In Episode #25 of The Coop, Anna sits down with Abey Scaglione (a farmer, writer, and the author of Radical Farm: Animals, Food, and Our Future) for a thoughtful conversation about food, farming, and what truly nourishes both people and the land.
Abey shares her journey from becoming a vegetarian at age 13, through trying out veganism and even raw veganism and “fruitarianism,” to embracing a diet centered around nutrient-dense animal foods … especially when she wanted to start a family.
She describes feeling constantly hungry and preoccupied with food on plant-based diets, and how adding high-quality meat, dairy, and eggs brought satiety, better energy, and a renewed relationship with eating.
Now living on Salt Spring Island, Abey and her family raise sheep, cattle, turkeys, and chickens while growing vegetables, fruit, and medicinal plants. Through her hands-on experience, she has come to see the vital role animals play in regenerative farming … building soil health, increasing biodiversity, and creating truly sustainable systems.
Abey doesn’t shy away from the bigger questions facing our food system today. She explores why animal agriculture is often demonized, while pointing out the environmental and health costs of large-scale monocrop agriculture and ultra-processed plant-based foods.
Whether you eat meat or not, this episode invites you to look deeper at where your food comes from, challenge popular narratives around animal vs. plant-based eating, and consider what truly nourishes both people and the planet.
Where to find Abey:
https://www.radicalfarmbook.com/
https://www.instagram.com/abeyonthefarm/
