Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg (by Food Tank)

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Alissa Viera and Lindsay Williams of the Toledo, Ohio-based ice cream manufacturer Swanky Scoops. They discuss the grants that allow local economies to flourish, the impact that delays in the reimbursement of funds can have on small food businesses, and how federal grant freezes — even when temporary — can undermine trust.

While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

Food Tank, in partnership with Driscoll's and Huston-Tillotson University and with the support of Organic Valley, recently hosted the "All Things Food" Summit at SXSW. This bonus episode of Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg features two conversations from the event.

First, Dani sits down for a fireside chat with Sam Acho, an author, humanitarian, ESPN analyst, a nine-year NFL veteran, and the Director of Human Capital at AWM Capital. They discuss how Acho worked with young entrepreneurs in Chicago to transform a liquor store into a food mart, the importance of letting the ego die to drive progress, and what it looks like to support a community as they build the future they want to see.

Then, Dani is joined by Karen Washington, a farmer, activist, author, and the Co-Owner of Rise & Root Farm. They discuss the intention behind the chaos and confusion that many feel today; organizing to leverage communal wealth; and the recent attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives — and what it looks like to fight back.

While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Kerstin Plehwe, President of the Physicians Association for Nutrition (PAN) International Foundation. They discuss why nutrition education for doctors is still lagging, the link between diet and mental health, and the efforts underway to make sure that hospitals are serving healthier, more climate-friendly food.

While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Mark Lewis, a Managing Partner at Trailhead Capital. They discuss what ag-tech investors can learn from the renewable energy sector; collecting the proof to demonstrate the social, environmental, and economic benefits of regenerative farming; and why Lewis remains an "eternal optimist."

While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with author and historian Toni Tipton-Martin. They talk about what happens when any essential community is left out of the conversation, the stories embedded in recipes, and the value of empathy as they dive into the new cookbook "When Southern Women Cook." Plus, learn how the foreign aid freeze is already impacting global hunger and public health, what's happening with USDA funding, and the progress taking place to safeguard biodiversity and local knowledge.

While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

On this special episode of Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani and Patrick Holden sit down for a conversation about the future of food and farming systems. They talk about reckoning with the idea that business as usual is no longer working, the fragility of food systems, and the value of measuring—and finding solutions to address—the true cost of food.

While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Gerardo Reyes Chavez, a key leader of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). They discuss the abuses that many farm workers in the U.S. face, the development of the CIW's Fair Food Program and its model of worker empowerment, and what recent attacks on immigrant communities could affect the farm workers who put food on our plates.

While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Tom Philpott, a Senior Research Associate at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. They talk about the forces that have affected food and agriculture news coverage and opportunities to equip journalists with the training they need to cover this sector, what President Trump's cabinet picks may mean for the future of food policy in the U.S., and why consolidation in the food system is an attack on democracy.

While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

Food Tank, in partnership with Nespresso, recently hosted the "All Things Food and Environment" Summit, held during Sundance 2025. This episode of Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg features two conversations from the event highlighting the inspiring stories of food systems transformation that can be told through film.

First, Chef Pierre Thiam, an author and the Founder of Yolélé, and Anne Marie Hagerty, the Host and Founder of The Envoy Show, sit down with Dani to discuss the forthcoming episode of a new docuseries focused on the power of fonio. They talk about the importance of scaling production of traditional crops for farmers and the planet, why this grain is a Trojan horse, and culinary diplomacy.

Then, Lynn Waymer, a social impact producer with Kontent Films, talks to Dani about the new documentary "Farming While Black." They dive into the trust that is foundational to telling an effective story, the Black farmers including Leah Penniman and Karen Washington behind the movement for more regenerative and equitable agriculture systems, and how the documentary is being used as an educational tool.

While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.

On Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg, Dani speaks with Jessica Padula, Vice President of Marketing and Head of Sustainability for Nespresso. They discuss the environmental and economic benefits of knowledge sharing between coffee farmers and agronomists, efforts to manage packaging waste and create a more circular economy, and initiatives that can help producers overcome challenges caused by natural disasters or political conflict to establish resilient coffee farms.

While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to "Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg" wherever you consume your podcasts.