Renata Sago

Reporter

SHORT BIO

Renata Sago is a former reporter for Marketplace. She covered food culture and consumption. You could catch her on a pea farm in rural Minnesota, at a new burger spot in town, or in the alternative pasta aisle of a local grocery store with a microphone and a camera. Her stories explored new trends in food, including health, safety, disruption and moneeeeey.

What was your very first job?

I started a production company when I was 6 years old. I ran it from my grandmother's porch, with occasional assistance from my cat.

What do you think is the hardest part of your job that no one knows?

Making magic on tight deadlines is a mutha.

What advice do you wish someone had given you before you started this career?

Stay hydrated (also life advice).

What is something that everyone should own, no matter how much it costs?

You should own your voice, and every single bit of your story, past and present. They are priceless. Never give those up. They are what make you unique. (Existential, huh?)

Latest Stories (154)

In the flooded farm belt, a race against the clock for planting

Jun 7, 2019
Growers are racing to plant corn, soybeans and wheat before it's too late.
Water pools in rain-soaked farm fields on May 29 near Gardner, Illinois.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Buy spray cheese with food stamps? White House wants to make it possible

Jun 4, 2019
Proponents argue the change will allow more stores to accept SNAP benefits. Critics say it's an incentive to stock less healthy food.
Mike Mozart/Flickr

What to expect from Trump's U.K. trip

Jun 3, 2019
Lots of pomp, not much progress.
U.S. President Donald Trump during a tour of Westminster Abbey on June 3, 2019 in London, England.
Henry Nicholls - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Energy drinks may cause serious heart problems, study shows

May 30, 2019
A combination of ingredients may cause potentially life-threatening electrical malfunctions in the heart.
Jack Taylor/Getty Images

VP Pence is off to Canada to push for "new NAFTA" deal

May 29, 2019
The Trump administration hopes Ottawa lawmakers will approve the deal before their summer break — and an election that could unseat PM Justin Trudeau.
Steel coils lay in a yard at ArcelorMittal Dofasco steel plant on June 4, 2018 in Hamilton, Canada..
Cole Burston/Getty Images

Urban Outfitters enters the clothing rental business

May 22, 2019
It's the latest company to join this fast-growing retail market, but why?
Urban Outfitters is the latest company to enter the fast-growing retail rental industry.
Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

How the latest tariff hike could hit Home Depot and Lowe's

May 21, 2019
The Trump administration more than doubled tariffs on many Chinese goods.
A Home Depot store in Burbank, California is seen on February 18, 2019.
ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Nordstrom goes small with "Local" stores

May 20, 2019
It's about square feet and making moves away from malls.
A tailor alters clothing at the Nordstrom Local shop in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Nordstrom

These bygone supermarkets live on in our memories

May 17, 2019
Many people remember local supermarkets past. Here's our ode to three venerable chains that are now gone.
Some of the items in Jim Pessek’s Red Owl collection that he hopes to display in the museum in a former Red Owl store in Stewart, MN.
Judy Griesedieck

Rising demand for plant protein feeds growth of the humble pea

May 1, 2019
The versatile legume can be found in pasta, milk, pet food and the “Beyond Burger.”
Ryan Klassen inspects pea seeds on his farm in Belgrade, Minnesota. Those peas are the base of the protein being used in a range of products, including energy bars, cereals and milks.
Renata Sago/Marketplace