I’m thrilled to announce my latest project Summer Tomato Live! Catch the first episode 1 week from today, Tuesday February 15, at 6:30pm PST.

What is Summer Tomato Live?

Summer Tomato Live is a new live online show for Summer Tomato readers. My goal this year is to give you guys more direct access to me so I can answer all your food and health questions that come up day to day.

Summer Tomato Live will be like an online classroom, where each episode I discuss a reader-selected topic and give you the chance to ask questions and get immediate answers from me in real time. Questions can be submitted live on the show as either text or video call-ins. Video calls are a great way to have a real discussion and dig deeper than a typical Q&A.

How often will you broadcast?

Summer Tomato Live will broadcast every other week beginning next Tuesday. Though the day and time will vary each episode, the show will typically be on weeknights at or after 6:30pm PST.

If you can’t make the live show but have a question you’d like answered, feel free to ask it in the comments on this post and we’ll do our best to cover it (a recording of the show will be available later on iTunes).

What will we be talking about?

I’ve had literally hundreds of people ask me what I think about The Four Hour Body, the new best-selling book by Tim Ferriss. Tim has certainly given us a lot to talk about, so the first show will be dedicated to discussing his Slow Carb Diet, as well as the other food and health advice from the book.

If you aren’t familiar with Tim’s work, here’s a brief primer on the Slow Carb Diet.

How do I participate?

The first show will be open to everyone and you can tune in here at Summer Tomato next Tuesday, February 15, at 6:30pm PST. If you can’t make it to the live broadcast, it will be available afterward as a podcast on iTunes.

Future shows will require a password for live participation. The password will be emailed to subscribers of the new Summer Tomato premium newsletter, Tomato Slice.

What is Tomato Slice?

Tomato Slice is the new premium newsletter from Summer Tomato. Subscribers will receive access to Summer Tomato Live during the broadcast where you’ll have my full attention for the duration of the show, and I’ll answer anything you’d like to know on the topic at hand. Subscribers can also submit questions in advance via email, which will get preference over non-subscriber questions.

In addition, Tomato Slice will be an email forum for education and discussion. Still have a question about our topic after the show? You’re probably not the only one. Send it in and I’ll answer it, sharing the most interesting points with the group. I will also periodically share answers to questions that I think are of value, but not broad enough to be the subject of an entire show or blog post.

Don’t worry, you will not get a zillion new emails. I will also serve as an email filter providing only the most relevant, interesting and popular questions and answers. You can expect no more than 1-2 emails per week.

I anticipate Tomato Slice will evolve over time to best suit subscribers’ needs. My goal is to give you direct access to me, and provide an additional educational tool for those of you who are dedicated to eating well and being healthy.

The subscription fee for Tomato Slice is $3.99/mo.

Sign up here

Why are you charging?

I realize people expect online content to be free, and I generally agree. That is why you will always have free access to Summer Tomato Live after it is released to iTunes a week after the live show.

But Tomato Slice is more than just web content, it is direct access to an expert who is offering her time and energy to help you with your own specific food and health questions.

I intentionally set the price point very low so it would not be a barrier to anyone interested. I spent 6 years as a graduate student (poverty) living in San Francisco (not cheap) and I could have easily budgeted $1/week for a service like this. So while the newsletter is accessible to virtually everyone it will filter for those who are serious about food and health, people who will follow the conversation and ask thoughtful questions.

Tomato Slice is also a way to support Summer Tomato. I’ve poured thousands of hours into creating and maintaining the quality content you find at Summer Tomato every week. So far it has been a labor of love (Foodbuzz ads don’t pay squat), and so I’ve been limited in how much of my time I can realistically dedicate here. But three weeks ago I quit my job so I could devote my full attention to this site, therefore another purpose of the fee is to make sure I can continue to pay my student loans (and hopefully one day afford healthcare).

Just to be clear, the podcast is free so long as you do not want to watch it live or have the ability to ask me questions in real time. Articles on Summer Tomato will continue as usual, and simple questions will still be answered for free in the Ask Me section of the site. Tomato Slice is just a bonus service for those of you who want more direct access to me and my overly-educated gray matter.

Still want to subscribe? Do it here

Bonuses

I’m happy to announce that the first episode of Summer Tomato Live is being sponsored by Foodzie and Zürsun Heirloom Beans. Foodzie will be sending free samples of Zürsun heirloom cranberry beans (dry beans) and giving you a chance to receive one of their coveted Foodzie tasting boxes for free ($20 value) for the first 150 subscribers to Tomato Slice.

Free Foodzie tasting box! That’s worth 5-months of subscription right there, plus you’ll get some of the most delicious foods on the planet. What have you got to lose?

Lastly

I’m really excited about the show, I’ve run a few tests with my Twitter followers and the feedback has been awesome. For those interested, there will be one more little sneak peak (our final software test) tonight at 7:30pm PST, right here in this blog post. I’ll be answering questions about the new show and newsletter, along with anything else you’re curious about.

Hope to see you there!

p.s. If you’re planning to call in, please have earbuds and a microphone ready (the headset that came with your iPhone is fine). Also try and use a hardwired internet connection rather than wifi.

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