The Heritage Radio Network is a cutting edge internet-based radio station designed to protect and advance our country’s rich cultural roots in the form of interviews, reflections, musings and ramblings from America’s leading farmers, food mavericks, filmmakers, artists and tastemakers. The live radio shows are then uploaded onto heritageradionetwork.com where content is archived into audio bits and pieces and searchable by keywords or phrases. This is an unprecedented venue for future historians who want to research their past, our present.

New York, NY: In April of 2009 the Heritage Radio Network (HRN) broadcast its first show, the Main Course, hosted by Patrick Martins, founder of Heritage Foods USA, a meat distribution company. Today 10 shows broadcast weekly and hosts include well-known figures such as Zak Pelaccio of The Fatty Crab, and Anne Saxelby from Saxelby Cheese.  More shows will premiere in August and September.  While most of the broadcasts focus on some aspect of the food industry, the Network is building shows that explore other aspects of popular culture as well.

The programming reflects the progressive views of the founders, and incorporates a philosophy that chronicles and celebrates the growing movement to change how Americans eat, and by extension think, about the planet. Bringing in experts from many disciplines, Heritage Radio Network offers a range of opportunities for listeners, including among other things, a How-To series on artisanal bread, becoming a successful restaurateur, and even building a radio studio.  Listeners can hear interviews with leading chefs, restaurateurs, growers and distributors.  Upcoming shows will highlight developments in the seafood industry, curing meats, building green and more.

HRN is structured more like a search engine then a radio station. While all shows air live and accept call-ins, each show is also archived, broken into segments and tagged with searchable phrases (urban farming, sustainability, President Obama). Enter “poaching” and you will be directed to an episode of Why we Cook, hosted by teaching instructor Erica Wides. You can also click a random word in the tag cloud and just hit play.

HRN is located in the back garden of Roberta’s Restaurant at 261 Moore Street in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. Roberta’s makes superb thin crust pizza and its kitchen features excellent cured meats, steaks and chops. True to the ideals of the founders, the studio itself is located in two repurposed 20 foot shipping containers which have been decked out using sustainable materials.

Sponsors of HRN include Hearst Ranch and Alice Waters who helped fund an organic garden on the roof of the two containers. Heritage Foods USA, the purveyor of heritage meats, is the primary sponsor of HRN. Heritage Foods works with 40 farms in the Midwest to provide proteins to restaurants and home chefs. Heritage Foods’ farmers and butchers are featured on the Farm Report, which airs Fridays at 4pm.