A new podcast from Decorah-based Seed Savers Exchange is examining how much control people really have over the food that reaches their plates. The 41-minute, 43-second episode follows food from seed genetics and agricultural systems through food-industry marketing and public policy.
Rather than treating food choices as the result of personal preference alone, the episode explores how the systems that produce, promote and distribute food shape what consumers can buy and eat. It is the third installment of Seed Savers Exchange’s Sowing Connections series and was released August 23, 2026.
Where Decorah listeners can find the episode
The episode is intended for gardeners, farmers and shoppers seeking a clearer understanding of how food moves from seeds into the marketplace. Decorah residents and other listeners can access it through Seed Savers Exchange’s podcast webpage, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
The release comes as the organization continues its work with open-pollinated seeds and the preservation of plant varieties. Seed Savers Exchange uses careful isolation practices to keep those varieties true to type while protecting their genetic diversity for future generations.
Why seed diversity is part of the food discussion
The podcast presents seed preservation as more than agricultural history. Seeds that gardeners and farmers save, share and grow can influence the range and resilience of the broader food system over time. Its argument is that preserving a plant variety today can help communities retain more choices in the future.
From seed preservation, the discussion turns to the economic and political forces that influence diets and grocery selections. Topics include industrial agriculture, food policy, ultra-processed foods and food-industry marketing. Taken together, those subjects frame food choices as decisions shaped by production, promotion and distribution systems—not simply by taste.
Marion Nestle and the Corgi pea
Nutrition scholar Marion Nestle appears in the episode. Seed Savers Exchange identifies her as a nutritionist, consumer advocate, award-winning author and academic whose work examines food politics and dietary choice. Her segment asks whether dietary decisions should be viewed solely as individual responsibility while considering the influence of industry practices and public policy. Listeners can begin that portion at 6:25.
The episode closes with Seed Savers Exchange’s heirloom Corgi pea, described by the organization as a sweet and versatile variety in its collection. Beginning at 39:23, the segment uses the pea as a local example of the podcast’s broader point: the future of the food system is connected to the varieties people choose to save, share and grow.
Seed Savers Exchange also provides access to a collection of thousands of varieties and information about requesting the Corgi pea. The episode’s central message points toward shared action by gardeners, farmers, communities and policymakers, linking the varieties people grow with the markets they support and the policies governing food production and promotion.