Lost in the Supermarket
Lost in the Supermarket
Regenerative Agriculture and Its Role in Nutrition
Welcome to Lost in the Supermarket. March is national nutrition month so who better to talk than a farmer and passionate chef about regenerative agriculture and its role in nutrition.
Farmer Lee Jones created The Chef’s Garden’s over thirty-five years ago, and has remained tirelessly committed to not only ensuring that the family’s three-hundred-acre farm remains one of the most innovative and pioneering in the world, but to fostering a nuanced conversation with the chefs in our industry who look to the farm to grow vegetables that are as aesthetically pleasing on the plate as they are flavorful to the palate.
Dr. Amy Sapola is passionate about helping people achieve radiant health through reconnecting with their own intuition, nature, and deep nourishment as well as working on public health issues related to the social determinants of health, soil health, and planetary health. She is a Certified Wellness Coach, Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and Doctor of Pharmacy with a B.S. in Nutrition. Dr. Sapola is the Director of Farmacy at The Chef’s Garden.
Welcome to Lost in the Supermarket. March is National Nutrition Month. So when better to talk with a farmer and a passionate chef about regenerative agriculture and its role in nutrition farmer Lee Jones created the Chef's Garden over 35 years ago and has remained tirelessly committed to not only ensuring that the family's 300 acre farm remains one of the most innovative and pioneering in the world, but to foster a nuanced conversation with the chefs in our industry who look to the farm to grow vegetables that are as pretty as possible and pleasing on the pate. Dr. Amy SAP is a passionate person about helping people achieve radiant health through reconnecting with their own intuition, nature, and deep nourishment, as well as working on public health issues related to the social determinants of health, soil health, and planetary health. She's a certified wellness coach, Institute for Functional Medicine certified practitioner and a doctor of pharmacy with a BS in Nutrition. She's the director of Pharmacy at the Chef's Garden Farmer Lee. And Dr. Amy, welcome to Lost in the Supermarket.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having us. Thank you.
Speaker 1:So when I look at all the press that's coming out that really talks about plant-based everything these days, uh, tell me a little bit about how a vegetable forward lifestyle is compatible with almost all dietary preferences and, and the plans that we read about, whether you're a vegan, a vegetarian, or just a carnivore.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a great question. And I think when you look historically over all of the different diet trends that have come and gone, one of the things excluding maybe the Carni war diet that stays consistent is the inclusion of vegetables. And I think, you know, Mediterranean diet is one of the most well studied and well researched ways of eating in that plan or lifestyle. They include at least four more cups of vegetables daily in their lifestyle. The U S D A only recommends two to four cups of vegetables, and we know the c d C data shows one in 10 Americans actually even consumed that much. So we certainly have a ways to go therapeutic lifestyle plans, uh, where you're looking to, um, help reverse cognitive decline or impact multiple sclerosis. Those actually recommend six to nine cups of vegetables a day.
Speaker 1:And just to get the record straight, ketchup is not a vegetable no matter what they say, right
Speaker 2:<laugh>, right. When you look at like the criteria on processing of foods, if you can eat it, the foods in their more whole form, you're gonna be better off.
Speaker 1:So former Lee, one of the things that I've said to consumers for many years, and I want you to you to chime in, whether I'm right or not, is, you know, to eat what's in season. Because if you eat produce that's in season, it's gonna taste better, it's gonna have more nutrients, and frankly, it's gonna be less expensive. Am I giving some good advice here?
Speaker 3:I think you absolutely are. Um, I don't think that necessarily because it's in season, you know, it's crazy. You drive down a country road on a Sunday afternoon out out in our community. We tend to try and rest on Sundays, kind of going back to some religious beliefs. But, uh, we try and follow that policy here on the farm, but it's a Sunday afternoon, you're driving down a country road, there's a picnic table, and the most beautiful tomatoes are on the picnic table for sale, and there's a self-serve can there, and they're$3. We've never been able to understand why it is that when they're in season and the absolute best, you've gotta have a hanky in one hand and you as you eat the tomato and they're sun ripe, and then they're incredible and they have to be cheap. So I, I totally agree with eating in season. I don't necessarily think that they have to be cheaper. There's a lot of work that goes into them. Uh, I'm obviously sensitive to trying to get enough money to stay in business for our products in season, but, uh, yeah, you know, I think that mother nature provides such a natural rhythm to what we should eat and when we should eat it. And I hope Dr. Amy would agree with me, but I think that, you know, when you're really in tuned with your body, it will tell you what you need. Um, I think there are times when your body will cry for Swiss charred or for kale, and I think that it knows when there are certain mineral deficiencies, and if we're listening, we'll know what to eat right now on the farm, it's really a mirror of your grandmother's root cellar. It's the rut aeg, it's the pars, the celery root, it's the salsa, it's the carrots, it's the beets, it's the turnips, the winter radishes, all those things that we would put in in the fall, harvesting them at their peak and eating out of them. Um, and of course now were eager and excited to look forward to the ramps and the spring on onion. So the radishes and the lettuces and asparagus of course rhubarb, all those things that'll be coming up next.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And I think that diversity in your diet is so important because including that diversity, make sure that you're not getting nutrient and efficient in one area because you are eating from different sources different times of the year. And also you're optimizing the nutrients available in a food. We know that from time of harvest to basically the amount of time it takes to get to your table that time there, food is losing nutrients if it's, you know, days or weeks. And so the closer you can get from the time you pick a vegetable to the time you consume it, the better off you are.
Speaker 1:So, farmer Lee, just to be clear of, of where I was going with the price, um, I'm not suggesting that, you know, farmers don't get their fair share. Right? What I am suggesting is that in January, um, I can go into a supermarket. I could buy a, you know, red strawberry beat, red strawberry this big that's tasteless, that has no nutrients, and it had to be flown in from another country. And that adds, you know, to the cost of, of doing that. And that's one of the reasons that I say, you know, eat what's in season because it'll be less expensive because there's less transportation costs involved and you know, it's on the vine longer, so it's got more flavor and more nutrients. Uh, so that's where I was going with that. Not to take anything away, uh, from, you know, the former getting a fair share and every year when, you know, U S D A comes up with that dollar bill and it shows, you know, who makes what and the farmer has the smallest margin of it, you know, to, to me, you know, that's simply wrong. Uh, there's no question about it. And I think that most people would agree cuz if we look at the proliferation of farmer's markets now, where we just see so many farmers, uh, being able to, you know, offset some of their losses by dealing directly with the consumer, I think that's a good thing.
Speaker 3:It is a good thing. It's the, in the, it's just innate in the produce business, it's unlike anything else. If you wanna buy a Mercedes, you're gonna expect to pay 150 or 250,000, and the more you spend the better you get. And unfortunately, it seems as though in the produce business, when it's the absolute best, you pay the absolute lowest then. Right? It's just one of those things that's a p for a farmer that's like, here it is, it's the best tomato in the world. And then in the hiter, just like your strawberry, you get this tomato in the grocery store and it's pink with a white center to it, and you'd be better off to throw it away and eat the cardboard. It was shipped in and it's$6 a pound though. Yeah, that's my rent for the day.
Speaker 1:<laugh>. I hear you. So, uh, Dr. Amy, let's talk about, you know, gut health, if you would. Um, and when, when I read articles and I hear people talk about digestion and gut health, um, what, what should we be eating, um, you know, from, from produce to instead of a lot of these pharmaceuticals and a lot of these pills, um, to increase the, the quality of our gut health?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that question. So I kind of narrowed down to three categories. So fiber, ferment and then variety. And really thinking about the, the soil that the food is grown in. We know that 98% of our calories come from plants grown in soil. The other 2% you may not wanna be eating, they're probably synthetic, right? And so thinking about the soil, the microbes in the soil are basically what's helping to populate the microbiome in your body. Um, and what helps with digestion. So healthy soil fiber in the plants you're eating, um, or in the foods you're eating, vegetables of course are a great source of fiber and then ferments. When you get fermented vegetables, it actually increases the nutrients in the vegetables, um, because of those microbes kind of di kind of predigesting a little bit. Um, it includes the fiber in there, and again, they help to populate the gut. Unlike probiotics, which contain like a single strain of, um, bacteria or microbes, um, you know, having the naturally occurring bacteria and um, other microbes on vegetables in the diet actually really helps. And then diversity of microbes is actually what's been shown to be more impactful versus the number of microbes.
Speaker 1:So when I look, um, at, I look at National Nu Nutrition month and I look at, you know, the different programs that the produce associations have put together. Um, I remember when, you know, five a day launched and it wasn't that successful after spending millions of dollars. It didn't up consumption. So what they decided to do is change it to nine a day. Um, you know, people weren't eating five a day, oh, let's say nine a day<laugh>, and obviously that that blew up in their face. Um, you know, how much of our nutrition should we be, um, receiving from, from a variety of vegetables? What is that number? And you know, I'm gonna ask both of you this. How can we get people to eat more vegetables? Why can't we get over that three and a half servings a day, um, to, to the recommended allowances of five or six or seven? I mean, when I look at vegetables between the color, between the aromas, between the taste, it's fabulous. You know, why, why wouldn't you eat more fruits and vegetables? Uh, but obviously the rest of the nation disagrees with me.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah. And I think it depends where you are in sort of, um, what, what resources you have available to you as far as your access goes. That can certainly be a barrier, especially in food deserts. Um, one of the things we do unique here is that we ship to all 50 states. Um, so even if you're in a food desert, we can get fresh vegetables to you. But, you know, I think it's access. I think it is kind of<laugh> adverse childhood experiences with vegetables perhaps. So having had the bland vegetables, the vegetables that maybe don't have the taste or aren't prepared in a, a way like the steamed brussel sprouts that ou maybe with ketchup like that can scar you and make you not wanna try new vegetables. So being open to trying, again, finding vegetables that are highly flavorful, full of color. We tend to grow smaller vegetables, which again, are more like packed with flavor and unique varieties. What you'll find in the grocery store typically is not harvested at peak ripeness has been shift a long distance and maybe isn't as flavorful. So by working with a farm, a local farmer or a farm and having those like fresher products, I think the taste is really there. And then knowing how to prepare it. So really, um, you know, like on our blog we have lots of recipes, but it's getting comfortable with how do I work with this? How do I prepare it? It might take a little bit more time than some of the highly processed foods, but I think there's a really big return on your investment.
Speaker 1:So talking about the blog, you know, tell our viewers, you know, how to access your blog.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So that's it. Farmer jones sperm.com, under blog and any of recipes as well.
Speaker 1:So formerly, um, you know, Dr. Amy talked about Brussels sprouts. What really gets to me is, um, when I go to a restaurant, how many of these restaurants now have deep fried Brussels sprouts on the menu? And when I talk to people that a them, um, they say, well, it's great, it's a vegetable. Doesn't all that deep frying sort of like take away from the fact that it's a vegetable?
Speaker 3:I think that it really does. And um, Amy and I have talked about this before, and there's some of the vegetables that actually have a higher nutrition level raw than cooked. Um, you know, accessibility certainly is an issue for some, but I think that the farmer's markets are, there's more farmer's markets today than in the history of the United States, and they tend to be in cities. So I think that the accessibility is there. Sometimes it is the affordability, unfortunately. Um, I think that the problem in many cases is second generation deep, um, where they don't know how to prepare the food. But one of the cool things is, is that, you know, simplicity with some of these vegetables is back eating them raw, get the hummus, get the vegetables, cut'em thin, and use that as a dip and, and get'em into the diet. Uhhuh,<affirmative>, I think that, you know, there's also studies that say that families that sit down and eat a meal together, um, tend to do better. They communicate better,
Speaker 1:Lower, lower family problems, lower psychological problems. Absolutely. I mean, the, that whole dinner table scene, um, that Norman Walk Rockwell had had painted so well, I mean, that really talks about a lot more than just nutrition, but also, you know, what that family unit is supposed to be.
Speaker 3:Exactly. And I think that, you know, we've created such a rap race for ourselves in America. I think maybe one of the unsuspected positive consequences of Covid is that I see chefs that miss birthdays every holiday Christmas in all the holidays at home because they're there serving others and they got a year and a half, two years with their families. And I think since then there's been sort of a renewed sense of balance. And I think that that's really critical for us to find that balance. But to take the time it's takes time to eat right, and we're in such a hurry. I mean, look at the growth in fast foods. It's easy. I'm in a hurry, I'm just gonna swing in here and grab fast food and we're gonna eat it on the run and it does all the wrong things for us. But taking the time to eat right takes time.
Speaker 1:Well, we're in such a hurry that now 39% of all sales of fast food restaurants go through the drive-through. They're not even taking the time to walk in the door and, and sitting down. So let's talk about, you know, the seasons, uh, spring is near, um, what are the vegetables that we can look forward to during the spring? How can we include them in our diets? And you know, Dr. Amy, I'm gonna give you that one. And then Farmer Lee, why don't you tell us, um, I know you don't want us to do this, but what vegetables in the spring should I plant at home myself? So, yeah, Dr. Amy, why don't you go first?
Speaker 2:Sure. So my favorite right now is spring coming is greens. And I think there's so many beautiful greens, and especially after winter when you've been having heavier like root vegetables and more like stews and meats and things like that. Spring is that time where you have the green, it's kind of a time of renewal, detoxification and more of a lightness, right? And so including lots of different green vegetables, we grow microgreens as well. So I love to make like a big salad with some baby kale, um, baby arugula and then put in the microgreens different breads. Like I love water crest, especially in the spring water crest is number one on the C'S powerhouse list of fruits and vegetables for like most nutrient dents, even higher than kale. Um, so I'll put in some water crests and some broccoli sprouts and just a simple dressing and it's delicious. I also love radishes spring onions. I mean all of them have so many benefits, but that's when they really shine is in the spring.
Speaker 1:And formerly, what should I, you know, grow at home in my backyard?
Speaker 3:And I absolutely do want people to grow at home. I think that, you know, and it's another one of the unsuspected consequences of covid. We, we have a lot of, a lot of takeaways from it and it's so close to, um, our heart because it was tragic for us, uh, in many ways. But there were some benefits, but there were more gardens planted during, uh, the year of 2020 than in the history of the United States, even going back to the victory gardens. And you know, I'm hopeful that, you know, when kids wanna emulate their parents and when mom is out there in the garden enjoying herself and planting, Joey wants to come along and help'em out because whatever mom or dad is doing, that's what the kids wanna do. They wanna participate, they wanna be a part of that. And I am hopeful that we have started a whole new generation of gardeners from those youngsters that got to spend time with their parents and plant those gardens. I don't think there's anything more rewarding, more therapeutic and more healthy than to grow your own vegetables in your own garden because now the kids wanna try that carrot that they grew because they've got ownership of it. And I would encourage mom and dad to get the kids out and plant a garden, even if it's just a few plants, get a garden planet. But right now, March, and it would be hard to believe today in Ohio, we had about four inches of snow that we woke up to this morning. But the, the old timer said, if you didn't get the peas planted by the 17th of March, they wouldn't make good peas. Now, that's not completely true, but there is some sense in getting them. They like the cool temperatures, but peas and potatoes and radishes and la in lettuces, we dad always would say that we're gonna get one day in the field in March, it might be the 15th of March, or it might be the 31st of March, or it might be the 7th of March. He also said, have your equipment ready and be prepared because you're gonna get that day. Don't wait till that one day to go to the field and then you decide that the tractor needs work. But it is time to start thinking about what you're gonna plant in the garden. I would encourage and applaud everybody to plant a garden and the rewards will be so beneficial to whoever will take the time to do it.
Speaker 1:So for my last question, you know, I, I'm really faced with a dilemma and hopefully, you know, you guys can help me out here. Um, I need to know from each of you, you know, what's the vegetable that you're gonna be serving tonight at dinner? So I know whether or not to go to Dr. Amy's house or Farmer Lee's house for, for dinner. So Dr. Amy, what's the vegetable that you're gonna be serving tonight?
Speaker 2:That's such a good question. Tonight I think we'll be having purple sweet potatoes at our house. Those are one of my favorites and they're delicious.
Speaker 1:I love sweet potatoes and formerly, you know, you got a tough one to beat here.
Speaker 3:I do. And the per, we're working with L S U on old Adom varieties of abandoned sweet potatoes. And, uh, we have got some amazing varieties. This, my wife, I took her to the airport this morning to go see her daughter and grandchildren in Florida. And I am, we somehow ate up with two turkeys at Thanksgiving. My wife bought one and my sister bought one. And so we decided to cook it up Sunday. I'm batching it. I'm gonna gonna be on meal four with the Turkey, um, tonight, and I have some micro arugula in the, uh, in the refrigerator. And I have, we like to cook up a batch of sweet potatoes the first of the week, put'em in the fridge because I get a sweet tooth about 10 o'clock. And, uh, that's, the sweet potatoes are unbelievable. We're seeing chefs using the sweet potatoes for desserts. But that sweet potato, I can get that out, pop it in the microwave, warming up and eat a sweet potato at 10 o'clock tonight. But I'll probably have leftover turkeys Turkey with some, uh, duke's, mayo and a whole wheat bread. I love the Wonder bread. My wife won't let me eat the Wonder Bread anymore. It's the, it's the whole wheat bread, Duke's mayo, some leftover Turkey and some microgreens. Look, those microgreens are so easy, even if he got the husband or the wife that doesn't like the diet, if you can work some of those microgreens in, make their favorite sandwich and put a handful on, it's not gonna bother'em. They taste good and you can work'em into the diet without really any extra effort. They come in a package that alls you have to do is take'em out and put'em on the salad. I'll put a bowl beside my, uh, chair at night and just sit and work on those. And they're, they're fabulous. They bring all the numbers in good shape.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love Arugula Micro
Speaker 3:Tonight.
Speaker 2:<laugh>, I love that rub on microgreen on top of a hot pizza just out of the oven too, if you're gonna have arugula. Oh my gosh. That's one of my favorite ways.
Speaker 1:Well, I want to thank both of you very much for joining us, for doing the great work that you're doing and pleasure to have you both on Lost in the Supermarket.
Speaker 3:Thank you. Thanks for Thank you. It's on.