For our first show of 2026 - go behind the scenes with our Host Tagan Engel's family, her partner Enroue Onigbonna Halfkenny and children Tomitsela and Ayo Engel-Halfkenny. They talk about the themes of this show: food, radical love and creative social justice which are also pretty big themes in their family. Hear from these parents and teen/young adults in this progressive family who are muli-racial (Black, Ashkenazi, White - including Irish and Swedish, and Indigenous - Miq’Mac and Saponi) and also Mulit-faith practicing both in Judaism and the Yoruba Tradition. They dig in about the food they love, their varried experiences, and the ways they engage in family, community and social justice work in the world. At this pivotal moment, where their son Ayo turned 21 this year and is in college, their daughter Tomitsela will be leaving for college in the fall, as well as in this moment of much political and social upheaval, it seemed like a special time to capture these reflections and a great way to start the new year.

To find links to many of the things discussed in this episode go to www.thetableunderground.com.

This episode was edited by Tagan Engel, and our theme music is by The Passion Hifi. We air on WKPN 89.5 Community Radio in Bridgeport, CT on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm eastern.

Indonesian Chef and Farmer Ria Ibrahim shares on building loving relationship with soybeans through a multitude of methods to preserve and enjoy these sacred beans including as miso, tofu, and soy milk. As Farm to Table Director at Soul Fire Farm Ria brings deep cultural connections, love and spirit into her work to preserve the harvest for community, cook for programs, and teach cooking and foraging. She also speaks on her journey to learn plants and fungus in a new land and passing on this love and knowledge to her daughter. You can follow Ria at @kitchenmagician on Instagram and get notices about future workshops and soooo much more by signing up for the Soul Fire Farm newsletter. Go to www.thetableunderground.com to see photos and recipes for this and many past shows.

Lauren “Sun Turtle” Peters is a Mashpee Wampanoag seed keeper carrying on in the traditions she learned from her clan mother Anita “Mother Bear“ Peters. In 2021 Lauren helped to return the King Phillips variety of corn, also known as Metacom corn, to be grown on her people’s land for the first time in 300 years. Soon after, she founded Corn Sister Circle, a project powered by her love for her community and desire to connect Wampanoag peoples across generations to heal from colonialism and racism with each other through tending land and traditional food ways.

For photos and links about things mentioned in this interview as well as many past episodes go to www.thetableunderground.com. You can also read Lauren's article Corn Sister Circle: Honoring Our Ancestors, Grounded on Our Ancestral Homelands where she writes beautifully about the complexity of this work and journey including the apology from the American Psychological Association to First Peoples in the US. To donate to support Corn Sister Circle and other work that Lauren is leading click here. You can also follow their work and see videos via their Instagram @wampumconsulting.

Much gratitude and love to Lauren Peters for sharing her story and for doing this vital work. Many thanks to the talented Meg Dalton for editing this episode. Our theme music is from the Passion Hifi. All episodes are produced and hosted by Tagan Engel. The Table Underground is available on any podcasting site, through our website and now airs on the first Tuesday of the month on WPKN community radio 89.5fm in Bridgeport, CT.

Most of the stories on this show are connected to food in some way - but as our byline says we also talk about radical love and creative social justice, and today’s show uplifts a beautiful example of both of these principles.

Mitch Levine is an OBGYN doctor based in the Boston area who has been helping to transform his profession towards women-centered holistic care for over 40 years. Starting from a place of respecting women’s bodies and wishes, he demonstrated that it was possible to support births and surgeries in ways that were previously unheard of in 1980’s western medical practices. He learned from and partnered with midwives and spread new techniques to residents and other doctors inside hospitals one birth or surgery at a time. This approach has contributed to changing what is considered standard practice for procedures such as births after c-section and removing fibroids - a major win for women’s health.

Our host Tagan Engel has known Mitch for nearly 45 years, since she was a little kid, through a cooperative summer dance community they were both part of. She always knew he was a well respected women’s health doctor, but hadn’t talked with him about it… this summer was different. Mitch is dancing his way through terminal and painful late stage cancer, and Tagan was amazed at his vibrancy and joy even in the face of death. She made more time to sit and listen as he shared one amazing story after another about the groundbreaking work he has done to support and transform women’s healthcare. It was an honor that he made time to document these stories and we hope you enjoy hearing them as much as we did.

Thanks to Meg Dalton for editing the interview and to the Passion Hifi for our theme song! The Table Underground airs on WPKN community radio 89.5fm in Bridgeport, CT the 4th Wednesday of every month at noon, and by podcast any time. Find 80+ past episodes, photos, articles, recipes and more at www.thetableunderground.com

First aired in 2019. Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm on her pivotal book Farming While Black, the Afro-Indigenous roots of sustainable agriculture and the work of supporting Black folks and other people of color in finding liberation on land. Plus Taina Asili’s 2025 Fever Pitch Pilgrimage and Song Tour for climate and social action, September 13-27, 2025.

Meg Fama of The Farm Belly and Raquel Rivera of A Pinch of Salt are two long-time food business owners showing us what successful women-owned businesses can look like all while supporting local farmers and entrepreneurs. They talk about how and why they do what they do and the evolution of their businesses over the years; The Farm Belly from food truck to caterer to a new restaurant in New Haven, CT, and A Pinch of Salt through cooking experiences, food entrepreneur mentorship and training, plus catering in Bridgeport, CT and beyond. This episode also features the song "No Es Mi Presidente" from Taína Asili y La Banda Rebelde.

The Table Underground airs on WPKN 89.5 fm Community Radio in Bridgeport, CT the 4th Monday of every month, and by podcast any time. You can find more info on this episode, 85+ past interviews, photos, recipes, articles and more at www.thetableunderground.com

Mohammed Alqurnah is an agronomist, entomologist and Beekeeper living in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem. Hana' Maaiah is a Farmer and Beekeeper of Jordanian and Palestinian descent based in the upstate, NY. Hana' recently returned from a two month long trip visiting Mohammed and other beekeepers in the West Bank. These two passionate beekeepers share about their love of these beautiful honey producing creatures, the realities of living and keeping bees under Israeli occupation, as well as the impacts of war, genocide and the climate crisis on bees - the pollinators we humans need to survive.

To see photos and more info go to www.thetableunderground.com
This episode was edited by Meg Dalton.
Our theme song is from the Passion Hifi.
The Table Underground airs the 4th Monday of every month at 12pm eastern on WPKN community radio, 89.5 in Bridgeport, CT and is available by podcast anytime.
Many thanks to Combcutters for connecting these two Palestinian Beekeepers, and for your work to uplift beekeepers, bees, their ecosystem and thriving life for all beings. To learn more and support Palestinian farmers and bee keepers check out the Palestinian Union of Agricultural Worker Committees and you can donate to support them here.

Growing food in the city is also an opportunity to grow community and healing in more ways than one. Dishaun Harris, aka Farmer D and the founder of Rootlife is a Black urban farmer and filmmaker manifesting the change he wants to see in his community. He stewards 5 community farms around the city of New Haven, CT and collaborates to create programs and events that nourish people’s bodies, minds, and spirits. Briana Mclean, one of Farmer D’s collaborators - is the talented cook behind the culinary business By Bri Marie. With a focus on plant-based ingredients, she cooks up well seasoned dishes at the farm-based classes and as part of her weekly prepared meals and catering services. Briana and Dishaun joined me to talk about food as medicine, community and liberation.

More info at www.thetableunderground.com and check out Rootlife's new documentary: Black, Brown & Green: A Digital Palette Of Agriculture In Elm City (New Haven, CT) and join the Liberated Land Cooperative's CSA - farm share delivery from CT Black and Brown farmers.