Reid Ten Kley of Iliamna Fish Co, chats with me about his family's sockeye salmon fishery that sells their Bristol Bay caught salmon in Portland, OR and New York City via CSA shares. Learn about the methods Bristol Bay uses to maintain their sockeye population each year, the benefits of buying directly from your fishermen, and how true sustainability means accounting for ALL inputs and outputs.

Eli Cairo, Owner and Founder of Olympia Provisions, Oregon's first USDA-approved salumeria, could not be more excited about the work his team is doing to create delicious, traditionally hand-crafted cured meats that utilize the whole animal to reduce waste and support the environment. We chat about how restaurants, farmers, and consumers all play a role in reducing food waste, and the strengths of both the European and American food cultures.

I loved having the opportunity to interview Tissa Stein, owner and founder of Tabor Bread in SE Portland. Tabor Bread daily bakes 100% long-fermented, wood-fired breads using house milled local grains. Tabor Bread values traditional bread baking methods that we discuss on the show, including:

• Daily, In House Grain Milling: Allows for sourcing from smaller local farms that do not have their own milling operations. Milling the grains fresh daily ensure you are getting the freshest flour with the most flavor and nutrient content.
• Long fermentation: This starts the process of digesting the bread before you even eat it and reduces gluten content, making Tabor Bread much more tolerable to folks who struggle with gluten sensitivity. Fermentation also enhances the nutrient content of the bread - especially B vitamins.

Listen to today's episode to learn how Imperfect produce reduces food waste, saves customers money, sees customers switch from take out to cooking in their own kitchens, and offers opportunities for farmers to increase their income. 20% of the produce grown today does not meet cosmetic standards required by grocery stores, and much of it ends up wasted. Also 40% of the food grown today is wasted - we have a lot of work to do to be sustainable!

Kelly Merrick, Communications Manager at Portland Farmers Market, shares lots of suggestions for how to eat locally in the winter. We also discuss how excited farmers at the market are to tell you about their farm, and how they love getting questions. Don't be afraid to ask! Cooking demos and classes that help folks learn new ways to make whatever is in season are also at the summer markets.

A very enlightening interview with Jean-Pierre Parent, owner of SOMA Kombucha in Portland, OR. He shares his insight on the benefits of kombucha to cognitive function, skin health, hormonal balance, and digestive comfort; how to easily and affordably determine the sugar and probiotic content of kombucha; and a novel invention of SOMA's called coffee-boocha... get the cold-brew flavor without the caffeine roller coaster.

Lacto-fermented vegetables can improve digestive health, immune function, and even help with skin problems. Brian Shaw from Oregon Brineworks answered lots of questions with me: What are lacto-fermented vegetables and why are they good for you? How do you run a year-round business selling products with vegetables that only grow in one season, and still source almost everything within 100 mile radius? How can someone try fermented veggies if they are a little weirded out by the taste?

For today's show I was joined by the fabulous Liam Pelot, CFO of Dick's Kitchen and Dick's Primal Burger. Liam is a wealth of knowledge and demonstrated how seriously Dick's Kitchen takes the health and sourcing of their ingredients. In this episode you'll learn about the long list of local meat and produce farmer sources that supply Dick's Kitchen, why rice bran oil is the best compromise for frying oil between nutrition and what customers will order, and when push comes to shove, why choosing local over organic can provide the same health benefits for a lower cost, and support farmers transitioning to organic.

Check out these 7 local food businesses you can support for delicious and healthier gift options this holiday season. Ranging from stocking stuffers to host or hostess gifts to larger presents.

Megan Benedict joins me from Fit Kitchen Direct, a gluten, dairy, vegetable oil, and refined sweetener free meal delivery service in Portland. We discuss: How having healthy meals delivered can help with weight loss goals, families spending more time together, and lots of other personal goals. Why they chose to avoid gluten, dairy, vegetable oils and refined sugars, and how this benefits you. How 2018 will bring an even bigger focus to supporting local farms.