Happy New Year!
Here at Where We Live, the staff have made a few “resolutions”: Tucker has vowed to not trim his beard once in 2012. Dankosky is branching out to start a hip clothing line for “working professionals” (Lots of tweed jackets/sweater vest combos.) And I hope to reach my life-long goal of making it on Hartford.com’s list of “25 Connecticut Twitter Users you Should be Following.” (@Scuttlebuttt, ahem)
Oh, and of course we’ll continue to bring you the best radio shows every single day. Here’s what’s coming up:
MONDAY: New Years Special
Majora Carter’s The Promised Land Episode 2: Farm-to-Plate Innovator — Cheryl Rogowski
Where does our food come from? Since we pay close attention to so many aspects of food in the holiday season, host Majora Carter visits the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area, where Cheryl Rogowski, a fourth-generation farmer, grows 200 varieties of fruits and vegetables. In 2004, Cheryl became the first farmer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship. She was honored for her innovative approach to agricultural programs and for reimagining and reinvigorating the American family farm. Farming in the 21st century encompasses agricultural work but also addresses community, social, civic and education needs. “It’s not enough to just ride a tractor today,” states Rogowski. She will give us a tour of her farm, and we’ll hear from people she works with in the many programs she has created — from mentoring migrant farmers to creating low-cost CSAs for senior citizens, from supplying food for soup kitchens to helping with innovative sustainable farming programs in local communities.
TUESDAY: I Do?
About half of all adults in the United States are currently married. This is a record low, according to a new Pew Research Center study. If current trends continue, the share of adults who are currently married will drop to below half within a few years. Despite this trend, the decline is far less for adults with college educations than among the less educated. If marriage is becoming more concentrated among the more affluent and educated, what does this mean for future generations? Coming up, we’ll look at the issue and what it looks like here in Connecticut?
WEDNESDAY: Where’s the Beef?
In 2010, Americans consumed 26.4 billion pounds of beef. Like many things, not all beef is the same. We’ll speak with the owner of a Connecticut beef farm who was feeding his cattle grass before it was popular. We’ll also discuss the impact of droughts and government regulations on the beef industry as a whole. A recent Texas drought reduced the cattle population by 600,000 in that state and the FDA relaxed antibiotic regulations in beef.
THURSDAY: Cable TV
Today it’s a look at cable companies in Connecticut. A new UMASS study says despite the bad economy, the cable industry added jobs and generated almost a billion and a half dollars in economic activity in 2010. We’ll look at how the cable companies operate in the state – where customers have very little choice on price and provider. And what’s the future for cable TV? We’ll find out.
FRIDAY: Just Checking-In
We’re really checking in on some recent shows, including our fracking and natural gas show from August. Environmental reporter Nick Kusnetz will once again join us for the latest in the fracking debate from Canada to the States. And what’s happening with Hartford’s rebranding campaign?
