Podcast Episodes

The Lewellings: Nurserymen Abolitionists (Part 1)

Episode 97

How did a quiet Quaker family from North Carolina - devout, disciplined, and disinclined to dance - go on to revolutionize the fruit industry of the American West? Who were the Lewellings, and how di…

Published on 2 months ago

The Sullivan Expedition: Genocide and War on Native Crops

Episode 96

In the shadow of revolution, a campaign of quiet devastation unfolded. While Washington’s Continental Army fought British redcoats along the eastern seaboard, a very different war was being waged in …

Published on 2 months, 1 week ago

The Fascist Origins of Organics

Episode 95

The rise of the organic movement is often remembered as a peaceful revolution - a return to the earth, to purity, to harmony with nature. But its true origins tell a far darker tale. Born not in the …

Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Fruitful Flags (Livestream)

Episode 94

From the sun-soaked pineapple fields of Puerto Rico to the grapevines that shaped Puritan Connecticut, from Madrid’s legendary El Oso y el Madroño to Grenada’s fragrant nutmeg empire, symbols of fres…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

The History of Pineapples (Part 2)

Episode 93

The pineapple may have begun as a rare curiosity from the tropics, but by the 18th century, it had become a symbol of imperial power, elite refinement, and national rivalry. In this second and final …

Published on 2 months, 4 weeks ago

The History of Pineapples (Part 1)

Episode 92

The pineapple - today a familiar tropical fruit, boxed in lunch kits and blended in cocktails - was once the most exotic and awe-inspiring delicacy known to Europeans. Its journey from the hands of I…

Published on 3 months ago

The History of U.S. Tariffs Through the Eyes of Fresh Produce

Episode 91

Tariffs might seem like dusty matters for economists, but their effects on fresh produce have been anything but dry. In this episode, John and Patrick trace the surprising - and at times surreal - im…

Published on 3 months, 1 week ago

Papal Produce (Livestream)

Episode 90

A new Pope has been chosen! And that got us thinking: have Popes of the past shaped the history of fruits and vegetables?

In this month’s livestream, John and Patrick explore the surprising connection…

Published on 3 months, 2 weeks ago

The History of Cherries

Episode 89

From the windswept Caucasus Mountains to the decadent tables of Renaissance Europe, few fruits have lived a life as rich (or as risqué) as the cherry. In this episode, John and Patrick trace the cher…

Published on 3 months, 3 weeks ago

Carthage and the Power of Agriculture

Episode 88

The rise of Carthage is one of the most dazzling stories of the ancient world. A tale of cunning queens, glittering harbors, and empires built not just by sword and sail, but by soil.

In this episode,…

Published on 4 months ago