Ecosystem Member

About Ecosystem Member

Ecosystem Member explores the relationship people have with nature and the more-than-human world. ecosystemmember.com (https://www.ecosystemmember.com)

Publisher

Ecosystem Member

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

15 Sept 2023

Latest episode

30 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

72 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Sept 2026

   How a Peach in December Changed How Franco Fubini Sees Food

   In Search of the Perfect Peach with Franco Fubini Franco Fubini, founder and CEO of Natoora and author of In Search of the Perfect Peach, joins Rick to explore how food, flavor, and seasonality connect us back to nature. The conversation covers how a single jarring peach-in-December moment helped spark Natoora’s mission, and why fixing the food system starts with rebuilding our taste for real flavor. Key topics In this episode, Franco Fubini explains why leaving finance for food gave him a much closer relationship with nature, even while living and working in a city. - He describes Natoora’s day-to-day balance between field sourcing and business operations, with about 20 to 30 percent of his time spent meeting producers. - Franco breaks down the “where are the peaches?” moment in New York in 1999 as a symbol of our disconnect from seasonality and from what our bodies should want at different times of year. - He connects flavor and nutrition through the idea of nutritional intelligence, arguing that flavor is nature’s signal for what the body needs. - He discusses how ultra-processing and added flavorings have made it harder for consumers to distinguish real flavor from manufactured flavor. - Rick and Franco compare chef-driven influence with consumer education, and Franco explains how Natoora uses restaurants, retail shops, and learning-focused storytelling together. - He says chefs are essential not only for volume and supply-chain development, but also for demystifying ingredients like puntarelle and artichokes. - Franco argues that consumers should pay more attention to growers and farmers, since understanding their work helps revalue food and shift spending toward better ingredients. - He shares his “white whale” ingredients, especially apricots and potatoes, and why the most surprising flavors often come from humble foods. - He explains why climate change is already making consistent sourcing harder, and why the future of agriculture has to be place-specific rather than guided by one universal label. - He closes by framing healthy soil as the foundation for complexity, nutrition, and flavor, with microbes, bacteria, and fungal networks all playing a role. Chapters 00:00 - Franco Fubini introduced as Natoora founder and author of In Search of the Perfect Peach 01:09 - Why working in food deepened his connection to nature 03:59 - How much time he spends sourcing versus running the business 04:39 - The peach-in-December story and why it matters 08:46 - Why a seasonal fruit craving signals a disconnect from nature 10:11 - Natoora’s mission to bring seasonality and nature back into daily eating 12:23 - Why flavor and nutrients are linked 13:40 - Nutritional intelligence and the body’s relationship to flavor 15:41 - How the food system stripped flavor from raw ingredients 18:18 - Why Natoora works through both chefs and retail consumers 19:57 - How restaurants create demand and build supply chains 23:54 - Using chef influence to educate and demystify ingredients 26:45 - Why simple home cooking makes great ingredients even more important 28:54 - The power of tasting a truly great tomato 30:29 - Why growers can be the real stars of the food system 34:23 - Franco on using farmer stories to raise the value of agricultural work 35:50 - White whale ingredients: apricots and potatoes 38:50 - How climate change is affecting sourcing consistency 40:29 - Flavor loss versus crop disappearance 41:30 - Where to spend more and where there is more room for compromise 43:21 - Why farming practices have to be adapted to place and crop 46:40 - Soil health as the foundation of a healthier food system 48:21 - How healthy soil creates complexity, nutrition, and flavor Notable quotes “Why does her body at that point desire a peach?” “Flavor is nature’s instinctive way of telling the body that this is something that you should be eating.” “Healthy soil means a soil that has a lot of active life in it.”

2. 

   16 Sept 2026

   How Nature's Complexity Creates Resilience for People and Planet

   Quintosapore: Biomimic Farming, Complexity, and Building Resilience in Italy Rick speaks with Nicola and Alessandro Giuggioli of Quintosapore in Italy about how they went from sustainability and cinema careers to building a farm shaped by observation, experimentation, and nature itself. T hey explain their Biomimic Farming approach, why they treat the woodland as their model, and how complexity has made both their land and business more resilient. Guests: Nicola Giuggioli and Alessandro Giuggioli of Quintosapore Key topics Nicola’s background in sustainability consulting and Alessandro’s career in acting, producing, writing, and directing How their childhood connection with nature in Umbria shaped their approach to farming Why starting with an abandoned property during COVID gave them freedom to experiment What Biomimic Farming means and why the woodland is their primary teacher How trial, error, and major mistakes shaped their learning Their water-resilience system using organic matter, living ground cover, biochar, rain harvesting, shade trees, and recycled paper mulch How they saved approximately 65% of their water in two years Why they use a practical toolbox of techniques rather than a fixed certification How biodiversity became an asset, with approximately 1,650 species and varieties What the 2023 heat wave and drought taught them about complex ecosystems How the farm developed multiple revenue streams through fresh produce, transformed foods, hospitality, tours, and events Chapters 00:00 — Introducing Quintosapore and the farm’s unlikely origin story 00:42 — Nicola’s sustainability background and early lessons from Umbria 04:02 — Alessandro’s cinema career and the decision to start farming 07:01 — Why starting from an abandoned plot created room to experiment 10:25 — What Biomimic Farming means and why the woodland is the model 11:29 — From one-problem-one-solution farming to systems thinking 12:19 — The water-saving toolkit 14:27 — How their approach differs from other farming movements 16:51 — Why complex systems are more resilient than simple ones 18:03 — Replacing certification with a practical toolbox 19:31 — Why agriculture is slow to change 21:16 — Does this approach take more work? 22:26 — Why crop diversity reduces climate risk 25:20 — Building a seed collection with 1,650 varieties 27:41 — The 2023 heat wave and a 70% crop loss 29:18 — Letting ecological balance return 30:37 — Interbeing and the role of love in growing plants 33:58 — Measuring success without becoming trapped by metrics 38:52 — Three revenue streams: food, transformation, and hospitality 40:16 — Turning abandoned interlines into productive zones 44:18 — Italian food culture and direct-to-consumer trust 47:01 — Why sustainability becomes mainstream when it becomes cheaper 50:19 — Two lessons: observe nature and diversify revenue 51:51 — Building a greenhouse restaurant and expanding the guest experience Notable quotes “The only book that we read when we want to learn how to grow things is Nature.” “Complexity is your friend.” “We don’t want to save the planet. The planet is already safe. We need to save ourselves.” (https://quintosapore.it)

3. 

   8 Apr 2026

   Desert X Artistic Director Neville Wakefield on Art, Nature, and Immersive Experiences

   In this engaging interview, Neville Wakefield, a renowned curator and artistic director, shares insights on how art interacts with nature, the importance of immersive site-specific projects like Desert X, and the future of art in space and remote environments. Discover how curators and artists collaborate with landscapes to create dynamic, living artworks that challenge traditional gallery spaces. Keywords Neville Wakefield, Desert X, site-specific art, art in nature, immersive art, public art, art in space, environmental art, contemporary art, art curatorial insights Key Topics The role of immersion in site-specific art How landscapes influence artistic creation The benefits of outdoor and environmental art Challenges and opportunities of art in remote environments Key Quotes "Nature's always more than just a backdrop" "Landscape becomes a studio for the artist" "Artists bridge art, science, and technology" Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Neville Wakefield and Desert X 04:33 Nature's Influence on Art and Curation 06:19 The Immersive Process of Curation 09:10 Understanding the Landscape and Its History 12:36 Breaking Down Institutional Barriers 16:15 Cultural Differences in Art Presentation 17:55 Collaboration with Nature in Art 20:41 Embracing Change and Control in Curation 22:53 The Urgency of Temporary Art Installations 24:01 Social Media's Impact on Art Engagement 25:39 Environmental Sensitivity in Art Placement 26:04 Contrasting Environments: Desert vs. Alps 27:57 Future Projects and Aspirations 31:14 The Role of Artists in Shaping the Future 32:26 ESM NW Exit Audio.mp4 Links Desert X (https://www.desertx.org/) Neville Wakefield's website (https://www.nevillewakefield.com) Neville Wakefield’s Instagram (⁠https://www.instagram.com/nevillewakefield/?hl=en)

Who has been a guest on Ecosystem Member

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Nick Mucha
• Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg
• Justin McGuirk
• Zoe Hart
• Rickey Gates

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

12,298

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 64 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

76

Social presence

0

YouTube

72

Engagement

60

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.