On this week's Beer Sessions Radio, Jimmy Carbone and company are talking about the future of New York State beer, and legislation surrounding beer. Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery's brewmaster, is in the studio along with Brian Strumke of Stillwater Artisanal Ales. Also, Dave Katleski and Olivia Cerio from Empire Brewing are in the house, along with Jen Schwertman of Blind Tiger. First, Jimmy asks Garrett and Brian about their beer collaborations and where they draw their inspiration. Later, Dave, who is also the President of the New York State Brewer's Association, talks about some legislation that will hopefully improve the market for New York beer within the state and beyond. Topics include the excise tax, the Shelton Bros. lawsuit, and brand label registration fees. Finally, tune in to hear about hop and barley production within New York State. This episode has been brought to you by GreatBrewers.com.

"I started looking at a brewery as a studio because I was using [recording] studios all over the world to make remixes and original productions. That's just a bunch of gadgets and synthesizers, and the brewery is a bunch of stainless steel and equipment, as well." -- Brian Strumke on Beer Sessions Radio

"As long as New York State is focused on local, and they certainly are, I think New York State beer is going to continue to thrive. As long as we continue making great award-winning beer, I think the future is bright." -- Dave Katleski on Beer Sessions Radio

"We have an opportunity to reconnect beer to the land in the mind of the public. Things that have always been true will simply be apparent to everyone: beer is grown, and does not just come out of a factory made by machines." -- Garrett Oliver on Beer Sessions Radio

This week, Anne Saxelby and Sophie Slesinger call up New York state dairy farmer Lorraine Lewendowsky for a report from the New York State Yogurt Summit. Lorraine is not only a dairy farmer, but an activist in the New York food community. Tune in to hear Lorraine talk about the percentage of yogurt that is made from large farms versus small farms. Learn about the environmental effects of New York state yogurt boom, and hear about some of the past trials that dairy farmers have had to face in the state. Learn about the importance of the food security in an import-heavy economy, and why New York state dairy farmers were prevented from organizing for collective bargaining rights. This episode has been sponsored by Hearst Ranch.

"About 9% of all New York State milk goes into yogurt."

"If you're going to incentivise the large farms, you should incentivise the smaller farms as well."

"I think the food movement should start incorporating the average farmer, not just the artisan farmer."

-- Lorraine Lewendowsky on Cutting the Curd

In spite of Hurricane Sandy, Burning Down the House soldiers on! This week, Curtis B. Wayne calls in from his emergency weather shelter to talk with Richard Yancey, project director at Green Light New York, Inc. Green Light New York, Inc., is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote quality, energy efficient lighting in New York City by creating a center for training, design assistance, and educational resources. Curtis and Richard discuss the importance of maximizing daylight use in building design, and what it can mean for energy prices and the environment. Learn why education is instrumental in changing behaviors that lead to wasted energy, and what New York City schools are doing to inform today's youth. Could a ban on incandescent lamps ever be possible in New York City? Find out what percentage of energy usage is attributed to lighting. And how does population density factor into energy efficiency in an urban environment? Find out this and more on this episode of Burning Down the House! This program has been brought to you by Heritage Foods USA.

"Of our $15 billion dollar energy bill, $3.4 billion or so is lighting. It accounts for 27% of our total electric use 17% of our total energy, and represents 12% of our total carbon footprint. So there's a big potential impact out there." [14:00]

-- Richard Yancey on Burning Down the House