Good Soil Is Like Chocolate Cake: Episode 75

Good Soil Is Like Chocolate Cake: Episode 75

Sustainable farming is a hot topic – but was does sustainable even mean? In this episode Michele and Eliz welcome regenerative farmer Steve Tucker to discuss why he changed the way he farms and why great soil is like chocolate cake. He farms in southwest Nebraska with his wife and three kids on their diversified regenerative farm. Steve’s innovation has been important as the farm has moved from a wheat/summer fallow rotation to 14 different crops and several different ag enterprises.

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Snakes, stigmas, & neophobia in the pandemic: Episode 62

What role does disgust play in our fear of disease? Why should we be careful about the language used to describe disease, such as COVID-10?  Dr. Tyler Davis is back to discuss how exotic foods are associated with “otherness.” Neophobia (fear of new things) creates stigmas. These stigmas can lead to food bullying, whether related to COVID-19 or technology used in farming.

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Why isn’t food raised the way it used to be? Episode 58

Social media memes and marketing messages often ring nostalgic for how things used to be on the farm. But were the “good old days” really better?  In this episode we chat with fruit and vegetable expert Gene McAvoy about how farming used to work (and how it still works in some parts of the world) and how research has made farming better. He also explains how Florida agriculture lost half a billion dollars over six weeks due to the pandemic in spring 2020.

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The family business struggles of agriculture: Episode 56

“Have good resources, be a good neighbor and check in with farm families” says Jolene Brown, a real “Farmer Brown.” From Eastern Iowa, she’s an internationally known professional speaker in agriculture. Her consultations in family business earned her the reputation as the “Dr. Phil of Agriculture.” In this episode, she’s shares experience, insight, and tools to help make a good family business even better.

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