Food Heroes Podcast

When did you realize that you are white? Most white adults can’t recall an incident when they became aware of their race. But all Black parents have that conversation with their children at some point, and it often doesn’t start with a good experience. In the latest episode of #foodheroespod, Abena Foli recalls the time when her friend’s daughter asked “Mommy – am I brown?” Her 5-year-old daughter had experienced her first brush with racism, which prompted the first of many conversations her mother would have. It’s a reality and a privilege of existing as a white person: we are rarely compelled to face racism unless we choose to. And making that choice to have the hard conversations is…well, hard. Abena was gracious enough to share her experience with us in the latest episode of Food Heroes Podcast. I encourage you to listen and take action on her advice!

Corn is in nearly everything we consume. But how did that happen? And why? Charles Wiley, aka the Corn Man, initiates this conversation through storytelling and music! In this episode, we talk about where we learn about our food systems, Charles’s vision for Corn Man, and the ripple effects of thoughtful conversations.

I go on quite the rant in this solo episode. I read a post on istagram from the Thrid Space CAnteen that got me fired up about the role we can each play in creating a more locally-focused food experience. Lots of observations as we all realize our food system isn't as secure as we believed. Never think you are too small to be an agent for change!

Distance between the farmer and the consumer is not just a problem in the U.S. In Italy, small towns and villages often have just one major grocery store, and people don’t question the convenience of it. “They choose the brand because they trust the brand,” Sonia Massari tells me, “but they don’t know enough about the origin of the food or where the food comes from.” As the director of Gusto Lab in Rome, she encourages students to compile stories rather than conduct surveys in order to learn about what people need. Listen to this episode to learn what food access looked like during quarantine in Italy, the similarities and differences between Italy and the U.S., and why she emphasizes empathy as the foundation of her research method.