My Podcast Site

SF's House Kombucha Podcast

Interested in Kombucha? Need a Kombucha Culture? Complete Video How To Brew Kombucha Series, Kombucha Benefits & Kombucha Recipe all FREE at Kombucha Kamp ***************************
I was positively giddy chatting with House Kombucha (remember them from the New Year's ReVolution: Drink Kombucha promotion?) founder Rana Chang and her business partner, Ben Graff. Based in San Francisco, they embody the values of a new generation of entrepreneurs committed to a triple bottom line of planet, people & profit. From House's humble beginnings at a struggling underground farmer's market local, to now being available all over SF and soon being delivered straight to your door via their partnership with Green Hearts Family Farm CSA, their story is one of hard work and tenacity.
Using social media and creating symbiotic relationships with other small businesses, they are steadily expanding their market while spreading the message of sustainability. We had so much fun discussing the origins of House, how Rana and Ben first started working together, their pioneering bottle return program that takes recycling one step better (remember the milkman?) and the supportive community that make up their customers, staff and small business alliances.
Their commitment to people and the community is not only reflected in their sourcing of locally grown ingredients but also to their Kombucha themed underground Prosper Dinners (Kombucha bacon anyone?) which take place right in the House Kombucha brewery! Open House on Thursdays is another way to connect with thirsty patrons as they line up with their own vessels and get them filled with tasty booch. If you are in SF for Earth Day, be sure to look for their booth at the Civic Center.
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Kombucha
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The Ladies of NessAlla Kombucha Sit Down With Hannah Crum of Kombucha Kamp

Interested in Kombucha? Need a Kombucha Culture? Complete Video How To Brew Kombucha Series, Kombucha Benefits & Kombucha Recipe all FREE at Kombucha Kamp
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The inspiring Vanessa Tortolano and Alla Shapiro join me for a great talk about their Kombucha story, the supportive community in Madison and their adventures in business. They dish the details on how they make their brew and why they still love teaching others to make their own. Listen in!
They deliver a tart, refreshing booch that reminds me very much of my own and my family easily knocked off the growler and 16oz bottles (we made a second trip for more) over the Thanksgiving weekend, which is when we need our Kombucha benefits like digestive assistance the most. Thanks gals!
I have also come to admire these savvy business ladies for infusing their hearts, minds and personalities into their company, one that grew organically from their passions as herbalists and community builders. It seems they found perfect partners in each other, and you can hear in their back and forth patter how they compliment one another's strengths.
They've got a great event coming up on March 6 in Madison called "The First Annual Kombuch-OFF!!!" which promises to be a hootin', hollerin' good time including homebrew contests, talented cooks crafting fine Kombucha related dishes and much more. Plus, say it with me now, It's All For Charity! Woot!
So click below to listen to this fun podcast with Alla and Vanessa.
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Kombucha
Kombucha Kamp on You Tube
Kombucha Kamp on Facebook

John Craven of BevNet and Hannah Crum Discuss The Kombucha Recall and The Kombucha Beverage Category

“Kombucha is one of the most interesting and unique categories in the beverage (world).” -- John Craven
Hey there and welcome to a brand new Kombucha Kamp Podcast!
Recently, I had the unique opportunity to connect with BevNet, the industry leader covering product and marketing news in the beverage world, and specifically John Craven, founder and owner. John is a not-so-secret Kombucha fan who also happens to be a behind the scenes beverage big-wig/know-it-all and one of the nicest guys I’ve met in a long time.
The Great Kombucha Recall of 2010 was “almost like a sports league going on strike...it kind of made it fair game for anyone to try and get that shelf space.”
Even better, he’s got a ton of great insight into the Kombucha category, which he calls one of the “most interesting and unique categories” in the beverage world. Considering The Great Kombucha Recall of 2010 and all the new brands and variations emerging onto the scene, he’ll get no argument from me.
“It seemed like there were folks out there that were really campaigning to try to make (The Recall) happen.”
We discuss The Recall of course, but also GT’s winning Product of the Year from BevNet Live Winter 2010, Honest Tea’s decision to drop their Kombucha line and what to expect moving forward, especially the potential for over-21 Kombucha lines. We also dip into the question of further regulatory issues that could emerge.
“In the case of Kombucha, you really don’t have any two products that look exactly the same...Kombucha seems to be ruled by a different type of company that just wants to do their own thing.”
I’ve put together this podcast from a couple of different calls we had up to the beginning of 2011, so enjoy! (Instead of a transcript, I’ve created a basic log of questions and topics so you can jump around if you like, but it’s only about 20 minutes long so feel free to just listen to the whole convo! :)
00:00 - What is BevNet and what spurred you to found it in 1996?
01:15 - When did Kombucha come onto the beverage industry radar?
03:15 - Talk about The Recall and Kombucha from an industry standpoint.
04:40 - How is Kombucha regulated? Does the FDA test these products regularly?
05:46 - GT’s won Product of the Year at BevNet 2010. How did you come to that decision?
06:50 - What can we expect in the Kombucha category moving forward? Are there murky waters ahead for Kombucha on store shelves?
08:00 - What is the viability for an “Over-21” Kombucha? Who would be interested and what kind of market would work?
09:30 - What are your thoughts about Honest Tea’s decision to drop their Kombucha line? Will this affect the Kombucha category?
11:25 - GT’s has released his AP5 Kombucha, for purchase by over-21 consumers. John weighs on on GT’s selling both the Original (AP5) and Enlightened (BP5) versions and potential difficulties about how that may play out.
12:50 - John talks about the different ethos and independent spirit of the Kombucha industry compared to the rest of the beverage industry.
14:10 - How the variety of Kombucha brands provides options to potential drinkers and helps Kombucha expand its reach.
15:10 - Great info about the Beverage Industry here: The concept of “bio-availability,” powdered supplements in the caps of water bottles (coming in 2011) and the behemoth known as coconut water.
16:45 - We discuss Yerba Mate, Acai and other exotic fruit juice offerings and the impact they are having on the beverage industry, especially the work by Guyaki and Sambazon.
18:05 - John discusses Expo West, coming up in March in Anaheim, CA.

Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures and Hannah Crum Discuss the rise of Raw Milk and Probiotics - Part 2

THIS IS PART 2 - IF YOU ARE JUST STARTING, GO TO PART 1 - THANK YOU! - Step into Mark McAfee's world and find out what Raw Milk is all about!  Owner of Organic Pastures Dairy Farm in Fresno, California, Mark is a fierce advocate for Raw Milk and Probiotics, and he delivers a roaring good podcast that lays bare the game being played by the FDA and Big Dairy not to mention the controversy over "Raw Milk" producers who "Thermalize" thier products to over 150 degrees and still have the nerve to tell the consumer it's a raw product.  Mark pulls no punches, but he and Hannah also explore the positive developments in consumer awareness and advocacy, particularly when it comes to demanding the right to choose real raw products, embodied by the fierce "Mother Lions" who back his cause all the way to the State House in Sacramento!  Make sure to catch both Parts 1 & 2.
"The FDA hates my guts, and I'm proud of that fact!" - Mark McAfee, Organic Pastures Dairy

Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures and Hannah Crum Discuss the rise of Raw Milk and Probiotics - Part 1

Step into Mark McAfee's world and find out what Raw Milk is all about!  Owner of Organic Pastures Dairy Farm in Fresno, California, Mark is a fierce advocate for Raw Milk and Probiotics, and he delivers a roaring good podcast that lays bare the game being played by the FDA and Big Dairy not to mention the controversy over "Raw Milk" producers who "Thermalize" thier products to over 150 degrees and still have the nerve to tell the consumer it's a raw product.  Mark pulls no punches, but he and Hannah also explore the positive developments in consumer awareness and advocacy, particularly when it comes to demanding the right to choose real raw products, embodied by the fierce "Mother Lions" who back his cause all the way to the State House in Sacramento!  Make sure to catch both Parts 1 & 2.
"The FDA hates my guts, and I'm proud of that fact!" - Mark McAfee, Organic Pastures Dairy

GT Dave and Hannah Crum Discuss the Return of GTs Kombucha

For the first time ever, GT Dave speaks to his fans via podcast.  Listen in as Hannah Crum of Kombucha Kamp asks GT all about the return of his bestselling raw organic Kombucha lines as well as the debut of his brand new "Enlightened" Kombucha.  Plus, hear about GT Dave's Kombucha philosophy, his secrets to getting the most benefits from Kombucha and his plans for the future of Kombucha and health food in general.  A fascinating talk about Kombucha's role in our overall health.  This podcast is a follow up to the article: GTs Original & "Enlightened" Kombucha On The Way - Will Stay Raw and "True To Ourselves"

"The beauty of Kombucha is that it represents a way of life.” - GT Dave