We are all about agriculture all the time. This podcast will surprise you! It is not your ordinary farm podcast. These are fascinating stories, from technology to human interest, where we talk to captivating people who are changing the landscape of the world around us. Hosted by the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation.
Send us a text The Heffernan farm family (yes, there really are 5 Marys) dreamed of taking what they learned from the restaurant business and moved it into raising and producing beef among many other ventures. This is their story of starting over 20 businesses while achieving their goal of raising four daughters with agricultural roots.
Send us a text Once thought to be a wild horse that was domesticated, the White Horse of Black Daisy Canyon is said to have escaped a hunting camp 25 years ago and has since survived on its own back in the rugged mountains around Mackay, Idaho. Locals and out-of-towners watch every spring for this icon to reappear to add to the White Horse's longevity and legacy. Macky resident and White Horse admirer, Barbara Harp, tells us this amazing story and how they know it is the same horse....
Send us a text Alex McCoy will be the first to admit that an ostrich farm or ostrich meat is not mainstream today and may conjure up some interesting conversation. People are more familiar with a traditional Fourth of July burger or chicken sandwich. However, after a culinary encounter in South Africa, Alex thought about it through the lens of nutrition. Ostrich meat is a red meat that is virtually fat-free and has more iron and less cholesterol than any other red meat. Along with husbandry mana...
Send us a text "Leaving The Tech Sector For Garlic, Goats, & So Much More" Real-life sisters Venise Cunningham and Belinda Kelly used to travel a distance to work in the tech sector, but life changed with the purchase of 10 acres of land. The problem: neither of them knew anything about farming, so off to Google and mentors they went to learn how to grow something to sell. Today, they have developed a host of companies. They tell their story of family, covid, learning, and small-business sur...
Send us a text Ask any farm kid from the last 50 years how much they liked rock picking and see their reaction. Most would say it was pretty fun for the first 15 minutes and miserable for the rest. Today, farmers can't afford to have sizeable rocks damage their increasingly expensive farm equipment in the fields. As with all aspects of agriculture, farms are looking to automation. Trevor Thompson, President of TerraClear Technologies, takes us through developing drone technologies that see rocks...
Send us a text Millions of books are sold every year with all kinds of glamorous tips and gimmicks to get people to think the food they eat will give them what they want. Unfortunately, many of these fad diets aren't sustainable. Sheri Glazier is a farmer and nutritionist known as the Dirt Road Dietician. On this podcast, she walks us through how people can live life, not be too extreme, and use basic principles of nourishment to have good health for themselves and their families....
Send us a text Dirt Road Discussions has shared stories from many people from across the country. In this special holiday episode, we share a touching story of hope and perseverance told by Lynn and Susan Steadman who lost their house in a fire. Their words remind us of what is truly important in life.
Send us a text Florida has the fun job to grow the majority of strawberries for the United States during the winter season. Whether they are surviving a hurricane, covid, regulation changes, or labor shortages, the strawberry industry is an exciting place to be. Michelle Williamson, Operation Manager of G&F Farms, and Kenneth Parker, Executive Director of Strawberry Growers Association, give us a front-row seat to this billion-dollar "sweet treat"....
Send us a text With a collection of over 100 antique tractors, it is one man's job to revive these historic machines. This behind-the-scenes interview with Rob Bearden, aka Tractor Doctor, takes us through his story and process. These old tractors are a tribute to farmers who took horse teams out of the fields and adopted new technology that changed the future of agriculture.
Send us a text Whether it is a candy bar wrapper or medical equipment, the world uses millions of plastic products. An exciting emerging technology, using starches from potato waste and other crops, can potentially change the plastic industry and waste management of plastic products. BiologiQ CEO Steven Sherman shows how agriculture waste is being accessed to make a new and strong plastic that is more biodegradable after its use is done....
Send us a text Phillippe Aumont tells an amazing story of being a first-round draft pitcher in Major League Baseball and then later choosing to trade a mound of dirt for dirt on a family farm. He talks about learning how to become a farmer, the reaction from his teammates, and why he loves the lifestyle that comes with growing healthy food for his community.
Send us a text Cow herds will always need cowboys, but with developing technology, ranchers can now move invisible fences (and cows) with the push of a button on their phones. CK Wisniewski, ranching success manager with a company called Vence, explains how this technology is being implemented today. Another aspect of this technology is being able to monitor the well-being of cattle while on the range.
Send us a text The FFA organization is found today in schools all across America. Jim Summers and Vernon Roche probably never knew that when they went to the same high school in the 1960s that both their life journeys would lead to decades of being Ag educators. Now retired, these two sit down to share insights and funny stories into why FFA and good old-fashioned hard work are needed now more than ever to raise the next generation....
Send us a text Civilization needs rain and snow. Did you know there is a scientific process to help this along? Whether you water your lawn, grow crops, or run a ski resort, we all depend on precipitation for our daily lives. Shaun Parkinson, Meteorology & Cloud Seeding Leader, and Derek Blestrud, Senior Atmospheric Scientist, from Idaho Power dive into the strategies, successes, and limitations of cloud seeding....
Send us a text Wildfires in the United States are more than the forest catching fire and agencies working to put them out as fast as possible. Forest and wildfire management comes with a deep history. Wildfire expert and Senior Research Ecologist Paul Hessburg takes us on a fascinating journey on the topic of wildfires.
Send us a text After each serving overseas deployment, Tom Norris (Afghanistan and Kosovo) and his wife Char’reise (Afghanistan and Iraq) developed a 23-acre farm to help Veterans learn, grow, and heal. This is the story of the Veterans Farming Initiative.
Send us a text What would the world do without fertilizer? Larry Lankford, Procurement Manager for Valley Agronomics, discusses where people have misunderstood where fertilizer comes from, how it is used today, and how multiple countries impact its availability.
Send us a text Randy and Karen Reed had an empty greenhouse and decided to fulfill their dream to create a butterfly ecosystem that is now the Butterfly Haven. They discuss the evolution of a caterpillar to a butterfly and how these important pollinators play a role in agriculture.
Send us a text Grand Teton Distillery has found success using local farm commodities to make award-winning spirits. This includes a fun collaboration with Hollywood's Channing Tatum for a signature potato vodka. This is their story.
Send us a text Meet two individuals who are helping plan the future of a century-old product. Wool, unlike polyester and much of the synthetic plastic microfibers produced today, is a desirable, renewable, sustainable biodegradable fiber.
Send us a text For centuries, grape vineyards were specifically designed for the average worker's height and arm length. Viticulturist Alexander Levin, Ph.D, dives into the world of producing a very delicate product (wine grapes) in modern vineyards with new technology.
Send us a text What do you do if you put out job listings for thousands of agriculture jobs, and only 18 local residents apply? Joel Anderson, Executive Director of the Snake River Farmers Association gives us the ins and outs of bringing in foreign ag labor to meet this vital need.
Send us a text Does Vermont have competition for maple syrup? Trees in the Intermountain West are now being looked at for maple syrup production. Bracken Henderson of the University of Idaho tells us all about it.
Send us a text It seems there is more demand on farmers to grow the world's food with less water. Clay Carter and Tony Richards tell us how new technologies can help farmers conserve water during times of drought.
Send us a text If you see a tractor driving in the field without a farmer inside, don’t be alarmed. It may be driving itself. Ryan Jardon with John Deere tells us all about it.
Send us a text Learn the truth about honeybees from beekeeper Spencer Drange, and how he chased a bear up a tree when he was just 5 years old.
Send us a text Sherri Staheli with Staheli Farms never imagined parents would pay her to have their city kids come out and do chores on her farm. This has led to "Farm Camp" where kids build memories, interact with animals, do chores, and learn to develop a work ethic.
