Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Food Freedom Radio

Laura Hedlund sits down with Vincent Hackel of NSK-SD (https://www.nsk-sd.info/) to explore the cardiovascular benefits of a unique Japanese superfood. They dive into the science behind NSK-SD, a patented natural supplement derived from fermented soybeans that is designed to naturally improve blood flow. Vincent explains how his team isolates this specific enzyme from the traditional…

Laura Hedlund sits down with NBC’s The Voice star Manny Cabo and the passionate founders of the Slavic Experience festival for an inspiring chat about culture and connection. They dive into the unifying power of music, mouth-watering traditional foods, and embracing our diverse heritages. You’ll walk away feeling empowered to find your true voice and…

With one in five pollinators facing extinction, it’s time to rethink those endless stretches of concrete and Kentucky bluegrass. Host Laura Hedlund teams up with Megan Reich from Metro Blooms to chat about turning standard yards into lush, water-friendly native habitats. Get ready to dig into simple, rewarding ways to bring life back to your…

Laura Hedlund sits down with Chef Lachelle Cunningham to uncover the deep ancestral roots of soul food and its vital role in community healing. The two dive into the powerful significance of Juneteenth, exploring the ongoing fight for agricultural equity and true food justice. By honoring historical struggles, they showcase the incredible resilience found in…

Join Laura Hedlund and Laurie Fitz for a chat with the owners of Mastel’s Health Foods, a beloved local wellness staple since 1968. We’re diving deep into the wild world of natural supplements, women’s health, and the absolute importance of being your own best medical advocate. Tune in for an empowering conversation about building a…

After a relentless ten-year battle against city pollution, a group of stubborn utopians in Minneapolis finally secured the funding to turn an old warehouse into a massive indoor urban farm. Laura Hedlund chats with Dean Dovolis from the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute to hear the incredible grassroots story behind this hard-won community victory. Get ready…

Lily Gross as a teenager wrote about Factory Farms, as a college student she studied declining bee population and today she is opening Minnesota’s first Farm Stop.  Radish Farm Stop sells only local food.    Laura talks about the intentional destruction of 420,000 Peach Trees in California and says humans need a new operational system -one…

Join Laura Hedlund as she dives into the delicious world of the Farmers Kitchen + Bar, a Minneapolis gem that’s bringing the farm right to the heart of the city. She sits down with Gary Wertish from the Minnesota Farmers Union to chat about why supporting our local growers is about so much more than…

Laura Hedlund digs into the idea that what we do to the earth, we ultimately do to ourselves, while highlighting some incredible local efforts to build a more resilient food system. Urban farmer Elyssa Eull of California Street Farms shares the realities of feeding a neighborhood from a tiny city plot, and Chef Lachelle Cunningham…

Laura Hedlund welcomes James Kaechele from The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation (https://www.ftpf.org) to discuss the “Fruitful Minnesota” initiative, a massive project planting 1,000 fruit and nut trees across the Twin Cities to provide fresh food and environmental benefits. We also hear from Clara Lewis at the Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) (https://www.neon-mn.org/) about the grand…

Laura Hedlund is joined fellow AM 950 host Philip Anthony of the Downright Upright Show to swap stories about their “lazy yards” and the magic of freezing garden raspberries for that perfect summer smoothie. They don’t shy away from the heavy stuff either, digging into how heart-centered economics and local farming can help fix a…

Laura Hedlund takes us behind the scenes of the “People Not Polluters” coalition to reveal why it might cost a staggering billion dollars a year to clean up Minnesota’s nitrate-contaminated water. She’s joined by Laura Schrieber of the Land Stewardship Project to explore the terrifying link between groundwater pollution and health, plus how the “Oat…

If you’ve ever felt like your kitchen cabinets are secretly judging you, Laura Hedlund and guest Colleen Waterston (host of Sorting Through Life Sundays at noon on AM950)  are here to tell you that it’s time to drop the shame. They dig into the emotional baggage we keep in our junk drawers and share why…

Laura Hedlund sits down with James Beard Award-winning food writer Beth Dooley to chat about why perennial foods are the “pioneer saplings” of a brand-new kind of integral living economy. From the deep, earth-healing roots of Kernza to the satisfying crunch of local hazelnuts, they explore how shifting our agricultural focus can actually restore the…

Laura Hedlund sits down with agroecologist Liz Carlisle and Aubrey Streit Krug from The Land Institute to dive into their new book, Living Roots: The Promise of Perennial Agriculture. You’ll hear all about how switching from short-lived annual crops to deep-rooted perennials like Kernza and fruit trees can actually heal our soil while feeding our…

Laura Hedlund hosts a soulful roundtable discussion on how urban agriculture is literally planting the seeds of change across Minnesota. This episode features a deep dive with community heavyweights like Brett Olson, Michael Chaney, Britt Howell, Courtney Tchida, Dawn Lamm, Lane Brown, and farmer Jane Matayo Windsperger as they explore the intersection of food security,…

Laura Hedlund sits down with Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk, PhD, MBA—the CEO and co-founder of Canomiks and WhatToTrust.com—to pull back the curtain on the $60 billion supplement industry. They dive into how genomic science is being used to validate traditional Ayurvedic remedies like turmeric, helping you find products that actually do what they say. It’s an essential…

Laura Hedlund sits down with Lucas Rhoads, Monta Hayner, and Lori Cox to dig into the heavy reality of how neonicotinoids are poisoning our bees, birds, and even our drinking water. They explore the systemic nature of these toxins and the frustrating reasons they’re still everywhere in the U.S. while other parts of the world…

Laura is joined by Ayub (Yubi) Hassan of Blue Horn Tea and Bilal Madani of Crème Foods as they share their experiences as entrepreneurs navigating the social and economic landscape of Minneapolis. They discuss the deep connection between cultural heritage and community resilience, highlighting how Somali tea and Basque cheesecake serve as bridges for unity…

Laura speaks with Teresa McCormick, the Executive Director of The Good Acre, to talk about how Minnesota’s largest non-profit food hub is shaking things up. Teresa explains their “farm to community” mission, which connects local farmers with schools and hospitals to ensure everyone gets a seat at the table with fresh, healthy food. We also…

Laura Hedlund takes us inside Zion Community Church to meet the “brigade” of neighbors fighting a local humanitarian crisis with radical community love. You’ll hear how volunteers like Ryan and Kaylee are sourcing fresh produce from local farmers to pack hundreds of shelter-in-place kits for families terrified to leave their homes. It’s a moving reminder…

Join Laura Hedlund as she explores the intricate connection between our microbiome, fermented foods, and overall well-being. Guest experts Andreas Gomez and Jonah Uyldert share their insights on how a healthy gut can bolster our physical and mental health. #FoodFreedomRadio #Microbiome #GutHealth #Fermentation #HealthyEating #WellnessJourney #Probiotics #NatureLedGardening #HealthAndWellbeing #PodcastLife

Laura Hedlund explores the healing path of planetary health alongside Teddy Potter and Angelica Walton, moving from a culture of stress toward one of collective care. Together, they discuss how a planetary health diet and a shift in our core mindset can help us rebuild a more resilient and interconnected community. #FoodFreedom #PlanetaryHealth #SustainableLiving #EnvironmentalJustice…

In this final 2025 episode of Food Freedom Radio, Laura Hedlund interviews activist Robin Greenfield about his journey toward personal agency and radical sustainability. Greenfield discusses his lifestyle pledges, including living below the poverty line and foraging 100% of his food, while offering practical tips on wild fermentation, DIY green powders, and the importance of…

Host Laura Hedlund interviews Will Crombie of Organic Compound about building a resilient, community-focused food system through agroforestry and regenerative farming practices. Crombie shares his family’s journey transforming 42 acres into hazelnut and tree-range chicken production, advocating for local economic models over the industrial system. #RegenerativeAgriculture #Agroforestry #OrganicCompound #WillCrombie #FoodSovereignty #Rewilding #RobinGreenfield #LocalFoodSystems #TreeRangeChicken #MinnesotaFarming

Host Laura Hedlund speaks with Curt Arens, Senior Editor of Nebraska Farmer, to discuss the economic and cultural repercussions of Tyson Foods closing its beef processing plant in Lexington, Nebraska. They examine the factors driving the closure, including drought and low cattle inventory, while analyzing how this impacts a town where the cattle population vastly…

Laura Hedlund speaks with Michael Wright, Executive Director of Biomimetics International, to explore the exciting concept of the “Biosverse” and its potential for creating sustainable solutions by modeling nature’s 4-billion-year history of research and development. They discuss how systems thinking, biosensing, and embracing complexity can help solve huge challenges like plastics and pollution, leading to…

Laura has a lively discussion with filmmaker Graham Meriwether about the essence of food freedom, its profound connection to human nature, and his journey from poet to documentarian focused on agricultural solutions. They delve into the unspoken debates within the food freedom movement, highlighting the power of local food systems as a path to economic…

Host Laura Hedlund welcomes Jorge Azevedo, CEO of Fermented Foods Holdings, to explore why humans are “more than 99% microbial” and how fermented foods support our gut health. Jorge discusses his company’s popular brands, including Bubbies, Wildbrine, and Flanagan Farm, and explains how true fermentation differs from pickling with vinegar. The conversation also digs into…

Host Laura Hedlund welcomes Brian Ronholm, Director of Food Policy for Consumer Reports, to discuss the battle for food safety and transparency. They expose a new, misleadingly named industry group (“Americans for Ingredient Transparency”) that is actively trying to block state-level laws that ban toxic chemicals in products like baby food. Brian also shares findings…

Laura Hedlund welcomes Andrew Zimmern (four-time James Beard Award winner, TV personality, and chef) for a deeply engaging conversation on the complex intersection of food, sustainability, and non-violence. We explore Zimmern’s personal journey, the ethical dilemmas of the modern chef, and the surprising economic and moral implications of eliminating childhood hunger. Discover why food systems are…

Laura Hedlund speaks with Allison Hohn, Executive Director at Naturally MN, about the impactful Food. Ag. Ideas conference that recently took place. Now in its eighth year, this must-attend gathering led by Naturally MN focused on the intersection of food and health, drawing attendees from Minnesota and beyond to explore how innovation is shaping the…

On this episode of *Food Freedom Radio*, host Laura Hedlund talks with Eric Sannerud about GrownBy (https://grownby.com), a farmer-owned platform that connects farmers directly with eaters. They discuss how this innovative tool supports local food systems, strengthens family farms, and makes it easier for consumers to access sustainable, fresh food. Tune in to learn how…

This week Laura visits with Thom Petersen, Minnesota’s Commissioner of Agriculture. He shares experiencing Farm Aid 40held at the University of Minnesota on September 20, 2025.

This week Laura Hedlund was joined by chef Lachelle Cunningham.

On this episode of Food Freedom Radio, host Laura Hedlund talks with Sonja Trom Eayrs, author of Dodge County, Incorporated: Big Ag and the Undoing of Rural America, winner of the 2025 Midwest Book Award. They discuss how corporate agriculture has reshaped rural communities and what it means for the future of family farms and…

On this episode of Food Freedom Radio, host Laura Hedlund is joined by MaryLynn Pulscher from Minneapolis Parks to talk about the annual Monarch Festival. They explore how the event celebrates monarch butterflies, their vital role in our ecosystem, and ways we can all help protect their habitat.

Is a 5th world possible? Host Laura Hedlund speaks with Rob Avis of 5thWorld.com to explore bold new ideas for reimagining our future. Together, they discuss the vision behind the “5th World,” what it means for our communities, and how we might create a more sustainable and connected way of living.

Former Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie talks about the recent Minnesota Cooperative Summit

Host Laura Hedlund is joined by: Michelle Shaw with Minneapolis Edible Boulevards https://www.minneapolisedibleboulevards.org/ Joe Vital with East Phillips Neighborhood Institute https://www.epnifarm.org/

This week, Aneta Toporowska Lennartson joins the show to talk about food, music, and family at the upcoming Slavic Experience, happening Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3 at the ROC in St. Louis Park. From delicious food to fashion and culture, it’s a celebration you won’t want to miss. Learn more at slavicexperience.com. Aneta…

The author of Feed Us with Trees: Nuts and the Future of Food; Minneapolis urban farmers Black Radish Minneapolis and the Land Stewardship Project join Laura to share stories of Noospheric economics (also known as Living Economics, Donut Economics, Human-driven economics, etc.) Links: https://www.theblackradishmpls.com https://landstewardshipproject.org https://elspethhay.com

President of the Minnesota Farmers Union Gary Wertish and Katie Marty with Co-Minnesota talk about the first ever Minnesota Cooperative Summit https://www.mncooperativesummit.org

This week’s episode is all about Nikkolette’s Macarons! Learn more at: https://www.nikkolettesmacarons.com/

In this episode, we explore the ideas of Otto Scharmer, author of Presencing and founder of the Presencing Institute. Scharmer grew up on a regenerative farm, where he first learned that soil is alive—a lesson that shaped his understanding of how humans interact with the world around them. He now applies that same insight to…

This week Laura highlights Elderberry Cooperative with Organic Farmer with Dan Moe https://www.midwest-elderberry.coop/index.html  https://thefarmofmn.com/