S9 Ep72: Rethink Your Plate: How Agriculture Shapes Everyday Wellness with Jennifer Waxman
“Everything about our waking being is affected by the food we eat. And it’s not just where your food comes from, but the ingredients…with integrity. Who is putting their love and passion into a crop? Who is not taking the shortcuts? How are individual ingredients… affecting our overall mood, physicality, all those things. All this is coming to light now— this is not pseudoscience anymore.” —Jennifer Waxman
Every meal shapes more than our day—it shapes our health, our habits, and even our outlook. The world talks about superfoods and supplements, but the real power is digging into what grows close to home. By shifting perspective on our plate, we can change everything we thought we knew about wellness.
Raised on homegrown food and practical kitchen wisdom, Seed2source co-founder, Jennifer Waxman, turned her roots into a mission to make agriculture accessible and meaningful. She’s faced the challenges of new food technologies, bridged the gap between farms and hospitals, and built real-world solutions for everyday eaters. Today, she proves anyone can harness the benefits of smarter agriculture, even without expert know-how.
Expect surprising tips about local sourcing, honest talk about common food myths, behind-the-scenes glimpses at hospital nutrition programs, and smart strategies for bringing better produce (and practices) into your life—all served in this week’s episode. Stream now!
Connect with Jennifer:
Jennifer Waxman, co-founder and managing partner at Seed2Source, began her career in agribusiness and natural wellness in 2000 after earning her MBA from Rollins College. She became a global leader in agricultural water conservation and hydroponics, gaining early insights into Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) before its U.S. emergence. In 2005, she founded a consulting firm focused on sustainable agriculture and wellness, managing supply chains and pioneering food-as-medicine models.
As Executive Director of The Villages Grown, she developed a community-centric, local food system business model. Jennifer is a respected mentor and advocate for the Local Food Movement, collaborating with major health and academic institutions. She educates on nutrient-dense growing and the health impacts of diet, emphasizing the link between agriculture and wellness. Her leadership spans board roles, keynote speaking, and editorial contributions across national and international agricultural organizations.
Episode Highlights:
00:44 Meet Jennifer
04:11 Lessons Learned from Successes and Failures
07:34 Transitioning to Agriculture: Nurturing Plants and People
16:04 The Impact of Food as Medicine
21:59 Education and Empowerment in Agriculture
30:58 The Future of Agriculture and Its Broader Impact
36:16 Agriculture at the Roots of All Sectors
Tweets:
Tired of complicated trends? Real health is simple: better food, less waste, more know-how. Learn straight from the experts on agriculture, zero-waste tricks, and eating well every day with @justine.reichman and @seed2source co-founder, Jennifer Waxman. #entrepreneurship #socialgood #inspiration #impactmatters #NextGenChef #EssentialIngredients #agriculture #wellness #localfood #wellness #growathome #urbanfarming #mindfuleating
Inspirational Quotes:
04:11 “With every entrepreneur and every consultant working through these new initiatives and innovations, there's a lot of successes and failures in the process, and we learn so much from our failures, as much as our successes.” —Justine Reichman
04:33 “You can never be a consultant if you haven't failed forth. Your whole job is to make sure nobody repeats or is risk mitigative to the failures or struggles you had— that's the key to a good consultant.” —Jennifer Waxman
05:13 “Our mantra is the intersection between wellness and agriculture, and when you separate the two, we become ill.” —Jennifer Waxman
13:19 “Let go of the fear. What do you really have to lose? You get ‘nos’ all day long.” —Jennifer Waxman
14:11 “The simplest things are what make people billionaires. We make everything so complex.” —Jennifer Waxman
16:14 “The root is agriculture, and the root impacts the planet, and it impacts food as medicine.” —Justine Reichman
17:15 “Everything about our waking being is affected by the food we eat…and it’s not just where your food comes from, but the ingredients…with integrity. Who is putting their love and passion into a crop? Who is not taking the shortcuts? How are individual ingredients… affecting our overall mood, physicality, all those things. All this is coming to light now— this is not pseudoscience anymore.” —Jennifer Waxman
19:22 “Education is integral. It's key because without the education, people don't know why they're making the choices that they're making.” —Justine Reichman
29:52 “Just because you haven't done it doesn't mean you can't. There are so many tools now for us to be educated.” —Jennifer Waxman
36:01 “It all comes back to agriculture. We can't exist without it, and we need to protect it and understand it more.” —Jennifer Waxman
Transcription:
coming soon
