Local Love

The very first interview on the very first episode of Smidgen was with Galen Iverstine of Iverstine Farms Butcher. Galen is back on this Season 3 finale episode of Smidgen to talk about what impact the last year had on his small business; what he learned as a rancher from the pandemic; and what customers are shopping for now at the meat counter. Galen and Anne Milneck, host of Smidgen and owner of Red Stick Spice Co. discuss the realities of shopping local—is "shop local" just a popular slogan or does it have real results for a community? Galen and Anne both had supply chain concerns when the pandemic lockdowns first were announced. If you've never really thought about how food gets to your local food provider, this part of the conversation will be enlightening and informative (really—if you're thinking, "Uh, supply chain??" these two small business owners will give you new insights.) Finally, Anne uses one of her favorite items from Galen's shop—the Iverstine chorizo—to make Cast Iron Chorizo Queso as she walks us through the recipe. Not too picante, but plenty flavorful, and mucho cheesy, Cast Iron Chorizo Queso is your next crowd pleaser or the perfect filling for tacos. Mentioned on the show: - ¡Que rico! Watch Anne prepare Cast Iron Chorizo Queso on Facebook Live. You can find the complete recipe over on the Red Stick Spice Co. blog. - Yes! Chili is a powder, but Chili Powder Blend is… well, a blend! Try any of the Red Stick Spice Co. chili varieties—from pleasantly warm to whoo-my-oh-my hot! - Anne is a big fan of the Butcher Bundles available at Iverstine's. Galen mentioned the bundles briefly—take a peek and see if a Butcher Bundle is right for you. - Galen referenced a Freakonomics podcast episode about the supply chain that he thought was particularly good. Listen here. - Are you in the Greater Baton Rouge area (or do you plan to be?) Attend one of the Red Stick Spice Co. farm tours. One of the stops is Iverstine Farm. Learn more about our Farm, Food & Cooking Tour. - We are so excited for our C'est Si Bon subscription boxes! Get the goodness of Red Stick Spice Co. each month with a C'est Si Bon subscription—each box contains a curated tea in addition to a full size spice and a local product. Makes an amazing gift. C'est Si Bon! Listen to the episode for a Red Stick Spice Company discount code, special for you, our Smidgen listener. We loved bringing you this season of Smidgen. What would you like to hear about on a future episode? Did you have a favorite of Season 3? Let us know! Hit us up on any of the Red Stick Spice Co socials, including Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Hear all Smidgen episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, or your browser, or your favorite podcast app. Smidgen is the podcast of Red Stick Spice Co.