Greetings from What is California? HQ, where an email arrived in July that changed our lives. “Hi, Stu,” the email began. “I'd love to gauge your interest in having Miyoko Schinner, the vegan chef and visionary CEO behind Miyoko's Creamery on an upcoming episode of What is California?"
Now, here’s the thing: We get these emails fairly regularly. And I appreciate them! It’s nice to be considered as a worthwhile place where so many cool people can come tell their stories to our audience. But rarely are we pitched someone who actually has a genuine California story who is fundamentally changing and improving lives all over the state and the country, really—not just people’s lives, but also animals’ lives. And it’s especially rare to get pitched someone whose work is a kitchen staple in my home. I literally never have less than a pound of Miyoko’s cultured vegan butter in my refrigerator at any given time.
So… yes. Hell yes. I went to Miyoko’s ranch in rural Marin County to talk all about her vegan food empire—how it started, where it’s going, how it’s making a difference—as well as her amazing California origin story. The Japan native arrived at SFO in the 1960s knowing not one word of English, and thinking she’d be living in a hyperfuturistic San Francisco right out of The Jetsons. That’s not what happened. But what did happen established Miyoko in Marin County for the long haul, making her a signature Californian with a vision that has inspired untold numbers of people to pivot to plant-based cheeses, butters, and other products from her flagship Miyoko’s Creamery.
To be clear: I’m not here to shame or judge anyone for loving a hunk of real cheese or ice cream cones or a juicy burger. You do you, sincerely. But I am a vegan, and Miyoko is a big reason why. And our chat may get you thinking about if or how you might scale back your own meat or dairy consumption, even if it’s a day or two a week. Miyoko’s accessibility, irrepressibility, good humor, and commitment to enlightening folks about their food—not to mention her delicious products increasingly (and affordably!) available at a grocery near you—affirmed my fandom.
This is a lively, funny, thought-provoking conversation, and quite possibly my favorite What is California? to date. I hope you enjoy it! Drop me a line at hello@whatiscalifornia.com to let me know what you thought.
Thanks for listening! Keep your eye on the bear! 🐻 ❤️
Episode Notes
Miyoko Schinner is the founder of Miyoko’s Creamery.
People look at a single point in history and think that’s the way it’s been forever. But it hasn’t been. […] There was a time when everyone thought TV dinners were all the rage, and they were delicious. That was the standard at one point. And they didn’t want to have a big beautiful salad. Nobody wants to eat TV dinners now. People would prefer to have a big beautiful fresh salad. So tastes do evolve. Humans do evolve. We can introduce new foods that are similar yet different—and perhaps superior in many ways.
Notes and references from this episode:
@MiyokoSchinner - Miyoko Schinner on Twitter
@MiyokosCreamery - Miyoko’s Creamery on Twitter
miyokos.com - Miyoko’s Creamery home page
Rancho Compasión - home page
Diet for a Small Planet, by Frances Moore Lappé
Dairy Farm Transition program - home page
“Point Reyes supplies emergency water for tule elk,” by Will Houston, Marin Independent Journal
“Point Reyes water quality tests find high bacteria levels,” by Will Houston, Marin Independent Journal
"New estimates of the environmental cost of food" - Oxford University
=====
Produced, hosted and edited by Stu VanAirsdale
Theme music: Sounds Supreme
Twitter: @WhatCalifornia
Substack newsletter: whatiscalifornia.substack.com
Email: hello@whatiscalifornia.com
Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And if you liked What is California?, please rate and review What is California? on Apple Podcasts! It helps new listeners find the show.
