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PODCAST

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff

Cynthia Barstow

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff is where Cynthia Barstow brings together natural products change-makers sharing their stories with younger generations, so together they can help make sense of what’s on our shelves. Along the way, they reveal how the choices we make — from food to fashion, beauty to beverages — impact our health, our wellness, and our planet.

health & fitness food

All Episodes

33:09

Secrets in your SPICE Jar

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/11/25

Your spice jar has a story… and it reveals what’s really behind the flavors in your food. Join Cynthia, Frontier Co-op/Simply Organic CEO Tony Bedard, and Gen Z voice Sara Yelle as they trace spices back to the people and places that grow them. This warm, eye-opening episode shows how everyday flavors carry purpose — and why the spices you choose matter more than you realize. As the holiday season begins, enjoy a dose of thankfulness knowing every spice jar on your rack can make a difference ...

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27:52

What's Up with RICE?

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/11/11

Rice feeds half the world — and may be a key to saving the planet. In this episode, host Cynthia Barstow and Gen Z voice Marigold Averill sit down with Caryl Levine, co-founder of Lotus Foods, to explore how a staple grain can become a force for good. From preserving biodiversity to empowering women farmers and reducing methane emissions, discover how changing what goes into our rice bowls can nourish both the body and the Earth. Listen to the stories behind our stuff — and how one small bowl...

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21:40

What's Up with Chocolate?

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/10/28

Chocolate is one of the world’s sweetest pleasures—and one of its most bitter industries. In this episode, Cynthia Barstow and Gen Z voice, Vivian Mottl, talk with Joe Whinney, the pioneering founder of Theo Chocolate and now co-founder of Magic Chocolate, to explore how a once-broken system is being reborn through regenerative organic farming. With Dr. Bronner’s passing the torch to Magic Chocolate, a new era begins—one rooted in ethics, ecology, and extraordinary flavor. As trick-or-t...

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30:41

What's Up with an Anticancer Lifestyle?

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/10/14

Everyone seems to know someone who’s heard the words “You have cancer.” Many of us want to do something about it. What if we can—through simple, everyday choices that lower risk and strengthen wellbeing? In this episode, Cynthia talks with Meg Cadoux, founder of the Anticancer Lifestyle Program, who has dedicated years to providing free, science-based resources for survivors and their loved ones. Joined by Maggie Hurley, a next-generation voice and Protect Our Breasts alum, they explore five ...

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26:09

What's Up with Functional Fungi?

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/09/30

Mushrooms are moving off our plates and into our coffee, protein powders, and daily wellness routines. In this episode of ShelfSense, Cynthia Barstow digs into the booming mushroom dietary supplement trend with Sandra Carter, founder of OM Mushroom, and Gen Z fitness enthusiast Neo Paradis. Together, they explore why functional fungi are suddenly everywhere, what benefits they promise, and how this hot trend is reshaping the wellness market. Send us a text

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29:16

What's Up with Clean Beauty?

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/09/16

What does “Clean Beauty” really mean—and who’s making sure it delivers? Cosmetics veteran Curt Valva and Gen Z changemaker Izzy Desrosiers unpack the personal care and cosmetics standards, the myths, and the movement toward safer, more transparent products that actually perform. Hopeful, eye-opening, and practical—this is what every consumer needs to know about the future of beauty. Send us a text

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27:03

What's Up with the Little Brownie Bits in our Ice Cream?

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/09/02

As it turns out, that Ben & Jerry’s chocolate fudge brownie ice-cream holds more than you’d ever expect. In this episode, we go beyond the pint to uncover the story behind those rich, fudgy chunks—from the ovens of Greyston Bakery to a philosophy rooted in Zen Buddhism. Cynthia Barstow talks with Roshi Eve Marko, a Zen teacher who helped grow Greyston alongside Bernie Glassman, and Christine Conroy, who’s carrying the bakery’s mission forward. Together, they explore how one little ingredi...

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31:09

What’s Up with Our Seafood?

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/08/19

In this episode, former oyster farmer and Happy Planet podcast host Abigail Carroll joins Gen Z seafood lover and POB alum Eliza Peters for a conversation about the changing state of our oceans—and what it means for the seafood we love. From the “terroir” of the sea that shapes an oyster’s flavor to the microplastics and warming waters affecting our food and our future, we dive into the big questions. Abigail shares hope-inspiring innovations from entrepreneurs in the ocean economy, while Eli...

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31:07

What’s Up with Our Kids’ Stuff: Back to School and more

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/08/05

This expanded Back-to-School episode is for parents of all ages— from those raising babies and toddlers to moms of tweens. Host Cynthia Barstow is joined by longtime alum and POB advisor Kristin Peters and daughter-in-law Bex Barstow, current Co-Ed of Protect Our Breasts at BCPP, to explore what moms really want to know about safer school supplies, snacks, baby gear, and more. From lunchboxes to lotion, we’ve got your little ones covered. Suggested Choices from our Guests: Food: Once Upon a F...

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27:58

What’s Up with our LOCAL Stuff: Farmers Markets, Farm...

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/07/22

In this episode of ShelfSense, we dig into the magic of local food with Dan Kaplan, Brookfield Farm CSA farmer of 28 years, and Leila Tunnell, K–6 garden educator and past farm apprentice. Together, they share how community supported agriculture offers us an opportunity to connect more deeply—with the land, with each other, and with what we eat. From farm stands to school gardens, little ones across local elementary schools are learning to love the full experience—from soil to harvest—and wit...

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35:09

What's Up with Our HERBAL Stuff?

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/07/08

In this revealing episode of ShelfSense, we dig into the roots of the herbal products lining our shelves. Our guests, Dr. Zoe Gardner, editor of the Botanical Safety Handbook and self-proclaimed herb nerd, and Emma Cosaboom, a Gen Z expert in sourcing and marketing, both bring their deep experience from their time at Traditional Medicinals, a brand celebrated for its sourcing integrity. Together, they unpack why plant material quality is the key to herbal efficacy, and how not all herbal comp...

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25:37

What's Up with Our Sips & Snacks?

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/06/24

In this Fourth of July-inspired episode of ShelfSense, Cynthia is joined by Sarah Alexander, Director of Customer Marketing at Nixie and one of her first Seed to Shelf assistants, along with her daughter Emily Barstow, a marketing consultant who got her start at Late July Organic Snacks. They share behind-the-scenes stories from the early startup days at Late July and explore how founder Nicole Dawes is once again leading with purpose — this time with Nixie, the only certified organic, zero s...

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30:32

What's Up with Our SUN Stuff?

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/06/10

Is Sunscreen protecting us…or putting us at risk? Badger Co-CEO Rebecca Hamilton and clean beauty advocate + new mom Jen Brown unpack mineral sunscreens, SPF, when to reapply, UVA vs UVB, and the chemicals that might be doing more harm than good. Send us a text

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31:22

What's Up with Our Organic Stuff?

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/05/26

Is Organic the real deal? What about other product claims? How can I afford it? Organic pioneer Katherine DiMatteo talks with Gen Z Sage D’Amelio about how Organic became a law and what to consider in making Organic choices on the shelves. Send us a text

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29:20

What's Up with Our Stuff? Toxins & Health

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/05/13

The two women leading Protect Our Breasts share how hidden chemicals in our everyday products are linked to breast cancer—and what we can do about it. From plastic packaging to fragrance trees, and campus campaigns to motherhood, this student-driven action has already created real change. Send us a text

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1:53

Trailer

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff ·

2025/04/29

ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff is where Cynthia Barstow brings together natural products change-makers sharing their stories with younger generations, so together they can help make sense of what’s on our shelves. Along the way, they reveal how the choices we make — from food to fashion, beauty to beverages — impact our health, our wellness, and our planet. Send us a text

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16 results

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