Episode 234: Avoiding Waste on the Farm, on the Plate

01/15/15 • 34 min

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is taking a closer look at farming and waste with guests Leah Retherford of Queens Farm and Josh Treuhoft of Salvage Supperclub. Leah gives Erin the background of Queens Farm as well as her role in New York City’s largest remaining tract of undisturbed farmland. The farm encompasses a 47-acre parcel that is the longest continuously farmed site in New York State and includes historic farm buildings, a greenhouse complex, livestock, farm vehicles and implements, planting fields, an orchard and herb garden. Josh explains the concept of the Salvage Supperclub, which includes serving past-prime food to diners inside a scrubbed down dumpster. Erin talks to Leah and Josh about how consumers should really be thinking about food waste all the way down the chain and trying to get past the mere appearance of a bruised apple or a misshapen tomato and realize that this produce can still go on to be made into something delicious. Leah shares how she plans for a decrease in waste on the agricultural side of things and how Queens Farm decides to grow particular crops to also prevent waste. Tune in for a great episode that is sure to make you think about ‘ugly’ produce in a new light. This program was brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

“[I thought] what if we could create exciting, interesting food experiences for people using food that would go to waste commonly to show people that there’s actually this world of food that’s still edible and can still be great.” [7:10]

—Josh Treuhoft on The Farm Report

“Something like turnips or radishes, we’ll harvest them for a market day, and inevitably there are roots or leaves that aren’t up to our standards of something that we are going to sell. But a lot of times those things are still completely edible.” [18:10]

—Leah Retherford on The Farm Report

—Josh Treuhoft on The Farm Report

—Leah Retherford on The Farm Report

Previous Episode

Episode 233: CA Foie Gras Ban Reactions

Erin Fairbanks kicks off the 2015 season of The Farm Report talking about the recent overturning of the Californian ban on foie gras. Welcoming Rick Bishop of Hudson Valley Foie Gras to the show to discuss the ongoing animal welfare issues surrounding the process. Foie gras is the fattened liver of a waterfowl (either duck or goose, but in Hudson Valley Foie Gras’ case, only duck) produced by a special feeding process. It results in a product that is at once velvety and meaty, and has been around for centuries. Rick shares how Hudson Valley Foie Gras sets itself a part from other foie gras producers and their efforts to treat their ducks with exceptional care and respect. Erin and Rick go on to dissect the unique physiology of ducks and how it facilitates the hand feeding procedure that Hudson Valley Foie Gras uses. After the break, Erin brings Ariane Daguin of D’Artagnan, a well-known seller and manufacturer of pÃ¢tés, sausages, smoked and cured charcuterie, all-natural and organic poultry, game, free-range meat, foie gras, wild mushrooms and truffles, on the show to give her thoughts on the developments in the foie gras world. She goes on to say that foie grois is an important part of elevated food and should be respected as such. Tune in for more! This program was brought to you by Heritage Foods USA.

“It’s a normal and reversible process for a duck to store fat on its liver.” [11:50]

—Rick Bishop on The Farm Report

“Foie gras is one of the important things in gastronomy, and gastronomy is one of the pleasures in life. We call it being a ‘foodie’ but we need this to create stimulation... without it, you lose a color of the palate.” [31:45]

“At the end of the day we need to focus on raising animals the right way.” [34:35]

—Ariane Daguin on The Farm Report

Next Episode

Episode 235: Exploring Animal Welfare

This week on The Farm Report, host Erin Fairbanks is getting some expert opinions on recent newsworthy stories coming from the animal welfare world, most notably the January 19, 2015 New York Times article “U.S. Research Lab Lets Livestock Suffer in Quest for Profit.” First talking to Paul Shapiro about the article and related issues, he is the Vice President of Farm Animal Protection of the Humane Society of the United States, and has played an integral role in numerous successful legislative and corporate campaigns to improve the plight of farm animals. In his role overseeing efforts to pass state laws and corporate policies, he works with lawmakers and major food retailers alike to implement animal welfare reforms in the agricultural industry. After the break, Erin chats with Sam Edwards of S. Wallace Edwards & Sons, a purveyor of Virginia Country ham, bacon, sausage and other specialty foods of the American South to get his reactions to the recent animal welfare questions raised by the New York Times article and food safety as it relates to pork. Tune in for a detailed discussion on these important issues. This program was brought to you by White Oak Pastures.

“Too often in America’s meat, ag and dairy industry, suffering is the norm for these animals. We’re waging a global effort to give a voice for farm animals.” [8:48]

“You can’t underestimate the importance of hearing from farmers on these issues because they will be the ones changing something to meet the new Starbucks demand” [19:27]

“The meat industry is so reliant on federal handouts that it takes huge numbers of taxpayer dollars to fund this Meat Industry Research Center [...] The meat industry can’t pay for its own R&D but has to reply on the government? [...] Why should it get that kind of handout? [...] It’s a kind of industry that loves to tout libertarianism but when it comes to wanting socialism in the form of government hand out, they have their hands cupped and out.” [23:10]

—Paul Shapiro on The Farm Report

“In the USDA world I live in – there’s zero tolerance. Everything is checked. If everything would be checked in the US why wouldn’t the same rules apply for an imported product? I can’t answer that.” [34:13]

“There’s 5,000 years of history of doing dry cured meats correctly not causing any food borne illnesses.” [38:21]

“The marketplace drives what we sell. When started developing connections with companies like Heritage Foods USA to buy fresh pork that was certified humane, we did it just because the chefs or store we ultimately sold the product to demanded that.” [47:03]

“A happy pig, in our mind, seems to taste better.” [48:38]

–Sam Edwards on The Farm Report