The Hand That Feeds Us

Brad Webber is the founder and creator of Top Knot Artisan Bakery, a beloved bakery located in Virginia Beach, VA. With a passion for creating high-quality, handmade baked goods, Brad has transformed his vision into a local favorite known for its commitment to artisan craftsmanship and fresh, simple ingredients. His journey began with a deep appreciation for traditional baking methods, cleaner eating and sustainable sourcing for his friends and family, and a desire to bring a new level of artistry to the food scene in Virginia Beach.

Brad's expertise extends beyond just baking; he focuses on creating an experience for his customers, combining classic techniques with innovative flavors. Top Knot Artisan Bakery offers everything from freshly baked breads and pastries to customized treats, all with an emphasis on flavor, quality, and community. Brad’s dedication to excellence and his commitment to supporting the growing local businesses across Hampton Roads make Top Knot a standout in the region's culinary landscape.

Whether you're grabbing a tuscan loaf of bread or ordering specialty cakes for a special occasion, Brad Webber’s passion for the art of baking shines through in every bite.

Mentioned: 

Wade’s Historic Ground Mill

The Lab Commercial Kitchen

Pinup Coffee

We currently participate in NO paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. The above meentioned are simply based on our own opinions and lived experiences, and are shared so that we all continue to expand our horizons, together. Additionally, this podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services.

Music by AudioCoffee:⁠ https://www.audiocoffee.net/⁠ , thank you for sharing your talent!

Find us on instagram @thehandthatfeedsus, send us feedback through DM or email us at [email protected]!

Your support means the world to us. Like, follow, rate, review, and subscribe!

Why is everyone talking about gut health and the gut microbiome? How can sugar, food dyes, and ultra-processed foods negatively impact your gut? Join us as we discuss how modern life could be impacting your gut and subsequently your health!

Curiosity Corner Topics:

Bezos & methane vaccines for cows, VanMan Honey Tallow & Tallow Sunscreen, Handkerchiefs

Resources:

Sugar-sweetened beverages exacerbate high-fat diet-induced inflammatory bowel disease by altering the gut microbiome

Sugar disrupts microbiome, eliminates protection against obesity and diabetes

High intake of sugar & the balance between pro & anti-inflammatory gut bacteria

Impact of dietary sugars on gut microbiota and metabolic health

U of G study finds food dyes can harm gut microbes

Dyes found in 90% of colored foods have harmful effect on gut function

Red 40 food dye in skittles, doritos & more trigger bowel diseases

We’re out here talking to ourselves, therefore we currently participate in NO paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Above mentioned products are simply based on our own opinions and lived experiences, and are shared so that we all continue to expand our horizons, together. Additionally, this podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services.

Music by AudioCoffee:⁠ https://www.audiocoffee.net/⁠ , thank you for sharing your talent!

Find us on instagram @thehandthatfeedsus, send us feedback through DM or email us at [email protected]!

Your support means the world to us. Like, follow, rate, review, and subscribe!

It's not shaken or stirred... it's emulsified. Why are thickening agents so prominently used in the big food industry, when evidence suggests inflammatory and metabolic impacts could be taking a toll on our health? In this EP, we discuss Carrageenan, a once naturally sourced, proportionately utilized, and traditionally heralded food additive, that has become far more commonplace in store-bought foods than you might realize. Join us as the phrase "well combined" takes on an entirely new meaning.

Curiosity Corner Topics: 

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, Homeschooling, Fermentation and gut health, Challenging big industries.

Resources:

What's the Controversy Over Carrageenan? - Cornucopia Institute

The Carrageenan Controversy | Scientific American.

Is Carrageenan Safe? | Follow Your Heart®

Irish Moss: The History of Carrageenan’s Roots - Food Ingredient Facts

http://ifacprod.wpengine.com/facts-on-food-ingredients/sources-of-food-ingredients/carrageenan

Food Emulsifiers and Metabolic Syndrome: The Role of the Gut Microbiota

We’re out here talking to ourselves, therefore we currently participate in NO paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Above mentioned products are simply based on our own opinions and lived experiences, and are shared so that we all continue to expand our horizons, together. Additionally, this podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services.

Music by AudioCoffee:⁠ https://www.audiocoffee.net/⁠ , thank you for sharing your talent!

Find us on instagram @thehandthatfeedsus, send us feedback through DM or email us at [email protected]!

Your support means the world to us. Like, follow, rate, review, and subscribe! 

Are you ready for an EARful about corn!? Why is corn in everything? We will discuss the unexpected places corn may be popping up in the food on your plate. How much of America's corn is actually feeding people, and how much is feeding livestock? Don't forget the big biofuel debate--is it better for the environment, worse, or neutral? And what about these government subsidies?? We cover it all!

Also mentioned: The Omnivore's Dilemma

Curiosity Corner Topics: yoga (yin and face), frownies, Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, Espresso, whole house water filters

Articles:

How corn ethanol for biofuel fed climate change

How the US became a global corn superpower

Corn & other feed grains

US corn use by market year

EPA: Biofuels & the environment

Interactions between US biofuels policy & the endangered species act

Corn: it's everything

Corn free diet

We’re out here talking to ourselves, therefore we currently participate in NO paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Above mentioned products are simply based on our own opinions and lived experiences, and are shared so that we all continue to expand our horizons, together. Additionally, this podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services.

Music by AudioCoffee:⁠ https://www.audiocoffee.net/⁠ , thank you for sharing your talent!

Find us on instagram @thehandthatfeedsus, send us feedback through DM or email us at [email protected]!

Your support means the world to us. Like, follow, rate, review, and subscribe! 

Your avocado toast has a dark secret... Join us while we explore the cultural phenomenon surrounding avocados, their environmental impact, and the complexities of their production, including cartel involvement and deforestation. In this episode, we discuss the historical context of avocado imports, the importance of local sourcing, and the ethical considerations consumers should keep in mind when purchasing avocados. Let's reach for mindful consumption and talk about the impact of individual choices on broader societal issues.

Curiosity Corner Topics: Personal stories in the Amazon and indigenous tribes, Bug spray

Articles and Sources:

As cartels take a stake in ‘green gold,’ US and Mexico rethink how avocados reach American kitchens | CNN

Avocados | Agricultural Marketing Resource Center

U.S. halts avocado imports from Mexico after inspectors caught up in violence | TPR

THE U.S. MARKET FOR AVOCADO

Why 90% of the U.S. avocado supply comes from Mexico

Avocado History

We’re out here talking to ourselves, therefore we currently participate in NO paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Above mentioned products are simply based on our own opinions and lived experiences, and are shared so that we all continue to expand our horizons, together. Additionally, this podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services.

Music by AudioCoffee:⁠ https://www.audiocoffee.net/⁠ , thank you for sharing your talent!

Find us on instagram @thehandthatfeedsus, send us feedback through DM or email us at [email protected]!

Your support means the world to us. Like, follow, rate, review, and subscribe! 

Join us as we discuss lawns, and why you may want to consider ditching your traditional grass. Let's dive into all things suburban landscape and native plants.

Curiosity Corner:

The Anxious Generation by: Jonathan Haidt

Sewing

Suet/Tallow

Articles:

How the perfect lawn became a symbol of the American dream

The American backyard as we know it developed after WWII

The American obsession with lawns

A farewell to lawns

I'm no genius with genuses, but your garden is killing the Earth

Taking action against invasive plants in NC

The butterfly highway

Want to help bees? Take a break from lawn mowers

Homegrown National Park

The low-maintenance, eco-friendly lawn that will still impress your neighbors

Resources:

Homegrown National Park

We’re out here talking to ourselves, therefore we currently participate in NO paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Above mentioned products are simply based on our own opinions and lived experiences, and are shared so that we all continue to expand our horizons, together. Additionally, this podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services.

Music by AudioCoffee:⁠ https://www.audiocoffee.net/⁠ , thank you for sharing your talent!

Find us on instagram @thehandthatfeedsus, send us feedback through DM or email us at [email protected]!

Your support means the world to us. Like, follow, rate, review, and subscribe! 

If you haven't listened to Season 1, you totally should...

Otherwise, welcome to Season 2! We're officially transitioning from audio to VIDEO podcasting! As always, give us your feedback and let us know what you want to hear us talk about on the Pod. We've missed you!

We’re out here talking to ourselves, therefore we currently participate in NO paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Above mentioned products are simply based on our own opinions and lived experiences, and are shared so that we all continue to expand our horizons, together. Additionally, this podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services.

Music by AudioCoffee:⁠ https://www.audiocoffee.net/⁠ , thank you for sharing your talent!

Find us on instagram @thehandthatfeedsus, send us feedback through DM or email us at [email protected]!

Your support means the world to us. Like, follow, rate, review, and subscribe! 

Ever noticed the “Color Added” label on your salmon? How about the food dye ingredients on your caviar? And why am I living next to water, but my only access to “fresh” store-bought seafood is sourced from Thailand? In this episode we learn all about who is catching our seafood, how it’s being processed and treated, where it’s actually coming from, and why the system is set-up to support the big guys instead of local fishermen. Let’s take the dive…

Resources:

Monterey Bay Seafood Watch

NOAA

GSSI Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative

WWF World Wildlife fund

Aquaculture Stewardship Council

Seatopia

EDF Food Selector

Curiosity Corner: Clean beauty, meat sourcing, grocery store woes, backyard chickens.

Credo

Forage

Force of Nature

White Oak Pastures

Wild Alaskan Company

Articles:

EDF Food Selector

Nova Scotia MP questions Chinese 'control' over lobster industry

About Genetically Engineered Food

10 Things You Should Know About the U.S. Seafood Supply | Food Safety News

A seafood firm wants to farm octopus. Activists say they're too smart for that

Drug residue in shrimp imports a focus of FDA AI program

Americans love shrimp. But U.S. shrimpers are barely making ends meet

Demand is growing for natural astaxanthin for aquaculture feeds and this Hawaiian biotech company is poised to take advantage

A small fish is at the center of a big fight in the Chesapeake Bay

The Precarious State Of Seafood Today

NOAA’s National Seafood Strategy

The Shady Truth About The Seafood Industry

I Want To Eat Fish Responsibly. But The Seafood Guides Are So Confusing!

Seatopia

Water Rights and Resource Disputes

We’re out here talking to ourselves, therefore we currently participate in NO paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Above mentioned products are simply based on our own opinions and lived experiences, and are shared so that we all continue to expand our horizons, together. Additionally, this podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services.

Music by AudioCoffee:⁠ https://www.audiocoffee.net/⁠ , thank you for sharing your talent!

Find us on instagram @thehandthatfeedsus, send us feedback through DM or email us at [email protected]!

Your support means the world to us. Like, follow, rate, review, and subscribe! 

Pour a cup of joe, and join us as we discuss my favorite beverage, coffee. Is there mold in your coffee? And should you worry about mycotoxins? Is it full of pesticides? Is your morning cup linked to deforestation? How do you pick what coffee to buy? Let's dive into this and more!

Curiosity Corner Topics: Metabolical, Spotify audiobooks, ingredient disclosure on garden inputs, bugs

Sources:

Application of risk management metrics for ochratoxin-A control in the coffee chain

FDA: Mycotoxins

Concentration of ochratoxin A in coffee products & proabilistic health risk assessment

Ochratoxin A: 50 years of research

WHO: Mycotoxins

From Coffee to Consciousness: Holistic Roasters, Melk Cafe, & Biodynamic Coffee

Demeter Association, Inc.

Regenerative Organic Alliance

A review on the pesticides in coffee: usage, health effects, detection & mitigation

Toxins in coffee: what pesticides & herbicides could be in your morning cup?

Production & Inhibition of Acrylamide during coffee processing: a literature review

The sustainability problems percolating in the coffee supply chain

How your cup of coffee is clearing the jungle

Now brewing: coffee research in Florida

Frinj coffee

Foreign Agricultural Service: Coffee Annual: Ethiopia

Foreign Agricultural Service: Coffee Annual: Colombia

Mycotoxins & human disease: a largely ignored global health issue

Evaluation of fungal contamination & ochratoxin A detection in different types of coffee by HPLC-based method

Ochratoxin A in coffee beans (coffeea arabica L.) processed by dry & wet methods

A risk assessment of dietary ochratoxin A in the United States

We’re out here talking to ourselves, therefore we currently participate in NO paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Above mentioned products are simply based on our own opinions and lived experiences, and are shared so that we all continue to expand our horizons, together. Additionally, this podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only, and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services.

Music by AudioCoffee:⁠ https://www.audiocoffee.net/⁠ , thank you for sharing your talent!

Find us on instagram @thehandthatfeedsus, send us feedback through DM or email us at [email protected]!

Your support means the world to us. Like, follow, rate, review, and subscribe! 

This week we are diving in to all things GMO/genetically modified. What exactly is a GMO---and does your definition match the government's definition? Has there been sufficient evidence found to conclude safety? What are the potential risks (if any) to your health? Just how widespread are GMOs? Let's discuss!

Curiosity Corner Topics: Seed starting, AeroGarden, greenhouses, Seedtime, garlic fermentation, dehydrating garlic/herbs in oven, sourdough vs. yeast, centipedes, pest control

Articles:

GMO Crops, Animal food, and Beyond

Spread of gene-altered pharmaceutical corn spurs $3 million fine

A bumpy road ahead for genetic biocontainment

Bioengineered microbes for soil health restoration: present status & future

Understanding new plant varieties

The unified website for biotechnology regulation

Genetically engineered crops: experiences & prospects

Can GMOs be used in organic products?

Non-GMO Project: The verification process

Are GMOs Safe? Breaking down the science of science-ified foods

Use of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) containing food products in children

The Seralini affair: degeneration of science to re-science?

Starlink corn: what happened

GMOs & Human Health III: The Starlink corn recall

Grain Quality task force concerns over pharmaceutical traits in grains & oil seeds

GM corn set to stop man spreading his seed

Innovation in precision fermentation for food ingredients

New GMO alert: synbio dairy is still bullish despite major obstacles

New GMO alert: CRISPR crops are unregulated and under the radar

Genetically Modified Organisms

Resources and Product Recommendations:

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by: Michael Pollan

Music by AudioCoffee:⁠ https://www.audiocoffee.net/⁠ , thank you for sharing your talent!

Find us on instagram @thehandthatfeedsus, send us feedback through DM or email us at [email protected]!

Your support means the world to us. Like, follow, rate, review, and subscribe!