The Heritage Radio Network, a non-profit organization that focuses entirely on food culture, records and has its offices inside recycled shipping containers in the backyard of Roberta’s pizza in Bushwick. According to Forbes, we learned that the network releases “40 shows a week” and has “a log of 7,000 episodes.” The network is live Monday through Thursday, and features founder Patrick Martins conversating with both professionals and enthusiasts about “archiving, protecting, and advancing” the conversation of food in America.
With an audience of over one million listeners from over 200 countries, we had to give a few listens, and we found a couple of shows that piqued our interest. Chef’s Story, hosted by Dorothy Cann Hamilton, is a companion piece to the PBS show she hosts of the same name. Episodes feature Hamilton speaking with professionals within the food industry and how they rose to the positions they currently hold.
Radio Cherry Bombe, hosted by Julia Turshen, features female “chefs, farmers, photographers, cookbook editors, entrepreneurs, icons” and more. For those who wish to learn a bit about history, shows like A Taste of The Past and How Great Cities Are Fed, goes through the history books to discuss with scholars, authors and others who have dedicated themselves to learn the history of food how much has changed in the way we eat food and the industries that produce it.
For a show a bit on the lighter side, Eating Disorder finds the three hosts making fun of food trends that seem to pop up weekly. It should be noted that all of the music for all of the Network’s shows is original from independent bands. While they have a massive audience, the Network is entirely independent, needing donations to keep running. They have launched a Kickstarter to update their website, to better serve their listeners.
Podcasting has become a major player among contemporary news sources. So it’s important that the NPR’s of the world have funding to broadcast global stories for a global audience. It is also extremely important that Heritage Radio continue to broadcast freely so they can tell their global audience, local stories.
Thinking of starting a radio show behind the handball court down the block from his apartment. To help set him up, contact the author @ChrisLInoa
