I actually wept when I found out that Dr. Jane Goodall died. She was the best kind of human. What a loss for us all. I hope her next journey is filled with dogs she loved and who love her, and pristine forests filled with the complexity of life that earth was made to host. These two videos of her exhorting us to not despair and to push on and make change might be the inspiration you need. 

When I think about our food system and what agriculture looks like in the US, as well as the situation many farmers find themselves in today, I get so angry and frustrated. We are at a convergence point of many decisions made to maximize profit over the well-being of so many people and places. 

I was thrilled to be able to interview Austin Frerick. His 2024 book, Barons: Money, Power, & the Corruption of America's Food Industry, is an excellent place to start understanding how we got here. Frerick is an agricultural and antitrust policy expert who grew up in Iowa, a state dominated by industrial hog farming and the grains it takes to feed them. 

One reviewer writes about the book, "I have come away with a completely different idea of agriculture that I cannot unsee." And yet Austin's writing style is engaging, readable, and totally non-academic.

LISTEN HERE, then join me over on Substack to chat about the latest stories and anything going on in your food world.

Evan

DINING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE GOOD FOOD TEAM

Evan: Host
Sformato di Zucca in Parma is an individual squash souffle topped with roast squash and served with fonduta, a cheesy sauce, and an amaretto cookie. I ate this one  in a private home.

Gillian: Supervising Producer & Market Report Correspondent
I look forward to the MacArthur avocados from Rincon Del Mar Ranch every year. The Brown family lets these hang on the tree for 18 months before harvest, so they are packed with flavor by the time they reach the market table.

Laryl: Senior Director
The first edition of North America's Best Restaurants was announced last week, and three LA spots made the list, making a revisit to Gilberto Centina at Holbox in Mercado la Paloma mandatory.

Elina: Digital Producer
At least once in your life, I recommend sipping this salted foam margarita at Nubeluz, the rooftop bar at the Ritz-Carlton NoMad in NYC, at sunset.

THE LATEST EPISODE OF GOOD FOOD

The modern robber barons of Big Ag (~0:20)
Our food system isn't simply broken; it's been captured, top to bottom, in the name of profit. In his book Barons, Austin Frerick shares the stories of seven agricultural titans, their rise to power, and the consequences for the rest of us. Each chapter focuses on a particular fiefdom — the sugar barons of Florida, the berry barons of California, Walmart, Cargill.

Sunny Days, Taco Nights (~21:09)
Renowned Mexican chef Enrique Olvera veered away from serving tacos at Pujol, his Michelin-starred restaurant in Mexico City, for almost a decade. But he had a change of heart. Now, he celebrates the humble food in his latest cookbook, Sunny Days, Taco Nights. Here in Los Angeles, we're able to enjoy his food at Damian and Ditroit. If you're in New York, you can try Cosme, Atla, or Esse Taco.

Grasshoppers, the other white meat (~34:37)
Oaxacans claim if you eat chapulínes (grasshoppers), you will return to Oaxaca. Anthropologist Jeffrey H. Cohen looks at the consumption of these insects and the women who make a living selling them.

How green were our mountains? (~46:15)
Caroline Eden writes about food in the context of deep travel. Her books are an honest look at place through the lens of food. In her latest, Green Mountains: Walking the Caucasus with Recipes, that might be a simple cheese pancake or startlingly good apricots. It concludes the trilogy she began with Black Sea, about Eastern Europe, and Red Sands, which focuses on Central Asia. She continues to document historic change in these regions while eating her way through them.