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Lettuce Talk: The Real Dirt on Food, Farming, and Fresh Choices
52 Plays6 days ago
Who doesn’t love food? Food is more than just what is on your plate- it’s a lifeline, a comfort, and sometimes, even a form of healing. The choices we make about what we eat can shape our energy, our emotions, and even our ability to fight illness. But with so much conflicting information out there, how do we know what’s truly nourishing?
Join me, your host Krista Jones, as I sit down with my friend and farmer Matt Sabellico for a deep dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly about our food choices. We’ll talk about the power of real food, the relationships built through local farming, and how something as simple as what is on your plate can make a world of difference.
This isn’t just a conversation about fruits and vegetables- it’s about the way we care for ourselves and each other.
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Transcript
Introduction: Food, Healing, and Hope
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome back to Exhausted Sparrows Unite. I'm Krista Jones, your host, and this is the place where we embrace the messy, the beautiful parts of our life, and everything else that's in between.
00:00:20
Speaker
Today, are talking to my good friend, Matt, owner of Sabellico's Greenhouse, which is right here in the Hopewell Junction, Wappingers Falls area. And we're going to talk about something that is deeply personal to both of us.
00:00:35
Speaker
We're going to talk about food, healing, and a hope. When life throws us hard punches like a cancer diagnosis, something as simple as a warm nourishing meal means so much.
00:00:47
Speaker
But it's more than just food, it's comfort. And where that food comes from is so important. We're going to explore meals, the nutritious ones, and the ease of the journey and how you can get where you need to go by making just a few small changes in your life.
00:01:04
Speaker
We're going to talk about food and how it creates a powerful ripple effect in every single thing that we do. So Matt, I just want to welcome you here today. Your energy is contagious.
00:01:18
Speaker
And I am so glad that you are on this episode because like this episode is going to speak to so many people on so many different levels.
00:01:29
Speaker
And you're already getting a emotional about it. Yeah. You are. And that is, i got to say, this is what I love about Matt so much. He is so compassionate and he does everything from his
Charity and Community Support
00:01:42
Speaker
heart.
00:01:42
Speaker
And the background story to Matt and for those of you that are listening in Switzerland and Australia, like we have people that listen around the world, which is so cool. The reason it's called Exhausted Sparrows Unite is because have a charity right here in Dutchess County in the Hudson Valley, New York area, beautiful area. We feed people that have a cancer diagnosis and we know that food is so important during this diagnosis. And Matt has for years donated, we were right across the street from his beautiful place, he's donated flowers to brighten the day of recipients.
00:02:17
Speaker
He's given us gift cards. He's given us so much. So when we moved to our new building, you know, food is always on my mind. Nutritious, organic, farming, you know, giving back to our local farmers.
00:02:30
Speaker
And he was bringing this CSA project in. And I go, we've got to go to him because he's such a cool guy. He's done so much for us. We need to also give back to him while we're trying to give to our cancer patients.
Organic Farming and Health
00:02:43
Speaker
So we did all of that. And he's like, I'll come on the podcast. And I'm like, who better to kind of talk about food, right? Like, and the power of food.
00:02:56
Speaker
It is incredibly powerful. it It really is. I, I have been transformed, you know, in my life because of my connection to nature and everything that that brings.
00:03:12
Speaker
You know, every time i I give thanks every time that I'm able to harvest something, turn it into a meal, send it to you guys. It, it, it brings my heart so much joy know that people are nourishing themselves with that little piece of, of me.
00:03:33
Speaker
You know, I, I put my heart and soul into everything I do and You know, you really just have to, you have to live that way, you know, and and you find, you find those connections, you find such a beautiful community when you, when you do that.
00:03:49
Speaker
um
00:03:52
Speaker
You really nourish it, you know, you're just,
00:03:57
Speaker
really connected. And that's, that's such a beautiful place to be. And I think what you guys do, um, what, ah what I'm planning on doing. He's got some plans, ladies and gentlemen, we can't talk about them yet, but wow, it's going to be a great connection. So I think, you know, something we should talk about because in America, I mean, my gosh,
00:04:18
Speaker
We have so much processed food. do. Right? So when I have cancer recipients come on, what I notice is a cancer diagnosis often throws you into ah different financial bracket.
00:04:32
Speaker
Even if you're in a bracket where you were doing okay. You are thrown because of co-pays and time off of work and everything that goes in between that.
00:04:43
Speaker
And you're struggling. And it's sometimes so hard for us to get the food we really need in our body. I say this to my patients. If you can shop, if you're in the grocery store and you can shop the perimeter, that's where you want to be.
00:04:56
Speaker
The middle is harder. The middle is our process. The perimeter usually, right? Our good food. But for you, I mean, you you see this every day. i mean, because, you know. I do.
00:05:08
Speaker
And, i you know, it's it's this brings brings me to something that I
Community Farming and Connection
00:05:13
Speaker
was thinking about this morning. I was meditating and I was thinking about it. Yeah. My wife, she was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, which really set me. I almost see that moment as a bit of a spark really ignited something in me.
00:05:29
Speaker
um As part of her diagnosis, she had to do this low iodine FODMAP diet. What is this? i What is it? mean And can you get it in a grocery store? right So I went on a deep dive.
00:05:45
Speaker
what is this you know What does this mean? but We can't have salt? But it's that's not... That is not the aspect of it. It's iodine that's added to and this and that. And then you start reading all the labels.
00:05:58
Speaker
You start seeing all the things that, well, this doesn't really make sense. And you start putting all the pieces together and you see that this shouldn't be here and that shouldn't be here.
00:06:10
Speaker
Thankfully, i just went to the farm. I, you know, we ate microgreen salads almost every day. low low so Low salt, low sugar, low... And that really... Having the opportunity to cook and prepare food in that healing, nurturing way really changed my relationship to food. you know I can almost pinpoint it back to that.
00:06:37
Speaker
you know the The need to care, the need to connect, the need to give...
00:06:45
Speaker
something started growing within me. Yeah. You know, I, i want to, I want to grow that even further. I want to nurture that. And you I want to give access to that kind of food to everyone.
00:07:00
Speaker
Right. Let's talk about that because that's not the reality. It's not. I mean... we have a lot of gatekeepers. We do. that food. We do. We do. And it's it's going to take a long time, right, for us to unpile that, but...
00:07:16
Speaker
We can do what we can in our local community, which, you know, we're working on some things. um And it was one of the first things I noticed when I started feeding other people is that they don't have that access.
00:07:30
Speaker
And if you really have to go to the grocery store and you really, you know, and in today's times, this is nothing political. We are just, it's very expensive to get the food that we need on the table.
00:07:41
Speaker
You, a lot of times are going for the cheapest things you can and you are going for boxed mac and cheese and you are going for rice that's in bags and, and you know, and, and, and we can't fault people because they have to do what they have to do to get this food in.
00:07:53
Speaker
But what we are trying to do on our levels is bring as much as we can that is fresh off a farm and teach people how they can do this for themselves, right?
00:08:05
Speaker
as as As much as we can. And there are people listening that are saying to us, you know, it's impossible. There's no other way that we can do it. And we're not shaming you because I absolutely know that. I know that, you know, there are many of you trying as hard as you can. I came from ah poor household.
00:08:20
Speaker
um you know, for for for quite a bit of my life and my mom did the best she can. But there were nights that we were having um a slice of white Wonder Bread with sour cream and sugar because we just needed something to fill our stomach, right?
00:08:34
Speaker
But we know that food has such a direct connection to, you know, what goes in our body A lot of times it's medicine. It is. It's what's fueling our body.
00:08:46
Speaker
And we need to do the best that we can to be as healthy as we can and eat as farm fresh as we can. and And the incredible thing that I've found over the past 20 years of being invested and engaged in the agriculture community, there are farmers and individuals out there who are so focused on the nutritional and nourishing aspect of what they're doing.
Farm-to-Table Lifestyle Benefits
00:09:14
Speaker
Sure. It's not, you know, it's still a business.
00:09:16
Speaker
you know we You have to get the feed, you have to get the seed, you need the fuel, you need the things to make it happen. But they're doing it with such a loving intention that that just like you said it ripples it resonates through everything they do and everybody that it touches yeah whether you know it or not and i think that's the beautiful thing that i found in my agricultural journey is that if you look there are these people right in your backyard they're everywhere sure and you just have to be open to
00:09:53
Speaker
finding them, having a conversation, asking the questions, because you'd be amazed what you can find. Absolutely. Absolutely. And when we're eating all this farm fresh food, right?
00:10:05
Speaker
Our energy levels are better. Like, I'm just thinking like if I have a box of macaroni and cheese, which I haven't had in so long, but I'm thinking when I eat processed carbs, I'm tired. It helps with energy. It helps with your soul.
00:10:18
Speaker
It helps with your mental health, ah right? Bringing clarity. yeah I have a new, uh, I like to take drives just to kind of clear my head. Nice. Just focused on the drive.
00:10:30
Speaker
One thing I like to do is drive up and down route nine. There's right. You know, there's all the chain, the fast food, not going to name any names, names, but you know, but I, I, I get such power and joy at a driving by and saying, not today.
00:10:51
Speaker
Not today. See you later. See you later. I'm going to go. I'm going to go. You know, it's winter right now. It's still cold. Spring is springing. But, you know, there certainly isn't as much, you know, to grow at the farm at the moment. So it's not as easy.
00:11:07
Speaker
But I've made such a, for me personally, such a concerted effort to really connect with these aspects of my mind, body, soul into nature, into food, into community that it really is.
Vision for Community and Wellness
00:11:25
Speaker
It's so unbelievably healing.
00:11:27
Speaker
It just, it is. It, it's calming. on so many levels. And it's also calming to be doing it, like not just eating it, but to actually be gardening and to be putting all of these beautiful things into the earth. Like all of that is like a calming experience.
00:11:47
Speaker
um So when we talk about nutrition and our cancer patients, you know We do see it here all the time.
00:11:58
Speaker
By not getting the proper nutrition in their bodies, by not getting fresh fruits and vegetables, we see that you know it leads to fatigue. you know We were just talking a little bit about energy levels.
00:12:11
Speaker
But it also doesn't give them the proper power tools in their system to fight the cancer. right Because when you're going through treatment, you said your wife was sick. Yep.
00:12:23
Speaker
You've got to have your iron levels and and your blood work and everything needs to be up in order for you to get your chemo treatment or your radiation or whatever. And a lot of times that does depend directly on the kind of food we're putting into our body as to whether or not you can even get treatment. So we do see on this end.
00:12:41
Speaker
People that are not fueling their body with fruits and vegetables, um their treatment takes longer because they have to take more breaks before they can do the 37 rounds of chemo. work you know They're in the fight for their life. So what we want here is for you to have the best food fueling your body so you can go into the treatment and go, go ahead and do my blood work.
00:13:03
Speaker
I know I'm good. And what I've found is the best food is from that farmer whose hand you can shake. You can walk over and they can give you the food and, you know, wish you the best possible outcome that you can have, that that compassion, that love.
00:13:21
Speaker
That's what makes it, you know, and we've we've lost access to that. we've lost access to that direct connection to the abundance of nature. And, but I feel it's coming back. You guys are doing, I mean, CSAs are a big thing for those of you that are listening and you know, these CSAs I've actually priced them out. It is one, it's better than actually going to your grocery store. It is less expensive. It's cheaper.
00:13:47
Speaker
And it's, It is your own community. it it It is a farmer in your community that is really, um he's relying on that, he or she.
00:13:59
Speaker
So that connection too is such a big connection. So you should, you know, if you've always shied away from that stuff, you shouldn't. Now, we are in the north, um so we it's a little harder for us.
00:14:12
Speaker
Our season is much shorter than in other areas. And, of course, you have to supplement and use the grocery stores and all of that great stuff. But when you can and when it is in season and your farmers are offering CSAs, I really encourage you to take part in that. Absolutely.
00:14:31
Speaker
Yeah, it's it. the Our CSA that we we got back rolling last season has been one of the most gratifying things I've ever done.
00:14:42
Speaker
ah The the the joy of coming in every week and picking up their box and just seeing what was and usually astounded. this is I get all this? Right. yeah Take some more. there's There's plenty to go around. And they're meeting the farmer.
00:15:00
Speaker
They're meeting the people picking all of their stuff. like They get to meet you. There's a whole connection there. We're having these conversations. Yeah. And and it it becomes so much more nourishing.
00:15:11
Speaker
through that. And that I think that that is the most beautiful part of, of this. And I've been so fortunate to able to inspire and, and help and advocate for other farms and sort of bring them into this community-based model.
00:15:34
Speaker
um And I just see this really expanding in a really beautiful way because on all levels, the land that the farmer farmers are taking care of, the food that grows out of it, the connection to the community, to the people right in our backyard who we rely on every day, it all comes into focus. And, you know, when you need someone They're there, whether it's to bring food, to give you a hug, to whatever it is.
00:16:08
Speaker
And, know, farms and food. And I want to put music in there because a good song always brings people together, too. That's true. It does. Those are the things that I think we remember the most, those meals that we had, all the people we care about around.
00:16:25
Speaker
It was delicious. We laughed. We cried. we had a great time. We shared. And that's that's what I think, to me, that's what a farm is. Absolutely. A farm is sharing. It's community.
00:16:37
Speaker
It's infrastructure. Food is the connection, right? Because we that's when we all gather around. It's still one of the... feet And... yeah Everybody's schedules are so crazy nowadays.
00:16:50
Speaker
i don't even know if they gather around like they used to. Like you and i are, you know, very young. ah We won't say our ages, but we we used to, you know, you had to be there, right? To have a meal with your family, right?
00:17:01
Speaker
And just having your mom put that on the table or your dad, that was love. They loved you enough to make this meal and and to put it out there. So this is just food is love. Farming is love. These are men and women that are putting these seeds in the grounds that are already thinking of how amazing it's going to be when you're able to reap the benefit of that. It's it's an investment in the future. yeah It's an investment in community. And if you're listening and like, you know, you're like our local farmers don't really, I mean, talk to them about it.
00:17:33
Speaker
Like I show up, tell them you have this interest in this type of stuff because um they want to know that. the The truth is to a lot of lot of farms, they're struggling.
00:17:45
Speaker
They are. it is It is not a lucrative industry to be in. It is environmentally difficult. You never know. Is it going to rain? Is it going to pour? Is it going to just be dry? And, you know, I don't have the water to take care of the things. um You know, it it's...
00:18:09
Speaker
Asking the question. Really is. Developing that relationship. Because I i feel like once you... get in the door and you ask the question, you say, Hey, you know, heard somebody talking about CSA.
00:18:21
Speaker
I've never known what a CSA, do you do a CSA? Well, no, but I know another farm down the street who does do a CSA. Cause trust me, we all, we all know each other as farmers, um you know, and, and that's another beautiful part that I found is that the community of farmers all support each other.
00:18:45
Speaker
And that's something I've really found, you know, in my lifetime that no matter what they are farming and what they are doing, whether they have that agricultural heart in them, they've,
00:18:57
Speaker
always in support of me. If I need something, they're there. If they need you know anything, just to talk, you know just to get a laugh, they're there. right and They know I'll do the same.
00:19:11
Speaker
and Again, we need just need what you guys do. That's what you do. You're there. You show up when people need it the most. you know and that's That's what I want to do. That's what I want to do with with the farm. That's what I want to do in life. I want to connect with people.
00:19:28
Speaker
I want to nourish them.
Food as Love and Community
00:19:29
Speaker
I want to, um I want to bring this all together. Absolutely. Right. Like food is such a metaphor for, for so many things. It brings in so many different parts of us, but that emotional connection with it, when you're getting something good in your body and listen, I mean, um let I make desserts here. I will absolutely give you the best sea salt chocolate chip cookie.
00:19:51
Speaker
You do. I do, which is okay. So we don't want you to think we're saying, you know, you just need to eat, you know, fruits and vegetables. Of course, we're human beings and we eat a bunch of different ways.
00:20:05
Speaker
But the emotional connection that I think you also get when you know that you're eating the best way that you can, right? So fatigue and nausea and like fatigue is is is is really not just for cancer patients.
00:20:20
Speaker
Fatigue, I think, is for all of us because there's this immediacy for us to, you as a business owner know this, Matt, for us to answer every email, for us to answer every Facebook post at nine o'clock at night, for us to, you know, ah meet somebody early because they can't come during your store hours.
00:20:38
Speaker
And there's we're so emotionally fatigued. that when we have this food, that all we have to do is take home, right?
00:20:49
Speaker
lot of this, you could just eat, you could throw it in your salad, you could just like to to know that we've saved some time right there and we could just pop this in. It is, i can't express how important it is for us to prepare for our day with the most but nutritious things possible because a lot of us can't take all of this stuff off our plates.
00:21:13
Speaker
We have to do it all. and And I've had plenty of podcasts where, you know, I say, listen, you know, I don't like the podcasts that say, well, you don't need to do it all.
00:21:24
Speaker
Well, no, you do. If you're a single mom and you have to work two jobs and your children are little and you have to cook for them, And you have to make their plays and call off work.
00:21:36
Speaker
And you have to, you know, there are people that are in situations where they have to do absolutely everything that is on their plate. you do So the one thing we can make easier is making sure that you have the fuel for your emotional, mental state,
00:21:50
Speaker
because the endorphins absolutely get clogged when we put too much of these processed foods in it. And for your physical state, so that, you know, and listen, eating like this, we also know, provides power not only mentally, but it provides heart power, and it provides physical power.
00:22:10
Speaker
So you can go to the gym, you can be healthier, you you know, extra weight on our bodies isn't good for us either. So all of this stuff just makes us a healthier person.
00:22:21
Speaker
More harmonious, more instinct, you
Preventative Nutrition and Support
00:22:24
Speaker
know. Which is what Matt is all about and which is why i love listening to the things you have to say. So I don't know if you can dive any more into any of the great things that you would like to see farmers doing, even though we can't necessarily talk about what you are working on now.
00:22:45
Speaker
Are there other ways that you feel... I can... I can let a few things out. Yeah. I'd love for you to let that out because I have, I have found what I would call my, my sole purpose here um is really to nourish our community, cultivate relationships, connect with people.
00:23:11
Speaker
And my, My skill set, i I suppose, being in agriculture and being a farmer sort of lends me the opportunity to build a place, most likely a farm,
00:23:35
Speaker
To cultivate these things. Somewhere where people can come, they can enjoy just being outside, good meal, maybe a yoga class, something. Something to connect, to ground yourself, to nourish yourself.
00:23:50
Speaker
you know And it's not selfish to nourish yourself. Take a little, take a moment. Let's talk about that. Take a breath. Meditate.
00:24:02
Speaker
Do whatever, whatever. If it's, you know, you need to have a glass of wine and take a bath, do it. Because that that little moment where you can calm everything down, quiet your mind, that's where I've found i've I have gained the most insight into really what my purpose is.
00:24:21
Speaker
Because you need to recharge, right? For you to take care of all the things that you need to take care of, you have to take care of you first.
00:24:33
Speaker
I've really found, you know, slowing, focusing on my breath, slowing myself.
00:24:40
Speaker
Everything is more clear now. I have the space to really, you know, think i feel in a way I feel that I get more done in my meditation time in the morning than I do all day because I'm so clear and directed. And I, you know, I've really made a an effort to focus on that for myself because I know that if I'm the best version of I'm,
00:25:03
Speaker
I can give more everybody around me. Absolutely. And the people that depend on you then see that beautiful version of you that's not tired and exhausted. and I'm here to inspire. that That's that is it. That is what you're here to do. And, you know, ah food is medicine. It is what our soul and our body truly needs in these times And before we go, you know, is there anything else, Matt, that you want to touch on? Because I've kind of directed the conversation quite a bit towards, you know, the physical effects of food and how nourishing wise we need that. And mentally it's important because it it keeps us focused.
00:25:50
Speaker
But is there anything else that that you want to touch on that maybe, you know, I did not?
00:25:56
Speaker
I think we we did a pretty good job here. Yeah. it You were prepared, but it had a flow. There there was certainly no... ah I told Matt... didn't that feel like I had to force anything there. Yeah. That's for sure. I told Matt, as somebody with ADD, I kind of just write out like five or six different little subjects that I want to talk about.
00:26:16
Speaker
And then, you know, so that we get to them. Otherwise, I'm like, I'm looping around without my good nutritious breakfast. Yeah. ah trying to figure out where we're going with this. But Matt, I want to thank you. I think if you're out there listening, you know, um I would encourage you to be an advocate in your own community too.
00:26:36
Speaker
Because, you know, it looks daunting when you see all of the stuff that is in our food is, you know, Matt, you were saying at the beginning and stuff, but I do see that we are looking at that a
Conclusion: The Power of Food and Connection
00:26:48
Speaker
little more. Like, why can you live in Italy and eat all the pasta you want and you don't get chunky?
00:26:54
Speaker
But in America, wait, there's seven other ingredients in this pasta. And now I feel sluggish and sick. So like, I think the whole thing we, that may seem daunting, but we can make small steps to get there.
00:27:08
Speaker
And it can be that you say, listen. financially, i can't afford to always just shop on the perimeter of my grocery store and with my farmers. But could i get enough fruits and vegetables from my local farmers so that at least have snacks every day?
00:27:24
Speaker
And that's what I snack on. Or that goes in my yogurt in the morning. you know like Can we do that kind of stuff and make some small changes, which really do make a big impact overall? It makes a Make a huge difference. And that's what you need to know because we talk about guilt, talk about not giving ourselves time.
00:27:42
Speaker
We're not telling you have to change your whole entire lifestyle and look at every single... But you might just want to supplement and make some small changes that overall affect your health. We know that obesity is a sign.
00:27:54
Speaker
um Cancer... um There are a lot of side effects to being obese that can lead to certain kind of cancers and heart disease and all of these other things. So...
00:28:06
Speaker
Small things with our local farmers and nutritious food can actually make a big difference. Please don't listen to this and get discouraged. We're not telling you to change your whole life.
00:28:16
Speaker
We're telling you make small little steps. We're telling you to make even a connection with your local farmer and talk about a CSA. Or your neighbor anybody. Right. Really, there the resources are there.
00:28:29
Speaker
They're all around us. They're all around us. And talking about your neighbor, this is something else too. Maybe you do get a CSA. Maybe you can share it with a neighbor that you know is struggling just a little bit or you're going on vacation. Hey, can you take my CSA this week?
00:28:44
Speaker
Can you have my food this week? And the next thing you know, they're all of a sudden like, oh my goodness, I want this too. That's all takes. Yeah. One one little spark, one little one little idea. Absolutely. And...
00:28:57
Speaker
So if you're the person that is fortunate enough that you can do this stuff, maybe you share a little bit of this. Maybe you know of a cancer patient or somebody that is sick or emphysema or whatever it is, and you go over there with just a small bowl of fruit or, you know, a nice garden salad.
00:29:13
Speaker
And that will make all the difference in the world. Sharing is healing too. Sharing is healing. I love that, man. I love that you were in here today with me. I love that we could spend this time together because we you and I don't get that much.
00:29:26
Speaker
And I just want to tell all of you as we wrap it up, food is so much more than what we eat. There's meaning behind that. It's for someone that's going through a cancer diagnosis, that would mean that meal represents so much more to them.
00:29:40
Speaker
It's a moment of relief. In a long day of appointments, it's strength when their body feels weak. It's love when the words fall short. The power of nutritious food isn't just in its ability to heal the body, though, of course, that's remarkable.
00:29:56
Speaker
It's in the connection that it creates. It's between farmers that grow it and the hands that prepare it. And I'm going to cry. It's the hearts that receive it, right?
00:30:07
Speaker
It's all of this. It's reminder that even in life's darkest moments. There are people out there that love you, that care for you. There is joy and there is light. So whether you're growing food or you're delivering a meal or you're simply sitting down to share it with somebody else, I just want you to remember that every single bite will nourish more than just your body.
00:30:31
Speaker
It's going to nourish your soul. Until next time, please be gentle with yourself. Take a moment to slow down. Savor the good things and never underestimate the power of food. From Matt and myself, take care of yourself and each other.