On this week's show--Fermentation.

The microbiome is this complicated assemblage of bacteria and viruses and fungi and microscopic, multicellular creatures that exists within all of us. And these trillions of little beings help us to do everything in our daily lives.

Andrew Flachs is an Anthropologist at Purdue University, where he is an assistant professor.

Dr. Flach's spoke with Kane Fergeson of the Indiana University Food Institute, and Earth Eats Host, Kayte Young this fall when he visited the Indiana University campus for a talk on Fermentation and the Microbiome.

Andrew Flachs and his colleague Joseph Orkin are approaching the topic from more than one angle. And for them, getting to this topic was an interesting journey itself.

Also this week, from the archives, Earth Eats reporter Aubrey Seader talks with Barbara Lehr, a volunteer at Mother Hubbard's Cupboard teaching a Kombucha workshop.

And fermentation revivalist Sandor Katz gives us the basics on making sauerkraut at home. Katz is the author of The Art of Fermentation, and several other books on fermentation. Find the full Earth Eats interview and with Sandor Katz (plus a few recipes) in the post below.

Stories On This Episode

African Scientists Upgrade Key Staple Crop

Nigerian researchers are developing better strains of the starchy staple called cassava to help boost food security in Africa and Asia.

EPA Drops Proposal To Lower Pesticide Applicator Age

Turning 18 affords a lot of newfound freedoms - voting, buying lottery tickets, and professionally applying pesticides.