Just Forking Around: Giving Thanks to the People in our Food Industry
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The Wonderful World of Food and Beverages
And a big "THANK YOU!" the incredible people who grow, craft, brew, cook, serve and create within it. Debi Saltzberg considers herself a "Big Forking Fan of All Things Food". And her podcast, Just Forking Around, interviews everyone from farmers to franchisers, as well as restaurateurs, chefs, winemakers, brewers, and anyone else who plays a pivotal part in keeping the food and beverage industry beautiful, amazing, more than a little crazy, and always unique.
Influencers and Innovators
Debi’s passion for food, fun, and adventure have taken her across the country from her hometown of Boston to the sunny shores of Southern California, where she’s managed some of the area’s top restaurants, and further still to the hills of Tuscany, where she’s explored biodynamic farming. She's also an active member of the podcast community, both online in different social media groups and offline at national events like Podcast Movement.
Among the many inspiring and informative stories found on the Just Forking Around podcasts, I found a few influential people in particular:
Chelsea Poling
Founder of Rose Botanica - Episode #92 - Natural Tools to Bring Out the Wisdom Within. Chelsea Poling is a certified Reiki Level I Practitioner, natural beauty authority and wellness expert, and the founder of Rose Botanica, a natural online health and wellness boutique.
She was formerly employed by NASA and USAID, and Chelsea has worked on behalf of the U.S. government to do everything from procuring parts for the shuttle program to promoting women’s rights abroad – and in the process, she learned some secrets about natural wellness and beauty.
Now Chelsea’s mission is to seek out natural, organic beauty products and share these secrets with the world. In Just Forking Around, the two women discuss Chelsea's self-care routine, what exactly adaptogens are and how we can benefit from them. They also talk about what has lead her to this lifestyle and her experience with crystals, elixirs, mantras and everything in between!
I found this podcast episode particularly interesting due to Chelsea's journey, inspiration and overall positive attitude! Her personality radiates, even through just a recording - and she's a fellow Floridian; graduating from a state college and following an academic journey similar to my own. Her tips on ayurvedic medicine, self-care routines and mood-enhancing adaptogens are note-worthy and timely topics. In hopes of enhancing my own self-care routine, I've found Chelsea's talk, along with our articles on TexasRealFood - on Mushrooms and Superfoods - to be very helpful when used together!
“May we listen to our bodies and wholeheartedly trust our bodies’ guidance to help us feel better, look better, and become better people.” –Chelsea Poling
Learn more at RoseBotanica.com
Instagram: @rosebotanica
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rosebotanica/
Kaitlin Mogentale
Founder of Pulp Pantry - Episode #83 - How Pulp Pantry is Upcycling Would-Be Waste, Changing the Food System, & Creating Delicious Snacks.
In the beginning, there was juice – then there was pulp. But what do you do with it? That’s the question that led Kaitlin Mogentale to found Pulp Pantry, a fruit and vegetable snack company. They are on a mission to usher in a new wave of good nutrition and sustainability that’s accessible to everyone.
In the episode, the ladies discuss the origins of Pulp Pantry, waste in the juicing industry, and making food accessible in food desert communities. Working at an urban school garden in a food desert, Kaitlin was exposed to the poor quality of food “fueling” kids’ bodies each day (what with french fries counting as a daily vegetable!). She saw kids come into the garden, having never seen a fresh carrot before, teaching them to grow a carrot from seed to stem (later exclaiming: “carrots are my favorite vegetable!”).
As discussed in our TexasRealFood review of the film Gather, food desert areas are being stripped of their original food sources and now are forced to eat heavily processed foods, the only food available in these areas. There is a great amount of research showing how prevalent diabetes is in the western diet and how our youth is suffering. The podcast episode also dives into how we can incorporate environmentalism into capitalism, conscious consumption, packaging, and social enterprise.
“A toast to all of the amazing women who are changing our food system!” –Kaitlin Mogentale
Learn more (and get some snacks) at pulppantry.com
Enjoyed reading about the "Just Forking Around" podcast? Check out more episodes and updates here. You can also find more podcasts that talk about regenerative agriculture and our food systems here.
