Nutrient Dense Food with Dan Kittredge: Growing for the Microbiome

In this episode of Sense Making in a Changing World, I speak with regenerative farmer and Bionutrient Food Association founder Dan Kittredge from the United States.

Together we explore what it really means to grow nutrient dense food and nourish the microbiome, in the soil and in our own bodies. 

Dan shares decades of experience and research that reveal just how wide the gap is between food that truly nourishes and food that simply fills us up. We talk about the huge variation in nutrient levels between different samples of the same crop, why this happens and what it means for human health and climate.

We touch on:

• How two carrots from different farms can have four to ten times difference in key nutrients
• Why labels like organic or local only tell part of the story of food quality
• What happens when we take soil out of the equation and grow food in hydroponic systems
• Why Dan says we should be growing for the microbiome in the soil and in our own bodies
• Practical ways gardeners and farmers can start shifting their practice toward truly nutrient dense food

My hope is that this conversation helps you look at the food on your plate and the soil under your feet in a new way, and encourages you to keep experimenting in your own gardens, farms, kitchens and communities.