Dirt to Dinner: Digging In

Digging in with Dr. Ray Goldberg

What strikes us about Dr. Goldberg's passion is his desire to unite the food system, as evidenced in his most recent book, Food Citizenship. It highlights a series of interviews asking pertinent questions to those who think about health, nutrition, sustainability, food safety, and governance. He doesn't believe there has to be a 'winner' or a 'loser.' He believes in capitalism which proves that companies can still work together to create value for the consumer and value for themselves. Dr. Goldberg understands that most corporations, farmers, scientists, and those who make our food believe in protecting the environment and making the high-quality, cheap food we have come to expect. His comments captured that idea repeatedly - the power of personal contact, real dialogue, and human interaction as the foundation of dispelling mistrust and suspicion and allowing those 'win-win' opportunities to proliferate. That, he observed, is a key to dealing with all the demands placed on the ag system - in adapting and evolving to deal with food security, environment, nutrition, better food products, etc. on top of feeding 9-10 billion mouths. Dr. Goldberg is very proud of his latest accomplishment in creating the PAPSAC organization (Private and Public, Scientific, and Consumer Food policy symposium) which brings suppliers, producers, processors, distributors, consumers, scientists, and government leaders together to discuss how to utilize technology constructively and create a socially, environmentally, and economically-sound food system. Together with John H. Davis, Dr. Goldberg developed the Agribusiness Program at Harvard Business School in 1955. From 1970 to 1997 he was the Moffett Professor of Agriculture and Business and head of the Agribusiness Program. Since 1997, he has chaired the Agribusiness Senior Management Seminars at Harvard Business School as Emeritus Professor and currently teaches a course on Food Policy and Agribusiness at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is also the author, co-author and/or editor of 23 books and over 110 articles on the global food system. We hope you enjoy listening to our discussion with Dr. Goldberg.

Meet D2D's Hayley Philip

As the granddaughter of a farmer and growing up in California's Central Valley, one of the nation's most productive agricultural regions, Hayley applies her industry knowledge and natural curiosity to unearth the food myths traveling around today, including debunking popular fad diets, fast-nutrition, and myths about 'quick' dietary fixes. Hayley also researches and writes about the intersectionality of regeneration and sustainable growing methods that will safely produce enough food for future generations. Hayley is a graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara with degrees in Sociology and Marketing. She moved to New York shortly after graduation, where she worked in sales and marketing for almost a decade before joining D2D.

Meet D2D's Hillary Kaufman

Hillary believes in the power of research to substantiate sound decision-making, especially when it comes to learning about our food system. Hillary's earlier career centered on forecasting consumer trends and researching potential investment ideas in the healthcare and consumer goods spaces. But as her family grew, Hillary's priorities shifted. So, in 2017, she enthusiastically joined D2D. Given her love of cooking, she'll write about the issues affecting our decision-making at the grocery store. This often includes all those gimmicky labels we see on our foods that make us falsely assume one product is superior. The worst offender to date? "Non-GMO" salt.

Meet D2D's Garland West

Over his career, Garland has applied his academic training in journalism to coverage of agricultural, environmental, and trade policy in Washington and Europe for clients that include major corporate leaders and prominent global consulting firms. His resume includes postings in Washington, Minneapolis, London, New York, Chicago, and Detroit, both as a corporate executive and president of his own communications company. He is a published author and public speaker on agriculture, trade, and public policy matters, as well as a consultant to various organizations on organizational leadership. He and his wife Nancy reside deep within the Blue Ridge Mountains, where they maintain an animal sanctuary and savor a more contemplative and relaxed pace of life.

Introducing D2D's "Digging in" podcast!

We will be talking with everyone in the food system, from farmers to scientists and nutritionists, to discuss important issues in their field. And we'll connect the dots along the way by asking how these experts see the food industry working together to provide safe, nutritious food for all. Please enjoy visiting our site to listen, and send us your thoughts as we embark on this new platform. Happy reading and listening! - The Dirt to Dinner Team