THE LAST SUPPER—SEEDS OF CHANGE
While changing weather patterns wreak havoc on everything from where we live to how we farm and what we eat, a new generation of farmers is building a sustainable agriculture system. While often dismissed as not ready for prime time, local projects with global implications are resetting the American dinner table, building circular food economies that turn waste into energy, soil, and fresh food.
MEET OUR GUESTS
Founder and CEO, Urban Growers Collective
ERIKA ALLEN
Erika Allen is one of the leading voices reimagining the future of food, farming, and community—an entrepreneur, strategist, and advocate whose work connects environmental stewardship with equity, health, and economic opportunity. As the CEO of the Urban Growers Collective and co-founder of Green Era Educational NFP, she has helped transform vacant urban spaces into thriving centers of agriculture, education, and community resilience, demonstrating that regenerative food systems can nourish both people and the places they call home.
Driven by the belief that healthy communities begin with healthy ecosystems, Allen has dedicated her career to cultivating local leadership, expanding access to fresh food, and advancing innovative models of sustainable development. Through her work in urban agriculture, environmental justice, and circular economies, she invites communities to see food not simply as sustenance, but as a powerful catalyst for connection, resilience, and lasting social change.
Author, The Last Supper
SAM KASS
Sam Kass believes that some of the world's greatest challenges can be addressed one meal at a time. As the former White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Nutrition during the Obama administration, he helped redefine the role food plays in public health, education, and environmental sustainability, proving that what we eat is deeply connected to the health of our communities and the future of our planet. His work has shaped national conversations around nutrition while inspiring a new generation to see food as a force for lasting change.
In his book The Last Supper and throughout his career as a chef, entrepreneur, and public advocate, Kass explores the profound influence of our food system on nearly every aspect of modern life—from climate and agriculture to culture and economic opportunity. Combining practical insight with an optimistic vision, he challenges us to rethink our relationship with food, reminding us that small, everyday choices have the power to create healthier people, stronger communities, and a more sustainable world.