We are hearing a lot about inflation lately, but do we understand what it is? More importantly do we understand why its happening? In this episode, Mike talks to Dr Trevor Tombe, Professor of Economics and the University of Calgary. They talk about what's happening with inflation and why it is so high.

Have you ever left a pail of water sitting and come back to a green and soupy mess? Did you think it looked like food? No? Maybe you should have. Yonatan Golan, the President of Israel based Brevil, says that micro-algae is future of sustainable protein and his company has a technology to produce it price competitively. He and Mike talk about what micro-algae is, the potential benefits of it, and why its going to take the food industry by storm,

Have you ever thought that your old family recipe would be a hit on grocery store shelves? Do you have any idea how that might happen? In this episode Mike talks to Derek Vella, Director of the Guelph Food Innovation Centre, about the process for bringing a new product to the market. He talks about what the GFIC helps big and small companies evaluate products and make a decision whether and how to proceed. You'll be surprised by the range of things to think about.

In this episode Mike talks to Jenifer Tilton Flood, whose family milks 1,700 cows in Maine. We talk about what happens on a dairy farm - the joys and challenges of farming. They also talk about the farm's relationship with the processor - a coop - they sell their milk too. Jenni has a unique perspective on farming - this episode is worth a listen.

Farmers are managers first and foremost. They need to build their businesses to ensure long term success. Many farmers get bigger. Others find a market niche. Increasingly we are seeing farmers start processing their production to increase the value they earn per acre. In this episode, Mike talks to Jason Persall of Pristine Gourmet, about his journey to a successful value added business on the farm.

Technology is advancing at an amazing rate. You might not think that looking at the history of animal agriculture would provide much insight into how we might think about gene editing and other technology in the future. Mike's guest this episode, Will Wright, an animal historian at Augustana University, asserts that there is much to learn from the past. He makes a strong case as he explains the development of animal agriculture from pastoral days up to today and helps us understand how we think about animal agriculture and how we might frame discussions about technology in the future.

Coops have been a common model in agriculture and food, giving producers a stake in the processing and input sectors. What are coops and what makes them different from a "regular" business? In this episode Mike speaks with Michael Barrett, a self described coop evangelist and President and CEO of Gaylea, a dairy cooperative. Michael talks about price protection in the face of market power and opportunities for market development. He also highlights how critically important good governance is to success.

Michael Barrett is retiring as the President and CEO of Gaylea - a dairy processing cooperative. Mike sat down with Michael to reflect on his career and how he got there, the change he has seen in the industry, and what he sees coming for the dairy industry in the future.

What do animals feel? Mike has a discussion on sentience with Dr Georgia Mason, Director of the Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare. We make individual and societal decisions on seafood and livestock product consumption based on our perceptions of animals. Georgia provides an overview of the state of the science on sentience and some perspectives on implication for welfare. We can and do make different decisions but an understanding of the basics can inform those decisions. They talk about aquaculture and insects which may be the next key areas for discussion.

Jenn Christie grew up on a farm and worked for most of her career in agriculture. In 2020 (yes the pandemic year) she and her partner opened a restaurant (Bonfire on Queen in Paisley, ON). In this episode she talks with Mike about the surprises, the successes and the struggles (they opened after the lockdowns started) and how her thinking about food as a farmer has shaped what they do in the restaurant.