A Napa Oak Overlooks Vines (image courtesy of Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group)

There's an excellent chance that your favorite Napa Valley winegrower is a member of the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group which was formed in 1995 to promote integrated pest management practices in Napa County, California. The mission of the Group is to identify and promote winegrowing practices that are economically viable, socially responsible and environmentally sound.

Specifically, the Group promotes viticultural land stewardship through educational outreach to:

• Optimize ecological stability and winegrape productivity and quality by understanding and emulating natural processes such as biodiversity, carbon and nutrient cycling, and plant-soil interactions.

• Reduce pesticide inputs through cultural practices, biological control, and use of alternative materials.

• Promote soil health through erosion control, reduced tillage, soil analysis, and the amendment of soils with cover crops and compost.

• Enhance returns on investment by promoting the value-added nature of sustainable winegrapes along with terroir and increased vineyard longevity.

The Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group is comprised of members representing Napa winegrape growers, vintners, and local government and educational organizations. The Group represents over 25,000 acres of farmed vineyard land and over 20,000 acres of un-farmed/wild land as of March 2007.

In a 5-part podcast interview, American Feast's Doug Ferber has a talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group to learn more about their important work.

To listen to Part 1 click on: A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 1

To listen to Part 2 click on: A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 2

To listen to Part 3 click on: A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 3

To listen to Part 4 click on: A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 4

To listen to Part 5 click on: A Talk with the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Part 5

Posted by Jeff Deasy at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Chef Paul Prudhomme (photo courtesy of Magic Seasoning Blends)

Want to hear how nervous American Feast’s "on the spot reporter" Doug Ferber gets when he meets the legendary Chef Paul Prudhomme?

During a trip to the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, he nervously asked the creator of the TurDuckHen how he came to imagine cooking a duck inside a chicken inside a turkey. He also asked him what his favorite creation was.

Link to podcast here.

Posted by Tim Tango at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are all 6 Parts of Doug Ferber's interview with American Feast's Wellness Expert, Renee Simon. Renee is the author of the book Take Back Your Health, A Total Wellness Guide for You and Your Family. Renee is a Board Certified Clinical Nutritionist, writer, and seminar leader who specializes in nutrition, exercise, and the mind/body connection.

Part 1 of the podcast interview: here.

Part 2 of the podcast interview: here.

Part 3 of the podcast interview: here.

Part 4 of the podcast interview: here.

Part 5 of the podcast interview: here.

Part 6 of the podcast inteview: here.

To purchase Renee's book go to: Take Back Your Health, A Total Wellness Guide for You and Your Family

For more insights on improving the health of you & your family visit Renee's web site: Total Wellness

Posted by Jeff Deasy at 12:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jeff Serves It Up at the New Orleans Night Party (photo by Rick Tango)

Our company delivers food straight from America’s best family farms and most creative kitchens because we believe the great variety and superb quality of American foods deserve recognition among the world’s best.

We think our visitors want to know about the unique qualities of our food, the people who make it, and the sustainability of the methods used to produce it. They’re food lovers who are concerned about both personal health and the health of the environment. We want to provide the most up-to-date information we can find and present it in the most entertaining way we can.

In this 4-part, podcast interview American Feast’s Doug Ferber interviews Jeff Deasy, the company's Founder & President, to hear more about the company and some of the American specialties offered on the web site.

To listen to Part 1 of Doug's interview go to: Welcome to American Feast! Part 1

To listen to Part 2 of Doug's interview go to: Welcome to American Feast! Part 2

To listen to Part 3 of Doug's interview go to: Welcome to American Feast! Part 3

To listen to Part 4 of Doug's interview go to: Welcome to American Feast! Part 4

Posted by Jeff Deasy at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Dallas Farmers Market (photo by Doug Ferber)

Don't you want to know where your food comes from? You can find out at your local Farmers Market. Stacey Caldwell, President of the Dallas Farmers Market Friends, a non-profit organization benefiting the Dallas Farmers Market, says that if you want quality, fresh produce, Dallas Farmers Market is the place and so is your local farmers market. In this 4-part interview, Stacey tells American Feast's Doug Ferber how her market has evolved over the years, and why it is important to your community that you support local and regional farmers.

To listen to Part 1 of the podcast interview click: here

To listen to Part 2 of the podcast interview click: here

To listen to Part 3 of the podcast interview click: here

To listen to Part 4 of the podcast interview click: here.

Visit the Dallas Farmers Market Friends home page at www.dfmfriends.org.

Posted by Tim Tango at 12:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Beautiful Bouchaine Vineyards in Napa Valley (photo by Dona Kopol-Bonick)

Bouchaine Vineyards inhabits the oldest continually operated winery in the Carneros wine region of California's Napa Valley. The planting of vines on the site by pioneer Boon Fly dates back to the mid-1800s.

Today, the family-owned winery is dedicated to the pursuit of delicious Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; the varietals best suited to the climate and soils of the estate’s lovely 100-acre vineyard. Besides being a venerable producer of some of America's finest estate wines, Bouchaine Vineyards is one of the country's most devoted adherents to principals of sustainable agriculture.

In a 6-part podcast interview, American Feast's Doug Ferber has a talk with Bouchaine's Lee Hodo to learn more about what sets Bouchaine apart.

That's Lee with the trusty red pickup.

To listen to Part 1 click on: A Talk With Bouchaine's Lee Hodo (Part 1)

To listen to Part 2 click on: A Talk With Bouchaine's Lee Hodo (Part 2)

To listen to Part 3 click on: A Talk With Bouchaine's Lee Hodo (Part 3)

To listen to Part 4 click on: A Talk With Bouchaine's Lee Hodo (Part 4)

To listen to Part 5 click on: A Talk With Bouchaine's Lee Hodo (Part 5)

To listen to Part 6 click on: A Talk With Bouchaine's Lee Hodo (Part 6)

Posted by Jeff Deasy at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Cranberry isn't just for Thanksgiving anymore. Allison Goldberg met her husband in Chicago. They decided to move back east to make delicious products from cranberries. Hear how they make versatile glazes and jellies that can be eaten with cheese, on meats, or a number of ways that she will describe to you in this podcast. Our favorite was the Cranberry Pepper Jelly.

Click to play podcast here.

Posted by Tim Tango at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Stella Cadente Olive Oil was founded by the husband & wife team of Sue Ellery and Tom Hunter in 1999. Their olives are grown without pesticides or herbicides & hand-picked at the couple's Shooting Star Ranch in the lovely Anderson Valley of Mendocino County, California.

In each of the last 7 years the couple's olive oils have won some of the world's most prestigious oil awards, including two "Best of Show" awards in international competition and numerous Gold, Silver & Bronze Medals. The 2007 L’Autunno Blend Extra Virgin oil received a Gold Medal at the 8th Annual Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition, formerly known as Oils of the World. The 2007 Persian Lime oil captured a Silver the second year in a row. In 2006, they were honored with a "Best of Show" award in an international competition for the packaging and design for the entire line of oils.

American Feast's Doug Ferber caught up with Sue & Tom in San Francisco at a gourmet food show they were attending and got a terrific 2-part interview.

To listen to part 1 of the podcast interview go to: Speaking with Stella Cadente Founders (Part 1)

To hear part 2 of Doug's interview, go to: Speaking with Stella Cadente Founders (Part 2)

To purchase some of Stella Cadente's premier olive oils click on any of the following:

L'Autunno Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Blood Orange Olive Oil

Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

Persian Lime Olive Oil

Posted by Jeff Deasy at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)