Heartland Stories Radio Heartland Stories Radio

LeAnna Compagna is a third generation organic farmer in Middlebury, Vermont. Together with her husband they are farming on their own dairy farm as well as on LeAnna’s parents farm that became an organic farm in 2007, when her parents sold the herd of cows that had come with the farm and replaced it with a herd of organic Dutch Belted dairy cows. Tune in to learn more about:
LeAnna’s story of becoming an organic dairy farmer; Small family farms; Becoming a steward of the land; All about organic dairy cows; Why farming is a 24/7 job; How inflation is hitting the daily operation of the farm.

Piper Davis is a celebrated baker and partner at Grand Central Bakery, a regional chain of 10 cafes and artisan bakeries in the Pacific Northwest. An avid baker, cook and good food provisioner, she is the co-author of “The Grand Central Baking Book” and is Board Chair of the national nonprofit Chefs Collaborative. Tune in to learn more about:
Piper’s childhood and her love of baking inspired by her mom - Grand Central Bakery founder, Gwyneth Bassetti; The artisan bread revolution; The power of deliciousness; About Grand Central Bakery and their mission to produce delicious food and treat their employees well; The tomato story and the challenges of purchasing local ingredients, from wheat to vegetables.

Dr. Philip Landrigan is a pediatrician and epidemiologist, as well as Professor, Director of the Global Public Health Program and of the Global Pollution Observatory at the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society at Boston College. His research focuses on toxic chemicals in the environment and their effects on children’s health and development. Tune in to learn more about:
- Pesticides and children's health;
- Fetal programing, epigenetics & windows of vulnerability;
- What parents can do to protect their children's health;
- The Heartland Study. 
Dr. Landrigan urges parents to "Vote for children", by asking their representatives what they are doing to protect their children from the rising health issues that a lot of them are facing like autism, learning disabilities and childhood cancer.

George Siemon is an organic pioneer and the co-founder and former CEO of CROPP/Organic Valley. In September 2022, George was one of the recipients of the 2022 Honorary Recognition Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The Honorary Recognition Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to their professions, their communities and the university. Tune in to learn more about:
George’s path into organic farming; His involvement in pioneering organic standards for livestock; How organics has proven that it can feed the world; How a stable price helped organic family farms; About alternative ownership models, like co-ops and trust ownerships; The art of governance and why it is important that we learn how to work and get along together.  

Dr. Marianne LeGreco is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Communications Studies at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She is also the co-author of “Everybody Eats: Communication and the Paths to Food Justice” which was published in 2021. Tune in to learn more about:
Marianne’s inspiration for studying communications; The four legged stool of the food system; Food access and poverty; Her book “Everybody Eats: Communication and the Paths to Food Justice” and the question “who gets to bring the table?”; The nurturing of new leaders in food; The little food pantries and mobile food markets in neighborhoods; The Food Research and Active Center; Her thoughts on the 2023 Farm Bill.  To learn more about Dr. LeGreco, listen to her TEDxGreensboro talks Building Vibrant Food Systems and Vibrant Food Systems Redux.

Antonio Roman-Alcalá is an educator, researcher, writer, and organizer based in Berkeley, California who has worked on issues of sustainable food systems for nearly 20 years. Antonio is currently an Assistant Professor at California State University, East Bay teaching Geography and Environmental Studies. Previously, he co-founded San Francisco’s Alemany Farm, the San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance, and the California Food Policy Council, and his 2010 documentary film, “In Search of Good Food”, can be viewed free online. Currently, Antonio maintains the blog www.antidogmatist.com, the North American Agroecology Organizing Project. Tune in to learn more about:
The story on how he became involved in food systems; His 2010 documentary film “In Search of Good Food”; His PhD dissertation “Histories of Othering, Practices of Solidarity, and Prospects for Emancipatory Convergence Among California’s Food and Farming Movements in Times of Resurgent Rightwing Power”; Five practical strategies for those who work to change the food systems.  To learn more about Antonio, go to his blog www.antidogmatist.com.