ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff
ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff is where Cynthia Barstow brings together natural products change-makers sharing their stories with younger generations, so together they can help make sense of what’s on our shelves. Along the way, they reveal how the choices we make — from food to fashion, beauty to beverages — impact our health, our wellness, and our planet.
Episodes
36 episodes
IMHO What's Coming in Season 2?
IMHO (In My Humble Opinion) has been a short series of episodes to answer questions listeners and my students have had. in this episode, I share the context for decisions about who and what companies to have on the show. No Surprise - our first...
IMHO Who am I? The Story Behind your Host
IMHO (In My Humble Opinion) is a new series of short episodes where I answer some of the questions I’ve been asked since launching ShelfSense. In this episode, I share my journey into the natural and organic products industry from my own ...
IMHO Why this Podcast?
IMHO (In My Humble Opinion) is a new series of short episodes where I answer some of the questions I’ve been asked since launching ShelfSense. In this first episode, I share the real reason I started the podcast—and why I believe purpose-driven...
Fair Wild
Wild-harvested ingredients are found in everything from herbal teas and supplements to skincare—but how do you know they were gathered in a way that protects both nature and the people who harvest them? In this episode, Sarah Vito of the FairWi...
Skin & Sun Care
Healthy skin starts with what you put on it every day. In this episode, Cynthia is joined by annmarie Skincare CEO Rachel Pachivas and Gen Z voice Izzy Desrosiers to explore clean skincare, mineral vs chemical, and the thoughtful ingredients be...
TICKS & BUGS! Outdoor Protection
With reports suggesting one of the most active tick seasons in years and new questions emerging about some conventional bug-repellent ingredients, many people are wondering how to protect themselves and their families outdoors. In Ticks & B...
What's Up with Honest Purpose?
What happens when a mission-driven founder refuses to abandon the planet and the people behind our products? Seth Goldman joins Shelf Sense to talk about the evolution from Honest Tea to Just Ice Tea, and why purpose, organic sourcing, fair tra...
What's Up with our Sleep?
We spend a third of our lives sleeping… but most of us have never stopped to ask what’s actually inside the mattress beneath us. In this episode of Shelf Sense, Cynthia Barstow is joined by Arin Schultz, Chief Growth Officer of Naturepedic, alo...
What's Up with Orange Juice, Organic Obviously
What does it really take to keep our orange juice organic? A lot and it goes on behind the scenes and in the groves - it might even mean inviting wasps in for a visit. In this episode, Cynthia sits down with Matt McLean—founder of Uncle Matt’s ...
From Jungle to Shelf: The Medicine Hunter Story
In Jungle to Shelf: The Medicine Hunter Story, I sit down with Chris Kilham—and Gen Z voice Samira Krol—to trace the remarkable journey of botanicals from remote forests and indigenous communities to the products we find on our shelves. C...
Aronia Berries? Refreshing powerhouse Wellness Drink
It’s the hottest new functional beverage that is truly refreshing. In this episode of ShelfSense: Stories Behind Our Stuff, Cynthia Barstow sits down with Erik Ramstad, farmer and founder of Farmwell Drinks, along with Gen Z voice Jacob Wilson,...
What's Up with our MILK?
Milk is one of the most familiar foods on our shelves—but today, it’s also one of the most questioned. In this episode, Cynthia sits down with Stephanie Alexandre, Farmer Owner and passionate advocate for nutrient-dense foods, alongside Gen Z v...
Maple Syrup: Sugaring in Spring
Every spring, magic happens in the forests of the Northeast. As the days warm and the nights stay cold, maple trees begin to flow — and the centuries-old ritual of maple sugaring begins. In this episode, Cynthia sits down with Arnold Coombs of ...
Natural Products EXPO WEST From shared Visions to our Shelves
As the industry-only Natural Products Expo West begins today, the future of our grocery stores takes shape. Cynthia goes behind the scenes of the natural products industry’s most influential gathering with hosts Jessica Rubino and Adrienne Smit...
From pasture to protein: TRUST Organic COWS
Why can we trust organic cows? Cynthia sits down with Gary Hirshberg, Co-Founder and Chief Organic Optimist of Stonyfield Farm, alongside Gen Z voice Mari Averill, for a conversation that goes far beyond the dairy case. Gar...
What's Up with Tinned Fish? Sustainable Seafood Protein
Tinned fish is everywhere—but is it actually a smart, sustainable protein? In this episode of ShelfSense, Cynthia Barstow sits down with Henry Lovejoy (EcoFish, Henry & Lisa’s, Freshé) to unpack what sustainability really looks like from t...
Cracking Protein: Chicken or the Egg?
Since protein is hot right now, we wanted to go straight to the source of one of our go-to choices. In this episode, we sit down with mother (Annie) and daughter (Tessa) Diemand—second- and third-generation poultry farmers—for a conversation th...
What's Hot in 2026? Protein! Clean Beauty (from within), Functional Mushrooms, Supplements...
Data—not brands—shape our shelves.If you’ve noticed protein suddenly everywhere, beauty promises moving into drinks, or unfamiliar ingredients showing up in foods, this episode explains why—and what that means for us as shoppers.<...
Celebrate MOCKTAILS with Benefits
Looking for something bubbly to toast your Christmas or New Year’s celebration? Give a listen before you decide what to drink. Whether you’re sober, sober-curious, or simply taking a pause, Wild Mocktail’s Rebecca Hamilton shows how inte...
Hot Cocoa, Zero Worry
If food sensitivities make you feel like you’re always missing out, this episode is your warm invitation back in. Cynthia sits down with young founder Ali Lazowski, whose delicious dairy-free, gluten-free, refined-sugar-free and o...
Secrets in your SPICE Jar
Your spice jar has a story… and it reveals what’s really behind the flavors in your food. Join Cynthia, Frontier Co-op/Simply Organic CEO Tony Bedard, and Gen Z voice Sara Yelle as they trace spices back to the people and places that gro...
What's Up with RICE?
Rice feeds half the world — and may be a key to saving the planet. In this episode, host Cynthia Barstow and Gen Z voice Marigold Averill sit down with Caryl Levine, co-founder of Lotus Foods, to explore how a staple grain can become a force fo...
What's Up with Chocolate?
Chocolate is one of the world’s sweetest pleasures—and one of its most bitter industries. In this episode, Cynthia Barstow and Gen Z voice, Vivian Mottl, talk with Joe Whinney, the pioneering founder of Theo Chocolate and now co-founder ...
What's Up with an Anticancer Lifestyle?
Everyone seems to know someone who’s heard the words “You have cancer.” Many of us want to do something about it. What if we can—through simple, everyday choices that lower risk and strengthen wellbeing? In this episode, Cynthia talks with Meg ...
What's Up with Functional Fungi?
Mushrooms are moving off our plates and into our coffee, protein powders, and daily wellness routines. In this episode of ShelfSense, Cynthia Barstow digs into the booming mushroom dietary supplement trend with Sandra Carter, founder of OM ...
