Most of us have never heard of “biosolids”—but it’s time we do. Also known as sewage sludge, this is the concentrated waste from treatment plants that contains not just human waste, but pharmaceuticals, microplastics, PFAS “forever chemicals,” and industrial byproducts. And in many states, it’s being spread on farmland as fertilizer.

In this short episode, Wes Gillingham explains:

• What sewage sludge actually is and how it’s classified.
• Why PFAS and other contaminants make sludge far more dangerous than it sounds.
• How sludge moves from treatment plants onto hay fields, into milk, and back into our food chain.
• What states like New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut are doing to ban or restrict its use.
• Why banning sludge on farmland is one of the simplest, most urgent wins for protecting farmers, consumers, and the environment.

This isn’t a pretty topic, but it’s a vital one. What we flush doesn’t just disappear—it can end up right back on our plates.

Our oceans, rivers, and lakes cover 71% of the planet — yet we rarely think of them as the key to our food future. In this episode, blue food advocate Jennifer Bushman reveals how kelp farms, oysters, and sustainable aquaculture could fight climate change, restore ecosystems, and nourish billions. You’ll learn what “blue food” really means, why it matters, and the simple choices you can make to support healthier waters and a more sustainable plate.

What You’ll Hear:

• Why the “blue food” movement could redefine sustainability
• How seaweed can outproduce corn and help the climate
• The most ocean-friendly foods you can buy today
• Questions to ask your fishmonger for better, more sustainable seafood
• The surprising role of aquaculture in protecting wild fish stocks

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

• Fed by Blue
• Hope in the Water on PBS
• Seafood Scout
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch
• The Blue Food Cookbook

Seed detective Adam Alexander has spent decades collecting rare and nearly lost vegetable seeds from around the world. But what he’s really collecting are stories—of resilience, culture, flavor, and forgotten wisdom. In this episode, we explore why seeds matter so much more than we think, how small farms still feed most of the world, and what gets lost when we trade diversity for uniformity. If you’ve ever wondered what’s missing from your plate, this conversation will show you where to look.

Leave a review of One Bite is Everything here.

About our guest: Adam Alexander is a consummate storyteller thanks to forty years as an award-winning film and television producer, but his true passion is collecting rare, endangered, delicious vegetables from around the world. He lectures widely on his work, discovering and conserving rare, endangered garden crops. His knowledge and expertise on growing vegetables for seed are highly valued by the Heritage Seed Library, for which he is a seed guardian. Adam shares seeds with other growers and gene banks in the USA, Canada, and the EU, and he is currently growing out seeds of heritage Syrian vegetables to be returned to the Middle East as part of a program to revive traditional horticulture.

Find out more: TheSeedDetective.co.uk / Insta @theseeddetective

Check out Adam Alexander's new book here. And his first book here.

Connect with your OBIE host, Dana DiPrima:

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