Questionable Food

In this episode, I chat with Mike Boraccio, the Executive Chef at Isabel’s market and eatery in Saugatuck, MI. We discuss the changing landscape of fine dining and restaurant work in the era of COVID-19, how some businesses are pivoting, and the importance of prioritizing staff wellbeing and safety.You can follow Mike on Instagram, @mborraccioThis interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

In this episode, I chat with Julie and Shelby Kibler, owners of Field & Fire Bakery and Café. 7 years into the life of their business, which now has two locations in Grand Rapids, MI Julie and Shelby are beginning to examine how they as a small business can contribute to and support social justice change.

In this episode, we chat with Rachelle Bostwick, Founder and Farmer of Earthkeeper Farm and Sun Spirit Farm. As a parent to a special needs child and a mother of three, Rachelle shares with us the challenges COVID-19 has brought on her farm and family, the delicate balance between the two, and the struggles of pursuing one’s dreams in the face of crisis.To learn more about Earthkeeper Farm and Sun Spirit Farm, please visit earthkeeperfarm.com and sunspiritfarmmi.comThis interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

In this episode, Dana Eardley, Assistant Market Manager at the Fulton Street Farmers Market, discusses the 98-year-old market, the various farmers who have been with them for decades, and the importance of an intentional and real conversation during our current food crisis. As they continue to brace for unforeseen challenges, changing consumption habits, and new traditions, we take you on a virtual journey on how a historic market, and its farmers, are adapting and growing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this episode, I chat with McKenzie Jackson, Program Manager for the Good Food Systems Initiative at Access of West Michigan, a poverty-focused nonprofit based in Grand Rapids, MI. She teaches us about toxic charity models, the difference between perceived and actual need, and how social good projects that feel good aren’t necessarily the ones that have the most impact. Check out our blog, which includes complete episode transcripts and recommended readings, at medium.com/our-ruminations. To learn more about the work of Access of West Michigan, please visit them at accessofwestmichigan.org.This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

In this episode, we chat with two gentlemen from Harvest Health Foods, a local, health-focused grocery chain in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Howard Atsma, Director of Operations, and Mitch Nol, Director of Information Technology & Supplement Purchasing, walk us through how supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19 are uniquely impacting the Midwest and the shift of grocery shopping to a digital experience.The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

In this episode, Lisa Beene, Manager of Rising Grinds Café, discusses how pre-existing inequities in our communities have become more pronounced due to the current COVID-19 crisis, the questions she asks herself every day in thinking of long term strategies for meaningful community-wide well being, and what she thinks those strategies could look like.The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Introducing Ruminate’s new podcast, Questionable Food. Every week. Hosted by Kara Kaminski-Killiany.