Food. Justice. Work.
The Checkout centers the voices and efforts of essential workers on the frontlines of our food system. Now more than ever, our food system is in a constant state of flux, radical change and crisis. From political economy and supply chain analysis to public policy, labor organizing and community struggles, The Checkout will expand the horizon of what is necessary to create a just, equitable and progressive food system.
The Checkout is a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network.
Episode 13: Dr. Naya Jones on Food Sovereignty and Collective Healing
“The movie has an easier time envisioning the end of the world than the end of capitalism.”
We asked Chris Newman of Sylvanaqua Farms to share his analysis of “Kiss The Ground”, a new documentary that highlights the need for regenerative agriculture to repair our food system. The movie raises some very important points, but also has some troubling omissions and assumptions that we need to further scrutinize.
For more information on Chris Newman, or to become an investor in Sylvanaqua Farms, please check out: https://www.instagram.com/sylvanaquafarms/ , https://www.sylvanaqua.com and https://www.sylvanaqua.com/invest .
Other stuff we discussed: https://gather.film , https://kissthegroundmovie.com , https://twitter.com/SarahTaber_bww , https://twitter.com/sarah_k_mock , and https://twitter.com/grocery_nerd .
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Episode 12: Lorig Hawkins of Middle Ground Farm
Lorig Hawkins, Owner and Founder of Middle Ground Farm in Austin, TX, joins Errol for a discussion of local food, growing food, and the politics of food in Texas. Growing food in Texas is hard, and Lorig has many years of experience to share on the challenges and successes of doing just that.
Episode 8: David Zuckerman: Gubernatorial Candidate and Lt. Governor of Vermont
“Resiliency is about up’ing our game on how much food is produced, processed and stored locally”
David Zuckerman is the Lt. Governor of Vermont and is currently running to be Governor of Vermont. Dave is a lifelong activist, farmer, hemp and cannabis advocate and GMO labeling pioneer. He has held a variety of local and statewide political offices in Vermont for over 25 years. His policy positions on employment, agriculture, healthcare and the environment are compelling and applicable in Vermont and beyond. Dave also brings a great deal of common sense, humility and empathy to a fractured and divisive political campaign season. Vermont is lucky to have David Zuckerman!
Episode 7: Tom Philpott On A Food System In Crisis… and How To Fix It.
Tom Philpott is an Austin native, a columnist for Mother Jones and is the author of Perilous Bounty, a hard-hitting analysis on the industrial food system and it’s fragility, from California’s Central Valley, to Iowa’s Corn Belt. Tom got his start as a financial journalist and was smitten with the food movement during the campaign to save NYC’s Community Gardens over twenty years ago. Tom has also worked on a small farm and has published hundreds of articles on the food system, all with an eye towards social justice and a healthier, more resilient food supply.
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Episode 6: Farming While Black in Austin, TX with Tiffany Washington
Tiffany Washington is an Austin-based combat veteran and Organic farmer, and runs Dobbin-Kauv Garden Farm. Tiffany served in the U.S. Navy and was trained as an Organic farmer by Farmshare Austin, an 18-week farmer education program, as well BattleGround to Breaking Ground, a one year Texas A&M program that helps veterans get into farming as a business. Tiffany is also an Organic Intellectual whose family has lived in the Austin area for over 150 years. Tiffany has done extensive research into the lives of Black farmers and Freedman colonies in Austin and Central Texas, including the insidious history of land theft and dispossession that gave rise to the current wave of gentrification and food apartheid in one of the country’s most segregated cities. Tiffany is an heir to the agricultural legacy of such luminaries as George Washington Carver, who trained thousands of Black farmers in regenerative farming methods, and Booker T. Whatley, the founder of community supported agriculture. We feel honored to have spent time with Tiffany to hear her story. To support Tiffany, check out her GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/veterans-urban-farm-needs-your-help.
Episode 4: Jose Oliva on Building a Worker-Centered Food System, Part 2
Jose Oliva joins us for a two part episode that dives into labor organizing, land reform, his family’s legacy and much more. Jose is currently the Campaigns Director for HEAL Food Alliance. Jose is a longtime food sector organizer and has served in leadership positions at Chicago Interfaith Workers’ Center, Interfaith Worker Justice’s National Workers' Centers Network, Center for Community Change, and the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United - the national organization of restaurant workers. Jose was the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Food Chain Workers Alliance, a national coalition of food-worker organizations that collectively represents over 350,000 workers. Jose is also a 2017 James Beard Award recipient and a 2018 American Food Hero Awardee. We had an amazing conversation with Jose and he has excellent taste in literature as well!
Episode 3: Jose Oliva on Building a Worker-Centered Food System, Part 1
Jose Oliva joins us for a two part episode that dives into labor organizing, land reform, his family’s legacy and much more. Jose is currently the Campaigns Director for HEAL Food Alliance. Jose is a longtime food sector organizer and has served in leadership positions at Chicago Interfaith Workers’ Center, Interfaith Worker Justice’s National Workers' Centers Network, Center for Community Change, and the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United - the national organization of restaurant workers. Jose was the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Food Chain Workers Alliance, a national coalition of food-worker organizations that collectively represents over 350,000 workers. Jose is also a 2017 James Beard Award recipient and a 2018 American Food Hero Awardee. We had an amazing conversation with Jose and he has excellent taste in literature as well!
