Environment
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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreRoundup, dorm diets, and chemicals: Episode 55
What’s with the claims about glyphosate in hummus & cereal? Why is there so much blame and fear about agriculture and the environment? What can we do to eat better when we are eating dorm food? In this special behind-the-scenes episode, Michele and Eliz welcome Callie (Eliz’s daughter) for a wide-ranging Q&A session. Callie Greene is about to begin her second year at Lawrence University, where she studies psychology and harp performance.
Read MoreChemicals, creepy crawlies and crops: how safe is your food? Episode 52
Agronomist Kevin Hoyer joins the podcast to talk about his experience helping farmers diagnose and treat their plants and soil as well at traveling the world looking at food production in other countries. As a “doctor for crops,” he says “you can be thankful and trust that the product you buy are at the highest level of safety possible. America carries the highest standards found anywhere in the world.”
Read MoreHonoring choices in food and farming: Episode 50
How do we honor the people who produce our food when most of us never set foot on a farm or ranch? Our guest this week suggests the key is educating yourself about the benefits of food and choosing what you want without giving into what other people may think. Joe Anderson, an Idaho farmer, talks gluten, GMOs, and getting firsthand perspective.
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