December 8, 2023

Pioneer PBS is airing six stories about how plant-based foods are changing farming, culture, and what we eat. We are excited about Episode 4! At the 7.08 mark you will see Unny Nambudiripad, a CAA co-founder, talking about his pathway to a plant-based diet. Twin Cities Veg Fest also got a lot of air time as his interview started there. It ends with dinner with his parents — CAA supporters Godan and Savihtry Namudiripad. In his interview, Unny shared “We’ve really been able to tap into the excitement and interest in plant-based foods.”

This episode is part of a series called “Minnesota’s Alt-Meat Revolution” — a year-long video and print journalism project, looking into the roots and impact of the plant-protein phenomenon. The project is a partnership between Pioneer PBS, West Central Tribune, and WORLD Channel, with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

Over the course of the year, Pioneer PBS will have produced six stories. They examine the impact of plant-based proteins on current agricultural, cultural, and dietary trends — and on the rural community of Dawson, Minnesota. Here, PURIS Foods has purchased and retrofitted a facility to be a state-of-the-art yellow field pea processing facility. PURIS is the largest processor of yellow pea protein in North America. In 2018 and 2019, Cargill invested a combined $100 million in PURIS.

The other six episodes focus on things like the history of the production of plant-based protein, the role that crop insurance plays in the business of farming and how farmers are thinking about improving soil health and water quality.

The fact that they have devoted so much print space and air time to the story of plant-based protein is indicative that an “alt-meat revolution” is indeed in the works.