As we kick off our second season of PROJECT: Good Food, this first episode takes a look back at the past season - the origins of the podcast, the challenges and evolution of the storytelling, and what we're looking forward to in the coming year. We also discuss some past and future Project New Village events that highlight food justice and community wellness work being done in greater Southeastern San Diego.

Hosts Brandon S. Johnson and N. Diane Moss welcome the man behind the curtain, Design and Communications Consultant Jason Cardenas, who has helped with some of the conceptualizing and technical aspects of putting together a podcast.

As we ramp up to our Health & Healing Summerfest community event on August 23rd, 2025 at ECC in San Diego, in this episode we're highlighting two wellness practitioners who will be joining us at Summerfest - Shophar, a Qi Gong instructor and Breath Poet at Fo Sho Energy Work, and Brian Westpoint, the co-founder of Movement Matters Collective, a collective of Movement Educators specializing in Pilates, Yoga, dance, and community-connecting events that offer a tailored movement experience for all ages and skill levels.

Hosts Brandon S. Johnson and N. Diane Moss guide a conversation focusing on some of the basic elements of wellness: breath awareness, the importance of walking, finding community through wellness goals, and how an agrarian lifestyle can improve your overall health and well-being.

Favorite foods, sacred meals, emotional connections we might have with certain foods - we all eat, and our personal journeys and relationships with the food we eat is as diverse and unique as we are as people. With guest host Roxanne Kilbourne and co-host N. Diane Moss, in this episode we share a warm and lighthearted conversation all about food. We’re joined by our own Kelly Gray, Added Value Food Coordinator at Project New Village, and Chef Cynthia Quinonez, Good Food Activist and Educator. Join us for an inspiring conversation about a subject we all love: food!

This special town hall inspired episode was recorded live on May 23, 2025 at the Project New Village office in Southeastern San Diego. Featuring guest speakers and comments from local residents and community leaders, this episode takes a deep dive into understanding the current political and economic realities impacting nonprofits working in the food justice realm. We share a lengthy conversation on the impact of federal funding issues, funding strategies and risk management for food projects, and strategies for navigating uncertainty as we move forward.

Hosted by Anthony Avalos and N. Diane Moss, this episode features a brief presentation by Dr. Derrick Robinson, the UC ANR and UC Cooperative Extension San Diego Urban Agriculture, Food Systems, and Environmental Issues Advisor, and guest speaker Elly Brown, the Co-Executive Director for San Diego Food System Alliance, and Co-Chair of the Community-Centric Fundraising San Diego Chapter (CCF).

In this special Earth Day episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Jordyn Garfein and Christopher De Guzman of Treedom Cooperative, a San Diego based nonprofit promoting a permaculture style approach to regenerative urban agriculture. Their extensive world travels and knowledge of water harvesting inform their work of transforming spaces into productive ecosystems.

Hosts Brandon S. Johnson and N. Diane Moss share a fascinating conversation that dives deep into Treedom's mission to empower our community with educational resources and environmentally conscious practices. This is definitely an Earth Day-worthy episode!

In observance of Cesar Chavez Day, we're honored to have Todd Walters, President of United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 135, join us as we explore worker's rights within our food systems. The UFCW Local 135 has a rich history in San Diego, and currently represents over 13,000 workers throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties and consists of workers in various fields that include grocery & retail, meat & sugar processing, and cannabis.

Join hosts Brandon Johnson and N. Diane Moss as we explore what workplace justice really looks like for food workers, and how the growing urban farming market fits into the fight for equity.

Inventor, painter, pianist, and one of the most prominent black scientists of the early 20th century, George Washington Carver was truly a brilliant man who was ahead of his time. In this episode, hosts Brandon Johnson and N. Diane Moss take a look at the remarkable life of this man and how his incredible ingenuity, work ethic, and dedication to sustainability and being self-sufficient led to over 300 inventions that continue to impact agriculture and farming practices today.

Joining our host are two very special guests: Ian Moreland, Garden Manager and Community Gardening Programs Lead for Project New Village, and Rodney West, Manager of the People’s Produce Mobile Farmers Market. Both men are Master Gardeners in San Diego and are dedicated to urban agriculture and the benefits of producing and consuming fresh, hyper-local foods in our neighborhoods.

What does community participation look like within the Good Food District (GFD)? In utilizing an equitable food-oriented development (EFOD) model, resident-led community action in our local food system is a key component in creating food sovereignty - but what exactly does resident involvement in a food system mean?

In this episode, we highlight community action in the GFD by interviewing residents of Southeastern San Diego to find out how they actively participate in our local food system, and how their journey with good food intersects with Project New Village and the Good Food District.

Hosted by Anthony Avalos, this episode features N. Diane Moss, Francine Maxwell, Roxanne Kilbourne, Lucia Davis, Dolores Johnson, and students from Morse High School.

This episode takes a deep dive into the definition of the Good Food District - what it represents, understanding the regional impacts, and the importance of placemaking within the context of building food sovereignty in food insecure neighborhoods.

Hosted by Anthony Avalos, this episode features the illustrious N. Diane Moss and an in-depth interview with the ever impressive Sona Desai, the Co-Executive Director at the San Diego Food System Alliance and currently leads the Local Food Economy Lab. For over 25 years, Sona has been part of the movement to build a more sustainable and equitable food system, and is deeply committed to supporting small-scale farmers, especially Black and Brown farmers.

Recorded live at the San Diego Food System Alliance's Annual Gathering held on October 17th, 2024, this episode takes a deep dive into what the term food sovereignty means within a defined geographical space, and how this relates to cooperative practices in urban agriculture as a necessary tool to counteract the effects of food apartheid.

Hosted by Anthony Avalos, the episode features special guests N. Diane Moss, Managing Director of Project New Village and Dr. Derrick Robinson, University of California Cooperative Extension Advisor, focusing on Urban Agriculture, Food Systems, and Environmental Issues and Co-Director of Cooperative Extension in San Diego County.