Shows
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodWhat You Don't Know About RecyclingIn this episode we look at the history of recycling in America and discuss the good, the bad and the ugly about sorting your trash. While recycling is inherently good its effectiveness is another thing. In other words, recycling was never meant to work. An add on to a linear economic system designed to maximize profits and minimize costs to private industry leaving the costs of cleaning up the trash - or not cleaning it up - to the public.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2023-01-1644 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEP 31: Classic Repost: The Easter with No Peeps - Grocery HellITS BEEN a year since we published our homage to the addictively sweet and garishly bright Easter Peeps . Some might the episode the grocery world's answer to David Sedaris' Santaland Dairies. We just call it GROCERY HELL. The Easter with no Peeps.
Twenty-five years ago phones were connected to the wall, gasoline cost an average of a $1.23 a gallon and in San Francisco a small grocery chain had no peeps at Easter because its distributor was no good. Matt Levine recalls his time working as a sales representative for this incompetent distributor in this funny tale of g...2022-04-1515 minCornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodTrailer: The Easter with No PeepsTwenty-five years ago phones were connected to the wall, gasoline cost an average of a $1.23 a gallon and in San Francisco a small grocery chain had no peeps at Easter because its distributor was no good. Matt Levine recalls his time working as a sales representative for this incompetent distributor in this funny tale of grocery hell, featuring George the nasty manager and lots of candy too. The names have been changed. The candies have not.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2022-04-1501 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodA History of Bottled Water in AmericaBottled water sold today is a new phenomena, not much older than quarter Tom Brady. Back in the 19th century there were lots and lots of bottled water companies in America. But the advent of municipal waters system in the early 20th century meant nearly of all these early brands disappeared.
When Evian arrived in America back in 1978 experts wondered if people would buy bottled water in a country with clean tap water Evian huge success proved that they would. And after that it was off to the races as more and more and more companies started...2021-07-1818 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 29: Here in SF - Keto Crusaders vs Carbo Zombies Part 2In this episode we'll talk about John Harvey Kellogg and bacon, oat bran and coconut water as well as ask whether the Paleo diet makes sense. Spoiler alert- logic never matters when it comes to diet and food trends.
We'll examine a variety of food trends, how the grow and how they die, as well as the people pulling the levers behind the curtain manufacturing our desires and conventional wisdom too.
This episode is funny, informative and hopefully practical. Our hope is that when you're done listening you'll be far less flummoxed navigating fast and fur...2021-06-1450 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp; 28: Here in SF- Keto Crusaders vs Carbo Zombies on the Golden Gate. Part 1In case you wonder why some people think eating spaghetti and garlic bread is as bad for you as pouring whiskey on your wheaties don't miss this episode. Actually, even if you pour whiskey on your wheaties or use it as pasta sauce, you should listen too.
As the title implies were going to take a look at keto and other high protein diets, But not to praise or debunk them. But as a starting point to look at something nearly everybody seems to forget. That food trends come and food trends go.
In this ep...2021-06-0836 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp. 27: Is That a Sticker on Your Banana? Our New Cornucopia Express SeriesThis is the first episode in our new series, Cornucopia Express: Ten Items or Less (aka: A Podcast in a Hurry). In these four minute-ish episodes we will expand your understanding of the grocery and consumer packaged goods business as well leave you lots of time to beg your spouse for a foot rub, tell your teenager to turn down the Ariana Grande, call your parents (and yeah we know you're hoping to get voicemail) and even scream into a pillow when nobody's looking.
In this episode we'll explain why the heck there are stickers on your ban...2021-04-2304 minCornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 26B: Bonus-Easter with No PeepsAfter listening to episode 26 The Easter with No Peeps here's a short and sweet bonus episode to help you get the taste of jelly beans out of your mouth. Matt Levine talks to his ex-boyfriend David Adams too see what he remembers about Matt's grocery hell getting yelled at five days a week. They discover memories are deceiving, discuss pickles (no pun intended), a missing record album and some musical divas too. This episode is short and sweet like their relationship.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2021-04-1906 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 26: The Easter With No Peeps - Grocery HellTwenty-five years ago phones were connected to the wall, gasoline cost an average of a $1.23 a gallon and in San Francisco a small grocery chain had no peeps at Easter because its distributor was no good. Matt Levine recalls his time working as a sales representative for this incompetent distributor in this funny tale of grocery hell, featuring George the nasty manager and lots of candy too. The names have been changed. The candies have not.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2021-04-1615 minCornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 25: Here in San Francisco: Bamboozling Bay Area BillionairesOriginally this was going to be a bonus episode to Episode 23 Poor Jack Dorsey & The Search for Meaning Through Food. But once we bushwhacked through the billionaire weed patch it became clear that this required way more time. Because our local bamboozling billionaires were symbols, as well as the causes of a wide range of problems facing America today. Massive inequality. Stagnant and unlivable wages. A declining middle class and increased poverty too.
We start out with an illuminating discussion about what having a billion dollar means. Then take a look at the relative generosity of billionaire p...2021-04-081h 12Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodTRAILER - HERE IN SF: BAMBOOZLING BAY AREA BILLIONAIRESIf you've listened to episode 23, Poor Jack Dorsey and the Search for Meaning Through Food you heard our admonition that if you think we're being unfair to that lanky fellow worth 15 billion don't troll us on Twitter until you listen to the Bonus Episode Bamboozling Bay Area Billionaires. Well it's not ready yet because there was so much juice in the bonus episode of a berry, that we are making this into a regular episode.Please know that we editing our fingernails off trying to hurry the hell up and get it posted.
By the way Square to...2021-02-2701 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 23: Here in San Francisco: Poor Jack Dorsey and The Search for Meaning Through FoodIn this episode we take a look at the anti-Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey and his unconventional approach to living. His lifestyle offers something to marvel at -- okay, laugh at too -- but also provides an opportunity for self-reflection. In other words he's not the only buying stupid things. Though his are way, way, way more expensive than the things most of us buy to “improve" our lives.
One other thing. When we first wrote this episode we weren't going to dive into tech's impact on the city or Dorsey's vocal opposition to a small tax to aid p...2021-02-2730 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodListener Favorite: Pilot Episode The History of the Supermarket-From A & P to AmazonAs food shopping and grocery stores have become the center of so much of our pandemic life we thought it would be great to replay our pilot episode. In this episode we’ll look at the history of food retailing in America, how self-service replaced counter service, the way a couple of notable innovators changed how we shop and discuss how today’s retail landscape resembles a florescent-lit Hunger Games minus the bloody sword wounds and gratuitous sex.
Plus what we discovered in our researching and writing is that the issues people are talking about today in rega...2021-02-2625 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEpisode 22: Here in San Francisco: The New Gold RushIn our new series we'll look at how San Francisco and the Bay area both influence and reflect our national obsession with food. In this episode we'll set the scene. Since the gold rush we've been boom and bust, sometimes crazy rich and stupid too. An anecdote from just before Covid-19 changed where and how we eat sums this up quite well. A young guy wearing a PayPal t-shirt was talking loudly to his friends, proclaiming how much he loved a new coffee shop, adding with excitement that " a coffee and muffin only cost nine dollars."
And whi...2020-12-3005 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 021: Open The Refrigerator Door Hal. Can iGrabit's Artificial Intelligence Take on AmazonIn the age of Alexa, Siri and Amazon's never ending reach, it might not be a surprise that a new app can monitor your what you buy and eat and automatically create and send shopping lists to your store for delivery or pickup. What might be surprising is that iGrabit's new app could even the playing field between retail giants and the pipsqueaks, allowing independent stores the ability to offer blink of an eye technology that to date has been the limited to behemoths like Wal-Mart, Amazon, Target and national supermarket chains. Currently available only in South Florida, iGrabit is...2018-04-2818 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEP 20: POV Amazon's Greed, Whole Foods, Costco Trader Joe's and the Myth of The Good WageWhile Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods has received a lot of media attention, there has been little discussion of the impact on Whole Foods' employees. And the impact has been huge. But while Amazon's gutting of employee profit sharing is just plain greedy, it's nothing new. Ever since the last quarter of the 20th century corporations have been reducing wages, gutting unions and getting richer in the process. And the conventional wisdom about good places to work, places like Costco, Trader Joe's and others, ignores the fact that in 1980 the average grocery store worker, when wages are adjusted for...2018-03-2906 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 19: POV Nestle Buys Blue Bottle and The Emperor's No ClothesWhile Coke, McDonald's, Nestle and the rest of America's food giants capture nearly 90 cents out of every dollar spent on food & beverages their consolidation is beginning to erode, at least a little bit. And amid this shifting landscape paying huge prices for little companies continues unabated. In this episode of Cornucopia Point of View we look at Nestle's $425 million dollar purchase of a 68% share of San Francisco based Blue Bottle Coffee and wonder when investors and analysts alike are finally going wake up, smell the espresso to realize that the emperor is both naked and stupid too.
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Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodAmerica's New Generation of Farmers Montana's Wicked Good Farm - 3:7:18, 1.22 PMIf you've ever thought of giving it all up and becoming a farmer this episode has got your name on it. Andrea Bachman interviews one half of the farm team that converted an urban(relatively speaking, of course)lot in Whitefish, Montana in this inspiring and intimate conversation about the joys, challenges and demands of farming in a challenging climate and challenging economy both.2018-03-0700 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 18: POV The Retail Hand Job and Whole Foods AmazonIn this episode of Cornucopia Point of View we look at whether the chaos surrounding Amazon's integration with Whole Foods is really all that newsworthy as well as how Whole Foods mastery of theatrical grocery, or the retail hand job is likely to change as Amazon takes over the reins.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2018-02-1805 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodListener Favorite: Before Steve Jobs There Was Piggly Wiggly's Clarence SaundersAfter we finished our pilot on the history of the supermarket we realized that Clarence Saunders, the man who created Piggly Wiggly, deserved way more attention. Blending PT Barnum's theatrics with Steve Jobs-like innovations so much of the grocery business even today bear his mark. With an unabashed joie de vivre, Saunders was a self-made man who took on Wall Street and lost, but rose again. Only to lose everything another time and a third time too. Unstoppable, brash and charismatic, he died in the 1950s while trying to develop a computer automated supermarket he wanted to call FoodElectric. Li...2018-02-1723 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 17: A Food Scientist on Weed or Cannabis Manufacturing 101This bonus track from our Food Scientist on Weed episode features Mary Mulry who discusses the challenges weed food companies face as California shifts to legal cannabis. New rules requiring companies to standardize the amount of THC in their cookies, gummies and chocolates is a burden. One that isn't easy, even for food science professionals and especially difficult for those many companies who entered the business without formal food manufacturing skills. You know the type. Like your college roommate that dropped out junior year to sell pot brownies for 11 years following the Grateful Dead all over the world. So, whe...2018-02-1405 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 16: A Food Scientist on Weed, Edibles, Opioids and PharmaFood scientist Mary Mulry details the shifting landscape for manufacturers of cannabis edibles and how the shift from an underground business to the mainstream requires more science in product development and manufacturing. In addition she discusses how potency on the cannabis labels compares to alcohol, and how the pharmaceutical industry fears that the growing use of weed might be seen as an alternative to prescription drugs, like painkillers and mood medicines.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2018-02-1224 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodBonus Ep Rachel Carson Monsanta & Social Value Marketing with Food Scientist Mary MulryIn case Episode Two left you thinking that everything on supermarket shelves is bullshit, don’t be stupid. Because despite the growing number of label claims that are meaningless, duplicitous nonsense, yes Virginia there are products out there that walk their talk. So if you’re concerned with how to make ethical shopping choices this episode’s for you. Our guide is Mary Mulry, a food industry veteran who’s worked with leading retailers and manufacturers in sourcing and creating products that practice what they preach.
And while we’ve got your attention, here’s one thing to remember. According to the Unite...2018-02-1100 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodRachel Carson, Monsanto & Social Values Marketing. - 2:9:18, 10.13 AMWhile advertisements have never been beacons of plain spoken truth, the advent of environmentalism gave growth to a new type of marketing. Corporations became image conscious in this era when people began to examine the impact of science & technology, economic growth and consumerism. These ads promised benefits way beyond clean hair or good taste. Social value marketing touted more than just the benefits of a particular product, but benefits to the environment, to birds in the sky, to communities halfway across the globe. In this episode we examine the emergence of this now ever-present phenomena and how these days trying...2018-02-0900 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodTrump & The Reasons Undocumented Workers Feed America - 2:1:18, 2.51 PMWith all the current debate about immigration policy we decided it was great time to repost this episode from January 2017. Economist Jerry Nickelsburg, Director of the UCLA Anderson Forecast guides us through the weeds explaining not only agriculture's huge reliance on undocumented migrants to work the fields, why undocumented workers actually benefit the US Treasury (hint: more than half pay income tax, yes, income tax) and the surprising outcome of laws in Georgia and Alabama the eliminated migrant laborers from the fields.2018-02-0200 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEP 15: Surviving Trader Joe's. Laid Off and Landing Work in the Grocery AisleAt the age of 58 after getting laid off from a career in the lighting business my sister Nancy got a job at Trader Joe's. With humor, gratitude and a teeny bit of regret she shares what it's like stocking the aisles, ringing up customers and fetching shopping carts at Trader Joe's, a place where everyone pretends they're working on a boat and people both young and old treat the tasting station like the hunger games.. Plus one of our favorite high school teachers from Westhill High School in Stamford, Connecticut gets a special shout for how she treats the...2018-01-2421 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 14: An Economist On Weed. Jerry Nickelsburg on Legal Cannabis in CaliforniaIn this episode we ask Jerry Nickelsburg, Director of The UCLA Anderson Forecast and economics professor about how legal weed is likely to impact California. In addition to macro economic trends, our favorite professor talks about whether the end of prohibition in the 1920's offers insights, how sales of beer wine and spirits have fared after marijuana legalization in Colorado, growth in jobs, cannabis tourism and how lack of nationwide legalization will
impact the development of a new above ground marketplace for all things weed.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2018-01-2115 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodHistory of the Supermarket from A&P to Amazon - 1:16:18, 1.52 AMWe thought a great way to start out the new year would be to replay our pilot episode from the summer of 2016. In this episode we explore the history of the supermarket, from A&P to Amazon. What we discovered in researching and writing that episode is that the issues people are talking about in regards to Amazon's ever growing power were on the minds of Americans dating back to the 19th century.2018-01-1600 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 13: Chipotle Bonus: Store Design, Marketing, Willie Nelson & Industrial FarmsAfter editing our interview with Chipotle's Chris Arnold we realized there was too much leftin this audible burrito that we had to do a bonus episode. Matt talks with Chris about store designs, marketing, their animated video featuring Willie Nelson and the challenges facing farmers seeking to raise food on a human scale.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2018-01-0312 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 12: Innovating Fresh Fast Food -- Chipotle Beyond E-coliWhile Chipotle's e-coli outbreak in 2015 severely damaged the company's image and its investment value the fast casual restaurant's was an early pioneer in creating healthier fast food, making choices that flew in the face of conventional wisdom. In this episode we talk with Chipotle's Chris Arnold about the decision to use Niman Ranch pork in their carnitas, their recent move to create a vegan option with upscale HodoSoy tofu and of course, what caused the-coli outbreak and how the company responded. Unlike many of its competitors using fresh veggies and meats made the challenge to eliminate future outbreaks a...2018-01-0230 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEP 11: America's New Generation of Farmers: Spade and PlowDefying conventional wisdom about millennials, there's a small but growing group of young people who are farming the land. In this first of an ongoing series of interviews with America's new generation of farmers, Ashley Ellis travels half an hour south of the Silicon Valley to speak with a young farmer keeping an 8th generation family tradition alive.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2017-12-1923 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 10: Can Food Giants Change Their Stripes? Campbell's, Innovation and the UnknownDespite earning billions of dollars annually by selling the same old stuff, America's food giants are trying to clean up their act. In this episode we interview Mike Movitz to learn about how legacy brands are losing sales to upstart natural & organic innovators and how Campbell's is ahead of the rest in reshaping the way it makes and sells food.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2017-11-0325 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 9: 1 on 1 with David Lebovitz Talking About Paris Blueberries Cheese And MoreDespite his all-star credentials - Chez Panisse, acclaimed food blogger and Paris connoisseur - David Lebovitz lacks any pretense and is gracious and funny. In this fascinating and wide-ranging discussion, David shares his thoughts about the allure of food in Paris, the challenges small food businesses face there and his belief that food is also the stories around food. In addition he ponders the fetishization of food in America, talks about his new book that proves life is indeed stranger than fiction and how he overcame his dislike of both avocado and Los Angeles. Enjoy.
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Support this podcast: https://podca...2017-10-1731 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 8: 1 on 1 with NYTimes Best Selling Author Michael Moss of SALT, SUGAR FATA fascinating discussion with Michael Moss author of the NY Times number-one best seller Salt, Sugar, Fat about how America's food giants have altered our tastebuds in the lab all in the name of lower costs and higher profits.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2017-10-1633 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 7: Amazon Buys Whole Foods.With Mike Movtiz.Amazon's purchase of Whole Foods, may seem like the start of a brave new world, but hold onto your shopping carts. The die has yet to be cast. Listen to Matt Levine and Mike Movitz talk about the implications of Jezz Bezos' and John Mackey's sweaty love affair . And if you haven't listened to Episode 1, our History of the Supermarket what are you waiting for? It illustrates how Amazon resembles A & P, and oh yeah, we predicted Amazon's big move into grocery, too.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2017-08-1220 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 6: What to Know About Amazon Buying Whole FoodsAmazon's purchase of Whole Foods, may seem like the start of a brave new world, but hold onto your shopping carts. The die has yet to be cast. Listen to Matt Levine and our resident expert Mary Mulry talk about the implications of Jeff Bezos' and John Mackey's sweaty love affair . And if you haven't listened to Episode 1, our History of the Supermarket what are you waiting for? It illustrates how Amazon resembles A & P, and oh yeah, we predicted Amazon's big move into grocery, too.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2017-08-1226 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 5: Trump, Immigrants and the Food We EatThe reality beyond Trump's rhetoric about deporting undocumented workers and how it would impact food production.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2017-01-1814 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 4: Before Steve Jobs there was Clarence Saunders and Piggly WigglyAfter we finished our pilot on the history of the supermarket we realized that Clarence Saunders, the man who created Piggly Wiggly, deserved way more attention. Blending PT Barnum's theatrics with Steve Jobs-like innovations so much of the grocery business even today bear his mark. With an unabashed joie de vivre, Saunders was a self-made man who took on Wall Street and lost, but rose again. Only to lose everything another time and a third time too. Unstoppable, brash and charismatic, he died in the 1950s while trying to develop a computer automated supermarket he wanted to call FoodElectric. Li...2016-11-1023 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 3: Forest of Illustions Bonus Content with Mary Mulry on Ethical ShoppingIn this episode, Matt and Jeremy interview Mary Mulry on best practices for healthy and ethical shopping.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2016-09-2818 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 2: Environmentalists, Monsanto Bayer & The Forest of Illusions on Food Labels.Cornucopia Episode 2 - The Forest Of Illusions by Cornucopia The Podcast About Food
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2016-08-2018 min
Cornucopia: The Cult, Culture & Business of FoodEp 1 (pilot) - The History of the SupermarketThese days Americans can buy groceries everywhere. Gas stations, drug stores, mass merchants, at bodegas and corner stores and of course good old supermarkets too. In this episode we’ll look at the history of food retailing in America, how self-service replaced counter service, the way a couple of notable innovators changed how we shop and discuss how today’s retail landscape resembles a florescent-lit Hunger Games minus the bloody sword wounds and gratuitous sex.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/matt-levine0/support2016-07-1220 min