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Food podcasts abound, covering everything from recipes to food history and food policy. But Rochelle Ripp Schnadt and Brandon Miller of Hartland, Wis.-based C.O.nxt took their “State of the Plate” blog to the next level with a podcast of the same name. Listeners can hear lively discussion in topics that focus on how the business side of food—everything from agriculture to production to distribution—impacts the food system that we all rely on.
C.O.nxt is an employee-owned communications agency specializing in agriculture and food industries. Both Ripp Schnadt and Miller have backgrounds in marketing, journalism and communications.
“As media changes and more options become available, there’s got to be more ways that we can deliver news and insights to people in that space. The way people consume media has changed so much, and podcasts have become a big part of that,” says Miller on how blog evolved into podcast format. “Some people don’t have time to sit down and read blog articles, but they can listen to a podcast on their way work, or while working out.”
Through personable, fun banter, Ripp Schnadt and Miller explore topics such as climate smart commodities, meat labeling legislation, sell-by dates, food waste, women in agriculture, food insecurity and foreign competition in the U.S. pea protein market.
Past guests have included Scott Marshall, vice president of development and communications at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin; Chef Mike Haracz, corporate chef and culinary development lead at Foodology by Univar Solutions; and Amy Tranzillo of AgroFresh, a company dedicated to keeping produce fresher for longer periods of time.
Timely Topics
Ripp Schnadt says they try to be timely when choosing topics and guests, so they don’t choose topics too far in advance. “We want to make sure we’re in a short window of being relevant, both to listeners and decision-makers in those (food) industries,” she says.
During each hour-long episode, Ripp Schnadt and Miller typically focus on four areas that are crucial to how food gets to our tables: legislation, the market, the consumer side, and trends, while pulling the curtain back so consumers can gain insight as to what goes on behind the scenes in food businesses. They strive inform and entertain, but also help listeners feel engaged.
“There are a lot of places to get news in the food system, so we want people to walk away feeling like they’re part of a conversation, rather than just being read headlines to,” Miller says. “We don’t have a ton of time to dig super-deep, but we want people to hear what’s going on in the food system, hear our take on it, get information and feel curious to further check it out for themselves.”
Deeply Interconnected
They occasionally drop bonus episodes that contain longer interviews or in-depth looks at complex topics. Since launching State of the Plate, Ripp Schnadt has gained insight about what’s involved in producing a podcast, from choosing topics, building an audience and lining up guests.
Miller has been surprised to learn about how deeply all the moving parts in the food system are interconnected. “Everything has to work together, and if something gets bogged down, even at the legislative level, the ripple effect that it has throughout the food system is incredible—staggering almost.”
Ripp Schnadt and Miller are eager to introduce listeners to the players in this delicately woven system. Upcoming topics include the complexities of the Federal Milk Marketing Order, along with a more lighthearted holiday-themed episode that explores the mocktails trend, along with predictions for food trends in 2024.
“Food is very personal, but it’s also a business,” Ripp Schnadt concludes. “We want into bring truth and clarity to topics that can be super-confusing. We spend a fair amount of time on how it translates into storytelling, while providing folks with resources to look to for food truth.”
State of the Plate can be found on major platforms including Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and co-nxt.com/podcast.
