Hello All,

We are back with the Food Literacy Podcast series with a February 2026 episode. We will provide a series of episodes every month until the 2026 holiday season, when we will probably take a hiatus for rejuvenation, travel, etc.

Please listen to the episode to hear what's coming up, and check out the show notes for links to previous content on gardening in Chicago for February, in USDA Hardiness Zone 6.

We are looking forward to supporting you during the 2026 season!

January 2025 Food Literacy Podcast Episode

March 2025 Food Literacy Podcast Episode

February 2024 Food Literacy Podcast Episode

YouTube Short Seeds to Start

Stony Acres Gardening Zones 5-6-7 Seedlings to Start for February

Contact: orrinw@uic.edu

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of Illinois at Chicago, the OCEAN-HP, the CPHP, the CUT, or the RWH podcast series. The material and information presented here are for general information purposes only. While the podcast is about food literacy, we offer no health advice and encourage our listeners to seek guidance from their healthcare providers.

November 2025 Food Literacy podcast post the federal government shutdown in the USA. A host of issues related to food security and sovereignty came to light during the shutdown, including the value of food assistance programs such as SNAP. Check out this episode as we begin addressing many of the issues raised.

As always, I will instruct you to pay attention to the show notes for information regarding this episode.

Scratching the surface about what we will be talking about in upcoming episodes:

Food security vs food sovereignty is important to know the differences between the two and why they are both important for our communities.

As I stated in the episode chronic disease is a huge problem. Why?

Global topsoil loss? And you want me to focus on the Epstein files?

The environmental and health impacts of pesticides are Immense.

More on the importance of a healthy food system.

Think spring 2026, David the Good talks seed companies, and I will contribute some additions in upcoming episodes.

Seeds explained, GMO seeds are... I will be keeping you revved up and ready to go in 2026!

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of Illinois at Chicago, the OCEAN-HP, the CPHP, the CUT, or the RWH podcast series. The material and information presented here are for general information purposes only. While the podcast is about food literacy, we offer no health advice and encourage our listeners to seek guidance from their healthcare providers.

Check out the short October 2025 Food Literacy Podcast. As always, be sure to check out the show notes for resources, including a link to the October 2024 episode. Most of this short episode is related to topics related to food as medicine, whereas the 2024 episode is garden-oriented. A checklist for October garden tasks is included in the show notes.

I participated in the interview process for the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law and Graduate School project, Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Policy Project report.

More on food and health, or if you wil,l food as medicine... Check out a bit of research on the MIND Diet as a potential way to mitigate dementia and Alzheimer's. Here is a link to information about the MIND Diet.

I discovered an interesting though long podcast you may want to check out in chunks, The Most Honest Man in Nutrition Research. Nutrition research and information is often contradictory one influencer extols the wisdom of eating spinach and another claims that spinach is a diet no-no because of a compound called oxalates. What’s one to do?

I could not miss at least a little bit of gardening information. Check out the link for a checklist of garden tasks for October. Also, if it is not available yet the Chicago Grows Food, October 2025 Lunch & Grow session featured Selma Sims from Gardeneers discussing how to shut down your garden and prepare for Spring 2026.

Bonus Content: Want to Live Longer?... Exposing the US Food Industry

Contact Orrin Williams: orrinw@uic.edu

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the University of Illinois at Chicago, the OCEAN-HP, the CPHP, the CUT, or the RWH podcast series. The material and information presented here are for general information purposes only. While the podcast is about food literacy, we offer no health advice and encourage our listeners to seek guidance from their healthcare providers.