Kirsten is joined by Tippecanoe County Naturalist Mary Cutler to talk about “Outdoor Explore!: A Beyond Your Backyard Sampler.” The event is a free, all-ages community event that strives to connect people with a wide range of outdoor pursuits through participatory activities at booths staffed by experts in their outdoor hobby.  Listen in to find out all that will be offered and how you can take part in this amazing free event.  

Kirsten interviews Dave Hunter, founder and owner of Crown Bees and Heather Harvey of Bees Gone Wild.  We talk all about solitary native bees.  Did you know that North America has 4,000 native species of bees and none produces honey? You can cheaply and easily raise native hole-nesting bees that are gentle and are far more efficient pollinators than honeybees.  This podcast is a call to ACTION. Find out how to help native bees, improve your harvests, and make sure that pollinators (and therefore we) survive.  You still have plenty of time to get bees settled in your yard and garden this summer.

Food Literacy is not just about your personal health! In this episode, Kirsten gets up on her soapbox and talks about why we all need to be food literate.  We tend to make changes and educate ourselves about food when we have a health crisis, but food literacy is so much more.  Food literacy is also about saving the planet, social justice, animal welfare, strengthening communities, building life skills, and more.  This is a call to action.  It's time to get real about food!

Kirsten and Amie bring you part 2 of our Gut Microbiome series.  In this episode, we explore all the ways that modern life is wreaking havoc on our gut microbiomes.  The health of our gut microbiome is where our health (or illness) begins so don't miss this extra-important episode. Kirsten gives an update on farm planting and a great way to get local farm products delivered.  Amie gives us the blow by blow of the healthy and delightfully cute party food she made for her daughter's birthday party.  Here the link for Market Wagon.

Kirsten and Melissa discuss the latest two selections from the Food Literacy Book Club.  Tracie McMillan's The American Way of Eating. focuses on those working on the lowest rungs of our food system--field workers, grocery store workers, and restaurant kitchen employees.  Joel Salatin's Twain-esque work Folks, This Ain't Normal explores (brilliantly) how cheap energy has turned food production (and a lot more) into anything but normal.    

Kirsten flies solo in this episode all about recognizing potential and turning that into results.  Spring planting has Kirsten thinking about what exactly turns potential into results.  The answer is hope and investments.  This very same equation is what helps us turn around our health and empowers us to make smart investments to realize our potential.  This episode is for everyone struggling with the question of whether time, money, dietary and lifestyle changes are "worth" it. 

Kirsten interviews Abby Lietz, the Education and Resource Coordinator for Food Finders Food Bank. We talk about the amazing work Food Finders does in our area.  Abby, whose role at Food Finders centers on food literacy, talks about reaching out into the community to partner with community members and other organizations to teach cooking classes and more at the education center. We also discuss the education garden at the center.  We make sure to tell you how you can access the food pantry, volunteer, and donate food too!

Want to grow the freshest, healthiest food possible and turn pennies into pounds?  This is the year for your first vegetable garden. This show will walk you through the steps to an easy and successful garden this summer.  For more, there's a detailed blog post with the 10 steps for a great garden, my 4 garden must-haves, and why growing your own is the trick for eating delicious, nutrient-dense and diverse foods!

Understanding the gut microbiome is ESSENTIAL to better health.  In this episode, Kirsten explains what the microbiome is, what it does and why it is CENTRAL to our health.  If even a fraction of Kirsten's excitement about the microbes in our guts rubs off on you, this will be worth the listen! Amie and Kirsten also talk about fibromyalgia flares and the importance of sunlight.  

The best food is local!  Spring has me thinking about local produce and farmers markets.  This episode is all about maximizing your food quality by connecting with local farmers.  We talk about how to find local farmers (look BEYOND the farmers market), what questions to ask to assess quality, and why you want to find regenerative, not just "organic" farm practices.  This episode has a corresponding blog post so don't miss out.  We also talk hissing cockroaches, clients and $$, and Amie gets on her soapbox about single-use plastics!