Food First

About Food First

Hosted by award-winning radio show talent and Know Better Do Better founders Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson, Food Secure Nation is the conversation shaping the future of food security in America. Discover insights from community voices and national leaders as we shed light on real solutions for meaningful progress toward food security. Each episode spans discussions, interviews, exercises, resources, and takeaways, resulting in collective and actionable knowledge. We’re building a clarity engine that helps thousands of people know better so they can do better. Catch new episodes on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on WJR Detroit, or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Publisher

Cumulus Media Detroit

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Dec 2020

Latest episode

11 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

199 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   11 Oct 2026

   Trading Camo for Cans: How One Army Vet Kept His Mission Alive

   October 10, 2026 ~ Dr. Phil Knight and Jerry Brisson explore veteran service and food security on Food Secure Nation. They discuss Clarence’s community contributions and interview retired Army Colonel Nate Springer about transitioning military leadership to food banking, organizational decentralization, and feeding families in Southern Colorado.

2. 

   11 Oct 2026

   Military Service in the Food Industry

   Jerry Brisson and Dr. Phil Knight introduce Clarence and Nate Springer to highlight how military service instills a lasting commitment to helping others. When individuals take off the uniform, their dedication to a mission often shifts into local community leadership, such as volunteering at food banks or mentoring young people. Research shared by Vira supports this by showing that veterans volunteer at high rates and contribute substantially more annual hours than non-veterans, bringing valuable teamwork and adaptability to civilian life.

3. 

   4 Oct 2026

   Colleen Heflin and Madonna Harrington-Meyer Dive Into Senior Food Insecurity

   Dr. Phil Knight and Jerry Brisson introduce a broader view of hunger among older populations by challenging traditional assumptions about food access. When Colleen Heflin and Madonna Harrington-Meyer discuss their book, they reveal that food scarcity is frequently the result of difficult budget trade-offs caused by high housing and utility expenses. Because older adults prioritize keeping a roof over their heads, food often becomes the most expendable budget item. Furthermore, Madonna Harrington-Meyer shares qualitative interviews showing that seniors routinely skip meals or sacrifice nutrition to pay bills or support family members, proving that food insecurity is a deeply social issue rather than just a private struggle.

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 43 / 100

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

Quality

73

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Food First

Guest appearances

Books guests

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