Essential Ingredients Podcast

"It's hard work being a farmer, and we just don't value it. And we just don't realize… that we're losing them." —Jennifer Grissom

When SNAP and EBT are in flux, local food systems become a lifeline. This episode breaks down how farmers' markets can become emergency food hubs that protect both people and producers.

Jennifer Grissom from Food Access LA shares how her nonprofit expanded market ma...

"There is something missing in modern medicine that's not just about the therapy and exercises or about empowering the patient, but getting the patient to really choose self-care." —DeAnna Schaefer

Stillness doesn't just happen; it's created. Between deadlines, worries, and daily noise, most of us forget what it's like to truly breathe. But when we give ourselves permission to pause, we begin to heal in wa...

"Everything about our waking being is affected by the food we eat. And it's not just where your food comes from, but the ingredients…with integrity. Who is putting their love and passion into a crop? Who is not taking the shortcuts? How are individual ingredients… affecting our overall mood, physicality, all those things. All this is coming to light now— this is not pseudoscience anymore." —Jennifer Waxman

"It's a really interesting thing to figure out how to communicate the essence of something like [Pacha Bread] and the heart of what the product is. It's a bread that could heal the planet and could heal our bodies. It's something really magical."–Maddie Hamann

Sometimes the best things in life take time to rise, especially when you're trying to build something people truly crave. If finding your people o...

"Perimenopause, menopause, and andropause are such big biochemical shifts that they can affect every system in the body. There's no system left untouched by hormonal changes. o we want to use that as a filter to make sure that we're looking at the big picture." —Dr. Lisa Brent

One day your body stops responding the way it used to: sleep slips, moods shift, food doesn't hit the same, and the anxiety that ne...

"I believe what we're doing is based on something that's good for healing people and healing the planet. So, we're always organic and we're always working with regenerative organic farmers. And we're sticking to that mission and values, which is really important to me, because those are things that are always going to be good for you and for the…planet." —Neka Pasquale

Sometimes, wellness fe...

"I urge everyone to take a fraction of a second more to think before you throw something out— that's the moment that it matters whether we'll never see it again or whether it will go on to have a second life. It just takes that fraction of a second to try and do the right thing." —Laura Rosenshine

The way we handle waste isn't just about bins and bags—it's about habits, community, and the st...

"We always say our mac and cheese is like a break from the chaos. When things are crazy in your life, you just need a break. You don't have to go off the deep end and eat a bowl of some boxed XYZ... I want to eliminate that 'Oh my God, what have I done?' part after you eat." —Myles Powell

Comfort food isn't just about taste—it's about trust, memories, and feeling good from the inside out. To...

"We're looking at the molecular composition of milk, all of its proteins and components, how they function together, and what makes it magical. Our technology is around how do we get those to come together and function in a way that looks, tastes, and functions like dairy."

 —Thomas Bowman

Can a plant-based milk truly replicate the creamy goodness of dairy? Dive into a world whe...

"Every community has different values, and every community should have different choices. And that's why local food is so important so that local communities and local farmers can decide what's most important to them and how they want to connect the people who grow our food with the people who are seeking nourishment." —Andy Naja-Riese

"The health of our Farmers Market is really dependent upon the health o...

"The cure for disease is not to eradicate disease, it is the ability to respond…The more self-empowered you get, the more you can respond." —Dane Johnson

You're eating "perfectly" but still dealing with bloating, pain, and fatigue. What if the problem isn't just the food you're eating, but your body's ability to handle the world we live in? It's a frustrating truth that requires a completely new approach...

"One of the things I learned through the course of my career is that people don't have any trust, confidence, or faith in you until they feel like you care about them and learn what they need." —Mark Spoone

What if the key to a healthier planet and better food lies right beneath our feet? The way we treat our soil today could transform our future, making it richer and more sustainable for ge...

"The core difference is, instead of, once you've paid your employees and your expenses, what's left, instead of it just enriching the investors, it's given away to good causes." —Alex Amouyel

What if doing good didn't mean giving up your paycheck or your dreams? Maybe you're tired of hearing that business and kindness can't mix, or you wonder if your small actions really matter. Here's a fresh look at ho...

"In the entire decade of the 2000s, we had about a third of the billion-dollar weather disasters that we've had in the last three years. So in the last three years, we've surpassed threefold that entire previous decade. And it's not only fires in California and the West Coast— it's floods, it's storms, it's winter storms, wind storms. Most states are contending with this in some form or another." —Cole Ashman

"At the end of this little tiny workshop, I hope everybody just comes away with the fact that they know they can do whatever they want with anything they want." —Sam Paone

Got more summer veggies than you know what to do with? Instead of letting them go to waste, why not turn them into delicious pickles that capture the season's flavors? Pickling is a fun and easy way to preserve your garden's bounty, en...

"I think one of the biggest things to convey to anybody who wants to start a business is know what you're good at, know what you like, and know what you're not good at, and then outsource that. Because that's going to help get the business to where you wanna go." —Arielle Moody

Ever wonder if you're settling for "good enough" when you could be living—and choosing—so much better? If you've ev...

"It's all about labels, it's all about claims, and it's all about certifications. Regenerative is a mess. It's a hot mess. ... I can understand, articulate, and define it really easily, but the average consumer, I don't think, can for a myriad of reasons.... The entire reason regenerative agriculture was created is the beauty of it being a transition tool to improve conventional agriculture. The challenge is it's super...

"Life is so crazy, and you just want to be able to live it to the fullest and the best you can." —Elissa Goodman

Everyone's selling the next big wellness fix—but what if the real answers are simpler than you think? 

We're bombarded with superfoods, supplements, and miracle diets, but the truth is, most of us are still searching for what really works. If you're tired of chasing t...

"Simplicity was something I learned from my family and grew up with. The fact is, you do not need fancy food, you do not need a huge variety of food. You can have some potatoes, and you can have one vegetable, and you make a brothy sauce with the vegetables, and you pour it over the freshly cooked potatoes. It can be so comforting and nourishing. So simplicity is something that is important for us to understand." —Dani...