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The Edible-Alpha Podcast
The Edible-Alpha® podcast is your source for actionable insights into making money in food. Hosted by the Food Finance Institute, we talk to a wide range of stakeholders about what it really takes to grow a successful food or farm business.
Listen to the Edible-Alpha Podcast
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Helping Food and Farm Entrepreneurs Access R&D Funding
Listen to the full episode: Helping Food and Farm Entrepreneurs Access R&D FundingIdella Yamben, Ph.D., shares how the Wisconsin Center for Technology Commercialization helps early-stage businesses test assumptions and secure grants to foster commercialization.
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Financial Lessons from a Successful Diversified Farm
Listen to the full episode: Financial Lessons from a Successful Diversified FarmCliff McConville discusses building multi-enterprise All Grass Farms from the ground up and managing the finances to ensure profitability.
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Farmer Brothers Distill Grains into Profits
Listen to the full episode: Farmer Brothers Distill Grains into ProfitsWill Glazik of Cow Creek Organic Farm and Silver Tree Beer & Spirits discusses his evolution from organic grain grower to distillery co-owner.
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Sisters Succeed with Simple Syrup, Soda Shop, and Subscriptions
Listen to the full episode: Sisters Succeed with Simple Syrup, Soda Shop, and SubscriptionsBelinda Kelly and Venise Cunningham of Simple Goodness Sisters stop by to discuss their innovative farm-based company, diversified business model, and plans for growth.
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Doctor Turns Dates into Healthier Sweetener
Listen to the full episode: Doctor Turns Dates into Healthier SweetenerSylvie Charles, M.D., traded a stable career as a physician for the wild ride of entrepreneurship when launching organic real-food sweetener company Just Date in 2018. She shares the mission behind her endeavor, along with her business arc and growth strategy.
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SBDC Consultant Helps Food Businesses Go Global
Listen to the full episode: SBDC Consultant Helps Food Businesses Go GlobalWisconsin’s international trade expert Chris Wojtowicz discusses how food and farm entrepreneurs can successfully expand their business beyond the U.S.
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Hill Valley Dairy Broadens Family Legacy
Listen to the full episode: Hill Valley Dairy Broadens Family LegacyRon Henningfeld, owner and cheesemaker at Hill Valley Dairy, drops by to discuss putting his own spin on a family farm business and expanding into new opportunities.
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Grassway Organics Cultivates Community
Listen to the full episode: Grassway Organics Cultivates CommunityAndy invites in Grassway Organics’ Chaz Self for an inspiring conversation about farming business models, growing a diversified ag operation, and regenerating local communities.
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Clean Beam Advances Food Safety for the 21st Century
Listen to the full episode: Clean Beam Advances Food Safety for the 21st CenturyBrad sits down with Mark Cottone and Jim Rush of Clean Beam, maker of a dry, chemical-free footwear sanitizer powered by pulsing UV light. This innovation protects processing facilities from contaminants while proving predictive analytics that can enhance operations.
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Together Farms Diversifies into Agritourism
Listen to the full episode: Together Farms Diversifies into AgritourismStephanie Schneider discusses starting Together Farms with no prior experience and growing it into a thriving operation with direct-to-consumer sales and on-farm Burger Night.
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T4 Solutions Streamlines Grocery E-commerce
Listen to the full episode: T4 Solutions Streamlines Grocery E-commerceIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #111, Brad talks with Steve Mehmert, managing partner at T4 Solutions, a Pewaukee, Wisconsin-based consulting firm that helps grocers and other food distributors map out profitable e-commerce programs, from ordering platforms through delivery.
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Flavor Temptations Finds Formula for Omnichannel Success
Listen to the full episode: Flavor Temptations Finds Formula for Omnichannel SuccessIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #110, Brad chats with Sara Parthasarathy, co-founder of FillMyRecipe, which makes Indian spice kits, spice blends and sauces under the Flavor Temptations brand.
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Doudlah Farms Organics Builds a Regenerative Legacy
Listen to the full episode: Doudlah Farms Organics Builds a Regenerative LegacyIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #109, Andy interviews Mark Doudlah, a fifth-generation farmer and owner of Doudlah Farms Organics in southcentral Wisconsin.
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Field to Freezer Streamlines Meat Processing
Listen to the full episode: Field to Freezer Streamlines Meat ProcessingIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #108, Brad talks with Matt McCoy, founder and president of Field to Freezer, a Hartland, Wisconsin-based software as a service (SaaS) company that’s streamlining wild game and domestic meat processing.
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Exploring the Arc of Entrepreneurship with Kwadwo Owusu-Ofori
Listen to the full episode: Exploring the Arc of Entrepreneurship with Kwadwo Owusu-OforiIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #107, Brad sits down with Kwadwo Owusu-Ofori, founder and CEO of Twi Pods, maker of single-serve hot cocoa and mocha latte enriched with mental wellness–supporting nutrients.
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Acuity Insurance’s Manufacturing Pro Unpacks Risk Management
Listen to the full episode: Acuity Insurance’s Manufacturing Pro Unpacks Risk ManagementIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #106, Brad speaks with Michael Schlagenhaufer, manufacturing consultant at FFI partner Acuity Insurance, which provides property and casualty insurance to businesses.
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How Rustic Road Farm Became a Community Treasure
Listen to the full episode: How Rustic Road Farm Became a Community TreasureIn Edible Alpha® podcast #105, Andy talks with Marc Bernard of Rustic Road Farm in Elburn, Illinois.
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Sweet Pea’s Succeeds with Small-Town Pie Shop
Listen to the full episode: Sweet Pea’s Succeeds with Small-Town Pie ShopIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #104, Brad interviews Rachel Smith, founder of Sweet Pea’s, a made-from-scratch treat shop in downtown Mayville, Wisconsin.
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Taste Profit Helps Businesses Strategize Digital Marketing
Listen to the full episode: Taste Profit Helps Businesses Strategize Digital MarketingIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #103, Sarah sits down with Noah Munro, MBA, founder of Taste Profit, a digital marketing and e-commerce consulting firm that supports sustainable farms and specialty food brands.
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Betterbin Leverages Data to Demystify Recycling
Listen to the full episode: Betterbin Leverages Data to Demystify RecyclingIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #102, Brad chats with Michelle Goetsch, founder, and CEO of Betterbin, a data company that empowers consumers and brands to recycle and compost CPG packaging properly.
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B&E’s Trees Diversifies with Value-Added Brand Embark Maple
Listen to the full episode: B&E’s Trees Diversifies with Value-Added Brand Embark MapleIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #101, FFI’s Brad Rostowfske interviews Bree Breckel and Eric Weninger of B&E’s Trees, a certified-organic maple farm near Viroqua, Wisconsin.
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How Eco Practices Can Boost Farm Revenues
Listen to the full episode: How Eco Practices Can Boost Farm RevenuesIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #100, we bring back FFI founder Tera Johnson, who is now CEO of Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT, an organic farmland finance company.
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FACT Helps Farmers Raise Animals Humanely
Listen to the full episode: FACT Helps Farmers Raise Animals HumanelyIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #99, FFI farm financial consultant Andy Larson interviews Larissa McKenna, humane farming program director of Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT).
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Tera Johnson Shares FFI’s Impact and Opportunities
Listen to the full episode: Tera Johnson Shares FFI’s Impact and OpportunitiesIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #98, we flip the script, with Food Finance Institute interim director Sarah Larson interviewing FFI founder and outgoing director Tera Johnson.
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Dynamic Rhode Island Food Hub Connects Farmers and Eaters
Listen to the full episode: Dynamic Rhode Island Food Hub Connects Farmers and EatersIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #97, Tera interviews Jesse Rye, co-executive director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island, a nationally acclaimed nonprofit food hub that connects local farmers and eaters and helps strengthen New England’s food infrastructure.
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Oregon Coast Wasabi Grows a Niche Market
Listen to the full episode: Oregon Coast Wasabi Grows a Niche MarketIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #96, Tera welcomes Jennifer Bloeser, co-founder and CEO of Oregon Coast Wasabi, the largest wasabi farm in the U.
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Cricket Farmer Highlights the Potential of Insect Ag
Listen to the full episode: Cricket Farmer Highlights the Potential of Insect AgIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #95, Tera sits down with Kevin Bachhuber, founder of Bachhuber Consulting and Madison Cricket Farm to learn about the emergent industry of insect agriculture and its potential for pet food, human food and so much more.
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Barn2Door Makes Direct-Selling Seamless for Farmers
Listen to the full episode: Barn2Door Makes Direct-Selling Seamless for FarmersIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #94, Tera chats with James Maiocco, chief operations officer at Barn2Door, a Seattle-based provider of software and services that help farmers grow and manage direct sales.
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From the Archives: Peter Robertson of RP’s Pasta on Managing Growth and Changing with the Consumer
Listen to the full episode: From the Archives: Peter Robertson of RP’s Pasta on Managing Growth and Changing with the ConsumerWe revisit a podcast from our archives, episode #43 with Peter Robertson, founder of RP’s Pasta and co-founder of Tribe 9 Foods. Peter touches on managing growth and changing with the consumer.
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The Good Acre Food Hub Pivots to Hunger Relief
Listen to the full episode: The Good Acre Food Hub Pivots to Hunger ReliefThe Good Acre’s David Van Eeckhout talks with Tera about the Twin Cities food hub’s evolving role in uplifting diverse farmers, supporting local food makers and increasing community access to high-quality local produce.
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Forage Kombucha Expands from Restaurant to Retail Brand
Listen to the full episode: Forage Kombucha Expands from Restaurant to Retail BrandIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #92, Tera chats with Henry Aschauer, co-founder of Forage Kombucha and Forage Kitchen in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Nordik Meats Opens Mid-Pandemic and Perseveres
Listen to the full episode: Nordik Meats Opens Mid-Pandemic and PerseveresIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #91, Tera talks to Rod Ofte, a fourth-generation farmer and wearer of many hats, whose latest venture is a small USDA-inspected meat-processing plant outside Viroqua, Wisconsin.
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How This Old Farm Built a Successful Meat Processing Business
Listen to the full episode: How This Old Farm Built a Successful Meat Processing BusinessJessica Roosa of This Old Farm shares her journey from organic farming to starting and scaling a 100% traceable meat processing business.
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Driftless Provisions Slices into the Charcuterie Business
Listen to the full episode: Driftless Provisions Slices into the Charcuterie BusinessIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #89, Tera is joined by Ryan Wagner, Justin VerMeer and Spencer Schaller, the trio behind Driftless Provisions, an artisanal salami company based in Viroqua, Wisconsin.
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Katie Mleziva Gets Real About Brand Strategy
Listen to the full episode: Katie Mleziva Gets Real About Brand StrategyIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #88, Tera talks with Katie Mleziva, founder of Real Food Brands, host of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast and instructor for our upcoming Building a Brand That Stands Out training course.
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Connoils Scales from One-Woman Op to One-Stop Shop
Listen to the full episode: Connoils Scales from One-Woman Op to One-Stop ShopIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #87, Tera is joined by Stacy Peterson, founder and CEO of Connoils, a manufacturer, distributor and wholesale supplier of oil and oil powder ingredients for food and beverages, dietary supplements, personal care and pet food.
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The Nuts and Bolts (and Benefits) of Scenario Planning
Listen to the full episode: The Nuts and Bolts (and Benefits) of Scenario PlanningIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #86, Tera sits down with Eric DeLuca, founder of Leverage Point Consulting, a market development firm focused on land-based, sustainable and socially responsible enterprises.
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Meadowlark Organics Forges Path to Farm Ownership
Listen to the full episode: Meadowlark Organics Forges Path to Farm OwnershipIn Edible-Alpha® podcast #85, Tera talks with John Wepking about building Meadowlark Organics, a diversified small-grain farm enterprise on 800-plus acres in the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin.
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Expert Insights into Selling on Amazon
Listen to the full episode: Expert Insights into Selling on AmazonIn podcast #84, Tera talks to Amazon expert Michael Zhang, CEO and founder of Fenrici Brands.
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Breadtopia Builds off Pandemic Business Boom
Listen to the full episode: Breadtopia Builds off Pandemic Business BoomIn podcast #83, recorded at Edible-Alpha® Live!, Tera interviews Galen Saturley of Breadtopia, a virtual baking-education hub and seller of grains, flours and baking equipment based in Fairfield, Iowa.
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Paul Willis Talks Scaling up Humanely Raised Pork
Listen to the full episode: Paul Willis Talks Scaling up Humanely Raised PorkFor Tera’s final Edible-Alpha® Live! famous founder interview, she spoke with Paul Willis, director and founding hog farmer of Niman Ranch.
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Impact Investing Fosters Organic Farmland Security
Listen to the full episode: Impact Investing Fosters Organic Farmland SecurityTera’s second Edible-Alpha® Live! famous founder interview featured David Miller, co-founder and CEO of Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT.
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Gary Zimmer Shares How Healthy Soil Yields Success
Listen to the full episode: Gary Zimmer Shares How Healthy Soil Yields SuccessGary Zimmer is the founder of Madison, Wisconsin-based Midwestern BioAg and is considered the father of “biological farming”—essentially the first iteration of regenerative agriculture—which focuses on balancing soil biology, chemistry and structure to produce greater, higher-quality yields.
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Scaling Managed Dairy Grazing for Max Impact
Listen to the full episode: Scaling Managed Dairy Grazing for Max ImpactJoe Tomandl is the Executive Director for the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (DGA). This first-of-its-kind program launched in 2011 and trains aspiring dairy farmers on managed grazing.
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Urban Ag Venture Blends Business and Social Mission
Listen to the full episode: Urban Ag Venture Blends Business and Social MissionMark and Judy Thomas are the co-founders of Garfield Produce Co., an indoor vertical farm and wholesale food operation in Chicago. The “failed retirees” started this for-profit business/social enterprise in 2014 to provide job opportunities for people with employment barriers.
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Transparency and Trust Fuel The Honest Bison’s Rapid Online Growth
Listen to the full episode: Transparency and Trust Fuel The Honest Bison’s Rapid Online GrowthSean Lenihan is the founder of The Honest Bison, a direct-to-consumer purveyor of 100% grass-fed bison and other meats. Committed to total transparency, The Honest Bison gives consumers easy access to premium, nutritious, ethically and sustainably raised nutritious animal proteins as an alternative to conventionally raised, grain-fed red meats.
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Lost Creek Farm Shares the Stories Behind Food
Listen to the full episode: Lost Creek Farm Shares the Stories Behind FoodMike Costello and Amy Dawson are the owners of Lost Creek Farm in Lost Creek, West Virginia. The duo does everything in tandem, from restoring the long-vacated family farmstead to sharing the rich cultural heritage of their Appalachian-inspired farm-to-table cuisine.
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For Atlantic Sea Farms, Mission Drives Market
Listen to the full episode: For Atlantic Sea Farms, Mission Drives MarketBriana Warner is CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms, the nation’s first commercial seaweed farm, based in Saco, Maine. Since Briana took the reins in 2018, the company has developed a dynamic mission-based brand around promoting kelp consumption, diversifying the coastal economy and mitigating climate change.
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Brix Cider Pivots to Food Hub to Withstand Pandemic
Listen to the full episode: Brix Cider Pivots to Food Hub to Withstand PandemicMarie Raboin is the co-founder with husband Matt of Brix Cider in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. Four years after launching a wholesale cider business and a year and a half after opening a taproom and farm-to-table restaurant, Marie explains how her company pivoted strategies in response to COVID-19.
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Regenerative Goat Dairy Explores Silvopasture Agroforestry
Listen to the full episode: Regenerative Goat Dairy Explores Silvopasture AgroforestryLeslie Cooperband and Wes Jarrell, Ph.D., are the co-founders of Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery in Champaign, Illinois. The Animal Welfare Approved farm and farmstead is home to an organic fruit orchard and more than 100 milking goats that graze and browse on a diverse landscape.