Skip to content
Sign in
Artwork for One Bite is Everything
Society & Culture

One Bite is Everything

Dana DiPrima

We talk about food like it's just dinner. It never is. One Bite is Everything explores the people, practices, policies, and power that shape what's on your plate. Through 150+ conversations with farmers, chefs, scientists, historians, and policy thinkers, each episode pulls back the curtain on a food system most of us navigate without really understanding. Real stories, real stakes, no lectures. These conversations don't stop at your headphones. They ripple outward through the For Farmers Movement, a weekly letter, and a community of eaters who are connecting more deeply with the farmers who make their food possible. One Bite is Everything airs every Thursday.

Play
Open in
  • 27 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 37 min
  • English

Episodes 27

NewestOldestLongest
All7Unplayed7In progress0Played0
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • #164
    May 14 · 34 min

    Land Isn’t Enough: How a Goat Farmer Built a Farm From Scratch

    Show Notes What does it actually take to become a farmer today if you didn’t grow up on a farm, inherit land, or have a roadmap? In this episode of One Bite is Everything, Dana sits down with first-generation goat farmer Emma Smalley to talk about the reality of building a farm from scratch in modern America. Emma’s path into farming started with a Craigslist ad and an aging goat farmer named Roger who needed help caring for his herd. What followed was mentorship, loss, land searches, commuting hours to support the farm with an off-farm job, and eventually building a goat operation of her own in rural New York. But this conversation goes far beyond goats. It explores the growing crisis around farmland access, succession planning, first-generation farming, and the emotional complexity behind keeping land in agriculture. Emma shares what it feels like to compete with developers for farmland, why so many farms depend on off-farm income to survive, and how isolation has quietly become one of the defining realities of farming today. Dana and Emma also discuss: why land can be “available” but still inaccessible how mentorship shapes new farmers the hidden emotional side of farmland transitions rotational grazing and regenerative practices why goat meat demand is growing in immigrant communities the role of community in keeping farmers going how organizations like American Farmland Trust are helping support land access and transition planning why farming today often depends on people operating at their absolute limit At the center of this episode is a bigger question: If millions of acres of farmland are expected to change hands in the coming decades, who actually gets the opportunity to farm? Emma’s story offers a deeply personal look at that question—and at the people trying to build a future inside a system that often wasn’t designed for them. In This Episode Emma’s unexpected path into goat farming The reality of first-generation farming Competing with developers for land Farming while working a full-time job Goat farming, halal markets, and immigrant food systems Why community matters more than people realize The emotional weight of farmland succession Building a farm that can outlast you About Emma Smalley Emma Smalley is a first-generation goat farmer in New York State raising meat goats on a former dairy farm in Allegheny County. She manages her farm while also working full-time off-farm and has been involved in farmer community-building efforts including the Good Farmers Guild of Western New York. Emma also worked with American Farmland Trust to navigate land access and farm transition planning. About American Farmland Trust and Farmland for a New Generation Farmland for a New Generation New York (FNG-NY), coordinated by American Farmland Trust in partnership with New York State and regional organizations, helps connect farmland seekers with landowners looking to keep land in agriculture. Through a statewide network of Regional Navigators, the program provides guidance, resources, and transition support for both new farmers and retiring landowners. https://farmland.org/farmland-for-a-new-generation-new-york Connect & Support Learn more about the For Farmers Movement at For Farmers Movement Read Bite Sized on Substack Follow Dana on Instagram at @xoxofarmgirl If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review One Bite is Everything on Apple Podcasts. It helps more people find the show and supports independent food storytelling that connects the dots between farming, food, and the bigger systems shaping both.

  • #163
    May 7 · 1 hr 4 min

    Farmers Markets Aren’t as Simple as You Think

    Inside the hidden systems, rules, economics, and realities shaping America’s farmers markets. Most people think they understand farmers markets. You show up. You buy produce, eggs, cheese, meat, flowers, or honey from a farmer. You support local food. Done. But behind every stand is an entire system most consumers never see. In this episode, Dana sits down with Catt Fields White for a fascinating conversation about what’s really happening behind the scenes at farmers markets across America and why the details matter far more than most of us realize. Catt has spent decades managing markets, training vendors, advising market managers nationwide, and helping shape conversations around farmers markets both nationally and globally. What emerges in this episode is a much more complex, and much more important, picture of local food than the charming Saturday morning version many people imagine. Together, Dana and Catt unpack: why farmers markets operate so differently from state to state the surprising history of farmers markets in America how regulations quietly shape what foods and businesses survive the hidden labor of managing a farmers market why some markets allow resellers and others ban them entirely how convenience influences consumer behavior more than we admit the tension between purity, practicality, access, and survival what “local food” actually means in different settings why farmers can earn dramatically more selling directly to consumers how policy and economics shape the food system in ways most people never see The conversation also explores a deeper question underneath all of it: What happens when the systems shaping our food become invisible to the people eating it? Because food is never just food. It’s economics. It’s regulation. It’s labor. It’s land. It’s culture. And it’s community. It’s also a set of decisions quietly shaping what survives and disappears from our food system every day. Whether you shop at farmers markets every weekend or only stop by a few times each summer, this episode will change the way you think about what’s happening behind the tables. In This Episode Why the same tomato can create completely different outcomes depending on where you buy it The difference between “local” at a grocery store and “local” at a farmers market Why many consumers misunderstand how farmers markets work The economics behind direct-to-consumer food systems The role of resellers, aggregators, and producer-only markets How market managers juggle safety, permits, logistics, politics, and farmer relationships Why some foods can legally be sold in one county but not another The hidden pressures facing small farmers and local markets Why taste may be one of the most powerful tools for reconnecting people to local food About the Guest Catt Fields White is the co-founder of Farmers Market Pros and a longtime farmers market manager, consultant, educator, and advocate. She works with markets and vendors across the country and participates in broader conversations shaping farmers markets nationally and internationally. Connect & Learn More Find Farmers Market Pros here and on Substack. Learn more about the For Farmers Movement at For Farmers Movement Follow Dana on Instagram at @xoxofarmgirl or Substack/Bite Sized Listen to this and more episodes of One Bite is Everything wherever you get podcasts If this episode changed the way you think about farmers markets, share it with someone who shops one. Or someone who should.

  • #162
    April 30 · 39 min

    Best Available: Sam Sifton on What We Eat and Why

    What does “best available” actually mean when it comes to food? In this conversation, Dana sits down with Sam Sifton of The New York Times to unpack how we got here. Not just what we eat, but why we eat the way we do, and how much of that is shaped by systems most of us never see. Sam has spent more than two decades helping shape how Americans cook, think about ingredients, and make decisions in their kitchens. Through his work at The New York Times and his role building New York Times Cooking, he has influenced behavior at a scale few people ever reach. That perspective makes this conversation different. It moves beyond trends and into the mechanics of how habits actually form. At the center of it is a simple but complicated idea: most of us are not choosing the best possible food. We are choosing the best available. And what is available is determined by a system built for consistency, scale, and convenience. That system has improved in real ways. Access is broader. Ingredients that were once hard to find are now standard. In some places, people are closer to their food than they have been in decades. But at the same time, the underlying structure has not changed as much as it appears. Much of what we eat still moves through centralized networks that prioritize sameness, making it difficult for better food to reach more people in a meaningful way. This is where the tension lives. Because once people experience something different, something that tastes better, behaves differently, or comes with a clear sense of where it came from, their expectations begin to shift. And once that shift happens, it is hard to go back. The challenge is that the system is not designed to make those experiences easy, consistent, or widely accessible. The conversation moves through that tension. From the real progress we have made in how we eat, to the limits of a system that still prioritizes efficiency over connection. From the role of cooking in building confidence and changing behavior, to the way restaurants can either reinforce sameness or act as a bridge between farmers and eaters. From the friction between chefs and small farms trying to work together, to the reality that better food does not always scale cleanly. What emerges is not a simple answer, but a clearer understanding of the trade-offs. We have built a system that delivers food reliably and at scale. At the same time, we are seeing a growing desire for something more connected, more specific, and more reflective of where food actually comes from. Understanding that gap is the first step. If you want to take that one step further, start by finding a farmer near you. Even just knowing who they are changes how you see what’s on your plate. A simple way to do that is here. And if you already have someone in mind, nominate them through the For Farmers Movement. It’s one of the most direct ways to support the people doing this work: Nominate here. If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to rate and review One Bite is Everything. It helps more people find these conversations and become part of the shift. And next steps for going deeper into food systems issues from an easy starting place, try Bite Sized on Substack. A new one drops on Mondays. No fire hose, but just a snack to get you thinking. --- One Bite is Everything connects the food on your plate to the bigger system behind it—health, community, environment, and economy. Through the For Farmers Movement, those connections turn into action, supporting small and mid-sized farms across the country. And on Bite Sized, Dana breaks down what’s actually happening behind the food we see every day. Because food isn’t just food. And the more you understand it, the more everything changes. Learn more at www.forfarmersmovement.com

  • #161
    April 23 · 15 min

    Earth Day, Reconsidered: What Farmers Actually Do

    In honor of Earth Day, this episode takes a closer look at something often missing from the environmental conversation: the role farmers actually play. We tend to hear about agriculture in broad strokes—greenhouse gas emissions, water use, soil erosion. And those concerns are real. But agriculture is not one thing. It varies widely depending on how it’s done, and that difference matters more than most people realize. Drawing from nearly 300 farm projects funded through the For Farmers Movement, a different picture starts to emerge. One that isn’t theoretical or ideological, but grounded in what farmers are actually doing on the ground. Across these farms: 134 are investing directly in soil health 80 are improving pastures through rotational grazing 54 are extending growing seasons with protected infrastructure 31 are strengthening water systems 11 are rebuilding after climate disasters Most of these farmers didn’t set out to “do climate work.” They set out to run viable farms. But in doing so, many are strengthening the land itself. This episode looks at: Why agriculture has a reputation problem The difference between farming systems and why it matters What small and mid-size farms reveal about environmental stewardship Why farmers are often the first to see environmental change How everyday food choices connect back to land, water, and resilience Because food is not just food. It reflects the condition of the land it comes from. Call to Action: If this episode changes how you think about food, take the next step: Nominate a farmer → Here Support a farmer grant → Here Follow along → Instagram @xoxofarmgirl Rate and review this podcast on Apple podcasts

  • #160
    April 16 · 36 min

    The Hidden Work of Keeping Farmland in Farming

    There are about 2 million farms in the United States. Every year, a significant number of the farmers running them are approaching retirement age with no clear plan for what happens to their land when they're done. Farmland doesn't just disappear when a farmer retires. It gets sold, subdivided, converted, or absorbed into larger operations. And in a lot of cases, that means the end of a working farm, a community food source, and sometimes four generations of family work. In this episode, Dana sits down with Molly Johnston Heck and Olivia Fuller from American Farmland Trust's Farmland for a New Generation program, a New York State initiative that connects retiring farmers with the next generation of land stewards. Olivia isn't just a program staffer. She's a fourth-generation farmer who used AFT's own tools to navigate her family's transition out of dairy and into direct-to-consumer beef, pork, and sheep. She knows this story from the inside. They cover: What conservation easements actually do (and what they don't) The Farmland Protection Implementation Program and how it puts real money in a farmer's hands Preemptive purchase rights and why they matter in high-pressure real estate markets like the Hudson Valley The land-linking platform connecting farmers who have land with farmers who need it Why a "bad match avoided" counts as a success The invisible crisis of farm transitions that wait until there's a foreclosure to begin The role of navigators, mediators, and social workers in the hardest conversations farm families face This episode is a companion to a fuller story Dana is building. If you're a farmer thinking about what comes next, or a landowner who wants to see your land stay in production, this conversation is for you. Resources mentioned: Farmland for a New Generation: farmlandforanewgeneration.org American Farmland Trust: farmland.org NY Farmland Protection Implementation Program (FPIG) Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) – federal Farm Net (New York farm counseling and financial support) New York State Agricultural Mediation Program AFT's current advocacy action alert (linked at farmland.org) Production credits: Co-produced by Sonia Dhillon with sound design and original music by Russell Chapa. Your Support for the Show Matters 1️⃣ Become an OBIE Insider Stay connected, get behind-the-scenes updates, and explore more ways to eat and drink like it matters. Sign up here. 2️⃣ Leave a 5-star rating and written review Written reviews on Apple Podcasts help more people like you find these conversations. But if that's not your thing, you can leave one here. 3️⃣ Share the episode Screenshot it, share it, and tag @xoxofarmgirl on IG. Use #OneBiteIsEverything

  • #159
    April 9 · 58 min

    The Sioux Chef: Restoring Indigenous Food Ways with Sean Sherman

    What would American food look like if the story had not been interrupted? That's the question at the center of this conversation with Chef Sean Sherman — an Ogala Lakota chef who grew up on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and has spent his career restoring the indigenous food knowledge that colonization, displacement, and forced assimilation nearly erased. Sean is the founder of the Indigenous Food Lab and the award-winning restaurant Owamni in Minneapolis. His latest book, Turtle Island, maps the full tapestry of indigenous food across North America — erasing colonial borders to reveal the regional diversity, plant knowledge, and food sovereignty that existed long before European settlement. In this conversation, we talk about what was lost when indigenous food systems were dismantled — not centuries ago, but within just a few generations. We talk about the government commodity food programs that replaced traditional diets on reservations, the 90% unemployment rates Sean grew up around, and the moment in Mexico when he realized he knew hundreds of European recipes but nothing about Lakota food. And we talk about what becomes possible when that knowledge is restored — for health, for culture, for land, for local economies, and for the future of American food. Because long before regenerative agriculture and farm to table were trends, they were the foundation of indigenous food systems across North America. This conversation asks what it would look like to build from that foundation instead of ignoring it. Key themes: Turtle Island and the erasure of colonial borders in food Growing up on Pine Ridge Reservation and the USDA Commodity Food Program How Sean became a chef before he became an indigenous food advocate The moment in Mexico that sent him back to Lakota food knowledge Owamni restaurant and the Indigenous Food Lab in Minneapolis Native Wise and Dream of Wild Health — indigenous food producers and youth programs Food sovereignty, biodiversity, and what regional food systems could look like The connection between indigenous food knowledge and the future of American farming Connect with Sean Sherman: Owamni restaurant: owamni.com Indigenous Food Lab: indigenousfoodlab.org Instagram: @seanjsherman Production credits: Co-produced by Sonia Dhillon with sound design and original music by Russell Chapa. Your Support for the Show Matters 1️⃣ Become an OBIE Insider Stay connected, get behind-the-scenes updates, and explore more ways to eat and drink like it matters. Sign up here. 2️⃣ Leave a 5-star rating and written review Written reviews on Apple Podcasts help more people like you find these conversations. But if that's not your thing, you can leave one here. 3️⃣ Share the episode Screenshot it, share it, and tag @xoxofarmgirl on IG. Use #OneBiteIsEverything

  • #158
    April 2 · 49 min

    Meat You Can Trust: Regenerative Agriculture, Rising Tides, and the Messy Middle with Robby Sansom of Force of Nature

    How do we produce meat in a way that works for farmers, animals, the land, and the people who eat it? Right now, that conversation happens in extremes. On one side: a highly industrialized system designed for efficiency and low prices. On the other: a growing movement toward regenerative agriculture and animal welfare. Somewhere in the middle is a complicated reality that rarely makes it into the headlines. Robby Sansom lives in that middle. He's the co-founder of Force of Nature, a company building a national network of ranchers, processors, and retailers to produce meat raised with regenerative principles and higher animal welfare standards without further centralizing or industrializing the system. He calls it a rising tide approach. The goal isn't to corner the market. It's to lift it. In this conversation, Dana and Robby get into what regenerative agriculture actually means and why the word is already being stretched. The tension between what consumers want and what farmers can economically deliver. Why transparency in food systems is harder than it sounds. How protocols for animal welfare evolve in practice (including why pork is so hard). Why scaling better systems is both necessary and incredibly difficult. And how consumers, whether they realize it or not, are shaping the future of agriculture with every purchase. This one is honest, nuanced, and worth getting into. Key topics: Force of Nature origin story, from Epic Provisions to meals & pounds The rising tide model: why they chose not to vertically integrate 700+ ranches and 17+ regional processors & how the network works How protocols evolve year over year (beaver analogs, cover crops, rotational grazing) The regenerative label problem, greenwashing and why momentum still matters Why pork is so hard, and what one farm visit revealed Consumer behavior as a market signal, not just a preference The organic cautionary tale and what regenerative can learn from it Resources mentioned: Force of Nature Meats: forceofnaturemeats.com Your Support for the Show Matters 1️⃣ Become an OBIE Insider Stay connected, get behind-the-scenes updates, and explore more ways to eat and drink like it matters. Sign up here. 2️⃣ Leave a 5-star rating and written review Written reviews on Apple Podcasts help more people like you find these conversations. But if that's not your thing, you can leave one here. 3️⃣ Share the episode Screenshot it, share it, and tag @xoxofarmgirl on IG. Use #OneBiteIsEverything

Showing 21–27 of 27 episodes