How do food issues make their way into our public schools. As Deconstructing Dinner's Jon Steinman recalls, "I remember graduating from high school not knowing the first thing about growing food and having very little idea how the food I consumed impacted the planet on which we live." With schools being the building blocks of our society and culture, how does our government-funded education system incorporate into curriculums the most important issue facing all humans - food. Part I Host Jon Ste...
Jun 01, 2006•59 min
“Permaculture” or “permanent agriculture” was originally conceived almost 30 years ago by Australian ecologist Bill Mollison. Observing aboriginal culture and forest ecosystems, he conlcuded that we could deliberately design agriculturally productive ecosystems, echoing diversity, stability, and resillience of natural ecosystems. Permaculture designs provide food, energy, and shelter for people and animal inhabitants while linking the needs and outputs of each element. Permaculture is a holistic...
Jun 01, 2006•59 min
Host Jon Steinman chooses some of the most memorable interviews and segments from the 18 shows produced between January and May, 2006. Segments are played to a compilation of music from the Kootenay Co-op Radio musical library and Jon's own personal collection.
May 25, 2006•59 min
The BC salmon aquaculture industry has been one of the most criticized in the province. Nevertheless , the industry continues to expand and both the provincial and federal government continue to promote it. The opposition is led by The Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform (CAAR) - a 9-member organization composed of First Nations groups, the fishing community and the conservation community. Key topics to discuss - The recent "Framework for Dialogue" that has been initiated between CAAR and Ma...
May 18, 2006•57 min
Californian John Robbins is the author of the international bestseller "DIET FOR A NEW AMERICA - How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth". In 2001 he released " THE FOOD REVOLUTION - How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and the World ". Before moving to his current home in California, John spent 10 years living on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Widely considered to be one of the world's leading experts on the dietary link with the environment ...
May 11, 2006•59 min
In September 2004, the province of British Columbia enacted new meat inspection regulations that were set to come into effect by September 2006. That deadline has since been pushed to September 2007. Regulations will see all slaughterhouse operations fall under provincial and federal liceneses (about 5% of operations in BC are unlicensed). The province declares that these regulations will "strengthen public safety" and "provide new opporutnities for the marketing and sale of BC produced meat." C...
May 04, 2006•59 min
The first of a periodic series that will take a look behind the world's largest packaged food and beverage producers. What products fall under their banner, and how has their influence shaped economic policy, society and culture; how have they affected the environments they operate in; and what relationships do they foster within the countries they are located? Part I - Pepsico New York-based PepsiCo, is far more than just Coca-Cola's main competitor, and based on revenues, sits at about the 4th...
Apr 27, 2006•59 min
The genetic modification of our food is a new experiment that has only been underway in Canada since 1994. A campaign was launched in June of 2005 calling for a GE-Free Canada - a Canada free of genetically modified plants. The campaign was launched in Vancouver where a selection of speakers were invited to speak on the genetic modification of our food supply, and the methods through which GE-Free zones could be created. The event was recorded by the Vancouver-based Necessary Voices Society . Sp...
Apr 20, 2006•58 min
How do food issues make their way into our public schools? As Deconstructing Dinner's Jon Steinman recalls, "I remember graduating from high school not knowing the first thing about growing food and having very little idea how the food I consumed impacted the planet on which we live." With schools being the building blocks of our society and culture, how does our publicly-funded education system incorporate into curriculum this all important subject - food. Part I Host Jon Steinman takes a ride ...
Apr 13, 2006•59 min
The first of a periodic series that will explore the foodservice industry and those who are making unique efforts to create more sustainable interactions between the field and the table. Guests Michael Allemeier - Winery Chef, Mission Hill Family Estate (Westbank, BC) : Located in the fertile Okanagan Valley, Michael Allemeier has taken food service to a new level. On the other hand, it can be said that Allemeier has returned the operation of a restaurant back to the way they have more tradition...
Apr 06, 2006•56 min
Pork is literally being produced behind closed doors. For those of us living in cities, all that can be witnessed is that final product of vacuum-packed bacon or tightly-sealed marshmallows. For those living in the rural areas, the story is much different. Communities are faced with the odour that emanates from massive hog factories; they are subject to the tonnes of liquid manure that ends up in nearby lagoons and is sprayed on neighbouring fields; and many are concerned about the cleanliness o...
Mar 23, 2006•1 hr
Our food system has been built on a foundation of oil (gasoline, pesticides, fertilizers). As we reach the highest use of oil-dependent practices ever, we are also reaching a critical point in the availability of this finite resource. Peak Oil has been the term used to describe the point in time when extraction of oil from the earth reaches its highest point and then begins to decline. We won't be able to say with certainty when we have reached peak oil until after the fact. Many experts say we ...
Mar 16, 2006•58 min
The first of a multi-part series that focuses on small-scale growers and food processors. The series will travel to communities throughout British Columbia and explore the intricacies of operating a small food-based business within a food system dominated by giants. This first broadcast starts its journey in Nelson and interviews 4 local businesses that rely on local support to remain viable. While localized in content, the issues discussed are those encountered by ALL small-scale growers/produc...
Mar 09, 2006•57 min
Bioneers was conceived to conduct educational and economic development programs in the conservation of biological and cultural diversity, traditional farming practices, and environmental restoration. Their radio programs are heard in over 200 cities. Series IV, PART 4: ORGANIC AND BEYOND – TOWARD THE DE-INDUSTRIALIZATION OF AGRICULTURE. The biology of farming is complex and requires attentiveness to nature’s own ways of doing things, characterized by interdependence of relationships. Author and ...
Mar 02, 2006•57 min
Take a closer look at the Olympic rings. Located in the yellow ring are the McDonald's arches, and in the red ring, a bottle of Coca-Cola. These companies represent two of the 11 Worldwide Olympic Partners who have forked out incredible sums of money to fund the games and market their products alongside. After the announcement of the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Premier Gordon Campbell announced that British Columbia will be the healthiest jurisdiction to ever host the Olympic Games. Numerous...
Feb 23, 2006•58 min
We take a rare glimpse into some of the issues facing British Columbia's small-scale farmers and producers. With the rapid pace at which agricultural and production methods have evolved, two distinct food-producing frameworks now exist: the small scale farmer/producer, and the commodity-based ones hooked into industrial methods of production. How does the small operation survive in this world of giants? British Columbia's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries ' - Brent Warner, speaks to me...
Feb 16, 2006•58 min
(originally broadcast February 9, 2006) Seeds are the foundation of our food supply and the building blocks of culture, community and well-being. Seeds also represent an industry of which 50% of global sales are controlled by 10 companies. The patenting and control of seeds is already a reality, but the push is now on to introduce Terminator technology - plants that have been genetically modified to render sterile seeds at harvest. This technology will prevent farmers from saving their seeds for...
Feb 09, 2006•57 min
This broadcasts looks to address how the attention we pay to the specific moment of eating, affects the attention we pay to what food we purchase and why? By reconnecting ourselves to the act of eating, can we reconnect ourselves to food itself? Guests Victoria Stanton - Artist , ESSEN, (Montreal, QC) - Montreal-based performance artist producing solo and collaborative creative work since 1992. Her project entitled ESSEN, takes a look at our relationship with eating by hosting meals where partic...
Jan 26, 2006•59 min
How does food and agriculture make its way into party platforms? What are the main concerns of BC farmers and producers? How do politicians shop for food? We discuss how our country’s major political parties attempt to tackle the issues of Factory Farming, Declining Farmer Incomes, Regulations and more. Guests Alex Atamanenko – NDP candidate, British Columbia Southern Interior. Alex ran in the 2004 election and lost to Conservative incumbent Jim Gouk by 680 votes. Andrew Lewis – Deputy Leader of...
Jan 19, 2006•56 min
How are 98% of eggs in British Columbia produced, and what other methods compose the remaining 2%. We discuss the state of the egg industry in this province and investigate into the methods of education the industry utilizes to inform the consumer. Guests Bruce Passmore - Farm Animal Welfare Coordinator for the Vancouver Humane Society , Coordinator of the Chicken Out Campaign , a joint effort between the Humane Society and the Canadian Coalition for Farm Animals . Fred Reid - Olera Farm in Abbo...
Jan 12, 2006•58 min
For the inaugural broadcast of Deconstructing Dinner, the question of “why should we be deconstructing our dinner” was posed to 7 British Columbians who are concerned about the state of our food system. Guests Abra Brynne – Chair of the certification committee for the Kootenay Organic Growers Society . She sits on the board of Nelson’s Kootenay Co-op grocery store and was instrumental in helping form the BC Food Systems Network . Kim Stansfield – Kim operates a 10-acre farm in Summerland where s...
Jan 05, 2006•55 min
