First hour: What the pandemic has taught us about food systems
Second hour: Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
From millions of pints of milk being dumped down drains in Britain, to strawberries meant for markets in India being fed to cattle, the pandemic has exposed weaknesses in the international food trade. The global food system is built around countries specializing in specific products -- think cocoa in Ghana and potatoes in Belgium. But when borders close and demand drops, the system goes awry. People go hungry while food rots. So what's the solution? Experts point to the surprise boom experienced by small local farms and regional food hubs. They argue that an increase in diverse local food production creates more sustainable systems. This hour, we're joined by the team at Headwater Food Hub to discuss its work building a sustainable food system in Rochester, and what that looks like during a pandemic. Our guests:
- Chris Hartman, founder and president of Headwater Food Hub
- TC Washington, farm to school program manager, and emergency food assistance program manager at Headwater Food Hub
- Stefan Schwartz, director of “Headwater at Home,” and value-add merchant at Headwater Food Hub
Then in our second hour, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is our guest. In recent weeks, Gillibrand has been outspoken in her defense of SNAP, USPS, and in her ideas for how to rebuild the American workforce. We talk with her about the federal government's response to the pandemic. We're also joined by Nazareth College professor Tim Kneeland, whose new book explores bipartisanship during a crisis. Our guests:
- Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
- Tim Kneeland, chair of the Department of History and Political Science at Nazareth College
