576: There Is No Deathless Diet: The Truth About Food, Farming, And Our Future With Abey Scaglione

Apr 27, 2026

Abey Scaglione, regenerative farmer and author of Radical Farm, reflects on moving from teenage vegetarianism to raising livestock and restoring soil. She discusses the moral complexity of eating animals. Short takes cover mixed‑farm life, rotational grazing, how animals support soil and ecosystems, and practical steps city dwellers can take to reconnect with real food.

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ANECDOTE

Farm Grief Led To Better Animal Care

Abey felt deep conflict raising animals for food despite understanding there is no deathless diet.
Looking over her farm she realized sadness didn't mean wrongness and that grief motivated better care and slaughter practices.

ANECDOTE

Vegan Pregnancy Warning Changed Her Diet

Abey tried vegan and raw vegan diets in Los Angeles before changing course for family health.
A nutritionist warned her specifically not to have a vegan pregnancy, which led her to embrace nutrient-dense real foods like raw milk and bone broth.

ANECDOTE

A Mixed Farm With A Jersey Dairy

Ruckle Heritage Farm is a mixed farm with beef cattle, a Jersey dairy cow, sheep, chickens, turkeys, vegetables and fruit.
Abey describes milking, cheesemaking, and the tangible benefits of unpasteurized milk like clabbering and beneficial bacteria.

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What if the story we've been told about food—about meat, animals, and what it means to truly nourish ourselves and the land—is incomplete?

Many people today are searching for a way of eating that feels healthier, more ethical, and more sustainable. Some turn away from animal foods out of compassion. Others are working to reconnect with traditional diets and local farms. But what if the answers aren't as simple as we've been led to believe?

Our guest today is Abey Rae Scaglione, author of Radical Farm: Animals, Food, and Our Future. Abey's journey is anything but conventional. She became a vegetarian at just thirteen years old, driven by a deep concern for animals. Years later, she found herself raising livestock as a regenerative farmer—facing the emotional, ethical, and ecological realities of producing food within a living system.

In this conversation, Abey shares what it was really like to wrestle with the moral complexity of eating animals—and why she ultimately came to believe that well-raised livestock may actually do less harm than many plant-based food systems.

She explains how animals play a vital role in restoring soil health and ecological balance, why removing them from agriculture could push farmers toward more synthetic fertilizers and industrial practices, and how regenerative farming offers a path forward that honors both the land and the animals.

We also explore what this means for you—whether you live on acreage or in a city apartment—and how small, intentional choices can help you reconnect with real food and more sustainable ways of living.

This is a thoughtful, honest, and at times surprising conversation about food, ethics, and our place in the natural world.

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