In this episode:
We meet Danny Jaques creator of Danny’s Rocket Ranch Space Salsa. Born and raised on a ranch (the company’s namesake) near Ignacio, Colorado, Jaques realized that rather than becoming a rancher, he wanted to pursue a career in space. He initially dreamt of being an astronaut, but after graduating from Fort Lewis College he embarked upon a junior high teaching career, during which he escorted hundreds of his students to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2010, Jaques was inducted into the Space Camp Hall of Fame.
After years of friends and family raving about his homemade salsa recipe, he had the idea to utilize dehydration techniques developed by NASA to formulate a salsa that could be consumed in and withstand the rigors of space, while still being delicious to consume on Earth. Danny has since retired from his teaching career, but he continues to help students attend Space Camp, with a portion of company profits donated to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation for Space Camp scholarships. Jaques’ Space Salsa has also earned Space Certification through Space Foundation.
In our conversation, Danny discusses his overarching love of space, how that played into his teaching career, his experiences taking students to Space Camp, what prompted him to start a salsa business, how he integrated his love of space into his company’s products, and how he perfected the process of making his dehydrated salsa as delicious as fresh salsas on the market.
Describing comments he’s received on his salsa, Jaques says, "Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, she’s a Shuttle astronaut and a former Ft. Collins high school teacher, and I [asked], ‘Dottie, do you think the folks on the International Space Station would like my salsa?’ And she looked over at me, and her eyes wide, and she said, ‘Danny, they’d love your salsa!’”
Learn more about Danny, his “forever bride” Laura, and Danny’s Rocket Ranch Space Salsa by visitinghttps://www.dannysrocketranch.com
Introductory and closing music: Paint the Sky by Hans Atom © Copyright 2015, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/50718 Ft: Miss Judged
Jason Held – Saber Astronautics
Danielle Dallas Roosa – Back to Space
Jill Johnson and Allen Platek — Tempur-Pedic
Paul Lockhart – Former NASA Astronaut
Rachel Lyons – Space for Humanity
Peter Beck – Rocket Lab Founder
Kevin DeBruin – The Fit Rocket Scientist
Peter Freer & Rita McKinnish – Play Attention
José Morey - Intergalactic Doctor
Brad Poorman and Jim Hind — Clean Textile Technology
Athena Brensberger - Founder and CEO of Astroathens, LLC
Laura Forczyk - Space Consultant
Will Pomerantz – Virgin Orbit
Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj – Science in the Wild Founder
Bill Gattle – President of Space Systems, L3Harris Technologies
Dr. Tanya Harrison - Professional Martian
Judy Cara - Planetarium & STEM Director
Alan Ladwig - Author, Part Two
Alan Ladwig - Author, Part One
Paul Francis – Inventor
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