What Is Hyper-Local Food?

Episode 76 56m

Overview

Imagine getting the freshest basil, lettuce, and tomatoes for your favorite salad, right in your own neighborhood, no matter where you live or what time of year it is. With urban farming, this is the future we can all look forward to. It’s changing our food system for the better by reducing transportation (a leading cause of climate change) and allowing us to access fresher, more nutritious food. It’s also disrupting social issues by making fresh produce available in areas called food deserts, where convenience stores were previously the only place within many miles to shop.

This week on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I’m joined by Tobias Peggs to talk about the amazing impacts urban farming is alread

Imagine getting the freshest basil, lettuce, and tomatoes for your favorite salad, right in your own neighborhood, no matter where you live or what time of year it is.

With urban farming, this is the future we can all look forward to. It’s changing our food system for the better by reducing transportation (a leading cause of climate change) and allowing us to access fresher, more nutritious food. It’s also disrupting social issues by making fresh produce available in areas called food deserts, where convenience stores were previously the only place within many miles to shop.

This week on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I’m joined by Tobias Peggs to talk about the amazing impacts urban farming is already having and what we can expect to see as this practice grows.

Tobias is co-founder and CEO of Square Roots, the Brooklyn-based urban farming company known for changing the way people think about growing local food and training the country’s future generations of farmers. Previously, he led Aviary, a mobile photo editing company as its CEO until its acquisition by Adobe, and was also CEO at OneRiot, a social media analytics company, acquired by Walmart. Tobias grew up in England and has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Cardiff University.

This episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy is brought to you by Thrive Market. Thrive Market has made it so easy for me to stay healthy, even with my intense travel schedule. I never let myself get into a food emergency. Instead, I always carry enough food with me when I’m on the go, for at least a full day. I order real, whole foods online from Thrive Market. Right now, Thrive is offering all Doctor’s Farmacy listeners a great deal: you will receive an extra 25% off your first purchase plus a free 30-day membership to Thrive. There’s no minimum amount to buy and no code at checkout. All you have to do is head over to http://thrivemarket.com/farmacy.

Find Square Roots online at https://squarerootsgrow.com/ and follow them online on Facebook @squarerootsgrow, on Instagram @squarerootsgrow, and on Twitter @squarerootsgrow.

I hope you’ll tune in to learn about this exciting new way to eat hyper-locally.

y having and what we can expect to see as this practice grows. Tobias is co-founder and CEO of Square Roots, the Brooklyn-based urban farming company known for changing the way people think about growing local food and training the country’s future generations of farmers. Previously, he led Aviary, a mobile photo editing company as its CEO until its acquisition by Adobe, and was also CEO at OneRiot, a social media analytics company, acquired by Walmart. Tobias grew up in England and has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Cardiff University.

Find Square Roots online at https://squarerootsgrow.com/ and follow them online on Facebook @squarerootsgrow, on Instagram @squarerootsgrow, and on Twitter @squarerootsgrow.

I hope you’ll tune in to learn about this exciting new way to eat hyper-locally.

Sponsors

This episode is brought to you by and Thrive Market. The Doctor’s Farmacy podcast works with a select group of sponsors to allow for ongoing production and allow it to be zero-cost to anyone who wishes to listen to and watch the podcast.

Topics Covered

  • How Square Roots grows food all year long

    (3:48 - 7:33)

  • The length of time the average apple travels to get to the supermarket

    (6:00 - 9:45)

  • How Square Roots measures the nutritional levels of its produce and brings hyper-local produce to food desserts

    (8:18 - 12:03)

  • The Next-Gen Farmer Training Program and why it is important to reduce entry barriers to farming

    (10:55 - 14:35)

  • How indoor farming impacts the environment

    (16:55 - 20:40)

  • Soil’s role in promoting phytonutrients and polyphenols in produce and how this is replicated in controlled-climate agriculture

    (26:58 - 30:43)

  • The types of produce Square Roots grows

    (35:19 - 39:04)

  • The degree to which Square Roots receives USDA and governmental support

    (39:38 - 43:23)

  • Square Roots partnership with Gordon Food Service

    (42:56 - 46:31)

  • Addressing food waste

    (47:36 - 51:21)

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Host & Guests

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Ep. 76 - What Is Hyper-Local Food?