Explorers in America

Open Dates: 
Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Food, agriculture, climate change and sustainability are four exceptionally large, complex and important issues in the fabric of today’s society. There exists a huge disconnect - between humans and their food, between public opinion and science - and it’s the media’s challenge to bridge this gap.

Benji and Tommy are here to be that bridge.

Follow these two brand-new Middlebury College grads as they travel across the country as Planet Forward's Explorers in America, finding the hidden stories that connect people to food and food to community.

Tags: 
explorers
How do you move the Planet Forward? Tweet us @planet_forward or contribute to the conversation with your own story.

Hub Content

The Plant
Travels With Benji
Explorers in America
Waste doesn't have to stay waste. Tommy and Benji visit a plant that's turning everything into something useful.
Microprocessing in the Bayou
Travels With Benji
Explorers in America
A bike trip through the Bayou turns into a lesson in sustainable microprocessing for Benji and Tommy.
The Good Food Festival
Travels With Benji
Explorers in America
Tommy and Benji get press passes to the Good Food Festival. On day one we learn about what it takes to bring a good food idea from the planning room to the dining room with the help of business  mentors and investors.  With the proper guidance and... Read More
Compost Pedaling
Travels With Benji
Explorers in America
Composting+Biking=Winning. We took to our tandem again to see how the Compost Pedallers, a company in Austin, TX, combine our two loves: biking and composting, successfully filling hearts with joy while emptying organic waste from landfills. Come... Read More
Chatting With An Urban Agriculture Prophet
Travels With Benji
Explorers in America
In February, we took a stroll through Yonkers, N.Y., with Curt Collier. This man has seen the future, and has some cool things to report back.
Microprocessing in the Bayou
Travels With Benji
Explorers in America
We met up with Thomas Hymel to talk about microprocessing & value-added seafood on Louisiana’s coast. His work aims to empower fishermen to vertically integrate their businesses - bringing a high quality product to consumers and a larger profit... Read More
ReFreshing a Community
Travels With Benji
Explorers in America
Jeff Schwartz, executive director of Broad Community Connections, and I sat in the garden behind his ReFresh project to talk about this one-of-a-kind “fresh food hub.” ReFresh is home to eight or so organizations ranging from local non-profits to a... Read More
Tony Lee: Urban Farming Brings Something Positive to NOLA
Travels With Benji
Explorers in America
Tony Lee runs the Magellan Street Community Garden — a one-lot operation just across the river from New Orleans. He’s a big, gregarious guy whose mouth can hardly keep up with the nodes of thought firing in his head. We meet him on a grey Sunday... Read More