neglect.
• Episode Six: Whole 30, Sustainable Habits, and Loving Vegetables
• Episode Seven: Iodine, Egg Yolk Enzymes, and Miso
• Episode Eight: Fungi, Bitter Foods, and Food Extinction
• Episode Nine: Understanding Food, Nutritional Healing and Farming
• Episode Ten: Enjoying the Process, Connection and Soup
• Episode Eleven: Monica Geller, Community and Limiting Salads 
• Episode Twelve: Nourishment, Creativity, and Full-Spectrum Health
• Episode Thirteen: The Joy of Cooking, Fermentation, and Seasonality 
• Episode Fourteen: Cauliflower, Potlucks, and the Joy of Food
• Episode Fifteen: Time Savers, Pickled Raisins and Cooking With Creativity
• Episode Sixteen: Romanticizing Food, Seasonal Eating, and Shamed Spinach
• Episode Seventeen: Being Present, The Eat-In Method and Food as Fuel
• Episode Eighteen: Regenerative Grazing, Monarchs, and Voting with Your Dollar 
• Episode Nineteen: Childhood Injustice, Soil Health, and Relationship with Nature
• Episode Twenty: Yoga, Climate Changes, and Creating a Livable Future
• Episode Twenty-One: Understanding the Soul, Flow State, and Finding Your Purpose
• Episode Twenty-Two: Regenerative Food Systems, Food Sheds, and Resiliency 
• Episode Twenty-Three: Leaning In: Culinary Trends and the Power of Teaching
• Episode Twenty-Four: Mentorship, Self-Care, and Hospitality
• Episode Twenty-Five: Community, Self-Care, and Mindset Tools
• Episode Twenty-Six: Sustainability, Koji Coffee, Being Intentional 
• Episode Twenty-Seven: Finding Your Passion, Picky Eaters, and Cooking for Levi
• Episode Twenty-Eight: Creativity. Brining Vegetables and Family Pasta Night
• Episode Twenty-Nine: Triathlons, Eat to Nourish, and Be Bold With Your Cooking

The post Farming for Health Podcast #30: Mickey Bakst of Ben’s Friends appeared first on The Chef's Garden.

His mom would make a deal with her kids, including Zane: Stay out of trouble, and you won’t have to wash dishes in a restaurant. Zane’s siblings took that route, whereas he found himself in trouble enough that he spent a significant amount of time dishwashing in the 1970s. Fortunately, the chef there kept him out of trouble. 

Throughout high school, Zane cooked. He didn’t enjoy academic pursuits, dealing with dyslexia and other challenges. Education simply wasn’t his thing. He didn’t enjoy the classroom structure, which is true of many people living with dyslexia; it just wasn’t his happy place. 

After his school, a chef got Zane into a culinary apprenticeship program at the Salt Lake Community College, which helped him to transition from being a cook to a chef. He learned about the business side of the restaurant industry and health and nutrition information. 

Next up was the Culinary Industry of America (CIA) in New York. He graduated in 1991 and gained experience as a chef in Manhattan, Hawaii, Palm Springs, and Utah, where he worked in a large brewery. Then, he and his wife moved to the mountain, where he ran a small hotel for six years. Then, for the past twenty-three and a half years, he’s remained on the mountain, working for the Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley. Initially, he served as the executive chef; he’s now the vice president of food and beverage.

To hear the rest of Zane’s amazing journey—and there’s plenty more!—you can listen to our Farming for Health podcast: Triathlons, Eat to Nourish, and Be Bold With Your Cooking.

Past Episodes of our Farming for Health Podcast

If you’ve missed any of our previous episodes, you can find them here:

• Episode One: Keto, Cruciferous Vegetables, Salt and Your Mindset
• Episode Two: Cooking, Conviviality, and Preserving the Harvest
• Episode Three: Ferments, Food Insecurity, and Wasted Food
• Episode Four: Anti-Cancer Diet, Food as Medicine, and Vegetables
• Episode Five: Plants, Happiness, and Mindful Neglect.
• Episode Six: Whole 30, Sustainable Habits, and Loving Vegetables
• Episode Seven: Iodine, Egg Yolk Enzymes, and Miso
• Episode Eight: Fungi, Bitter Foods, and Food Extinction
• Episode Nine: Understanding Food, Nutritional Healing and Farming
• Episode Ten: Enjoying the Process, Connection and Soup
• Episode Eleven: Monica Geller, Community and Limiting Salads 
• Episode Twelve: Nourishment, Creativity, and Full-Spectrum Health
• Episode Thirteen: The Joy of Cooking, Fermentation, and Seasonality 
• Episode Fourteen: Cauliflower, Potlucks, and the Joy of Food
• Episode Fifteen: Time Savers, Pickled Raisins and Cooking With Creativity
• Episode Sixteen: Romanticizing Food, Seasonal Eating, and Shamed Spinach
• Episode Seventeen: Being Present, The Eat-In Method and Food as Fuel
• Episode Eighteen: Regenerative Grazing, Monarchs, and Voting with Your Dollar 
• Episode Nineteen: Childhood Injustice, Soil Health, and Relationship with Nature
• Episode Twenty: Yoga, Climate Changes, and Creating a Livable Future
• Episode Twenty-One: Understanding the Soul, Flow State, and Finding Your Purpose
• Episode Twenty-Two: Regenerative Food Systems, Food Sheds, and Resiliency 
• Episode Twenty-Three: Leaning In: Culinary Trends and the Power of Teaching
• Episode Twenty-Four: Mentorship, Self-Care, and Hospitality
• Episode Twenty-Five: Community, Self-Care, and Mindset Tools
• Episode Twenty-Six: Sustainability, Koji Coffee, Being Intentional 
• Episode Twenty-Seven: Finding Your Passion, Picky Eaters, and Cooking for Levi
• Episode Twenty-Eight: Creativity. Brining Vegetables and Family Pasta Night

The post Farming for Health Podcast #29: Chef Zane Holmquist appeared first on The Chef's Garden.

Because his best friend and his brother found jobs at a young age, so did Bradley. And, when he washed dishes reasonably well, his boss assigned him additional small jobs like cutting biscuits, juicing oranges, and making pancakes. It all seemed relatively straightforward to Bradley, a series of small tasks with none of them being overly complicated. So, he kept getting restaurant jobs. 

Then, during his junior year of high school, he took a class in fine dining—and the die was cast. Bradley was going to work in the culinary industry. 

His mother’s side of the family possesses artistic abilities, and even though Bradley says he can’t even draw, food became his medium as he built architecturally stable dishes that taste great. As he often says, his worst dish tastes better than the Mona Lisa. 

Bradley finds creative influences from many directions and outlets. They include the time of year, the event or group for which he’ll be cooking, and the history of ingredients (and how to bring back what’s been lost). He enjoys being part of the story of a bigger picture as he makes connections and borrows inspiration from other cultures.

Because his family didn’t cook based on their heritage, other than perhaps a touch of Italian American influence, he doesn’t create a dish because that’s the way that Grandma always did. Instead, he incorporates what he learns through travel, reading, and general curiosity. 

Discover more about Chef Bradley Kilgore’s culinary journey in Creativity. Brining Vegetables and Family Pasta Night.

Past Episodes of our Farming for Health Podcast

If you’ve missed any of our previous episodes, you can find them here:

• Episode One: Keto, Cruciferous Vegetables, Salt and Your Mindset
• Episode Two: Cooking, Conviviality, and Preserving the Harvest
• Episode Three: Ferments, Food Insecurity, and Wasted Food
• Episode Four: Anti-Cancer Diet, Food as Medicine, and Vegetables
• Episode Five: Plants, Happiness, and Mindful Neglect.
• Episode Six: Whole 30, Sustainable Habits, and Loving Vegetables
• Episode Seven: Iodine, Egg Yolk Enzymes, and Miso
• Episode Eight: Fungi, Bitter Foods, and Food Extinction
• Episode Nine: Understanding Food, Nutritional Healing and Farming
• Episode Ten: Enjoying the Process, Connection and Soup
• Episode Eleven: Monica Geller, Community and Limiting Salads 
• Episode Twelve: Nourishment, Creativity, and Full-Spectrum Health
• Episode Thirteen: The Joy of Cooking, Fermentation, and Seasonality 
• Episode Fourteen: Cauliflower, Potlucks, and the Joy of Food
• Episode Fifteen: Time Savers, Pickled Raisins and Cooking With Creativity
• Episode Sixteen: Romanticizing Food, Seasonal Eating, and Shamed Spinach
• Episode Seventeen: Being Present, The Eat-In Method and Food as Fuel
• Episode Eighteen: Regenerative Grazing, Monarchs, and Voting with Your Dollar 
• Episode Nineteen: Childhood Injustice, Soil Health, and Relationship with Nature
• Episode Twenty: Yoga, Climate Changes, and Creating a Livable Future
• Episode Twenty-One: Understanding the Soul, Flow State, and Finding Your Purpose
• Episode Twenty-Two: Regenerative Food Systems, Food Sheds, and Resiliency 
• Episode Twenty-Three: Leaning In: Culinary Trends and the Power of Teaching
• Episode Twenty-Four: Mentorship, Self-Care, and Hospitality
• Episode Twenty-Five: Community, Self-Care, and Mindset Tools
• Episode Twenty-Six: Sustainability, Koji Coffee, Being Intentional 
• Episode Twenty-Seven: Finding Your Passion, Picky Eaters, and Cooking for Levi

The post Farming for Health Podcast #28: Chef Bradley Kilgore appeared first on The Chef's Garden.

1. The Morning Boost: Green Smoothie Delight

Blend up a green smoothie to start your day with a burst of freshness. Combine a handful of spinach or kale with a banana, a splash of your favorite milk, and a spoonful of nut butter for a creamy and nutritious breakfast. This energizing green smoothie is packed with vitamins and minerals to kickstart your morning.

2. Prep Ahead: Bountiful Green Salads

Elevate your lunch game with a hearty green salad. Mix nutrient-rich kale with your favorite seasonal vegetables. Top it off with your protein of choice for a satisfying and filling midday meal. Experiment with homemade vinaigrettes by mixing olive oil, lemon juice, and a touch of honey.

3. Snack Break: Crispy Kale Chips

Toss kale leaves with olive oil, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt, and bake until they achieve the perfect crunch. This snack is not only delicious but also an excellent source of vitamins A and K.

4. Easy Weeknight Dinner: Veggie-Packed Stir-Fry

Give your dinner a green makeover with a veggie-packed stir-fry. Sauté spinach, bok choy, and broccoli in a sesame-ginger sauce for a quick and nutritious meal. Add your protein of choice for a satisfying dinner that’s as colorful as it is wholesome.

5. Sweet Endings: Green Smoothie Bowl

Indulge your sweet tooth while staying on the healthy track with a green smoothie bowl. Blend spinach with frozen fruits like mango and pineapple, then top with granola, chia seeds, and fresh berries. This vibrant bowl not only satisfies your sweet cravings but also provides a nutrient-rich dessert option.

Tips for Success:

• Mix and Match: Experiment with different combinations of leafy greens to keep your meals exciting and varied.
• Prep Ahead: Wash and chop greens at the beginning of the week for easy access and quicker meal preparation.
• Incorporate into Familiar Dishes: For an extra nutritional boost, add chopped spinach to pasta sauces, stir kale into soups, or layer arugula into your favorite sandwiches.

By embracing the versatility of leafy greens, you’re not only adding a burst of flavor to your meals but also nourishing your body with essential vitamins and minerals. Make this year a fresh start with fresh greens, and let the vibrant colors on your plate be a testament to your commitment to a healthier and happier you. Cheers to a greener and more nutritious journey!

The post Revitalize Your Plate: A Fresh Start with Leafy Greens appeared first on The Chef's Garden.

At the age of twelve, he bought an espresso machine at a garage sale and, despite the fact that it was a terrible one, that started his life as a barista. Brandon always loved exploring flavors, which he did with his espresso machine. This was also the time when he started a youth organization to pick up trash and otherwise help to keep his community clean, which he felt was important.

He continued his path by attending culinary school and then going to Columbus, Ohio, for graduate work, where he got a job—in, of course, the coffee industry.

Brandon’s journey into sustainability also started at a young age. Growing up in a farming community, the effects of climate on crops were a regular topic of conversation, and then he studied sustainability academically. 

When he began working with Crimson Cup in 2010, he would point to a bag of coffee and ask the owner who produced it. The owner would name a country—say, Kenya—but Brandon wanted to know more about who grew those beans specifically. He wanted to be able to tell the story of each bag of coffee, build a relationship with that coffee farmer, and elevate its quality and sustainability.

The result: the Friend2Farmer program that goes beyond fair trade by becoming directly involved in the coffee-growing communities. Brandon points out that people producing the coffee beans don’t necessarily have access to the information about sustainability that he does, and he feels privileged to share his education with them and advocate for them.

To learn more about Brandon’s unique journey, listen to Sustainability, Koji Coffee, Being Intentional. 

Past Episodes of our Farming for Health Podcast

If you’ve missed any of our previous episodes, you can find them here:

• Episode One: Keto, Cruciferous Vegetables, Salt and Your Mindset
• Episode Two: Cooking, Conviviality, and Preserving the Harvest
• Episode Three: Ferments, Food Insecurity, and Wasted Food
• Episode Four: Anti-Cancer Diet, Food as Medicine, and Vegetables
• Episode Five: Plants, Happiness, and Mindful Neglect.
• Episode Six: Whole 30, Sustainable Habits, and Loving Vegetables
• Episode Seven: Iodine, Egg Yolk Enzymes, and Miso
• Episode Eight: Fungi, Bitter Foods, and Food Extinction
• Episode Nine: Understanding Food, Nutritional Healing and Farming
• Episode Ten: Enjoying the Process, Connection and Soup
• Episode Eleven: Monica Geller, Community and Limiting Salads 
• Episode Twelve: Nourishment, Creativity, and Full-Spectrum Health
• Episode Thirteen: The Joy of Cooking, Fermentation, and Seasonality 
• Episode Fourteen: Cauliflower, Potlucks, and the Joy of Food
• Episode Fifteen: Time Savers, Pickled Raisins and Cooking With Creativity
• Episode Sixteen: Romanticizing Food, Seasonal Eating, and Shamed Spinach
• Episode Seventeen: Being Present, The Eat-In Method and Food as Fuel
• Episode Eighteen: Regenerative Grazing, Monarchs, and Voting with Your Dollar 
• Episode Nineteen: Childhood Injustice, Soil Health, and Relationship with Nature
• Episode Twenty: Yoga, Climate Changes, and Creating a Livable Future
• Episode Twenty-One: Understanding the Soul, Flow State, and Finding Your Purpose
• Episode Twenty-Two: Regenerative Food Systems, Food Sheds, and Resiliency 
• Episode Twenty-Three: Leaning In: Culinary Trends and the Power of Teaching
• Episode Twenty-Four: Mentorship, Self-Care, and Hospitality
• Episode Twenty-Five: Community, Self-Care, and Mindset Tools

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