Ep 70 - No Farms. No Food. CEO John Piotti. American Farmland Trust. Farming done right is critical to our future.
Release Date: 04/29/2025
Ep. 75 - Producing Products and Food in the Best Possible Way for People and Planet. Joshua Onysko.
Eat Better Food Today!
On this episode we are grateful to have Joshua Scott Onysko. Joshua is a true pioneer in the world of clean beauty, sustainability, and conscious entrepreneurship. He is the founder behind not one, but multiple industry-shaping brands, including Pangea Organics, Alpine Provisions, and Un Jeu D’échecs — each built with the core mission of creating products that are as good for the planet as they are for the people who use them. He’s a self-made, multifaceted entrepreneur with over 25 years in the natural products space, visiting over 50 countries in search of the finest ingredients, and...
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Ep. 74 - “How Donuts Gave Me Abs and a 90kg Snatch”. From Bolivia. Lisa Franz.
Eat Better Food Today!
On this episode we are grateful to have Lisa Franz. Lisa has a M.Sc. in Exercise Science, Health Promotion and Nutrition. She is the owner and head coach at Nutrition Coaching and Life and host of the Nutrition and Life Podcast. After struggling through various diets herself, Lisa learned about the evidence-based ways to change weight and body composition and has been fascinated with nutrition and building muscle ever since. #eatbetterfoodtoday #longevity #health #localfarmers #functionalmedcine #testing #healthyfoods Please visit our website for this week's recipe, interviews,...
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Ep 73 - If You Want to Make Your Health a Priority, You Have to Dedicate Time to It. CEO Blake Baynham.
Eat Better Food Today!
On this episode we are grateful to have Blake Baynham. Blake is a leader in functional medicine and Founder/CEO of The Fountain, a cutting-edge clinic that helps people optimize their health before problems ever show up. By focusing on health-span, not lifespan, Blake will discuss how take back control of your energy, longevity, and life. #eatbetterfoodtoday #longevity #health #localfarmers #functionalmedcine #testing #healthyfoods Please visit our website for this week's recipe, interviews, books, research, videos. Look for information on Blake at...
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Ep. 72 - Lose a Beekeeper and you Begin to Lose our Food System. Honey is the Original Healing Agent. Honeycomb Can Change the Consumer Relationship with Honey. Entrepreneur Douglas Raggio.
Eat Better Food Today!
On this episode we are grateful to have Douglas Raggio. Douglas’ journey to becoming a purveyor of fine fresh honeycomb weaves together his entrepreneurial spirit, culinary expertise, and passion for sustainable food systems. After a decade in the fast-paced restaurant industry, where he managed award-winning establishments in New York and Chicago, Douglas found himself increasingly drawn to the origin stories behind exceptional ingredients. His pivot into the world of artisanal honey began during a chance encounter with a third-generation beekeeper in the Hudson Valley. ...
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Ep. 71 - We need a thousand flowers blooming on local food initiatives. Food: you are already involved: you engage in the food system multiple times a day. Jessica Fanzo, Director, Columbia’s Climate School.
Eat Better Food Today!
On this episode we are grateful to have Jessica Fanzo. Jessica is a Professor of Climate and Director of the Food for Humanity Initiative at the Columbia Climate School. Her research studies the connections between climate change and food systems in nutrition. She studies communities living in climate and resource constrained settings to identify and explore opportunities within food systems to enhance diet, nutrition, and environmental outcomes. She was the first laureate of the Carasso Foundation’s Sustainable Diets Prize in 2012 for her research on sustainable food and diets for...
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Ep 70 - No Farms. No Food. CEO John Piotti. American Farmland Trust. Farming done right is critical to our future.
Eat Better Food Today!
On this episode we are grateful to have John Piotti, President and CEO of American Farmland Trust. John has worked at the forefront of sustainable agriculture since the early 1990s. Under John’s leadership, AFT has engaged in the most comprehensive study of American land use ever conducted, helped secure billions of dollars in funding to protect farmland and promote climate-smart agriculture, and launched initiatives that advance regenerative farming practices and support next generation farmers. Prior to joining AFT, John served as President of Maine Farmland Trust and as House...
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Ep. 69 - Health, Hunger and Hope. As a Guest on Boomer Banter with Wendy Green.
Eat Better Food Today!
On this Episode, I am a guest on Boomer Banter with Wendy Green. Wendy as host asks very insightful questions on the orgins of this Podcast (Health), what I've discovered from my interviews over the past year-and-a-half (Hunger), and the new Center we've just started in the poorest suburb in America, East Cleveland, OH (Hope). Wendy is a great Host and led an exceptional conversation. Wendy can be found at . This was recorded Live and released by Wendy last week.
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Ep. 68 - From Washing Crates to CEO. I want to Invest Dollars into Stories Like Mine. Relentlessly Pursuing the Best.
Eat Better Food Today!
On this episode we are grateful to have Anna Shields, CEO of Snowville Creamery. Snowville was founded in 2003 and is based south of Cleveland in Pomeroy, OH, just outside of Athens, OH. Anna began her career in the dairy industry at the age of 16, becoming CEO of Snowville in Nov 2022. I’m excited to discuss her journey, what Snowville means to its consumers, its workers, and the local community. I have their delicious yogurt every morning after my workout in the gym. I reached out to Anna for this conversation, and she was gracious enough to allow me to visit Snowville and...
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Ep. 67 - A Stanford Medical School graduate now Integrating Food based Interventions into Healthcare. Treat, Prevent and Reverse Chronic Conditions with Medically Tailored Meals.
Eat Better Food Today!
On this episode we are grateful to have Dr Steven Chen, a board-certified family medicine physician and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University and Stanford School of Medicine. Steven is currently the Chief Medical Officer at Recipe4Health at Alameda County Health, outside of Oakland, CA. Recipe4Health is a nationally recognized, award-winning "Food as Medicine" initiative that brings together healthcare, agriculture, food systems, and community to integrate food-based interventions into healthcare settings. Steven and I met from a mutual friend, Jeff Tkach, CEO...
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Ep. 66 - Two Decades Supporting Local Schools with Fresh, Nutritious, Delicious Organic Produce. Citrus for a Healthier Heart. Old Grove Orange.
Eat Better Food Today!
On this episode we are grateful to have Anna Knight. Her family has farmed citrus trees, and now berries and vegetables for five generations in Redlands, CA. Their farm has partnered with School Food Professionals to support local students for two decades. For Anna, the large purchases schools make from her farm enabled her family to pay for her and her brother’s college education. Her mission is to ensure that small family farms in her community can continue to operate and thrive in perpetuity. We are having this conversation at Anna’s Orange Grove outside of LA. Anna...
info_outlineOn this episode we are grateful to have John Piotti, President and CEO of American Farmland Trust. John has worked at the forefront of sustainable agriculture since the early 1990s. Under John’s leadership, AFT has engaged in the most comprehensive study of American land use ever conducted, helped secure billions of dollars in funding to protect farmland and promote climate-smart agriculture, and launched initiatives that advance regenerative farming practices and support next generation farmers. Prior to joining AFT, John served as President of Maine Farmland Trust and as House Majority Leader of the Maine State Legislature.
eatbetterfoodtoday #localingredients #longevity #health #foodasmedicine #localfarmers #climate #planethealth
Please visit our website https://eatbetterfoodtoday.com for this week's recipe, interviews, books, research, videos.
Look for information on John Piotti at https://farmland.org
Other Mentions: https://www.nature.org/en-us/ https://www.audubon.org
What’s In Season https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/
Cleveland Kitchen: https://www.clevelandkitchen.com/
Segment Notes:
Breakfast 1:42
Journey to CEO of American Farmland Trust (AFT) 4:23
- Started by Peggy Rockefeller
- Regenerative & Climate Smart Agriculture Roots in 1985
- The conservation title of the 1985 Food Security Act was Title XII. This title included provisions for highly erodible land conservation, wetland conservation, and the Conservation Reserve Program.
- AFT works worked with 20K farmers and ranchers in 2024
- Stone Barns at Blue Hill donated by Peggy Rockefeller’s estate
- John developed local markets for farmers in the 1990s after growing up in a fishing family
- Mentor – farmer Dick Perkins
- Partnering with Jeff Tkach at Rodale and Apricot Lane Farm’s John Chester
Organic and Regenerative Farming 18:31
- Organic has a USDA standard
- Regenerative for building soil health
- Improves Climate by pulling Carbon out of atmosphere
- Better absorption of water, better pest protection
- Cover crops, no till, crop rotation, animal grazing/rotation
- No or minimal chemical use
- Increases farmer profitability
- Human Health: Better, more Nutrient dense Food
Why Isn’t Regenerative Farming Growing Faster 26:43
- Average age of farmers is 60
Helping Young Farmers get into Farming 31:42
- Land costs are up to $7K to $20K per acre plus equipment
- Low margins with price volatility
- 900 million acres of US farmland (estimated)
- 300 million acres in next 15yrs will be in transition due to the age of the farmer
- Agriculture Conservation Easement to keep farmland prices 40-60% lower
- Peer learning – seasoned farmers with young farmers
- Business planning assistance
- Working with retiring farmers to party for land over time
- More state programs
- Give them local market opportunities: homeowners, restaurants, hospitals, schools
- Food Hubs for small farmers
- Seeing Local Food Becoming a Driver for Local Economic Development
Brighter Future Fund, Emergency Resiliency Grants 45:36
- Provided small grants to farmers ($4.8M so far)
AFT’s Biggest Challenge 49:45
- Farming done right is critical to our future
- Need to look at Farming as a System
Success Story, A Young Farmer Starting, Better Food Access 51:44
- Apple Farm success through an easement program sale, reinvested in the farm and local community
- Volunteer on a farm
- Food Deserts, Local Farm Production can Help
The Recipe: Vegetarian Bolognese Sauce 59:07
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