Log in

goodpods headphones icon

To access all our features

Open the Goodpods app
Close icon
headphones
Deconstructing Dinner

Deconstructing Dinner

Deconstructing Dinner

Deconstructing Dinner is a podcast/radio show that broadcast between 2006 through 2011 with a brief return of a handful of episodes in 2014. Almost 200 episodes are available on topics ranging from corporate consolidation, animal welfare, urban food production and the local and good food movements. With host Jon Steinman.
Share icon

All episodes

Best episodes

Top 10 Deconstructing Dinner Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Deconstructing Dinner episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Deconstructing Dinner for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Deconstructing Dinner episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Deconstructing Dinner - A Farewell... For Now! (incl. Update on Eggs Investigation)
play

11/30/10 • 59 min

This episode #193 marks the final broadcast of Deconstructing Dinner before we embark on a much-needed break.

Producer & Host Jon Steinman speaks about the need to step away from producing new shows and what future might lie ahead. Jon also shares some reflections on the past 5 years of producing this weekly one-hour radio show and podcast, and offers suggestions to those involved in the responsible food movement - a movement which this show has helped track its evolution and certainly one that this show has in many ways been a part of.

Also on the show - a brief update (regrettably brief!) on our September undercover investigation on a B.C. egg business who had been fraudulently marketing their product as being from their own farm when in fact the property on which the business operated was not a farm at all! It appears the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has vowed silence instead of transparency.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

This episode marks part III of our ongoing coverage on the future of Canada's rehabilitative prison farm program. Since July 2009, Deconstructing Dinner has been paying close attention to the 6 prison farms that have been operating across Canada. In February 2009 it was discovered that the farm program was scheduled to be phased out, however, the farm program is not going down without a fight as farmers, prison workers, inmates, academics, and advocates of local food systems have all been rallying to save them.

On this part III, we travel to Ottawa where on March 25 and 30, this issue was brought to Parliament and more specifically, Canada's Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. Members of Parliament challenged the government's decision and heard testimony from both supporters and opponents of the closures.

Guests/Voices

Ross Toller regional deputy commissioner of ontario, Correctional Service of Canada (Kingston, ON) - Ross Toller was appointed Regional Deputy Commissioner (Ontario) in August 2008. Ross's career began in 1978 when he joined the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) as a Correctional Officer. He has held a number of positions in the Service since then.

John Sargent chief executive officer, CORCAN (Ottawa, ON) - CORCAN is a rehabilitation program of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). It is mandated to provide employment training and employability skills to offenders in federal correctional institutions in support of the social policy of the Government of Canada.

John Leeman ex-convict, inreach worker LifeLine (Kingston, ON) - As part of his 19-years in prison, Leeman spent his later years working on prison farms. He believes the program was invaluable and opposes the decision to close the program.

Bill Flanagan professor and dean of law, Queen's University (Kingston, ON) - Flanagan was appointed Dean of Law in 2005. He opposes the closure of the prison farms.

Dave Perry agribusiness instructor for the abattoir, corcan agribusiness, Pittsburgh Institution (Joyceville, ON) - Perry is a sixth-generation farmer. He is the President of the Frontenac Cattleman's Association and is a director of the National Farmers Union's Local 316. Perry has worked on both of the two prison farm sites in the Kingston area.

Ron Amey acting production supervisor, corcan agribusiness, Frontenac Institution (Kingston, ON) - Amey is responsible for the day-to-day operations at Frontenac Institution's agricultural production and food processing operations.

Larry McDermott councillor, Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation (north of Kingston, ON) - McDermott is the former rural chair of the Canadian Federation of Municipalities.

Mark Holland member of parliament, Ajax-Pickering, Liberal Party of Canada (Pickering, ON) - As one of the youngest members of the Liberal Caucas, Mark Holland was first elected in 2004 and has represented the riding of Ajax-Pickering ever since. As a Member of Parliament, Holland serves as the Liberal party's critic for Public Safety and National Security and is Vice Chair of the Public Safety and National Security Committee.

Wayne Easter member of parliament, Malpeque, Liberal Party of Canada (North Wiltshire, PEI) - Wayne was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and was raised on the family farm in North Wiltshire. Wayne entered politics in 1993 when he was officially elected as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Malpeque, P.E.I. He was re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006 and 2008. In Parliament, Wayne has served as Solicitor General of Canada, Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries and Oceans, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and Agri-Food with special responsibilities for the Rural Secretariat, and is currently the Liberal Party's Opposition Critic on Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Andrew Kania member of parliament, Brampton West, Liberal Party of Canada (Brampton, ON) - Elected in 2008, Kania is currently a member of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. He is a senior partner at the family law firm Kania Lawyers and as an active member of the Ontario Bar Association.

Shelly Glover member of parliament, Saint Boniface,

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

Deconstructing Dinner has long been at the forefront of covering anything and everything to do with the presence of genetically engineered (GE) foods.

The latest on the issue from Canada's capital is Bill C-474 - a bill introduced by Member of Paliament Alex Atamanenko. The bill was debated in the House of Commons for one-hour on March 17 and is calling for a change in the way GE seeds are approved in Canada. Back in 2009, Canada's primary market for flax - the European Union, blocked all shipments of Canadian flax after tests there discovered the presence of a GE flax that was once cultivated in Canada but de-registered in 2001. The proposed Bill C-474 was developed with the hope of preventing any future scenario like this unfolding again by requiring that all approvals of GE seeds go through an economic impact assessment in addition to the already-in-place health and environmental assessments. In other words, had such an assessment been in place in 1996 when the flax was first permitted, an economic impact assessment might have prevented the 2009 setback to Canada's flax industry from ever happening. Proponents of the bill hope it will prevent the future release of GE alfalfa and wheat into Canadian soil.

On today's episode we'll listen to Members of Parliament debate the issue in the House of Commons. Deconstructing Dinner also followed up with Liberal MP Francis Valeriote who supports the bill being sent to committee, but nevertheless shared many critical remarks in the House that are requiring some... deconstructing.

Guests/Voices

Alex Atamanenko, member of parliament, BC Southern Interior, New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP) (Castlegar, BC) - Atamanenko is the NDP's critic on Agriculture & Agri-Food and Food Security. He sits on the Standing Committee on Agriculture & Agri-Food.

Francis Valeriote, member of parliament, Guelph, Liberal Party of Canada (Guelph, ON) - Valeriote sits on the Standing Committee on Agriculture & Agri-Food.

David Anderson, member of parliament, Cypress-Hills Grassland, Conservative Party of Canada (Frontier, SK) - Anderson is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and to the Minister of Agriculture & Agri-Food for the Canadian Wheat Board.

Pierre Lemieux, member of parliament, Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, Conservative Party of Canada (Casselman, ON) - Lemieux is Canada's Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. He sits on the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Larry Miller, member of parliament, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, Conservative Party of Canada (Wiarton, ON) - Miller is the Chair of the Standing Committee on Agriculture & Agri-Food.

Jim Maloway, member of parliament, Elmwood Transcona, New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP) (Winnipeg, MB)

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

Campaign for New Farmers Our food system faces many crises, among which is the steady increase in the average age of the North American farmer. As farms have gotten bigger and bigger and as the business of farming proves less and less attractive, young farmers have become quite an anomaly. Canada's National Farmers Union (NFU) has maintained a strong youth focus throughout its history and at their 2009 annual convention held in Ottawa this past November, the Union's Campaign for New Farmers was launched.

Farmers and the Global Food Crisis w/Paul Nicholson The future of new and young farmers and the declining population growing food in Canada was a featured theme at the 2009 convention of Canada's National Farmers Union, and it was only one year earlier that a keynote speaker at the NFU's annual convention said; "As the percent of people growing food decreases, the political power of farmers decreases". Those words were spoken by Paul Nicholson - a member of EHNE (the Basque Farmers Union) and a member of the International Coordinating Committee of La Via Campesina - the international peasant movement of family farmers, indigenous and landless people. Paul's 2008 talk was titled Farmers and the Global Food Crisis and his comments on the diminishing political power of farmers as the number of farmers decreases is a signal to all of us, that the people growing our food and feeding the planet are increasingly losing their voice. Paul Nicholson believes that new alliances need to be formed between farmers and non-farmers alike in order for growth of export-oriented industrial models of food production to be curtailed.

Voices

Kalissa Regier, youth president National Farmers Union (NFU) (Laird, SK) - Kalissa farms organic mixed grains and oilseeds north of Saskatoon in Laird, Saskatchewan. She also farms hemp seed and flax, legumes, pulse crops -- lentils and peas.

Hilary Moore, farmer Teamwork CSA (Almonte, ON) - After graduating from Environmental Studies at Ottawa's Carleton University, Kalissa gained valuable experience on farms in New York and Massachusetts to later return six years ago to Ontario and launch the Teamwork Community Supported Agriculture (or CSA) program at Dunbrae Farms in Almonte, Ontario.

Paul Nicholson, Euskal Herriko Nekazarien Elkartasuna (EHNE) (Spain) - Paul is a member of EHNE (Euskal Herriko Nekazarien Elkartasuna), the Basque Farmers Union in the Basque Country of Spain and a member of the International Coordinating Committee of La Via Campesina. EHNE is part of the Spanish COAG (Coordinadora de Organizaciones de Agricultores y Ganaderos), which is part of the European Coordination-Via Campesina, a Via Campesina organization in Europe. La Via Campesina is an organization of organizations, part of a global movement of peasants, family farmers, indigenous and landless people.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Deconstructing Dinner - Is Organic Worth the Price?

Is Organic Worth the Price?

Deconstructing Dinner

play

03/24/07 • 58 min

Demand for organic food in Canada has been growing steadily at 25 percent a year. With new federal regulations passed in December and a new Canada Organic logo backing organic claims, the Canadian organics sector can expect this growth to continue. Canadians are becoming more health conscious and concerned about the safety of our food system. Consumers need to be aware of new information about our food, especially as it relates to our and our children's health. That's why scientists, children's health experts and the general public discussed what it means to grow up organic at the one day conference "Growing Up Organic" in Toronto on February 17th , 2007. The conference was hosted by Canadian Organic Growers.

The organic standard bans the use of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, additives, genetically modified organisms and irradiation. The result is food that has fewer toxic residues and a healthier ecosystem that will sustain food production over the long term. With the growing popularity of organics, people are asking many questions. Some of the more common questions include: Are organic foods really healthier? Should I be buying organics for my children? Are organics worth the higher price? The body of knowledge around organics continues to emerge, as scientists and nutritional experts conduct studies to answer these kinds of questions.

Speakers

Ann Clark, Associate Professor in Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph (Guelph, ON) - Dr. Clark's research program encompasses pasture and grazing management and organic agriculture, as well as risk assessment of genetically modified crops. A native Californian, she studied at the University of California at Davis and at Iowa State University. Her academic career started at the University of Alberta, but she has been at Guelph since 1983. In a career spanning 26 years, she has authored 15 books or chapters in books, presented papers at more than 50 conferences and symposia, and published 25 refereed journal and 150 technical and extension articles. She currently teaches Crop Ecology, Crops in Land Reclamation, Managed Grasslands, and several courses in Organic Agriculture, and coordinates the new Major in Organic Agriculture.

Peter Macleod, Executive Director of Crop Protection Chemistry - CropLife Canada (Toronto, ON) - CropLife Canada is a trade association representing the developers, manufacturers and distributors of plant science innovations (pest control products and plant biotechnology) for use in agriculture, urban and public health settings. Peter MacLeod has spent his career in the field of scientific research and regulatory affairs. His research activity has mainly focused on the degradation of pesticides in soil and water but he has also managed environmental toxicology studies and food residue studies. Peter is an active participant on the Pesticide Management Advisory Committee to the Federal Minister of Health and has served on many panels on pesticides and risk management. Born in Yarmouth , Nova Scotia his fondness for Agriculture and Science led him to attend the Nova Scotia Agricultural College. He graduated in 1987 with a B.Sc. (Agr.) Hon., Dalhousie University.

Ellen Desjardins, Public Health Nutritionist - Region of Waterloo Public Health (Waterloo, ON) - Ellen has worked in various programs throughout the province and at the federal level for the past 20 years. Ellen has co-authored numerous articles in the area of food security. She has also chaired work-groups and prepared position papers for the Ontario Public Health Association on food systems, public health concerns about food biotechnology, and mercury in fish. In 2005, Ellen was a founding member of the new national organization Food Secure Canada.

Wayne Roberts, Coordinator, Toronto Food Policy Council (Toronto, ON) - Wayne moderated the session of the conference titled Is Organic Worth the Price?. The Toronto Food Policy Council partners with business and community groups to develop policies and programs promoting food security. Our aim is a food system that fosters equitable food access, nutrition, community development and environmental health.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Deconstructing Dinner - The GMO Trilogy - Unnatural Selection
play

08/03/06 • 58 min

Launched in April 2006, a new DVD and CD set produced by bestselling author Jeffrey Smith (Seeds of Deception) shows that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) put our health and environment at risk. The release of The GMO Trilogy was in conjunction with Earth Day (April 22) and International GMOpposition Day (April 8)- a coordinated 30-nation campaign to raise awareness about genetically modified (GM) food.

Organizations will be asking hundreds of thousands of their members to buy the Trilogy to show at house parties and several manufacturers have sponsored the 3-disc set to keep it affordable.

Deconstructing Dinner will be featuring the 3-part series in audio format between June and September.

Part 2 - Unnatural Selection

Produced by Bertram Verhaag and Gabrielle Kroeber. This stunning European documentary made available for the first time in North America, reveals several harsh consequences of genetic engineering worldwide.

  • A failed GM cotton crop prompts farmer suicides in India.
  • Windborne GM canola contaminates organic and conventional farms in Canada. One farmer fights Monsanto in the Supreme Court.
  • A company seeks approval for giant GM salmon that may threaten the survival of the natural species.
  • GM pigs are born with ghastly mutations.
  • And experts reveal how inadequate testing and regulations put us at risk.

The film features... Vandana Shiva - Navdanya, New Delhi, India Andrew Kimbrell - Centre for Food Safety, (Washington, D.C.) Percy Schmeiser - Saskatchewan Farmer Marc Loiselle - Saskatchewan Farmer, Saskatchewan Organic Directorate Martin Pratchler - Saskatchewan Farmer Larry Bain - Nextcourse, Acme Chophouse (San Francisco) Joseph McGonigle - Aqua Bounty Technologies - (Boston/Newfoundland/PEI) Terje Traavik - Norwegian Institute of Gene Ecology Richard D. Howard - Purdue University and others...

Music by Salt-Spring Island musician Phil Vernon will be featured on this broadcast, including an exclusive live recording prepared by Deconstructing Dinner correspondent Andrea Langlois.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Deconstructing Dinner - Vegan Cattle Ranchers & Oprah

Vegan Cattle Ranchers & Oprah

Deconstructing Dinner

play

07/06/06 • 57 min

Howard Lyman (aka The Mad Cowboy) is a figure to pay attention to. If converting from a Montana cattle rancher to a strict vegan is not enough of a reason to raise an eyebrow, Lyman has since devoted his life to educating the public on the dangers of animal-based diets.

Lyman has been a fourth-generation family farmer in Montana for almost 40 years. Using personal experience, he denounces chemically based agricultural production methods, calling them unsustainable and ecologically disastrous. His experiences range from working in a large organic dairy to raising registered beef cattle to owning a large factory feedlot. He has farmed thousands of acres of grain and reproduced a herd of over one thousand commercial beef cows. Lyman has raised chickens, pigs, and turkeys, and grown crops such as wheat, barley, oats, corn, alfalfa, and grass.

Howard Lyman was farming at the time when it was either get big or get out. Educated on the modern industrial methods of agriculture, Lyman saw his organic soil go from a living, productive base to a sterile, chemically-saturated, mono-cultural ground.

In 1979, a tumor on his spinal cord caused him to be paralyzed from the waist down. Realizing that the farming methods he used were the problem, he decided to become a voice for the family farmer and the land. That led him to work for the Montana Farmers Union and from there to Washington, D.C. as a lobbyist for the National Farmers Union.

Lyman has made many trips to British Columbia, and this broadcast will feature his speech given at the Taste of Health event hosted by EarthSave Canada in 2002. The recording is courtesy of the Necessary Voices Society.

"The question we must ask ourselves as a culture is whether we want to embrace the change that must come, or resist it. Are we so attached to the dietary fallacies with which we were raised, so afraid to counter the arbitrary laws of eating taught to us in childhood by our misinformed parents, that we cannot alter the course they set us on, even if it leads to our own ruin? Does the prospect of standing apart or encountering ridicule scare us even from saving ourselves?" - Howard Lyman

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Deconstructing Dinner - Slaughterhouses on the Butcher Block?
play

05/04/06 • 58 min

In September 2004, the province of British Columbia enacted new meat inspection regulations that were set to come into effect by September 2006. That deadline has since been pushed to September 2007. Regulations will see all slaughterhouse operations fall under provincial and federal liceneses (about 5% of operations in BC are unlicensed). The province declares that these regulations will "strengthen public safety" and "provide new opporutnities for the marketing and sale of BC produced meat." Critics argue that the new Meat Inspection Regulations fail to address safety concerns such as Mad Cow (BSE) and Avian Flu, and threaten vital local agricultural economies and jobs.

Guests

Faye Street - General Manager, Kootenay Livestock Association, Cranbrook, BC - The KLA is a registered society whose members are livestock producers in the East and West Kootenay region of BC. They promote the beef cattle industry in the Kootenays as a viable and valuable resource. Faye also sits on the Regional Subcommittee for the Meat Industry Enhancement Strategy of the British Columbia Food Processors Association (BCFPA). Faye was also joined by Wayne McNamar - Project Coordinator for the Kootenay Livestock Association.

Dave Anderson - Legendary Meats, Slocan Park, BC - Serving a vast area throughout the Central Kootenay region of British Columbia, the slaughtering operation of Legendary Meats has now closed due to these new regulations.

Eric Boulton - Somerset Farm, Gabriola Island, BC - Operating their farm since 1948, Eric has operated one of the only facilities on Gabriola that slaughters animals for food. He awaits approval as to whether costly changes to his operation will grant him a license.

Richard Yntema - North Okanagan Game Meats, Enderby, BC - Richard's business specializes in raising specialty meats such as Deer (Venison), Wild Boar and Lamb. He is currently in the process of restructuring his operation to meet new regulations.

Michael McBane - National Coordinator, Canadian Health Coalition, Ottawa, ON - The Canadian Health Coalition is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting and expanding Canadaâ??s public health system for the benefit of all Canadians. The CHC was founded in 1979.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Deconstructing Dinner - A Dinner Date With the Olympics

A Dinner Date With the Olympics

Deconstructing Dinner

play

02/23/06 • 57 min

Take a closer look at the Olympic rings. Located in the yellow ring are the McDonald's arches, and in the red ring, a bottle of Coca-Cola. These companies represent two of the 11 Worldwide Olympic Partners who have forked out incredible sums of money to fund the games and market their products alongside.

After the announcement of the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Premier Gordon Campbell announced that British Columbia will be the healthiest jurisdiction to ever host the Olympic Games. Numerous initiatives have now been launched that encourage healthier living for all British Columbians. How does the influence of these two major Olympic sponsors affect the progress of these intiatives: initiatives that many argue have been designed to combat the unhealthy influence of these very companies.

Join us as we discuss how the products of McDonald's and Coca-Cola represent sport, nutrition and the active lifestlyes that the Olympics promote.

We will look into the effects of advertising on children, and how parents and teachers can help young Canadians better interpret the powerful messages that the Olympics emit.

Guests

Jennifer Gibson - Sport Dietitian - SportMedBC - a not-for-profit society, whose focal point is sport medicine and science within the provincial sport system. SportMedBC is committed to identifying, developing and promoting Best Practices in Sport Health, Sport Safety and Sport Training. We aim to coordinate access to a network of practitioners and to be the ultimate resources for all active British Columbians interested in sport activities.

Warren Nightingale - Education Content Developer - Media Awareness Network - is a Canadian non-profit organization that has been pioneering the development of media literacy programs since its incorporation in 1996. Members of our team have backgrounds in education, journalism, mass communications, and cultural policy. Working out of offices in Ottawa and Montreal, they promote media and Internet education by producing online programs and resources, working in partnership with Canadian and international organizations, and speaking to audiences across Canada and around the world.

bookmark
plus icon
share episode
Deconstructing Dinner - The Importance of Garlic to Small-Scale Farmers
play

05/13/14 • 36 min

Across the US and Canada, there is an exciting emergence of a unique type of food festival – a festival for garlic! When looking at a map of where garlic festivals are emerging, it’s clear that garlic knows no geographic boundaries – it’s a food that grows well in most climates across the continent. This popularity of garlic festivals appears to be communicating an important story – a story of our longing to connect and celebrate with one another around food, a story of people wanting to make more flavorful dinners, and a story of a food that has become an incredibly important crop for small-scale farmers.

Features:

Ken Meter, Professor, Crossroads Resource Center (Minneapolis, MN)

Liz Primeau, Author, In Pursuit of Garlic (Mississauga, ON)

Bill Christopher, President, Christopher Ranch (Gilroy, CA)

Bob Baloch, Farmer, The Fresh Veggies (Brampton, ON)

Peter McClusky, Founder, Toronto Garlic Festival (Toronto, ON)

JP Gural, Farmer, Samsara Fields (Waterford, ON)

Ross Breen, Farmer, Stone Soup Farm (Harlowe, ON)

Paul Hoepfner-Homme, Farmer, Victory Garden Vegetables (Cobourg, ON)

bookmark
plus icon
share episode

Show more best episodes

Toggle view more icon

FAQ

How many episodes does Deconstructing Dinner have?

Deconstructing Dinner currently has 201 episodes available.

What topics does Deconstructing Dinner cover?

The podcast is about News, Organic, Change, Gardening, Cooking, Climate, Environment, Podcasts, Agriculture, Farming, Health, Arts, Sustainability and Food.

What is the most popular episode on Deconstructing Dinner?

The episode title 'Genetically Engineered Honey?' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Deconstructing Dinner?

The average episode length on Deconstructing Dinner is 58 minutes.

How often are episodes of Deconstructing Dinner released?

Episodes of Deconstructing Dinner are typically released every 7 days, 8 hours.

When was the first episode of Deconstructing Dinner?

The first episode of Deconstructing Dinner was released on Jan 5, 2006.

Show more FAQ

Toggle view more icon

Comments