Conrad Benner Talks Public Art, Americans’ Economic Worries, Endangered Food

Black Friday is still a few days away, but holiday shopping is already in full swing. With the economic outlook so uncertain, how are consumers feeling this gift-giving season? Are they opening their wallets or thinking thrifty? Wharton marketing professor Cait Lamberton joins us to talk about holiday spending and consumer confidence.

Apples were once a common American crop but today, 85% of apple varieties have vanished. And it’s not just apples; many of our country’s historic food and foodways are disappearing. Culinary historian Sarah Lohman traveled across the United States to learn about the rare food at risk of extinction – foods like New Jersey cider apples, sweet Carolina African runner peanut, Buckeye chicken, Coachella Valley Dates and Hawaiian heritage sugarcane. Along the way, she met the farmers, ranchers, scientists and activists trying to preserve them. She joins us to talk about her new book, Endangered Eating and how to return our heirloom foods to our tables.

The new WHYY podcast Art Outside drops on Tuesday examining Philadelphia’s public art scene. It highlights five street artists, their impact and their motivation for making outside art. The podcast is hosted by Philly-famous Street Dept. blogger Conrad Benner, who joins us to discuss the series and the first episode which features an artist Benner calls “the Philadelphia Bansky,” whose art is taking on the PPA.