Episode 17: Wendy Lu McGill on Reclaiming Insects as Food

Wendy Lu McGill spent years working in International Development, where she became familiarized with the opportunities that insects offer as a healthy addition to a nutrient-dense diet. She founded Rocky Mountain Micro-Ranch, Colorado’s first and only edible insect farm where she raises crickets, mealworms, and wax worms for human consumption.

Episode Outline

  • The many environmental benefits associated with eating insects
  • Why insects’ feed conversion ratios are superior to cattle and other livestock
  • Why a sociologist decided to start a micro-ranch in Colorado raising crickets
  • Why Americans (and Europeans) are so squeamish about eating insects
  • How lobster started as a trash food eaten by the poor and became a luxury food
  • The ‘Ick’ factor, and the psychological impact of eating an insect
  • The difference between raising crickets for human consumption vs for fishing bait or as feeder insects for the pet trade
  • Fat content of various edible insects
  • The best insect to raise for human consumption

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