Mark Reinfeld, Islands of PeaceMark Reinfeld is an award-winning author, chef, and parent advocate with over 25 years in wellness and education. Founder of Vegan Fusion and co-creator of the Islands of Peace framework, Mark blends compassion, creativity, and lived experience in his work He and his wide Ashley are parents to a child with Angelman Syndrome and are dedicated to supporting families navigating the complex, beautiful, and often overwhelming world of special needs parenting. More at https://www.ohanavitality.org/islands-of-peace.

In this episode Caryn reviews food insecurity and the history of SNAP, the Supplemental Food Assistance Program and the changes that are taking place today due to the shutdown and current politics; COP30 and climate-related events; animal rescues, meat analogs; animal foods and UTIs.

Caryn talks about the upcoming No Kings protests and protests in history like the Haymarket Affair, while preparing to perform the role of anarchist, activist Emma Goldman in a contemporary opera. She shares recipes for some favorite comfort foods for cool autumn weather. Halloween, UNICEF, the Farm Bill, and Bird Flu are other topics she discusses.

Caryn Hartglass, Seasoned Wisdom – Herbs, Spices and SeedsCaryn goes into detail about all the herbs, spices and seeds used in her daily food preparation.

Teresa Mares is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Vermont and Affiliated Faculty in Food Systems. Her research and teaching examines food labor, food movements, and immigration from Latin America to the US. Dr. Mares has years of experience collaborating with activists in food and labor justice movements. Her first book Life on the Other Border: Farmworkers and Food Justice in Vermont was published by University of California Press (2019). She has also published widely in journals like Agriculture and Human Values, Food and Foodways, and the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. She earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology with a Graduate Certificate in Women Studies from the University of Washington. She lives in Charlotte, Vermont with her partner, daughter, and two pups.

In this episode Caryn and Gary discuss RFK Jr.’s recent article in the Wall Street Journal and continue the topic of what the current White House has been doing that affects health and nutrition. Links mentioned in the podcast: An Apple a Day Is a Good Prescriptionhttps://www.wsj.com/opinion/an-apple-a-day-is-a-good-prescription-kennedy-hhs-diet-health-73227a67 The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reporthttps://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/2025-advisory-committee-report While Everyone Was Arguing Over Food Dyes, Kennedy Sidelined Beanshttps://vegnews.com/rfk-dietary-guidelines-beans Is Beef Tallow Healthy? Nutrition Experts Explainhttps://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/a62939998/is-beef-tallow-healthy/ What Are Seed Oils?https://foodrevolution.org/blog/what-are-seed-oils/ Tai Zhan Bakeryhttps://www.taizhanbake.com/ Happy Zoe Vegan Bakeryhttps://www.happyzoeveganbakery.com/  FIND PLANT-BASED MEDICAL PRACTITIONERSPlant-based doctors and other providers – https://plantrician.org/Plant-based registered dietitians – https://www.eatright.org/find-an-expertNaturopathic physicians – https://www.naturopathic.org/AF_MemberDirectory.aspLifestyle medicine practitioners – https://www.lifestylemedpros.org/home/

Hartglass & De Mattei, Meat MadnessCaryn Hartglass teams up again with Gary De Mattei to talk about Eleven Madison Park added meat back on their menu; Beyond Meat rumors; Alpha-Gal, mammalian meat allergy; and oxalates in Spinach. Plus they discuss new recipes they’ve been working on. Links mentioned in the podcast: Healthy World Burger Eleven Madison, Meat Is Back at Eleven Madison Park, After 4 Vegan Years Why Is Martha’s Vineyard Going Vegan? It’s All About Tick Bites. Beyond Meat

Sarah Speare, Tootie’s TempehSarah Speare is the CEO and CoFounder of Tootie’s Tempeh, a worker-owned consumer foods cooperative based in Biddeford, Maine. Prior to Tootie’s she cofounded a pet treat company that had distribution in 10,000 stores and was sold to a large competitor. She has also been the executive director of several social impact non-profits and served on the boards of arts and civic organizations in Maine and MA. She has a background in graphic design and is a graduate of Tufts University and the Museum School. Watch a short TV segment about Tootie’s Tempeh from WMTW’s Made in Maine. REAL Recipes with Tempeh Choucroute Garnie Snowy Joes Tasty Tempeh Taco Tuesday “Meat” Soybeans are a healthy food. If you have any concerns about soy, watch this: https://vimeo.com/118732085?fl=pl&fe=vl

Part I: Caryn Hartglass, Long Term Vegan with High Cholesterol.Caryn gives a 1-year update on her journey to lower her cholesterol. As a long time vegan, this is challenging. She has been doing an SOS-free (salt, oil, sugar free) diet for one year. Part II: Ciara Sidell, Randall’s Island Park Alliance Urban Farm Ciara Sidell is the Urban Farm Manager at Randall’s Island Park Alliance in NYC. The Randall’s Island Park Alliance (RIPA) is the proud steward of the beautiful Randall’s Island Park, which is uniquely situation between three boroughs – Manhattan, the Bronx and Queens. For over 30 years, RIPA has worked in partnership with the City and the Parks Department to restore, maintain, sustain, develop, manage and program Randall’s Island Park as a place for all New Yorkers to enjoy. Since its inception in 2006 the Urban Farm has grown in size and scope, featuring over 100 raised beds, two greenhouses, four rice paddies and a small fruit orchard. With education at the forefront of its design, the Urban Farm embodies the core belief that plants and children can grow side by side. With over 200 varieties of fruits and vegetables from around the world, the Urban Farm allows visitors to deepen their understanding of where food comes from. Strolling through the farm, you’ll discover fruits and vegetables you’ve never seen in grocery stores and crops that are culturally relevant to our nearby communities. Through free hands-on classes and public events focused on sustainability, cooking, planting, and composting, farm visitors of all ages can explore locally-grown food in an urban environment. School groups can visit through our Edible Education Program, and we invite the public to explore during weekend open hours and many program offerings. The Urban Farm is located at the island’s southern end, adjacent to the park’s playground, a picnic area, playing fields, and a public restroom. The Randall’s Island Park Alliance is proud to program and maintain the Urban Farm and greatly appreciates donations to help continue to make these events possible  Links mentioned in the podcast: Keene Garlic Lipid-lowering activity of artichoke extracts: A systematic review and meta-analysis Ron Weiss, MD, Ethos Primary Care and Ethos Farm Joel K. Kahn, MD, Lipoprotein(a), The Heart’s Quiet Killer: A Diet & Lifestyle Guide

Gail A. Eisnitz, winner of the Albert Schweitzer Medal for outstanding achievement in animal welfare, is the chief investigator for the Humane Farming Association. Her work has resulted in exposés by ABC’s Good Morning America, PrimeTime Live, and Dateline NBC, and her interviews have been heard on more than 1,600 radio stations. Her work has been featured in such newspapers as the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle​, Miami Herald, Detroit Free Press, Texas Monthly, Denver Business Journal, Los Angeles Times, and US News & World Report. Gail’s first book, Slaughterhouse, The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment Inside the U.S. Meat Industry was published in 1997. More at https://www.gaileisnitz.com/.   Things you can do! Oppose the so-called Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act HR 2156/S 984 Oppose the “Food Security and Farm Protection Act,” S. 1326 The Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act – H.R. 1661 and S. 775 Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act – H.R. 1684 Soring—intentionally injuring the feet of Tennessee Walking horses to produce an exaggerated gait—has been outlawed since passage of the Horse Protection Act of 1970. Yet some abusive trainers still subject horses to this inhumane practice through the use of blistering agents—mustard oil, diesel fuel, and kerosene—as well as through mechanical means—the use of foreign objects inside shoes, and the use of heavy chains that irritate chemically treated tissue. Soring causes excruciating pain to horses when their feet touch the ground, causing them to lift their feet higher than normal. The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act would strengthen existing law by ending industry self-policing, banning certain devices, and generating stiffer penalties for trainers who sore their horses. Visual Snow  

Delcianna J. Winders is an associate professor of law and Director of the Animal Law and Policy Institute at Vermont Law and Graduate School. Professor Winders previously taught at Lewis & Clark Law School, where she directed the world’s first law school clinic dedicated to farmed animal advocacy. She served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at the PETA Foundation, was the first Academic Fellow of the Harvard Animal Law & Policy Program, and was a visiting scholar at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. Her primary interests are in animal law and administrative law. She has also taught animal law at Tulane University School of Law and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Her work has appeared in the Denver Law Review, Florida State Law Review, Ohio State Law Journal, NYU Law Review, and the Animal Law Review. Winders has also published extensively in the popular press, including The Hill, National Geographic, Newsweek, New York Daily News, Salon, U.S.A. Today, and numerous other outlets. Winders received her BA in Legal Studies with highest honors from the University California at Santa Cruz, where she was named a Regents’ Scholar and received the Dean’s Award for outstanding achievement in Social Sciences, and her JD from NYU School of Law, where she was awarded the Vanderbilt Medal for outstanding contributions to the law school, named as a Robert McKay Scholar, and served as the Senior Notes Editor of the NYU Law Review. Following law school, Winders clerked for the Hon. Martha Craig Daughtrey on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and practiced animal law in a variety of settings.  Links mentioned in the podcast: For information about the Animal Law and Policy Institute at Vermont Law and Graduate School, including degree programs and classes,(including online classes and short summer courses, which are open to auditors quite affordably): vermontlaw.edu/animallaw Winders’ chapter Farmed Animal Welfare (United States), which examines recent and emergent developments around legal oversight of on-farm welfare, confinement bans, slaughter regulation (and deregulation), humanewashing, and welfare on certified organic farms and concludes with a call for establishment of an animal protection agency, is available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5342182. The chapter is in the forthcoming Oxford Handbook on Global Animal Law, which will be available in full online for free once published next year. Winders’ encyclopedia entry, Legal Standing – Access to Court in the US, is in the Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Animal Law, which is forthcoming this month at https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/elgar-concise-encyclopedia-of-animal-law-9781803923666.html. Listeners can use the code ANML35 for a 35% discount. Winders’ other animal law scholarship is available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2433383.   Have you Will Potter‘s book yet called LITTLE RED BARNS, Hiding the Truth, from Farm to FableShare? Get it now!

Jimmy Prude is the founder of Jimmy’s Vegan Cookies. His mission is to change how people enjoy sweets by making them healthier and to give back through community-focused initiatives. Jimmy began his journey as a nutritionist, helping residents incorporate small amounts of plant-based foods into their daily meals. Through extensive online research, they also dove into food nutrition, labeling, and the often obscure, unpronounceable ingredients found in everyday products. Inspired by what he learned, Jimmy launched Jimmy’s Vegan Cookies at the 79th Street Renaissance Festival in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. He brought 95 units of his signature Loaded Vegan Cookies, and sold out in under five hours. Jimmy’s business has since partnered with FOODWORKS, a proven on-site dining platform that connects communities through food. FOODWORKS highlights local, authentic, and ethnically diverse restaurants within client spaces, helping foster inclusion and cultural appreciation through every bite.

Jennie Liss Ohayon, PhD, Impacts of California’s Proposition 65Dr. Jennie Liss Ohayon is a Research Scientist at Silent Spring Institute, specializing in environmental policy, community-engaged research, and environmental justice. She is currently working on projects to report back to study participants and community partners in the U.S. and Chile their exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals. She also researches the emergence of scientific and activist concerns around industrial chemicals with Northeastern’s PFAS lab, and, in collaboration with co-investigators at the University of California, Berkeley, is evaluating the effectiveness of California-based legislation that aims to reduce or eliminate exposures to toxic substances. With the support of the Massachusetts Toxic Use Reduction Institute, she recently partnered with high schools across the state to translate environmental health research into hands-on curriculum that helps students reduce toxic exposures. She works with the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative, a network formed to address threats to federal environmental policy and data, to track changes to EPA’s structure and science production. Dr. Ohayon completed her PhD at the University of California, Santa Cruz researching the remediation of toxic waste in military Superfund sites. With research support from the EPA’s Science to Achieve Results fellowship and the National Science Foundation, she did fieldwork to evaluate how policy around public participation and environmental justice is translated into cleanup programs. She also used data from all military Superfund sites for quantitative and spatial analyses of how factors such as the race and class demographics of surrounding neighborhoods contribute to how quickly sites are remediated. During this time, she created an interactive curriculum in environmental sciences for high school students that are disproportionately affected by environmental problems and who come from communities that are underrepresented in the field of environmental science. Prior to beginning her PhD, Dr. Ohayon worked in two conservation biology laboratories and led education and recreation programs for children in low-income housing. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto, with majors in biology and political science. In her free time, she enjoys traveling (she’s explored six continents) and various food-related pursuits—gardening, canning, and of course eating delicious vegetarian food! Links mentioned in the podcast: Chemical Exposure Warnings (Proposition 65 Warnings) California Told Companies to Label Toxic Chemicals. Instead They’re Quietly Dropping Them How a Right-to-Know Law Shifts Industry away from Chemicals of Concern: The Case of California’s Proposition 65 The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) Silent Spring’s tips (including tip sheets and our Detox Me app)

Taylor McKinnon and Adam Wilks, Mr.Charlie’s TMSTaylor McKinnon is cofounder of Mr. Charlie’s Told Me So (TMS)—a purpose-driven, plant-based QSR brand redefining what fast food can be—is making its biggest move yet with an 18-store development deal across Arizona.This multimillion-dollar franchise agreement marks the brand’s first major regional rollout, powered by a mission of second chances, sustainability, and crave-worthy food. To support this growth, Mr. Charlie’s has brought on franchising and licensing veteran Adam Wilks (former exec at Pinkberry, Cold Stone, and TYSON 2.0) as President to spearhead national expansion. With proven traction in LA, San Francisco, and Sydney, Australia, Mr. Charlie’s is now opening up franchise opportunities in select U.S. states.Plant-based QSR has been largely untapped at scale—Mr. Charlie’s is betting big on changing that.

John Sanbonmatsu, The Omnivore’s DeceptionJohn Sanbonmatsu is a writer, philosopher, and magician. He is author of The Omnivore’s Deception: What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals and Ourselves (New York University Press) and of The Postmodern Prince: Critical Theory, Left Strategy, and the Making of a New Political Subject (Monthly Review Press). John received his BA from Hampshire College and his PhD in the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California at Santa Cruz. John is Professor of Philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, where he teaches ethics, politics, philosophy of film, and existentialism (among other courses). John lives in the Boston area, where he performs as a semi-professional magician and mentalist.Follow John on Twitter (@SanbonmatsuJ) and Blue Sky (@jsanbonmatsu.bsky.social)  Links mentioned in this program:Marti KheelKaren Davis

Matthew Shepherd, Director of Outreach and Education, Bring Back the PollinatorsMatthew has worked for the Xerces Society for more than two decades, initially at the vanguard of a new movement to protect pollinators, but then on endangered species and a range of other issues, as well as several years leading Xerces’ communications work. Throughout this time, he maintained a direct involvement in pollinator conservation in towns and cities, and in his current role has returned to outreach and community engagement. Much of this focuses on supporting neighborhood-level efforts such as pollinator gardens and small habitat projects in parks, as well as leading the Bring Back the Pollinators campaign and promoting the No Mow May and Leave the Leaves initiatives. Matthew is author of numerous articles and other publications, including Attracting Native Pollinators (Storey Publishing, 2011) and Gardening for Butterflies (Timber Press, 2016). He also is the long-time editor of Wings, the Xerces Society’s magazine. Matthew’s 35-year conservation career began in England and took him to Kenya before his arrival in the United States. After completing a master’s of science in land resource management, Matthew managed National Trust lands in Oxfordshire, established a successful community-based conservation program in Essex, and helped to create Samphire Hoe, an award-winning nature park at the foot of the White Cliffs of Dover. During a VSO placement in Kenya, he worked with local communities and government agencies to improve the management of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, on the coast north of Mombasa. It was in Kenya that he met a Peace Corps volunteer⁠—who is the reason he moved to Oregon. They live on the west side of the Portland metro region. Their two children are now at college, but they still get together—although sometimes they roll their eyes when Matthew points out yet another super-cool insect that he found.

Will Potter, LITTLE RED BARNS Hiding the Truth, from Farm to FableWill Potter (@willpotter) is a thought leader and award-winning investigative journalist and author whose work has focused on social justice movements and attacks on civil rights post-9/11. He has been invited to speak about human rights and political repression before governmental bodies including the U.S. Congress, the Australian Parliament, and the Council of Europe. He was the first investigative journalist to be named a TED Senior Fellow, and his TED talks on anti-protest laws and secret prisons have been viewed nearly 10 million times. His book, Green Is the New Red: An Insider’s Account of a Social Movement Under Siege, exposed the targeting of nonviolent protest groups by the FBI and was awarded a Kirkus Star for “remarkable merit.” Will was awarded the prestigious Knight-Wallace Fellowship in Law Reporting, and is the inaugural civil rights fellow and distinguished journalist-in-residence at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. His new book, Little Red Barns: Hiding the Truth, from Farm to Fable, is now available for pre-order from City Lights.  BUY THE BOOK NOW!!  Listen to the IT’S ALL ABOUT FOOD interview with Will Potter about Green Is the New Red: An Insider’s Account of a Social Movement Under Siege.

Call Caryn’s personal archive number to hear the most recent five episodes of It’s All About Food: 1-701-719-0885 Hartglass & De Mattei, The Poop on Toilet PaperCaryn and Gary share stories about Caryn’s recent birthday which occurs on Earth Day. Things to look out for in toilet paper are covered along with artificial sweeteners like aspartame.  Links mentioned in the program: How Toxic Is Your Toilet Paper? Investigation of Brands Toilet paper is an unexpected source of PFAS in wastewater, study says Now We Need to Worry About Harmful ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Our Toilet Paper Too All the Ways We’ve Wiped: The History of Toilet Paper and What Came Before All About Reusable Toilet Paper: What You Should Know Do You Need To Cut Out Aspartame? Jim May, The Stevia Story

Caryn Hartglass, The Global Food SystemIn this episode Caryn discusses the global food system, how every bit of food that is brought to our plate has involved so many people around the world. She shares stories of eating vegan and SOS-free on the road while in Vermont and Massachusetts. Recipes for Irish Soda Bread, both made with wheat and gluten-free versions are shared and discussed. The GMO corn story between the U.S. and Mexico is reviewed along with recipes for organic corn bread, and tortillas.  Links mentioned in this podcast: Tortillas Corn Bread: Gluten-Free AND SOS-Free! Irish Soda Bread The US vs. Mexico dispute over GMO corn: an attempt to keep track of it Yes, Your Chili Powder Is Moving: The Gross Truth Behind Bugs in Your Kitchen Spices

John Sanbonmatsu, Our Resistance to Rethinking the Meat EconomyJohn Sanbonmatsu is a writer, philosopher, and magician. He is author of The Omnivore’s Deception: What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals and Ourselves (New York University Press) and of The Postmodern Prince: Critical Theory, Left Strategy, and the Making of a New Political Subject (Monthly Review Press). John received his BA from Hampshire College and his PhD in the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California at Santa Cruz. John is Professor of Philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, where he teaches ethics, politics, philosophy of film, and existentialism (among other courses). John lives in the Boston area, where he performs as a semi-professional magician and mentalist.Follow John on Twitter (@SanbonmatsuJ) and Blue Sky (@jsanbonmatsu.bsky.social) Links mentioned in the podcast: Cell-Based Meat Debate, Resolve: Cell-Based Meat is Good for Animals America Is Done Pretending About Meat Clean Meat Hoax