Fresno's Best

We have two guests on today: Chris DeLeon and Amber Donat. They are two of leaders behind a huge urban farming project in Southwest Fresno. The Yosemite Village Permaculture Community Garden and Urban Farm Incubator (Yo’Ville) is a 7.5 acre fresh food production space planned and designed to collaboratively enlist and serve the residents of Southwest Fresno— an important community struggling with extreme poverty and health disparities, and significant environmental injustice and food hardship.

Please support this podcast by either making a financial contribution through Patreon or by giving us a rating and a review.

Books

The Soil and Health

Wendell Berry

Radical Mycology

Edible Forest Garden

Gaia’s Garden

Letters to a Young Farmer

Kiss the Ground

Forks over Knives



Our Patreon Page 

In this episode, we interview Dr. Patrick Fontes. Dr. Fontes is a fourth-generation Chicano Fresnan. His great grandparents crossed over into El Paso during the Mexican Revolution in 1917, then made their journey over to Fresno, building an adobe home around 1920. Dr. Fontes received his PhD in American History from Stanford University. His research interests include Mexican American history, immigration history, 20th century American youth sub-cultures, and the criminalization of Chicano culture. His poetry has appeared in The Más Tequila Review, the Acentos Review, The James Franco Review, Suisun Valley Review, Silver Birch Press, as well the online poetry site La Bloga.
Floricanto Press published Patrick’s first novel, Maria’s Purgatorio in Jan. 2016.


Links

Voices from Slavery

Patrick's Website

Our Patreon Page

In this episode, we interview Nayantara Rodrigues, the president of Namaste for Compassion, an amazing organization that brings Yoga to at-risk groups. Nayantara is also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an instructor at California State University in the Department of Counselor Education and Rehabilitation.


Books

The Body Keeps Score

The Four Agreements

The Seat of the Soul

Outlander



Namaste for Compassion's Website


Our Patreon Page

In this episode, we interview Steve Skibbie, photographer and downtown advocate. We talk about a lot of stuff, including the state of photography industry, historical preservation, the importance of walking, and much more.

Books

Black New Yorkers

The Warmth of Other Suns

Caste

Support us!

Our Patreon page

In this episode, we speak with the Ashleys, the two amazing women behind the internet's best vegan recipe blog. We talk about overrated and underrated vegetables, the journey to veganism, the psychological effects of giving up animal products, favorite restaurants and chefs, and much more.

Their Website

Eat Figs, Not Pigs

Documentaries:

Cowspiracy

Forks Over Knives

Vegucated

Books

The China Study

Proteinaholic

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows

We Are the Weather

Superlife

Hot For Food Cookbook

Crossroads Kitchen Cookbook

Bad Manners

Support us!

Our Patreon page

Hey everyone! Today's episode is a request for support. We encouraging those who enjoy our episodes to consider contributing to our Patreon page, linked below. We want to continue to produce this show for many years to come, but, to get there, we will need your help. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for our next interview dropping this Friday.

Patreon Page

In this episode, we talk with Vince Mancini, writer, film critic, and podcaster, of Film Drunk Frotcast. Mancini writes for Uproxx.com, and we dig into journalism in the valley, rethinking food truck concepts, the benefits of MFA programs, what's wrong with those soundscapes in NPR podcasts, and much more. Enjoy!


Vince's Outlets

Filmdrunk Frot Cast

His writing

Book Recommendations

Blue Latitudes

The Pacific: In the Wake of Captain Cook with Sam Neill

Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story


Support us!

Our Patreon page

In this episode, we unveil our new intro song for the podcast produced by local artist BKR. After the unveiling, we speak with BKR about the music scene in Fresno, his hip hop journey, culture vultures, and much more. Enjoy! 


Our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/fresnosbest

In this episode, we speak with Jennifer Cruz, LGBTQ+ Resource Center Manager, and Emily Johnson, Community Outreach Coordinator, both who are working hard to create an infrastructure and support services for LGBTQ folks in the Fresno and the central valley. A great conversation and an important topic that is not covered in many places in local media.

Further reading:

How to be an Antiracist

White Fragility

So You Want to Talk about Race

Me and White Supremacy

The Map of Salt and Stars

Cantoras

Randa Jarrar's Amazon Page

In this episode, we interview the Executive Director of Fresno Metro Ministry, Keith Bergthold. We talk about the history of development in Fresno, building costs, Blackstone Avenue, Lao food, motorcycles, and much more.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Robert Pusig

Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work Matthew B. Crawford

Food Fix Mark Hyman