San Francisco based Good Food Foundation does so, so many things. Support is the one word that comes to mind, but hardly begins to enumerate this multi-faceted organization and the impact they are having on helping America eat better. Their website says it best in their mission, that they exist of help the “passionate and engaged, yet often overlooked” food entrepreneurs who are being authentic and responsible “in order to humanize and reform our American food culture.”. Now that’s a big idea, but it takes follow up. The Good Food Foundation supports all those passionate and engaged people with five big, key programs that build incredible awareness for those folks. First is the awards program, a rigorous process by which the winners receive huge awareness and publicity. Second is the nearly 500-member guild, where membership is based on meeting high standards and is an amazing arena in which to talk shop. Fifty percent of American food dollars are spent in the grocery store, and the Merchants Alliance is where those store owners practice putting only the best food on their shelves. The Mercantile program is the grand trade show series, which includes the big NYC show and a Traveling Mercantile. These shows bring 350-800 retailers and media to meet with 200 crafters to show their stuff, each in the same size booth. The Fund program is a work in progress, to intensify innovative programs to unite crafters and merchants to keep good food in front of consumers. Their work has given immeasurable help to growers, ranchers, makers and merchants who buck the big corporate trend. How did this great effort get started? The Executive Director, Sarah Weiner (yes, there are three Sarah’s on this episode; try not to get confused) jumped into the fray fresh out of college. As Director of Communications for the Slow Food International Office, Italy, she became a staunch leader for the food movement. Moving then to California, USA, she became Alice Waters’ (famous author and national public policy advocate for universal access to healthy, organic foods) “Girl Friday”. Sarah then went on to produce a cavalcade of successful event; Slow Food Nation with 85,000 guests, Organic Food Festival with 20,000 attendees and Sips and Suppers, a fundraiser launched with Alice Waters, Joan Nathan and Jose Andres. These events evolved into bigger visions and missions, including Farm to Desk in Washington, D.C. organizing gardening, classroom and cafeteria programs in public schools where food topics were part of the curriculum. It was the Good Food Awards Project that really blossomed. The first event in San Francisco drew 2,000 entries from all 50 states and from there the team launched project after project, which ultimately became the current five programs of the organization. And the foundation of each of those programs is based on those two important themes: Authentic and responsible. Social media: @goodfoodfdn. Website: goodfoodfdn.org. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall, Sarah Masoni LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-masoni-67182a23/.

#126 Supporting All Those Rebels Swimming Upstream - Sarah Weiner, Good Food Foundation

For the third straight year, our hosts Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall attended the Winter Fancy Food Show in that magic town, Las Vegas. For a brief explanation of the show and the organization behind it, the show is where foodpreneurs connect with leading buyers, distributors, and retailers, network with peers and enjoy world-class educational programs. It’s a cost-effective and powerful way to grow business because it is an environment rich with the movers and shakers in the food industry. And everyone is there to spend every minute discovering the latest in culinary delights. So how was the show this year? It was a big group that attended along with our hosts, 21 companies to be exact. Take a look at the roster at the end of these notes. And what were the show favorites for our hosts? For Sarah Masoni, the number one attraction was the generosity of the exhibitors. In particular, the Japanese exhibitors were incredibly kind and generous. One exhibitor who produces a rice cracker snack pulled out a sack and filled it with bags of all the different flavors they offered for her. Sarah Marshall uses the connections at the show not so much as a place to increase distribution directly, but to interact with as many people as possible, get known and teach others how to use her hot sauces in cooking. She feels this spreads the word about her product in a roundabout way that ultimately leads to more magazine articles, blogs, IG posts and also more loyal customers. Another favorite was Mama O’s Premium Kimchi of Brooklyn. They sell kimchi and kimchi starter kits to make your own. They also have a paste that can be used for other spicy condiments and added to other main dishes for hot spice. But the big attraction was the interaction with their crowd. Sarah Marshall was given a starter kit to make her own kimchi, given a Mama O’s bag to pack it around with and then was photographed with the crew for social media posting. That pretty much made Sarah a lifelong fan and a great way of demonstrating how to create an experience, not just another sample taste. One of the big crazes of the show was frozen grapes, dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with assorted crunchies. They seemed to take off like wildfire. Another example of imagination is Athena, a very traditional Greek food company. They took their stuffed grape leave dish and put in Jalapenos for a very different type of fusion. Evidently, it was well received and a great example of never standing still in the food industry. Next show is June 23-25 in New York, so start planning your trip! The Fancy Food Summer Show link: https://www.specialtyfood.com/fancy-food-shows/summer/ Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall. A partial list of the companies attending the show. All are from Oregon except Loren Lee from Waco, Texas: Linda Jodoin, Miss Hannah's Popcorn, linda@misshannahspopcorn.com, Nikki Guerrero, Hot Mama Salsa, hello@hotmamasalsa.com, Lindsay Gott, Gateaux, gateaux.lindsay@gmail.com, Lee Hedgmon, the Barreled Bee, Lee@thebarreledbee.com, Kenny Baker, Sh'Mallow, kennyb@sh-mallow.com, Willis Anderson, My Daddy's Sauces, mydaddyssauces@gmail.com, Loren Lee, Mirth, lorenwho@aol.com, Tina & Patrick Welch, The Pink Wagon, twelch@pinkwagonfoods.com, Ginger McCabe, Chili Royale, spicyordie@gmail.com.

#171 Viva Fancy Food Show! Recap with Our Hosts, Sarah Masoni and Sarah Marshall

Officially a business since 2019, Brittany Futrell, founder of Angel Wing Sauce, started years earlier experimenting in the kitchen making sauces. At the time, it was for a guy she was dating and she enjoyed cooking for him. Because her mother was an enthusiastic cook, Brittany got started creating recipes early in her life. She enjoyed using her date as her taste tester and when he was absolutely “floored” with her sauce as she says, she knew she was on to something. And that original recipe has stayed the same and now is the foundation of Brittany’s company. She brought the sauce to parties and showers and the reception was similar to that of her friend – hands down fabulous! Brittany took the next obvious step, seeing if people would actually pay for her sauce. She began selling door-to-door with great results, and then took a break in 2015 to figure out that next foodpreneur milestone: Going from kitchen to the store shelf. It wasn’t easy, being a single mom and doing research on starting a company, but she persevered and Angle Wing Sauce was born. The magic of her sauce is secret, but the ingredients start with a southern sauce base of molasses, then Brittany adds the heat on top of that. The taste is sweet at first and then you are in for a hot/sweet roller coaster ride. Not too hot, but warm and with a homemade taste.  Her company operates out her home town of Raliegh, North Carolina and has become a destination for locals and food tourists. She has branched from multiple flavors of sauce and added a catering division that is very popular. At present, they focus on small events but are figuring out how to do large events in the near future. After a wedding event of 150 people, Brittany realized the company was not yet equipped to handle large crowds and so she has thoughtfully retreated to figure out how. The company continually adds to the catering menu with delights that are new, different and delicious. It isn’t only the food, either. Brittany and company strive to offer customer service above and beyond the call. As you would expect, they shop for the finest ingredients and provide a wholesome sauce, as well as a hot, hot flavor. Shop the different flavors on their website, https://www.angelwingsauce.com/ and have your order shipped just about anywhere. Brittany even ships outside the US. In addition, the sauce can be found in seven select grocery stores on the east coast. Follow Brittany and Angel Wing Sauce on IG: @angelwingsauce, FB: tanytws, Twitter: @agnelwingsauce and LinkedIn: anglewingsauce. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

#172 Fit for an Angel - Brittany Futrell, Angel Wing Sauce

In episode 171, our hosts reviewed the Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas. They will be attending the Summer Show in New York and so will this show’s guest, Laura Dadap, co-founder of Djablo Sauce. Laura and company will be in the Incubator Alley section and the trip to the show won’t be a long one; Laura was born and raised in Queens. For the genesis of the company, let’s start with the name, Djablo. It is Philippine in origin, and in the region where Laura’s father grew up, the letter “I” is replaced with the letter “j”. The original recipe came from Laura’s father and the letter “j” made the family think of a boxing jab punch, so the hot sauce with a punch made perfect sense. As with any business name or logo, one has to be careful with infringing on trademarks, especially those owned by mega corporations. Laura started quietly to make sure she did not raise the ire of big Taco Bell and their Diablo Sauce, which is sold by the bottle as well as inserted into food orders by the packet. Laura started by doing an Internet search for companies spelling the word using a “j” and saw an opening. Flying under the radar until they had some money to lay a strong legal foundation, she then hired an attorney with a solid background to file the trademark correctly. Laura and our own Sarah Marshall of Marshall’s Haute Sauce share a bond. Both were on season 22 of Hot Ones, the show about hot and spicy foods. And Bobby Flay, the Emmy Award-winning food TV pioneer and acclaimed restaurateur has recommended both Sarah and Laura’s hot sauces. Djablo Sauce is the first locally produced, family owned and operated small batch Filipino hot sauce in the United States. Their zesty ginger and garlic forward sauce packs a punch with round, comforting heat is the answer to the ingredient focused, flavor fanatic searching the shelves of their local grocery shop to make any food more interesting. They officially launched sales in June 2019 with 2 flavors in 2 sizes ranging from $10-20 for those who like a little bit of spice, to those who want a Djab on every bite. They use all natural superfoods like beet and spirulina to keep the colors consistent, and they hand pick all the produce that goes into the sauce. Laura also thinks out of the box, offering recipes to spice up foods you probably had never thought about. See those recipes and shop online at their website: https://djablosauce.com/. Follow them on IG: @djablosauce and TikTok: @djablosauce. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

#173 Knockout Punch - Laura Dadap, Djablo Sauce

"Why can’t you have all the good wind-down and relaxed feeling alcohol gives you without the alcohol? That’s the question Thomas Angel had in 2020 along with his partner, Laura Melgarejo Silva. It started the quest for the Bend, Oregon founders to discover a truly delicious taste married with the wholesome ingredients that would offer that relaxed feeling without the after-effects. Thomas calls their company a pandemic baby because that’s the genesis. As you may recall, the isolation of the pandemic led to an increase in alcohol consumption, giving them a challenge to solve. And there was more incentive; both Thomas and Laura came from families that abused alcohol so they were even more determined to offer alternatives to alcoholic drinks but still offer the same relaxing and social benefits. As background: Both became ex-pats living in China, with Thomas having an aviation background. It was an exciting and glamourous life, going from one party to another, but they both soon became aware of the role alcohol consumption took in their lives. When the pandemic hit, they were caught in the quarantine and though most people increased their alcohol consumption, Thomas and Laura went the other way, figuring out how to get it out of their lives. They had always been active people and were in good health, so eliminating alcohol made them feel better. However, they still desired the relaxing part of having a beverage whether with a group of people or just the two of them. So when the quarantine was relaxed, they headed back to the Pacific Northwest and began their entrepreneurial journey. They looked around and saw a social scene that offered opportunity. When there was a social function involving beer, wine or cocktails, people could opt for a can of sparling water of course. However, there was an awkwardness for those people that Thomas and Laura noticed, and that was the gap they intended to close. They decided to move to Bend, Oregon, a beautiful high desert area in central Oregon and begin to chase their dream. Of course, a name was first on the agenda. Three elements went into the name. First, Bend is a high-altitude location. Second, they wanted to reflect the elevated feeling they were achieving in their brand. Last, it’s an ode to Thomas’ aviation background. And so the name: Altitude Beverages.  They created routine based beverages designed for a “better you”. The drinks really taste incredible, too; no stevia, erythritol, or allulose and importantly, no metallic aftertaste.
They started selling their home-crafted drinks at local farmer’s markets and have expanded to selling both online and select grocery stores  in multiple states in the US. See them online and purchase any of their three mocktails or three lattes on: https://altitudebev.com/. Follow them on Twitter - @altitudebev, Instagram - @altitudebev, Facebook - @altitudebev, LinkedIn - Altitude Beverages.
Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

#174 Thomas Angel - Altitude Beverages

Amza. Say it. Now say it slowly with your eyes closed. It hums, it’s peaceful and rhythmic, isn’t it? It’s a beautiful word. It also is a region in Tibet and the birthplace of The Dalai Lama. And fittingly it is the name of Amza Superfoods a company founded by Jolma who is from Amza. Born and raised in Rebbong (རེབ་གོང་།), Amdo region of Tibet and growing up in Rebgong, Jolma was exposed to a vibrant cultural hub known for Tibetan arts (literature, painting & food). Jolma learned cooking at a young age from her beloved late grandmother, Sonam, who also raised her. Sonam was born a nomad and was illiterate her entire life. Still, she understood the value of education and told Jolma, "To discover the world, one must move beyond her own kitchen." Sonam’s determination inspired Jolma to become the 1st girl from her village to earn a college degree and was the impetus for Jolma’s journey from Asia to Europe and eventually to America. She learned English from the ABCs at age 30 and that drive to succeed continued as Joma sought to honor her grandmother and other disadvantaged Tibetan women like her by drafting a memoir cookbook, Beyond Her Kitchen, chronicling Tibet's healthy eating traditions and the stories behind each bite. It was more than a cookbook and more than a tribute, it was the book that her grandmother COULD NOT write because of her illiteracy. Jolma penned the book while working as a product user experience designer to support her son while he was going to a University. After he was done, Jolma then decided to go from cookbook to business. This seed from the cookbook bloomed into a meaningful food business, Amza Superfoods, from her Portland, Oregon kitchen. Amza Superfoods offers a family of nutrition-dense, tasty, sustainable nourishment that celebrates Tibetan culture. Amza prioritizes sustainability, social impact, and local sourcing of 100% natural, heirloom whole grains, delivered in eco-friendly packaging. They also empower underprivileged women and girls in Tibet through education. The hearty Tsamba snacks, barley breakfast mixes, and flaxseed spreads are handcrafted in small batches with Oregon bounty. They provide a convenient way to get high fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. There is a broad product line of bagged snacks and jars of flaxseed spread. Joma has added some warm spice to some of the spreads and the flavor warms the tongue without being too hot. And check out the health benefits of flaxseed when you have time. Jolma has been selling well at local farmers markets, but anyone can buy online at the website: AmzaSuperfoods.com. Follow Jolma on Twitter – @AmzaSuperfoods, LI - @AmzaSuperfoods, Instagram – @AmzaSuperfoods, Facebook – @AmzaSuperfoods. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

#175 Move Beyond Your Own Kitchen - Jolma, Amza Superfoods

It’s been since 2021, episode number 76, that we interviewed Stacey Givens, Farmer/Chef/ and Owner of The Side Yard Farm & Kitchen, Portland, Oregon. The Side Yard Farm & Kitchen is a 1-acre plot of land located in a mixed business/residential core area of the city. This urban farm’s philosophy is seed-to-plate, meaning they grow and create meals all from the same plot of land. The company feeds around 15,000 meals annually through restaurants, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes, donations, catering, and farm events. Stacy grew up in Southern California, the youngest child in a big Greek family. With that background, Stacy was immersed within a deep food culture. Her mother taught her how to grow, forage, and preserve food as women in Greece had done for generations before. Stacey gained her first experiences in the food industry at the age of fifteen working in kitchens from Los Angeles to San Francisco and then to Portland. It was in Portland that she found a home and community and founded the Side Yard Farm & Kitchen in 2009. Stacy worked the land and built her catering business up, gaining such notoriety such as winning the Local Hero Award, plus being been featured on Food Network’s Chopped, TIME Magazine and NBC’s Today as well. It took until May of 2020 for the company and the community behind her to purchase the land outright to solidify their place in the community and also preserve it for farmers of the future. Now to catch up to the present with Stacy; what’s changed? The biggest change has been personal with Stacy, she is now the mother of a soon-to-be one-year old. Not only has sleep deprivation been a big change for Stacy, becoming a mother has also affected her business. When she was around six months pregnant, her back began to hurt from the extra load on her body and she was not able to work the fields as much as before. Unfortunately, the pain has continued to haunt her and Stacy has needed a physical therapy regimen to deal with it. All this has changed her role at the farm and not being out there lugging a wheel barrel and joining in the planting and harvesting has taken away one of Stacy’s big joys in life for the time being. However, Stacy is determined to get back out there and you can bet that will happen. Stacy talks enthusiastically about the community outreach programs on the calendar that take place at the farm and she runs through the calendar of events that is jam packed for the next couple of months. The company has brunches, movie nights and other events where everyone is invited and can purchase a ticket online. One spotlight group is the grief group, where those in grief can gather. Many bring a dish that was the favorite of their lost one and can share both laughs and tears with others grieving for a lost one. You can follow the farm on Instagram and Facebook.  If you want to attend one of their events, pull up their website: https://www.thesideyardpdx.com/. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

#176 Definitely Not a Side Business - Stacy Givens, Side Yard Farm & Kitchen

We interviewed Donna Parker, founder of Blondy’s Baked Goods, back in March of 202l - episode 66 for all you baking enthusiasts. A quick background on Donna: Living with allergies for over a decade and always having to compromise on foods, Donna made up her mind to create and share delicious treats that cater to everyone, regardless of dietary restrictions. Her gluten allergy turned Donna into a self-taught cook and baker specializing in dairy and gluten-free baking. It’s been three years since we talked with Donna in Portland, Oregon, so what’s changed? For one thing, she’s moved to the Nashville, Tennessee area with her son and pretty much started her business again from scratch. At first, Donna wasn’t sure if she would restart Blondy’s Baked Goods. In Oregon, she had placed her baked goods in some excellent grocery stores, was in 20 different coffee shops and had kept the business alive during COVID. However, Nashville was an unknown in the gluten-free food category. Donna wanted to keep her company going, but also had a parallel career in the beauty industry and she finally had to choose one. It was a lot of effort and heartache to restart and keep going, but her passion to deliver healthy, nutritious treats was the spark to keep Blondy’s going. Now in her fifth year a big turning point was this January. Donna gave up her career in the beauty industry to be full time Blondy’s. There have been some big challenges. In the Portland area, there were lots of foodies who loved paleo and dairy-free and gluten-free foods but her new market was unknown. However, the town in which Donna now lives has more west coast people moving to the area and demand for allergy-free foods is increasing. Also, the one gluten-free bakery in the area recently closed down, leaving an opening for Blondy’s. Still baking from home, Donna is appreciative of the fact that Tennessee is more lenient when it comes to cottage law than Oregon, but she is extremely careful to have all her corporate papers, permits and licenses in order to be in full compliance. Right now, working from her home kitchen is perfect for the volume of business, but Donna knows she will need to keep an eye on possible expansion. Our host Sarah Marshall of Marshall’s Haute Sauce has a certified commercial kitchen in her family home and urges Donna to operate from her home as long as possible to work out the kinks of production and to keep down the headaches of overhead. And on top of the business at home, Donna is home schooling her son, so not doing a lot of commuting certainly helps Donna keep it together. Donna’s approach in her second business incarnation is backward from her first. In Oregon, she started out as a wholesaler; Donna went right into a commercial kitchen and right into wholesaling. But in Tennessee, she changed her mind after discovering the difference between the state laws. Donna still does wholesale business and caters to cafes and restaurants in the area but without needing a commercial kitchen. There are new items in the product line since our last interview. Many people had come up to Donna asking how to bake gluten free and then were overwhelmed with the number of ingredients it took to do so. That inspired Donna to create baking mixes to simplify home baking. First, Donna took her paleo chocolate chip cookies and turned them into a mix. Next, it was the Blondy Brownie mix and the journey has been very educational for Donna to show that baking paleo doesn’t need to be impossible. Being in this new market segment has also given Donna a chance to be in some fun specialty stores and expand her own professional background. Blondy’s Backed Goods are available in a half-dozen coffee shops in Donna’s local area and online along with the mixes on her website: https://www.blondysbakedgoods.com/. Follow Donna on: IG @blondysbakedgoods and FB @blondysbakedgoods. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

#177 A Star in Music City - Donna Parker, Blondy's Baked Goods

In this episode, our hosts interview yet another Oregon State University, Food Innovation Center “graduate”, Iliana Maura, Founder of the company that bears her name, Iliana Maura. The company produces dairy-free products for those who wish to or need to avoid dairy. From the start of the show Iliana credits the FIC, for which Sarah Masoni is the Director, for helping refine her product to be ready for the consumer market. The journey to the FIC was a familiar story. Iliana Maura comes from a family of experienced cooks and bakers. Fresh out of college, Iliana was one of the first entrepreneurs to start a line of fruit juice-sweetened cookies. She donated part of her profits from each sale towards helping animals. Her four flavors of gourmet cookies caught on quickly, were sold throughout California and ultimately gained national distribution. Passion for a healthy lifestyle and her love of animals and natural sustainability have always been a big part of who Iliana is. It was only natural for her to explore producing dairy-free products and after experimenting with recipes, began selling in local farmers markets. Iliana Maura foods were an instant hit and Iliana not only had a line outside her booth, but sold out every single week she attended. These markets are the genesis of many successful food products and any food entrepreneur (foodpreneur) who isn’t selling their products in one is urged to check out their local market. In this episode, Iliana has many survival hints for all those entering into farmers market for the first time. It was in that farmers market community she was introduced to and joined the Pacific Northwest Food and Beverage Group, a real family according to Iliana. People in the group told Iliana about the FIC and all the resources available to foodpreneurs. After an introduction to Sarah Masoni, Iliana worked with one of the food scientists and began the process of taking the recipe from kitchen to consumer sales. Iliana Maura currently offers “Divinely Dairy-Free Butter”, an incredible alternative to regular butter, and sugar-free protein bars. Iliana sells both online and currently has one local market carrying her products on the shelf. However, she is always thinking of new products to expand the line and urges the visitors to her website to sign up for her newsletter and offer recipe ideas. In fact, Iliana is launching a new and improved butter product this May, 2024. She has extended the shelf life to five months, for which she again credits the scientist team at the Food Innovation Center. Besides tasting good and a long shelf life, products need great packaging not only to get the consumer’s attention, but to emote an image of satisfying taste, healthy and sustainable processing and the hands-on, caring touch of the founder. Iliana’s logo mark is a stylized self-portrait and says it all for her. It is very feminine, a standout from the more generic butter and bar packaging and is a reflection of her desire to bring wholesome and healthy foods to the world. Besides the one store location and the farmers market, you can order online at https://ilianamaura.com/. Follow Iliana o Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilianamauraofficial/ . Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilianamaura/. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

#178  Better Butter - Iliana Maura, Iliana Maura

As the Meaningful Marketplace Podcast Show continues its mission connecting food entrepreneurs with resources for success, we explore the six-state Regional Food Business Center one state at a time. Having spent the first two months of this year with Oregon foodpreneurs, we begin learning from Wyoming’s best by joining with co-co host Melissa Hemken from Central Wyoming College. Melissa is the community food systems specialist at the college. Her role is to support market infrastructure and sales channels, boosting food companies from their current level to their next level. Wyoming has a state law that is a big help to entrepreneurs by allowing their cottage industry to flourish. Sounding similar to the Tennessee law discussed in episode #177, entrepreneurs can sell directly from their kitchen to the end consumer without licensing or inspection. The entrepreneur also can sell on consignment through a retailer, expanding their reach far past traditional farmers market sales. Melissa’s program also has put on well-attended multi-day workshops touching on all aspects of the food industry from farming to production to consumer acceptance. Today, the trio is interviewing Daniel Stewart, founder of High Country Fungus offering functional mushroom products for everyday living. They are a small, family-owned and operated business in Riverton, Wyoming and their goal is to offer the highest quality mushroom infused products plus fun merchandise. A physics major in college, Daniel was taking a botany class in 2012 at Washington State University. On an outdoor hike with a group of friends and family in Idaho one of the party came running up with their hat full of morel mushrooms, talking excitedly about all sorts of recipes and what they planned to do with them that week. Daniel had never seen a mushroom before and was fascinated. That moment was Daniel’s "ah-hah!" moment and sparked his continued love and curiosity for mushrooms. Idaho was a perfect spot for mushrooms to grow and while Daniel was working in a restaurant, he began foraging for them. He joined an association, started reading books and began introducing mushrooms into the restaurant. Daniel subsequently moved to Missoula, Montana and had been thinking about starting his own company for some time. He started his first company there in 2019 supplying mushrooms and offering not only mushrooms but also the necessary products for cultivating mushrooms. Then the “roadblock” hit, as happens to all entrepreneurs. It was the beginning of the foraging season for the business. Not only did COVID begin to hit, but while out foraging, Daniel stepped in a wasps’ nest, then blew out his knee running away, requiring surgery. Moment of truth: Keep moving forward to quit? For Daniel, he used the recovery time to think about his next move. The business did not survive, having missed the foraging season, so he and his family moved to central Wyoming, where his wife grew up. It was a high desert climate as opposed to the rain forest Daniel had experienced before. So naturally, he turned to indoor cultivation, which the scientist in him loved as it opened up a whole new world to explore. This was in April of 2021 and started in Daniel’s garage. Daniel has been fortunate to have many mentors along the way and encourages all entrepreneurs to find and work with a mentor if possible. High Country Fungus products are USDA Certified Organic, 100% Mushroom Fruiting Body Extracts. Their mix is made of Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail, Reishi and Chaga. This mix is at the core of their lifestyle and the foundation of their infusions. The High Five Mix is for all-day energy and clarity; reduced inflammation, bloating, and over all wellness. Shop their products on their website: https://highcountryfungus.com/, Follow them on IG @high_country_fungus  and FB@highcountryfungus. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

#179 It Takes a Scientist - Daniel Stewart, High Country Fungus

Today, we welcome a fifth generation farmer, Sara Woods of Wyoming Heritage Grains. Wyoming is great for spreading out and having lots of elbow room to be a farmer, as the population is not huge nor all that concentrated. The family came out to Wyoming in the early 1900s as homesteaders and their current farm, located in Northwest Wyoming, 70 miles east of Yellowstone, was established in 1946. They have grown just about every commodity crop that exists and also raise beef cattle and alfalfa hay. They are focused on regenerative practices and use multiple species of cover crops and mob grazing to ensure rich biodiversity, and healthy soils. As an interesting note, the land once belonged to Buffalo Bill Cody, and was used as a Country club at one point in time. Irrigation became possible from the Shoshone Water Project from 1899-1947,and the water is fed by the Yellowstone Eco-system. The family farm had started a malting company a few years ago and sold to beverage brewers quite successfully. The pandemic put a hold on that business, but the farm began milling flour as the lockdown put a huge demand on that commodity. Sara left the farm at adulthood, but after having a corporate life and kids, she desired a slower lifestyle. So Sara quit her corporate job and returned as the mill had become a thriving business. It turned out to be a very steep learning curve for Sara as producing flour is not the simple process it appears to be from the outside. The company now offers five to six different grains from their mill and their equipment has been upgraded as the company expands and becomes more efficient. Sara also has gone down the proverbial entrepreneur rabbit holes, experimenting with heirloom vegetables, varieties of animals and other commodities that in the end were not good business ventures. Sara points to our changing diet as a driver for their choices of grains. After World War II, wheat was hybridized in order to feed a growing population. That phenomenon has created a very large population of people who are now sensitive to gluten, so that has served to take wheat out of the mix of grains that can be raised and processed for Wyoming Heritage Grains. Now the older varieties of grains are more tolerable, but of course the yield per acre is smaller than the hybridized wheat, so it becomes a price/quantity/quality puzzle for Sara and the family. The big breakthrough has been finding customers who could not eat grains previously and can now eat Wyoming Heritage Grains every day. Filling that market segment of people who cannot tolerate wheat but want the “wheat experience” has been the family’s success to date. For example, their White Sonora grain was originally brought to the Americas in the 1500s and has been very easy to digest for people with gluten sensitivity. And since the company makes a pancake mix out of the flour, it’s a real treat for every family. Wyoming Heritage Grains also sells Einkhorn grain and flour, a grain that has stayed essentially the same for 10,000 years. The family also has experimented with red and blue corn kernels. There is some great news about cooperation amongst food producers who care about the consumer who is eating what they produce. The family communicates with other millers to coordinate what is being grown and milled to make sure consumers are supplied with all the healthy food they desire. You can find their products in farmers markets in Cody and others around Wyoming. They also are about to be stocked in Bayard Grocery stores. Be forgiving when buying online from their website, as it is being re-built and all the recipes were deleted in the process: https://www.wyomingheritagegrains.com/. Follow them on IG, FB and TikTok: wyomingheritagegrains. Our hosts: Twitter - @sarahmasoni and @spicymarshall, Instagram - @masoniandmarshall.

#126 Supporting All Those Rebels Swimming Upstream - Sarah Weiner, Good Food Foundation

Meaningful Marketplace Podcast

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