Food & Frequency
Food & Frequency
By Chris Carbone
It is a bright Spring day. You’re in Bridgeport, Connecticut—windows are down as you drive through Saint Mary’s by the sea; tree branches lined with tiny yet anxious buds ready to come into full flower. The change in the air and the landscape inspires change in your heart. You tune past the fuzz until 89.5 WPKN crackles to life. It doesn’t get more Bridgeport than this, by the way. The aloe-cool breeze and glistening Sound may require soft acoustics and voices of angels, but don’t tune past if at first you hear a rich and baritone—old school, really, radio voice talking about gardening. That’s Kevin Gallagher, host of WPKN’s ‘Digging In The Dirt’ Podcast. Kevin interviews climate change experts, food writers, local farmers—movers and shakers in these niches of activism centered around food justice and sustainable ag.
Late last year, Kevin had on our President & CEO, Reverend Sara Smith, to talk all things nOURish BRIDGEPORT—who we are, what we do, and all with a special emphasis on our nOURish INDOOR FARM. This eventually led to nOURish BRIDGEPORT and WPKN entering into a nonprofit partnership for the remainder of 2026. A food-centered organization and a community radio station that, as their website proclaims, “...is known for broadcasting ideas and sounds more human-oriented and vibrant than most offerings on the radio dial.” Both are 501(c)3 nonprofits. What could go right? Well, a lot, considering WPKN’s long and storied history of promoting diversity, culture, and the interests of the community that supports them.
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WPKN started in 1963 as a student-run, 100-watt station at the University of Bridgeport. Cob Carlson’s monumental 2022 documentary, The Greatest Radio Station In The World, chronicles its life and times from then until the present. Not many local radio stations have feature-length documentaries made about them, so I asked current GM Brendan Toller during our recent chat, what makes WPKN unique from other local radio stations?
“WPKN 89.5FM Bridgeport, available via our free listening apps (Apple, Android) is YOUR community radio station. 125+ DJs and hosts make up 24/7-365 programming that is 90% locally produced....In 2026, community radio is one of the last truly participatory media spaces. It’s not just material delivered to an audience, it’s something we all actively shape. At a time when so much media is consolidated and optimized, community radio is local, imperfect, and accountable in a human way.”
How would you describe WPKN to someone who’s never tuned in before?
“WPKN is a community organization that amplifies tri-state area nonprofit organizations, businesses, events, artists, musicians, organizers, and more. WPKN’s downtown Bridgeport station presence allows volunteers interested in broadcast radio, podcasting, video, and community outreach, to explore and build on their creative interests for free, with all levels of backgrounds and training accepted…Our new tagline is THE SOUND OF DISCOVERY. Expect surprise. You might hear avant-garde jazz next to a hyper-local policy discussion, followed by a rare slate of garage rock 45s you never knew you needed. It’s eclectic, sometimes challenging, but always rooted in real people and real voices…DJ culture is burgeoning in Connecticut, and we have expert shows spanning afrobeat, reggae, underground electronic, post-disco, garage rock, blues, soul, funk. No playlists, algorithms or commercial influence—it's human driven with risk, surprise, deep cuts, long-form conversations, and perspectives that don’t always have a home elsewhere. Give us a sustained try, or peruse our schedule or podcasts to find something you might like.”
WPKN is largely volunteer-powered—what does that model make possible that a commercial station couldn't?
“It allows for independence in a very real sense. Volunteers aren’t programming to maximize ad revenue, they’re programming out of passion, curiosity, and commitment to their communities. That opens the door to niche content, underrepresented voices, and long-term relationships with listeners. It also builds a sense of ownership, people don’t just consume WPKN, they are WPKN.”
What role do art and culture play in a community’s overall well-being?
“Art and culture are how a community understands itself; how it processes change, holds memory, and dreams what’s next. Without it, you might have infrastructure, but you don’t have identity or soul. Especially in places like Bridgeport, culture isn’t a luxury, it’s connective tissue. It’s where people see themselves reflected and where they encounter each other across differences.”
Do you see a parallel between what nOURish BRIDGEPORT does and what WPKN does?
“Absolutely. Both are about access and agency. nOURish BRIDGEPORT is working to ensure people have access to healthy food and the knowledge to sustain themselves. WPKN is doing something similar in the cultural and informational space, creating access to ideas, music, and dialogue that nourish a community in a different but equally important way.”
What excites you most about this partnership?
“The chance to connect those two forms of nourishment more intentionally. Food and culture are deeply intertwined, and this partnership creates space to tell those stories, about where food comes from, who grows it, how it shapes identity, and how communities can take more control over those systems.”
WPKN even grabs the third rail of food justice directly with one of their podcasts. “The Table Underground with Tagan Engel is an audio and visual platform to uplift inspiring stories of issues and people who are often marginalized with a focus on food, race, radical love, & creative social justice. WPKN is so lucky and fortunate to host the podcast version. Like so many people today our life is guided by many pursuits. Tagan is a chef, activist, organizer, educator. The Table Underground is voiced from a truly unique perspective. Recent guests have included Tim Macklin & Todd Koehnke of CORR: Collective Oyster Recycling and Restoration and Kim Granbery a wild oyster farmer and owner of Leetes Island Oysters, Soraya Hosni a French-Tunisian social entrepreneur, olive oil sommelier, farmer and environmental anthropologist, and Rob Peck, aka, “Hood Farmer Rob,” a Black urban farmer, mushroom grower and educator based in Bridgeport, Connecticut.”
What does a healthy community look like to you? To WPKN?
“A healthy community is one where people feel seen, heard, and able to participate in shaping their environment. It’s about relationships and trust. For WPKN, that means a station that reflects the full complexity of its community, where different voices aren’t just included but actually influence what happens.”
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For those who don’t know, the random capitalizations in nOURish BRIDGEPORT are not random at all. They are meant to emphasize “OUR BRIDGEPORT.” We are there for the best parts of it, as well as the most challenging. It means all the efforts of our direct service programs go to, and are rooted in, Bridgeport. Most importantly, especially right now, it means we share in the responsibility of aiding our community with aid from other organizations. The name WPKN is about as synonymous with Bridgeport, Connecticut as one can get, and we are so proud, humbled, and excited to call them partners.