My guest this week is Annie Hauck-Lawson, author, nutritionist, master composter and the current Greening Director at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn. Annie co-edited the book Gastropolis: Food and New York City, and founded Brooklyn Mompost. She created the term “Food Voice,” and her recollections of her upbringing in Brooklyn, foraging for edibles in Prospect Park, fishing off the Brooklyn Coast, and starting one of the first Natural Food pushcarts in Brooklyn gives us great insight into her upbringing, which shaped her vision of the importance and connection we all have to food and nature. To get more information go to www.brooklynmompost.com
Category: Food
#1441: Paul Lazarus Discusses His New Documentary, “Slingshot”
Water is the source of all life, there is a world water crisis, and millions of people on the planet do not have potable, clean, drinking water. My guest this week, Paul Lazarus, director, writer and producer of film, television and theater has directed a wonderful documentary entitled, Slingshot. The film focuses on the the current global water crisis, and the path that inventor/engineer extraordinaire, Dean Kamen takes to bring his water purification system to the world market. The documentary has won film festival awards, and is a must see movie. For more information, go to www.slingshotdoc.com
#1434: Regina Cornwell, of Inclimate, and artist Lynn Cazabon discuss “Uncultivated”
Why are weeds considered the rats of the horticultural world, and what can we do to make people think about weeds in a more positive light? Join me and my guests Regina Cornwell, Curator and organizer of inClimate, and Lynn Cazabon, artist and Associate Professor of Art at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County as we discuss the project they are currently working on called “Uncultivated.” This project connects art and science, in an effort to educate the community about the importance of the edible plants (weeds), that grow wild within the urban area of Hunts Point in the Bronx. Regina is also a Climate Change presenter for the Climate Reality Project, which was started by Al Gore as an offshoot of the film An Inconvenient Truth. For more information go to www.inclimate.org and climaterealityproject.org
#1417: High Road, NYC High Road Restaurant Week
“The fight is never about grapes or lettuce…it is always about people.” That quote by Cesar Chavez describes what Colt Taylor, Executive Chef at One if By Land, Two if By Sea, and Tatiana Bejar, High Road Coordinator of the Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York, have teamed up to do, help the people, which in this case are the restaurant employees who are often times working in conditions that are not always optimal. High Road Restaurant Week, which runs from April 23rd through April 30th, aims to call attention to the the need to improve employment practices, via living wage, health benefits, sick days and overall treatment of those who work so hard to make our dining experiences more pleasurable. Sustainability doesn’t stop at the quality of food, it also connects to the human side, and restaurant workers deserve to be able to support their families and have benefits that all workers strive for. Please visit www.highroadny.org or www.rocny.org/
#1401: Brooklyn Grange Farm
Learn what you can grow Up On The Roof, as Bradley Fleming, Farm Manager at Brooklyn Grange Farm explains how urban agriculture is taking hold on a tall building near you. Find out what grows best on a city roof, and how it helps both the environment and adds to the sustainability of NYC. Go to www.brooklyngrangefarm.com for more info.
#1407: Alan Weisman, author of Countdown
Join me and my guest Alan Weisman, award winning author and journalist, as we touch on the subject of his latest book “Countdown”, which gives us insight into how over population and over consumption directly affects the environment. The demand for energy increases as the population rises, which is depleting our natural resources and adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Alan is deeply concerned about these issues, and we can start to fix things by educating the populous, especially women, about reproductive rights, contraceptives, having smaller families, which will lessen the impact on the environment, and lead to a healthier planet. Search the web for “Countdown” and Alan Weisman to get more information.
#1404: Emellie O’Brien, Founder of Earth Angel
Meet Emellie O’Brien, founder of Earth Angel, a company that provides sustainability management of film and TV productions. Emellie is a pioneer in this burgeoning field, as she coaxes everyone on the set, from directors to grips, to be more eco-conscious. She has worked on the films Noah and The Amazing Spiderman 2, as well as the hit HBO show Girls. To find out more about Earth Angel visit www.earthangelnyc.com
#1348: Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
My co-producer Abba Carmichael steps in to host TMSOG, and chats with Tony Sirna co-founder of Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, a highly sustainable community, which encourages members to live off the land, off the grid and reduce consumption. They are a stellar example of being one with nature and being mindful of Mother Earth. Tune in to find out more about how Dancing Rabbit Eco Village is a model for eco awareness and preservation of the planet. Go to www.dancingrabbit.org for more info.
#1344: Dr. Susan Rubin
Find out what the real hunger games are all about when Dr. Susan Rubin and I discuss issues of food security, as well as what giant corporations like Monsanto are doing to prevent you from knowing what’s in your food. Genetically engineered produce is not what you want on your plate. Two Angry Moms, the documentary, will clue you in on some of the facts about what is in your children’s school food, and how you can be more proactive in letting your local Board of Education know that healthier school lunches are a priority. Go to www.drsusanrubin.com for more information.
#1327: Murray L. Fisher, Harbor School
Murray Fisher, founder of The Harbor School discusses how high school students and oysters will help revive the waters of New York Harbor. The Harbor School is a specialized NYC Public High School that specializes in Marine science and technology. Tune in to find out more about the great work of Murray Fisher and his staff and students. For more info go to www.theharborschool.org
#1337: Vandra Thorburn, Vokashi
Kitchen scraps can be turned into compost with “magic” bran (EM Bokashi, a Japanese fermenting process) and a Vokashi eco bucket. Vandra Thorburn, founder of Vokashi waste solutions talks about how easy it is to take fruit and vegetable peels and other food scraps, and put the composted end product back into the soil and out of the landfills. Mother Earth will be happy to see us humans reduce, reuse and recycle our waste. For more information go to vokashi.com
#1330: Rodney North, Equal Exchange
What are Fair Trade items and why should we buy them? Rodney North of Equal Exchange tells us how fair trade items are helping organic farmers both locally and globally by producing coffee, tea, bananas that are grown organically, and give workers living wages and good working conditions. Eat better and help a farmer, go to www.equalexchange.coop/community to find out more.