Podcasts about Agriculture

Clean Wisconsin has been keeping track of the many attacks on bedrock environmental safeguards being carried out by the Trump Administration. Dozens of rules and regulations that protect our air, water, land, endangered species and more are being targeted. With so much happening in such a short time, how do you know what's important, what's just a lot of bluster, and what's even legal?  Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Brett Korte, Clean Wisconsin attorney Resources for You: Running list of attacks on environmental safeguards 1/20 Freeze All In-Progress Standards  EO - Freezes in-progress climate, clean air, clean water (including proposed limits on PFAS in industrial wastewater) and consumer protections. 1/20 Energy Emergency Declaration EO - Authorizes federal government to expedite permitting and approval of fossil fuel, infrastructure, and mining projects and circumvent Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act requirements. 1/20 Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement EO - Reverses the US' international commitment to tackling climate change and reducing pollution. 1/20 Revokes Biden Climate Crisis and Environmental Justice Executive Actions EO -  Reverses U.S. commitment to fight climate change and its impacts, and protect overburdened communities. 1/20 Attacks on Clean Car Standards EO -  to stop clean car standards that required automakers to reduce tailpipe pollution from vehicles beginning in 2027. 1/20 Resumes LNG Permitting EO - Expedites Liquid Natural Gas export terminal approval over analysis finding exports raise energy costs for consumers. Attacks Climate and Clean Energy Investments from IRA and BIL EO - Freezes unspent funds from the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and directs agencies to reassess. 1/20 Attacks NEPA Protections EO - Rescinds order requiring White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) to assess environmental and community impacts and allow community input into federal infrastructure projects. 1/21 Expands Offshore Oil Drilling EO - Reopens U.S. coastlines to offshore drilling. 1/21 Terminate American Climate Corps EO - Ends all programs of the American Climate Corps, which created thousands of jobs combatting climate change and protecting and restoring public lands. 1/21 Freezes New Wind Energy Leases EO - Withdraws wind energy leasing from U.S. waters and federal lands. 1/21 Open Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other Alaska Lands for Drilling EO - Reopens sensitive federal lands and waters in Alaska to drilling. 1/28 EPA's Science Advisory Panel Members Fired Memorandum - Acting EPA administrator James Payne dismisses members of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee and Science Advisory Board, which provides independent expertise to the agency on air quality standards and sources of air pollution. 1/28 EPA Suspends Solar For All Grants Memorandum - The EPA halted $7 billion in contractually obligated grants for Solar For All, an Inflation Reduction Act program that delivers clean energy and lower prices to vulnerable communities 1/31 Trump administration scrubs "climate change" from federal websites Memorandum - Mentions of climate change have been removed from federal websites such the Department of Agriculture, which includes the Forest Service and climate-smart agriculture programs, and the EPA. 2/3 Trump requires removal 10 existing rules for every new rule EO - The order requires that when an agency finalizes a new regulation or guidance they identify 10 existing rules to be cut. 2/3 Interior secretary weakens public lands protections in favor of fossil fuel development Sec Order - After Trump's "Unleashing American Energy" executive order, Interior Secretary Burgum ordered the reinstatement of fossil fuel leases, opened more land for drilling, and issued orders weakening protections of public lands, national monuments and endangered species, and overturned advanced clean energy and climate mitigation strategies. 2/5 Energy secretary announces review of appliance efficiency standards Sec Order - Energy Secretary Wright ordered a review of appliance standards following Trump's Day One order attacking rules improving the efficiency of household appliances such as toilets, showerheads, and lightbulbs as part of a secretarial order intended to increase the extraction and use of fossil fuels. 2/5 Army Corps of Engineers halts approval of renewables Guidance via DOD - The Army Corps of Engineers singled out 168 projects – those that focused on renewable energy projects – out of about 11,000 pending permits for projects on private land. Though the hold was lifted, it was not immediately clear if permitting had resumed. 2/6 Transportation Department orders freeze of EV charging infrastructure program Memorandum - A Transportation Department memo ordered the suspension of $5 billion in federal funding, authorized by Congress under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, for states to build electric vehicle chargers. 2/11 SEC starts process to kill climate disclosure rule Memorandum - The acting chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission paused the government's legal defense of a rule requiring companies to identify the impact of their business on climate in regulatory findings. The rule was challenged in court by 19 Republican state attorneys general and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright's Liberty Energy, among others. 2/14 EPA fires hundreds of staff Memorandum - The Trump administration's relentless assault on science and career expertise at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continued today with the firing of almost 400 staff who had ‘probationary' status. 2/14 DOE issues the first LNG export authorization under new Trump administration DOE Secretary Wright issued an export authorization for the Commonwealth LNG project in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, despite a 2024 DOE report finding that unfettered LNG exports increase energy bills and climate pollution. 2/18 Trump issues order stripping independent agencies of independence EO - Trump signed an executive order stripping independent regulatory agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of their independence, moving them to submit proposed rules and final regulations for review by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) and granting the attorney general exclusive authority over legal interpretations of rules. The order is likely to be challenged as Congress created these agencies specifically to be insulated from White House interference. 2/19 Zeldin recommends striking endangerment finding Memorandum - After Trump's "Unleashing American Energy" executive order, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has told the White House he would recommend rescinding the bedrock justification defining six climate pollutants – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride – as air pollution to be regulated by the Clean Air Act. 2/19 Trump administration moves to rescind all CEQ regulatory authority Rulemaking - The Trump administration has moved to rescind the Council on Environmental Quality's role in crafting and implementing environmental regulations, revoking all CEQ orders since 1977 that shape how federal agencies comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which requires the government to consider and disclose environmental impacts of its actions. 2/19 Trump directs agencies to make deregulation recommendations to DOGE EO - Trump issues executive order directing agencies to work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to make recommendations that will accelerate Trump's efforts to dismantle regulations across the federal government as part of his 10 out, 1 in policy. Among the protections likely to be in DOGE's crosshairs are those that keep polluters from ignoring environmental laws and protect clean air and water. 2/19 FEMA staff advised to scrub "changing climate" and other climate terms from documents Memorandum - A Federal Emergency Management Agency memo listed 10 climate-related words and phrases, including "changing climate," “climate resilience,” and “net zero," to be removed from FEMA documents. The memo comes after USDA workers were ordered to scrub mentions of climate change from websites. 2/21 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Director Placed on Administrative Leave Guidance - According to media reports, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin has put the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) director on administrative leave. The GGRF is a $27 billion federal financing program that addresses the climate crisis and is injecting billions of dollars in local economic development projects to lower energy prices and reduce pollution especially in the rural, urban, and Indigenous communities most impacted by climate change and frequently left behind by mainstream finance. 2/27 Hundreds fired as layoffs begin at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Guidance - On Thursday, February 27, about 800 employees at NOAA, the agency responsible for the nation's bedrock weather, climate, fisheries, and marine research, were fired in the latest round of Trump administration-led layoffs. The layoffs could jeopardize NOAA's ability to provide life-saving severe weather forecasts, long-term climate monitoring, deep-sea research and fisheries management, and other essential research and policy. 3/10 Energy secretary says climate change a worthwhile tradeoff for growth Announcement - Speaking at the CERAWeek conference, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the Trump administration sees climate change as “a side effect of building the modern world,” and pledged to “end the Biden administration's irrational, quasi-religious policies on climate change." 3/10 Zeldin, Musk Cut $1.7B in Environmental Justice Grants Guidance - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the cancellation of 400 environmental justice-related grants, in violation of a court order barring the Trump administration from freezing "equity-based" grants and contracts. 3/11 EPA eliminates environmental justice offices, staff Memorandum - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin ordered the closure of environmental justice offices at the agency's headquarters and at all 10 regional offices and eliminate all related staff positions "immediately." The reversal comes just days after the EPA reinstated environmental justice and civil rights employees put on leave in early February. 3/12 EPA Announcement to Revise "Waters of the United States" Rule Announcement - The EPA will redefine waters of the US, or WOTUS, to comply with the US Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Sackett v. EPA, which lifted Clean Water Act jurisdiction on many wetlands, Administrator Lee Zeldin said 3/14 Zeldin releases 31-rollback ‘hit list' Memorandum (announced, not in effect as of 4/10) - EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to dismantle federal air quality and carbon pollution regulations, identifying 31 actions ranging from from soot standards and power plant pollution rules to the endangerment finding – the scientific and legal underpinning of the Clean Air Act. 3/14 EPA halts enforcement of pollution rules at energy facilities Memorandum - According to a leaked memo, the EPA's compliance office has halted enforcement of pollution regulations on energy facilities and barred consideration of environmental justice concerns. The memo states: "Enforcement and compliance assurance actions shall not shut down any stage of energy production (from exploration to distribution) or power generation absent an imminent and substantial threat to human health or an express statutory or regulatory requirement to the contrary.” 3/14 Trump revokes order encouraging renewables EO - Trump signed an executive order rescinding a Biden-era proclamation encouraging the development of renewable energy. Biden's order under the Defense Production Act permitted the Department of Energy to direct funds to scale up domestic production of solar and other renewable technologies. 3/17 EPA plans to eliminate science staff Memorandum - Leaked documents describe plans to lay off as many as 1,155 scientists from labs across the country. These chemists, biologists, toxicologists and other scientists are among the experts who monitor air and water quality, cleanup of toxic waste, and more. 3/16 EPA invites waivers on mercury pollution and other hazardous pollutants Memorandum - The EPA invited coal- and oil-fired power plants to apply for exemptions to limits on mercury and other toxic pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Mercury is an extremely dangerous pollutant that causes brain damage to babies and fetuses; in addition to mercury, pollution from power plants includes hazardous chemicals that can lead to cancer, or damage to the lungs, kidneys, nervous system and cardiovascular system. 4/3 Trump administration adds "deregulation suggestion" website A new page on regulations.gov allows members of the public to submit "deregulation" ideas. The move is the latest in the Trump administration's efforts to slash public health, safety, and climate safeguards, and comes soon after the administration offered companies the opportunity to send the EPA an email if they wished to be exempted from Clean Air Act protections. 4/8 Series of four EOs to boost coal  EO - Under the four orders, Trump uses his emergency authority to allow some older coal-fired power plants set for retirement to keep producing electricity to meet rising U.S. power demand amid growth in data centers, artificial intelligence and electric cars. Trump also directed federal agencies to identify coal resources on federal lands, lift barriers to coal mining and prioritize coal leasing on U.S. lands. In a related action, Trump also signed a proclamation offering coal-fired power plants a two-year exemption from federal requirements to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals such as mercury, arsenic and benzene. 4/9 Executive Order Attacking State Climate Laws EO - Directs the U.S. Attorney General to sue or block state climate policies deemed "burdensome" to fossil fuel interests — including laws addressing climate change, ESG investing, carbon taxes, and environmental justice. 4/9 New expiration dates on existing energy rules EO - The order directs ten agencies and subagencies to assign one-year expiration dates to existing energy regulations. If they are not extended, they will expire no later than September 30, 2026, according to a White House fact sheet on the order. The order also said any new regulations should include a five-year expiration, unless they are deregulatory. That means any future regulations would only last for five years unless they are extended. 4/17 Narrow Endangered Species Act to allow for habitat destruction The Trump administration is proposing to significantly limit the Endangered Species Act's power to preserve crucial habitats by changing the definition of one word: harm. The Endangered Species Act prohibits actions that “harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect” endangered plants and animals. The word “harm” has long been interpreted to mean not just the direct killing of a species, but also severe harm to their environment  

In this spotlight on soybeans, discuss the importance of Missourians promoting the state positively to attract pro-agriculture processing companies. Subash Alias, CEO of Missouri Partnership, emphasizes that success is more likely when people are supportive of Missouri. The Yield Partnership, which includes Missouri Soybeans, Missouri Corn, and Missouri Farmers Care, is working to attract such companies. They stress peer influence's significance and encourage learning more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Want to know how to future-proof your family farm for generations ahead? This is the podcast for you. Our guest this week is fellow podcaster Ben Law, aka “The Financial Bloke”. Ben is a former financial advisor who now works as a strategic coach, helping farming families grow, protect, and transition their wealth across generations.Ben shares his background in financial law, the reasons behind his career shift and the work he does now with farming families. He explains he common challenges faced by farming families in succession planning and his approach to guiding them through the difficulties. Tune in to hear about:How to avoid the common pitfalls that derail family succession plansWhy financial success isn't enough to keep the family business strongWhat proactive families are doing now to set up for smooth transitions laterHow to prepare both on-farm and off-farm kids for their future rolesWhy rethinking time, work ethic and communication matters more than you thinkThe power of mastermind groups to shift mindset and spark meaningful changeHead Shepherd is brought to you by neXtgen Agri International Limited. We help livestock farmers get the most out of the genetics they farm with. Get in touch with us if you would like to hear more about how we can help you do what you do best: info@nextgenagri.com.Thanks to our sponsors at MSD Animal Health and Allflex, and Heiniger Australia and New Zealand. Please consider them when making product choices, as they are instrumental in enabling us to bring you this podcast each week.Check out Heiniger's product range HERECheck out the MSD range HERECheck out Allflex products HERE

Roger Anderton, producer of the film Einstein's Wrong joins me to talk about how science forced out dissenting opinions on General Relativity in the 1940's if you didn't agree with Einstein's findings. Additionally, after World War Two physics became a tightly controlled military branch of science and published peer reviewed papers from the past were removed from libraries to hide the information. ☕ Support Civilization Cycle Podcast Buy As a Double Espresso

Engineering Leadership & Innovation in Agriculture with Ryan HusbandGrowing the Future Podcast S7E6 In this episode, we sit down with Ryan Husband, the mayor of Outlook, Saskatchewan, and the executive director of Irrigation Saskatchewan. Raised on a family farm, Ryan's journey to becoming a local leader, water management engineer, and co-owner of Husbandry Farms is full of grit and perseverance. From fighting fires to managing an orchard, Ryan's story is one of innovation and dedication to improving the agricultural industry. Join us as we discuss the complexities and rewards of irrigation, leadership in small-town Saskatchewan, and the future of farming. For more info on irrigation in Sk check out https://irrigationsask.comDon't forget to check out our family of companies and stay tuned for exciting updates. Sign up for our newsletter and be part of our journey towards a more sustainable and innovative agricultural future. You won't want to miss this one! 00:00 Welcome to Growing the Future Podcast 01:03 Introducing Today's Esteemed Guest 02:23 Ryan Husband's Background and Journey 06:06 Engineering and Agricultural Career 08:22 Challenges and Opportunities in Irrigation 13:01 Community Involvement and Leadership 17:45 Outlook's Infrastructure and Future Plans 20:34 The Importance of Irrigation in Saskatchewan 26:03 Comparing Irrigation in Saskatchewan and Alberta 32:48 Outlook's Growth and Development 48:27 Exploring the Concept of Irrigation 48:39 The Vision of John Diefenbaker 50:06 Current State of Irrigation in Saskatchewan 51:37 Challenges and Solutions in Irrigation 52:42 Gravity's Role in Irrigation 55:03 Efficiency Improvements in Irrigation 01:01:17 Getting Started with Irrigation 01:21:52 Economic and Community Impact of Irrigation 01:24:23 Leadership and Personal Growth 01:30:36 Future of Irrigation and Final Thoughts

In this explosive episode of Talk Dirt to Me, we break down the latest in the U.S.–China tariff war and what it means for American farmers. Will China's retaliation cripple ag exports, or is U.S. grain still a global necessity? We unpack the facts and share where we stand. Then we tackle the bombshell news that Bayer may drop Roundup if the government doesn't grant them litigation protection. Could this shake the entire ag industry? We explore the real-world ramifications, whether Roundup truly causes cancer, and what farmers could be forced to use instead. Plus, we take on some sharp listener questions and shine a spotlight on this week's Made in America segment: Pak Mule — the ultimate American-built cargo rack system designed for those who live hard and haul heavy. Whether you're in the cab or the shop, this is the kind of raw, unfiltered ag conversation you won't get anywhere else. Made in America Feature: https://pakmule.com/ Agzaga is the official sponsor of Talk Dirt to Me! It is the ultimate online farm store. American owned and operated. Go check out their site and get what you need. Be sure to use the code TALKDIRT to get 10% off your order! Visit them at: https://agzaga.com  If you enjoy this episode then please leave us a review and share this episode with your friends! Follow us on social media: Talk Dirt to Me Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkdirtpodcast/  Bobby Lee: Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=hurricane%20creek%20farms Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/hurricanecreekfarm/ YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/c/HurricaneCreekFarms Logan: Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/LHFarmsTN Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/lo.hanks/ YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqYpTjKQtOMABFOc2Aw3_Ow 

On this week's episode of The Rural Woman Podcast™, you'll meet Madeline Pranaitis.Madeline is a first-generation farmer from Connecticut with a passion for animals, sparked by childhood visits to her aunt's farm. She earned a degree in livestock and draft power, gaining experience with draft horses and oxen. Now in upstate New York, Madeline manages a calf program on a dairy farm, runs her homestead, and has realized her dream of owning a team of draft mules.For full show notes, including links mentioned in the show, head over to wildrosefarmer.com/218. . .DISCUSSIONS THIS WEEK:04:32 The Impact of 4-H and Early Experiences in Agriculture07:17 Educational Path and College Experiences in Animal Science10:22 Becoming a Gypsy Farmer: Diverse Agricultural Experiences13:43 Passion for Draft Animals and Their Role in Agriculture16:37 Training and Working with Draft Animals19:43 Future Aspirations with Draft Animals and Mules30:07 Growing From Small to Large Dairy Operations40:33 Building Community in Agriculture. . .This week's episode is brought to you by Patreon . . .Let's get SocialFollow The Rural Woman Podcast on Social MediaInstagram | FacebookSign up to get email updatesJoin our private Facebook group, The Rural Woman Podcast Community Connect with Katelyn on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest. . .Support the ShowPatreon | PayPal | Become a Show SponsorLeave a Review on Apple Podcasts | Take the Listener SurveyScreenshot this episode and share it on your socials!Tag @TheRuralWomanPodcast + #TheRuralWomanPodcast. . .Meet the TeamAudio Editor | MixBär.Admin Team | Kim & Co OnlinePatreon Executive ProducersSarah R. | Happiness by The AcreKarri MV. | Leystone Farms. ....

In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council, is joined by Brian Kuehl, executive director of the Agriculture Trade Education Council. The Agriculture Trade Education Council is the premier resource for education on the value of agricultural trade policies, practices and structures. Its mission is to provide understandable and reliable information on trade to inform and empower decision-making that facilitates growth in U.S. food and agriculture. He also serves as the director of government and public affairs at Pinion, a leading advisory and accounting firm dedicated to the food and agriculture industry. In this episode, he shares the history of global trade as we know it today and unpacks the issues that are significant to the blueberry industry going forward.“ The Agriculture Trade Education Council views itself as content neutral in the sense of it's not taking a stand for tariffs or against tariffs, or for a free trade agreement or against a free trade agreement. That's not its job. Its job is to provide trade information, so it tries to stay out of the fights and the debates. It tries to just provide information so that everyone who's engaged in those discussions can operate off a common platform of knowledge and understanding.” – Brian Kuehl Topics covered include: An introduction to Kuehl and his work. The opportunities provided by the Agriculture Trade Education Council and the importance of this type of education.The history of the global trade system and the dynamic nature of its evolution.The most significant aspects of current agricultural trade that will impact the blueberry industry.Crop ReportThe Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you'll hear from Jody McPherson in North Caroline, T.J. Hafner in Oregon and Mario Ramirez in Mexico. This was recorded on April 17, 2025.

*Texas animal health officials are working to keep the New World screw worm out of the state.  *U.S. Agriculture Secretary was back in Texas for the second time in a week.  *USDA is raising its fed steer price forecast.*State legislators are concerned about the high speed rail project.  *The expected drop in cotton acreage this year could create opportunities.  *Mexico is trying to reach a new tomato agreement with the U.S.  *Central Texas needs a rain.  *BRD continues to be a big problem for the cattle industry.  

In today's episode, "Federal Funding for Fish Conservation and Human Health," the crew discusses federal funding, its importance in the lives of fish and how we benefit as humans. We cover the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the US Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association, the National Institutes of Health, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Most of these agencies cost billions of dollars but they also save us billions in health costs, save countless lives and provide the nearly immeasurable intrinsic value that is resource and conservation services. When you add these all together, they comprise only 5% of the total US federal budget. We chat about the role of each agency, how it helps us and how you can get more information about them. At the end of the day, these agencies have open books because they are accountable to us and we think it's important to take them seriously.This podcast is brought to you by the bony eared assfish. Need we say more?For some more information, if you are interested:Check out the US Fish and Wildlife Service website to learn more about the important work they do to improve and preserve wild spaces and species.Check out the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture website to learn how they work to provide for healthy ecosystems as well as for the needs of Americans.Here's an article we referenced about who benefits from dismantling the Environmental Protection Agency.United for Medical Research shared a report on the profound impact that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding has on the economy.If you want to see how your region is potentially affected by the federal funding cuts to science and research, you can check out SCIMaP.Thanks for listening to Gettin' Fishy With It! You can find our new website at www.gettinfishywithit.com. You can find us on Bluesky at @gettinfishypod.bsky.social and on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @gettingfishypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can also find us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you want to drop us an email, you can send your complaints (or questions!) to gettingfishypod@gmail.com.Our theme music is “Best Time” by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FASSOUNDS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Our audio is edited by Amber Park Chiodini. Amber has her own podcast all about movies, called⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ So What Happens Next?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We very much appreciate you taking the time to listen to our fifty-first episode! Please help out the podcast by subscribing on your podcast platform of choice. If you could leave us a review, that would be super helpful!If you would like to support the show, you can sign up as a paid member on our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buy us a coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!Thanks and we'll “sea” you again in two weeks!

The U.S. Department of Commerce plans to withdraw from the 2019 Agreement suspending the antidumping investigation on fresh tomatoes from Mexico.

Illinois Farm Bureau Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and Commodities provides his latest "Seven with Kevin" segment.  An update from American Farmland Trust.A local effort in Golconda to refurbish an 1887 building into a community center.  We meet Jersey-Greene County Farm Bureau Manager Macey Wellhausen.

On this Good Friday edition of Agriculture Today, we'll hear some interviews conducted by members of the Brownfield team over the last week. The reports feature commentary from Illinois farmer Derek Martin, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Iowa State University agronomist Meaghan Anderson.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brownfield Commodity Market Reporter has your look at what the markets will be watching over the holiday weekend.What to watch:» Soybeans and corn are watching planting weather.» Wheat's monitoring winter crop development conditions.» Cattle are digesting the on feed numbers and cash business.» Hogs are keeping an eye on demand.Connect with Brownfield Ag News:» Get the latest ag news: https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/» Subscribe to Brownfield on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrownfieldAgNews» Follow Brownfield on X (Twitter): https://x.com/brownfield» Follow Brownfield on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrownfieldAgNewsAbout Brownfield Ag News:Brownfield Ag News is your trusted source for reliable agriculture news, market trends, weather updates, and expert interviews. Get comprehensive coverage and stay ahead in the ever-evolving agriculture industry.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Season 5: Episode 208In this episode of North American Ag Spotlight, Chrissy Wozniak sits down with Brenda Heymer, owner of Heymer Management Accounting in Amarillo, Texas. With a deep-rooted background in agriculture and over three decades of accounting experience, Brenda shares her passion for helping producers move beyond traditional, tax-based accounting to embrace management accounting rooted in accrual principles. Through a thoughtful and in-depth conversation, Brenda explains how aligning production data with financials gives producers a more accurate view of their cost of production and overall business performance.Chrissy and Brenda discuss the critical need for better financial visibility, especially in a time of rising input costs and uncertain market conditions. Brenda breaks down how management accounting differs from typical bookkeeping—focusing on internal decision-making tools rather than tax returns—and why accrual accounting is essential to track commodity-level performance across production years. She also highlights CenterPoint Accounting for Agriculture, a robust Red Wing Software tool built specifically for ag producers that allows for detailed inventory, allocations, and side-by-side cash and accrual reporting—something QuickBooks simply can't offer.Brenda walks listeners through the conversion process from QuickBooks to CenterPoint, noting how her team goes deep into their clients' data to lay the foundation for better decision-making. She shares real-world examples of how clients have uncovered inefficiencies at specific ranches or crop fields, and how this information helps them project cash flow, streamline operations, and manage risk more effectively. Chrissy and Brenda also talk about the challenges of data overload in modern ag and how Brenda's team helps transform that raw data into usable, actionable insights through personalized meetings and scenario planning.Throughout the episode, Brenda shares not only her technical knowledge but also her heart for agriculture. She challenges producers to step out of their comfort zones and embrace their roles as business owners, encouraging them to build teams and delegate tasks outside their core strengths. Brenda emphasizes that having better information leads to better decisions and that it's okay not to know everything—but vital to get the right help.Whether you're just starting to explore accrual-based accounting or are ready to overhaul your financial systems, Brenda offers sound advice for producers through 2025 and beyond. Her mission is clear: to change agriculture for the better, one accurate report at a time. To learn more about Brenda and her services, visit www.heymermanagement.com.#farm #smartfarming #agricultureNorth American Ag is devoted to highlighting the people & companies in agriculture who impact our industry and help feed the world. Subscribe at https://northamericanag.comWant to hear the stories of the ag brands you love and the ag brands you love to hate? Hear them at https://whatcolorisyourtractor.comDon't just thank a farmer, pray for one too!Send us a textAgritechnica in Hannover, Germany is held every other year, this year long-time tech writer & ag journalist Willie Vogt has put together for ag enthusiasts! The Agritechnica tour includes three days at the huge equipment and farm technology event. Learn more - https://agtoursusa.com/agritechnica.htmlSubscribe to North American Ag at https://northamericanag.com

I spoke to Bob Kudla from Trade Genius and he gave his ideas on revaluing gold as an accounting trick to buy back treasuries. How does this help America take debt off the books and buy dividend paying companies to add to American wealth fund with a move from bonds to stocks as primary focus. FYI April generally most bullish month of the year, SHTF stock market in the autumn.  ☕ Support Civilization Cycle Podcast Buy As a Double Espresso

Amid news of oversupply and decreased demand, the wine industry has an opportunity to adapt to the changing market. Audra Cooper, Director of Grape Brokerage, and Eddie Urman, Central Coast Grape Broker at Turrentine Brokerage, discuss key grape and wine industry trends, from oversupply and vineyard removals to the growing necessity of sustainable certification. They explore regional dynamics, bulk wine market shifts, and future trends, emphasizing innovation, industry collaboration, and better marketing to stay competitive. Resources:         REGISTER: 4/5/25 Fungicide Spraying: Evolving Strategies & Grower Insights Tailgate 258: 5 Ways Certification Makes Brands the SIP | Marketing Tip Monday 259: Winegrape Market Trends of 2024 265: How to Stand Out on Social Media in 2025 268: How to Tackle Leadership Transitions Successfully Turrentine Brokerage Turrentine Brokerage - Newsletter Vineyard Team Programs: Juan Nevarez Memorial Scholarship - Donate SIP Certified – Show your care for the people and planet   Sustainable Ag Expo – The premiere winegrowing event of the year Vineyard Team – Become a Member Get More Subscribe wherever you listen so you never miss an episode on the latest science and research with the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast. Since 1994, Vineyard Team has been your resource for workshops and field demonstrations, research, and events dedicated to the stewardship of our natural resources. Learn more at www.vineyardteam.org.   Transcript [00:00:00] Beth Vukmanic: Amid news of oversupply and decreased demand, the wine industry has an opportunity to adapt to the changing market. [00:00:11] Welcome to Sustainable Wine, growing with the Vineyard team, where we bring you the latest in science and research for the wine industry. I'm Beth Vukmanic executive director. [00:00:22] In today's podcast, Craig McMillan, critical resource Manager at Niner Wine Estates. With Longtime SIP Certified Vineyard, and the first ever SIP certified winery speaks with Audra Cooper, director of Grape Brokerage and Eddie Urman, central Coast Grape Broker At Turrentine Brokerage, [00:00:41] they discuss key grape and wine industry trends from oversupply to vineyard removals to the growing necessity of sustainable certification. They explore regional dynamics, bulk wine market shifts and future trends. Emphasizing innovation, industry collaboration, and better marketing to stay competitive. [00:01:01] If you love infield education and are on California Central Coast on April 25th, 2025, please join us at the fungicide spring tailgate hosted at Cal Poly. In San Luis Obispo, California, Dr. Shunping Ding will share updated results from a 2024 study on fungicide programs using bio fungicides and their impact on grape yield and berry chemistry. Then we'll visit the Cal Poly Vineyard to explore new powdered mildew management technologies and discuss fungicide spraying programs. With farmers from throughout the central coast to register, go to vineyard team.org/events or look for the link in the show notes. [00:01:44] Craig Macmillan: Our guests today are Audra Cooper. She's Director of Grape Brokerage with Turrentine Brokerage. And also, Eddie Urman, who's Central Coast Grape Broker with Turrentine Brokerage as well. And thanks for coming back. This is part two of a, of a, of an episode here. So, I really appreciate you folks making time to come back. [00:02:00] Audra Cooper: Thank you for having us back. We're excited to join you once again. [00:02:04] Eddie Urman: Yeah, thanks for having us. [00:02:05] Craig Macmillan: So Audra, let's start with you. In our last conversation . [00:02:17] And that was kind of where we left it that then started a conversation amongst the three of us afterward. We were like, okay, there's a lot more to talk about here. So let's do it. [00:02:24] Can you give some examples of what you mean by getting ahead of changes? [00:02:30] Audra Cooper: I think it's a sound business strategy to always try and stay ahead of the curve regardless of what component of business or what industry you're in, right? It's just a, a good strategy to have and a good philosophy to have. It's really important in this industry to continue to stay relevant and in order to stay relevant, you have to stay within the trend or ahead of the trend. [00:02:51] Being behind the eight ball is, never a good thing . You need to be ahead of the curve. A good example of that is sustainable certification. And we still have these discussions on the daily and Eddie, you can talk to this too about how often we have to talk about if you're not sustainably certified, you are cutting your buyer pool, probably roughly in half, as I mentioned in the previous podcast, and you're limiting yourself. [00:03:18] And the majority of the practices, most growers are probably already doing, and they're just not going through the certification process and getting that done. And if you look back a little over a decade ago, it was something that wineries were paying, you know, 25, 50 per ton more for, they were paying a premium. [00:03:36] And then it became more of a, this is really nice to have. And so more and more growers We're doing it as a point of differentiation in their marketing. And now today it's almost a necessity. It's no longer something that's necessarily going to get you a premium price for your grapes. It's also not necessarily a point of differentiation any longer. [00:03:55] It's a need to have. [00:03:57] Craig Macmillan: Yeah, Eddie, do you have anything to add to that? [00:03:59] Eddie Urman: No, I think that's a great example. , Audra offered up. [00:04:02] Craig Macmillan: So there's, trends around that, and there's a lot of certifications now, and I agree, I think a lot of folks don't need to be afraid of whatever the certification is, because you're probably doing a lot of those things already, a lot of common practices. [00:04:13] I think that's an interesting insight that now it's kind of becoming expected or certainly a requirement for a lot of wineries. [00:04:19] Let's talk about changes in acreage. That's where we left off last time when we were talking about the difference between vineyard removals, which have been suggested, recommended, et cetera, by a number of folks in the industry as we just are in oversupply period I've heard estimates that we may have 30 to 35, 000 acres of grapes, more than we need based on current demand. [00:04:40] how accurate do you think that is? , how bad is it on the supply side? [00:04:45] Audra Cooper: Well, I think you have a couple parts to that question, right? Let's dissect that a little bit and start with, we just got back from the Unified Wine Grape Symposium in Sacramento, and of course, during the State of the Industry, Jeff Bitter gave his annual synopsis of the nursery survey that they do annually on how many vines were sold, and they do a, A lot of data work in regards to what were removals and his number that he reported over the last two years was 37, 500 acres have been removed from the state of California. [00:05:15] He believes based on their research that another 50, 000 acres need to be removed to reach the point of balance, assuming that consumption stays at its current rate or drops just a tiny bit. [00:05:29] And when we look at our information internally, now we don't do a survey like Allied does, but we're tracking a lot of information, both with our winery partners as well as our grower partners in regards to who's doing what, and our number's a little bit higher, but we also go back four years technically going back to 2022, our number for the state of California is closer to about 50, 000 acres that have been removed, and, you know, I would argue that If consumption stays flat, certainly there will need more removals, but I don't know about 50, 000 acres more. [00:06:04] That seems like an awful lot of acres that need to be removed. If his numbers are right, that would put us back to Basically global recession numbers, which would be around 500, 000 acres bearing.  [00:06:16] Craig Macmillan: right. in the Grape Crush Report, which is an annual report that's put out by, uh, California Department Of Food and Agriculture and the National Agricultural Statistics Service, there is a non bearing acres section in there, which I always find very interesting. Are we able to glean anything from that data in terms of what's been sold, what we think's gonna go back in, et cetera? [00:06:39] I want to put a timestamp on this. So this is being recorded first week of February, 2025. So the unified was in 2025. The report that's coming out is going to be for the 2024 year. [00:06:48] What can we learn from that non bearing acreage report?  [00:06:51] Audra Cooper: So there's two different reports. the acreage report will be coming out a little bit later in the year. We're going to have our crush report come out on February 10. I think you can glean two pieces of information, but both are very similar. And that is how much acreage has actually been removed and how light the crop truly was, particularly in the coastal regions for 2024. [00:07:10] And so when we look at, for example, a 23 bearing and non bearing acreage information from the state of California they're reporting 446, 000 acres of bearing wine grapes. And if you take that at, say, 7 tons an acre, that's 3. 12 million tons. And we know with certainty at 7 tons an acre, That acreage seems pretty low. [00:07:35] It doesn't seem realistic. So unfortunately, because it's a voluntary report when it comes to bearing versus non bearing acres, I do think that the state's probably about two years behind on real data trends. And so unfortunately right now, if you were to use that report as, you know, an analysis of the industry, you'd probably be a bit off. [00:07:54] Craig Macmillan: got it, got it. Are there trends in what varieties are coming out and what varieties are going back in? Because that's often been the driving force for removals and replants, is chasing the marketplace. Are we seeing that kind of thing in California? [00:08:11] Audra Cooper: Yeah, you know, I'll I'll touch on this a little bit and then turn it over to Eddie. It's, it's really difficult to predict in our industry how and what and when to plant, right? Because you are following a trend and a trend that you're going to be lagging behind in trying to meet because of the amount of time it takes to get a crop and a crop that is productive. [00:08:31] And so oftentimes we're abridged, Yeah. Yeah. too far behind in regards to consumer trends. When we look at the central coast as a whole, there's certainly some segmented dynamics on what's being removed versus planted. And, you know, a good place to start, of course, is Paso. Eddie, do you want to talk a little bit more about that? [00:08:51] Eddie Urman: Yeah we do see some trends of, varieties, being pushed out more frequently than others. You know, for the Central Coast, a couple that come to mind are, Zin, Pinot Noir Merlot is one that historically came out. If it's still there, still going out, and then more specifically, old vines is probably the more specific categories. You are seeing a lot of Cab being pushed, that are old vines, but likely to go back into Cab if it gets replanted. [00:09:17] Audra Cooper: that's an interesting trend, because when we're looking at what was purchased based on the survey numbers that Jeff Bitter reported, he was talking about 12, 000 acres being planted based on their survey in 2024, and an overwhelming percentage was still red varietals, which really bucks the trend on what we're seeing observing boots on the ground. [00:09:41] What we've mainly been seeing planted are more alternative whites and niche whites like Grenache Blanc, Pinot Grigio Astrotico, you know, very specific alternative whites in which they're trending with DTC and kind of smaller producers. Certainly we still see some redevelopment of Cabernet as well as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, not so much on the red blender side or Merlot. [00:10:06] Those seem to be being pulled out and not redeveloped. [00:10:09] Craig Macmillan: Are we seeing any changes or trends around Okay, I'm pushing out Cabernet. I'm going to replant Cabernet. , am I going to replant the same amount of Cabernet? Am I using this as an opportunity to plant new ground? Do we have any information about that kind of thing? [00:10:24] Audra Cooper: Yeah, I mean, to give you hard data would be challenging. I don't know that anyone really has, a hard, fast calculation of what they do and don't do in regards to, the varietal makeup of a redevelopment. And I do want to clarify, I think there's a common misconception, particularly in the coastal regions that This is new net acreage. [00:10:43] It's not new net acreage. A lot of this is redeveloped acreage, but it will be higher in productivity based on, you know, better vines, healthier vines, better spacing, new farming technology, and so forth. And so we'll have new net supply based off that acreage. In full production. When you look at the new developments, though, and it was save paso cab, for example, it's really difficult to say, Oh, well, let's do 50 percent cab and 50 percent red blenders. [00:11:14] I mean, that's a tough decision to make. And you're really making a a pretty risky bet. I think for most people, they're going to plant to the site and also to the trend in the market. And so oftentimes, for example, again, Paso Cab, you're still going to have Cabernet largely go back in on those redevelopments. [00:11:31] When you look at Santa Barbara County, I think they're diversifying a little bit more than they had been in the past. You're not largely just Chardonnay Pinot Cab. You're also seeing alternative reds and whites being planted in that area. Monterey County, when you look at that region, it tends to be a little bit more mixed bag, but still largely chardonnay then in the southern Monterey County area, cabernet and red blenders. [00:11:54] Craig Macmillan: Do you have anything to add to that, Eddie? [00:11:56] Eddie Urman: As far as the rate of what's going back in the ground, you know, in acres. I think as far as East Paso goes Monterey County, Santa Barbara County, we're seeing contraction as far as more acres coming out that are going back. The only area we do see more plantings that are new, it is in the West side of Paso. And it's substantial. I think there's a good amount of acres that have gone in the West side. [00:12:17] Being from the growing side, I think we always wanted to diversify away from Cabernet and Paso Robles specifically, but the reality is the majority of people still want to buy Cabernet. So if anything, I'm worried that growers expect other varieties to try to diversify their portfolio that might not match the demand. [00:12:37] Craig Macmillan: Right, right. And speaking of demand. , we're talking about land and grapes, what's the current state of the, the bulk wine market where you'd expect a lot of the sovers to go where are we kind of at and what do you think are going to be the impacts on the bulk wine market with the replanting? [00:12:53] Audra Cooper: currently right now, listed available with us is about 28 million gallons. We anticipate that it will climb to probably 30, maybe past 30 million gallons at the peak of listing this year, which is typically early summer. In large part, that's still 2023 vintage. However, we do still have some 21, 22, and of course now new 24 is being listed. [00:13:18] The rate of listing is not being eclipsed by the rate of, you know, attrition decline in regards to bulk wine being removed from the market, whether that's through sales or higher and better use internally for those who are listing it. So we still have an off kilter balance there and certainly dramatically an oversupply and that dynamics likely to continue for the next couple of years until we see consumption increase and, and therefore increasing demand for new products. [00:13:45] Typically when we've seen these large increases in availability, what's gotten us out of it is the negotiants who are developing new brands, particularly when we look back to the premiumization sector. We saw a lot of middle tiers, you know, the likes of Duckhorn and Joel Gott and several others who were growing programs that they may have had for a couple of years, but they were very small and they've broadened those to other Appalachians or California and went to the bulk market first to kind of grow those programs before they started grape contracting. [00:14:16] So we're going to need to start seeing that trend in order to clean that market up. [00:14:19] Craig Macmillan: And so that's, that's basically good news, you think, for the bulk wine supply going down the road. [00:14:23] Audra Cooper: I think. In the future, it is in the short term. It's rather painful to have that amount of availability, right? We've been tracking this for the better part of three decades, and there's never been a single calendar year in which we've carried this amount of inventory, particularly going into last harvest, it was the highest inventory we'd ever seen in our tracking. [00:14:44] Keep in mind that this is what's listed available for us. This is not going out and taking inventory of what everyone has in tank that they're not necessarily going to bottle or they don't have a program for. So you can easily maybe double that number and that's what the likely availability is. [00:15:03] Craig Macmillan: Eddie what do you think is going to happen with pricing on on bulk wine? Yeah, I know that you're a specialized in grapes. But obviously those growers are concerned about what's going to happen to those grapes. From the grower side, how attractive is it right now to turn product into bulk wine, do you think? [00:15:21] Eddie Urman: I would say it's very, very, very much not attractive. Uh, we would. Not advocate for that in most scenarios for growers at this time regarding bulk pricing, you know, bulk wine, obviously we have bulk people who have better insight than Audrey, but in general, it's not going to be good. We don't, we don't foresee an increase in price as. we're obviously seeing an increase in supply of bulk wine, that typically is going to still have more downward pressure on price. And as far as growers bulking wine, it's, I think, a very risky game right now. You know, bulk wine does have a life expectancy, to Audra's point earlier. And, know, if you bulk it now, you have to sell it eventually to make your money back. [00:16:02] And then on top of that, you have to carry those costs with today's interest rates.  [00:16:06] Craig Macmillan: Right, right. So, prices for bulk wine right now, I'm guessing have been on the decline for probably a couple of years. Is that accurate? [00:16:13] Audra Cooper: Yeah, that's an accurate statement. If I were to really think about how long they've been on the decline, I would say probably mid, mid calendar year 2023 is when we start to see the downturn of the market be very, you know, impactful on pricing and overall demand. And of course, increasing inventory is really when that trend started. [00:16:34] I want to kind of go back to what Eddie was talking about regarding you know growers making bulk wine and and how risky that is, you know, we have a saying internally and it's so Elementary, but it's so applicable to these times. Your first loss is typically your best loss or your least loss and so it's really important when you're looking at alternative to market Whether or not you're actually going to be able to optimize how much investment you have in that product, and more often than not, when you're making grapes into bulk wine as a grower, you're not going to have the wherewithal to compete with a competitive set, other wineries, or large growers whose business models incorporate making bulk wine as a producer. [00:17:15] So you really end up being on the losing end of that game. [00:17:19] Craig Macmillan: Eddie, do you see price pressure on growers? Are prices being negotiated down or contracts being changed or not renewed? And if so, does that vary by region, do you think? I know you specialize in the Central Coast, but just from what you know. [00:17:34] Eddie Urman: I think for the Central Coast, it's easy to say that there's still unfortunately more cancellations or evergreens being called and their contracts being executed. There is some activity of people being willing to look at stuff and even make offers, which is good news, but typically it's at a lower pricing. [00:17:51] Craig Macmillan: This is for both of you if I'm a grower and I'm facing this situation both what I can get for my price and then also what the chances are of me selling my stuff on the bulk market, is this a situation where we're maybe better off not harvesting all the crop or mothballing some vineyards for the short term? [00:18:08] Eddie Urman: Yeah, I mean, I think in general, the less we pick this upcoming season that doesn't have a home, you know, the better off if it's picked for, uh, a program where it's actually needed, that's great, but bulking one on spec or taking in more fruit because it's cheap or very, you know, very low cost is not going to be a good thing. good overall thing for the industry. [00:18:30] As far as mothballing, we've talked a lot internally. This is where the conversation came in last time about making tough decisions and being intentional about how you're going to farm or you plant going into the season as a grower is, you know, mothballing is very controversial. [00:18:45] I think for our team, as far as whether it truly works and can you truly come back after it's done, if you're mothballing a Vineyard that's at the end of his life expectancy. You're probably just delaying your pain one more year. Cause it probably will not come back. If you're mothballing a five year old vineyard, maybe it's something that's a different story, but a real tough decision. [00:19:06] Mothballing a young producing vineyard most people are not in that situation. [00:19:12] Audra Cooper: Yeah, I mean, I want to expand a little bit on the, the mothballing and not harvesting fruit. I think it's really important that, you know, while this is a rather negative time in the industry and it's really easy to be very pessimistic. I do want to be optimistic about the needed outcomes and the solutions and the pain that's still rather prevalent in our industry to get kind of to the other side of being healthy. [00:19:36] I do want to be optimistic about some of the newer plantings that we've seen basically since 2012. There is a lot of new to middle aged vineyards that I really hope continue to stay in the ground. They need to stay in the ground because they are the highest and best fit for some of the newer style products in wine. [00:19:54] And we need to be able to continue to keep our wine quality elevated. And so while certainly there's vineyards that need to be removed or, or mothballed and taken out of production, there's also the flip side of that where there's a huge need for some of the. better vineyards and the more sought after vineyards or the vineyards that are priced right for the program that they're going into. [00:20:16] So this is kind of a double edged sword in the sense that yeah, we need plenty of production to be pulled out of the supply chain, but at the same time there's a huge need for very specific supply. So I want to be very careful in classifying those items. [00:20:30] Craig Macmillan: Right. And that brings me to my next question Audra there must be regional differences. Yeah. Yeah. In these patterns, I would assume some areas maybe are a little bit more protected from this kind of contraction or, or expansion over supply and others probably really bearing the brunt. I would guess. Do you see patterns at the state level? [00:20:48] Audra Cooper: I see patterns at the state level, but I can even bring it down to the central coast, even so far down to like even Paso right now. And Eddie and I have been talking about this a lot. You know, we saw a huge uptick in available inventory for east side AVA Cabernet and red blenders and even some of the white. Over the last two years, particularly last year in 2024, [00:21:11] and now we're seeing that dynamic shift from the east side climbing and available inventory. And now the west side is where we're seeing most of our listings come from over the last couple of weeks. And so we're now seeing it kind of push into more of the premium luxury tiers as far as this oversupply and the contraction and the kind of the pain points. [00:21:29] And so we are moving through the channels. Which I know again is, is difficult to hear and it's a very negative position to be in the industry, but it's also a sign that the market and the supply chain is moving through what it needs to move towards in order to come out the other side of this thing on a healthier end. [00:21:48] We comment on this a lot where. You know, it's going to get worse, dramatically worse for a short period of time before it gets better. And we're starting to see kind of the beginning of that position. [00:21:58] Craig Macmillan: What about the San Joaquin Valley? San Joaquin Valley? [00:22:02] Audra Cooper: is actually typically leading the charge in regards to our market, particularly our supply aspect of things, both in grapes and bulk wine. And so when we see A retraction in our industry or oversupply. We typically see it in the interior of the central valley first And when we see kind of a new, Growth stage we see it over there first as well And so they're ahead of us by one to two years Currently and then it kind of follows into the central coast and then up into the north coast and what i've seen Historically when you look back at markets and you look at kind of the time horizons of these things how? Long they live and what pushes the momentum of these markets. You'll typically see it last longer in the Central Valley, tiny bit shorter in the Central Coast and a lot shorter in the North Coast. The North Coast usually doesn't see quite as long of a pain period as the other two regions do. And there's, there's a lot of reasons that we probably shouldn't get into today because it would be a whole nother topic of conversation. [00:23:00] But I do think that the Central Coast right now has got another challenging year ahead of it. But also I think that the on ramp to a more positive industry is a little shorter than what I think people are giving credit for too because a lot of the work is being done, we just got to get through these major pain points first. [00:23:19] Craig Macmillan: We know that consumers drive demand for wine and hence wine grapes but are there other economic forces or political forces or regulatory forces that put pressure on this grape market aside from just consumer demand? [00:23:32] Eddie Urman: again, but 1 of big 1s is, put, it could put pressure to the positive or negative on our industry. We don't really know yet. It's still to be determined. when I read this question, the other thing came to mind to me is, is from a grower's perspective ensuring that you're growing. The compatible correct grapes for your region or varieties or it's staying within where you need to be. If the market for, for example, Chardonnay went through, went to the moon, it doesn't mean everyone in Paso should plant Chardonnay, [00:24:00] even though that's the hot variety, right? [00:24:02] It wouldn't be the best variety for most areas of Those are some of the quicker things that come to my mind. I'll probably elaborate. [00:24:10] Audra Cooper: I think to expand upon that, certainly regulations regarding, you know, water usage and irrigation is is a huge factor. And, and Eddie, you could probably do an entire podcast on that particular topic. And I'm sure that you guys have actually, Craig in addition to that, you really look at the economic environment in which people are growing grapes and producing wine. [00:24:32] And the economy of it is getting, you know, more and more difficult. The margins are getting much smaller. You can argue that more often than not people are taking losses year over year. And that puts a ton of pressure on their cash flow. In addition to that, when you look at the lending environment as well, that's become a lot more say, non conducive to being able to continue with business. In a lot of cases, [00:24:57] we have a handful of clients, if not more, who are questioning, do I prune because I don't necessarily have the same operational loan that I've had over the last couple of years and I've been taking low grape prices in order to survive to the following year, but you can only do that so long before it catches up to you. [00:25:14] And then we have another group or another segment of clientele who will prune, but may end up having to throw in the towel sometime, you know, mid summer or sooner because they don't have enough capital to continue with the grapes or you know, not sold. And then you look at the producer side on the winery side, and, and they too are getting crunched. [00:25:32] You know, we often talk about how low grape prices are, but we forget that, you know, wineries are getting crunched on their bottle price as well in order to nationally distribute. You know, what you see on the shelf as a price point does not necessarily mean that that's a price point to that producer. So the economies of this industry are getting more and more difficult every single year. [00:25:52] Craig Macmillan: Eddie, especially, are you seeing trends towards things like mechanization to try to keep costs down? [00:25:58] Eddie Urman: Yeah, absolutely. I mean mechanization and then automation and the vineyard or two, the , you know, hottest topics so here. And people were definitely making the efforts to try to implement those as they come available. The difficult thing can be oftentimes it's investment in equipment. That's very expensive and you have to truly consider is it going to, is it economically feasible to invest in that equipment and what's the payout time going to be based upon the amount of acres you're farming or how many passes you can do with that piece of equipment. So we're, we're seeing it happen, which is great. [00:26:31] It's innovation and it's heading us in the right direction, but at this point, a lot of it is still quite expensive and not everyone could participate for cost reasons. Yeah. [00:26:41] Craig Macmillan: Going forward, we've talked about this a little bit in terms of how different regions are kind of more paying for longer and some a little bit less and et cetera. And this then translates into the wines that are out there. Audra, you'd mentioned you know, the potential of negotiants to come in and help to alleviate the market. [00:26:59] That's definitely what happened in the nineties from my memory. We saw a lot of negotiate brands pop up because there was a plentiful supply for some of those years. Are there things that companies or government or grower associations, are there things that organizations could do to advise growers or help move people in the right direction in terms of kind of what they need to do? Is the viticulture consulting community? Taking these things into account Eddie, let's start with you, [00:27:29] Eddie Urman: that's a big question. there are plenty of people giving good advice in the industry and growers do have resources to reach out to, but it's very difficult to hear information that doesn't. Align with what you would like to do, right? So taking out our emotions from this from the equation and say, okay, does it really make sense to do this or to do that? Where where's that going to leave us and is that going to be in a position? To move forward in a better, know in a better new industry or new, you know New time in this industry when things rebound there's information out there, but it is difficult extremely difficult right now for growers and wineries to make decisions [00:28:09] Craig Macmillan: Yeah. That's the challenge when you have something like this, where it's individual decisions that lead to mass outcomes. It's hard for me as an individual to say, okay, well, I'm going to do my part. I'm going to keep these 10 acres out of production. Especially when I can see that I could sell to somebody. It's a tough go. Go ahead, Audra. [00:28:24] Audra Cooper: So I'm gonna go off on a tangent here a little bit. [00:28:26] Craig Macmillan: do. [00:28:28] Audra Cooper: I don't know, you might not welcome this one. So, you know, some people know this about me. I'm a pretty big Tony Robbins fan. And, You know, for some of you who don't know who that is, he's a self help guru that does a lot of different events and has written a lot of books and he has a philosophy and a saying that he utilizes through most of events, which is where focus goes, energy flows. [00:28:51] And unfortunately, we have not done the best of jobs being positive about ourselves in the industry, out there in the media, that ultimately is consumed by the masses. And so, I've been on this huge bandwagon about, when we're talking to the media, obviously we need to be rooted in reality, but we need to be as optimistic as we can about who we are and what our why is. [00:29:16] And I think oftentimes when we have these downturns, and this one's a pretty deep one, admittedly. That's the rooted in reality, right? But in these downturns, we tend to turn very, very pessimistic and we fail to remember that to some degree or another. We've been here before, and there have been a lot of innovations and activities and work and leadership that have pulled us out of it, and so we need to remember our history a little bit, I think would be my recommendation there, and I think a lot of the associations do a great job In reminding everyone what the historical background is and in some of our why Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance is a great example of what an association can do for a region on a national and international level. [00:30:03] I will continue to sing their praises because I think they've done a beautiful job in what they've done over the last 15 years. When you look at You know, what's happening from a government and regulation standpoint, you know, we have to band together as a community and be loud voices. We can't just rely on our neighbor or our representative to be our representative voice. [00:30:25] We need to make sure that we continue to be out there and loud. The other thing too is. We have a community, but we have a tendency to not keep collaboration consistent, and I would love to see our industry collaborate a little bit more, particularly on social media. I know that there's a lot of people probably listening to this right now thinking, why is social media even a remote solution? [00:30:48] But the amount of consumption from the younger generation that are now of drinking age that have not adopted wine as a beverage of choice, consume a huge amount of social media, more than they do TV, more than they do reading, more than any other culture. aspect of information gathering or any other platform that's available to them. [00:31:10] And we have an opportunity to band together and collaborate and change the algorithm regarding wine on social media. And I love to see us do that. We haven't done it. And there's various methods of doing that. And again, could probably be another podcast. I'm by no means the foremost expert on that, but our collaborative efforts. [00:31:27] We'll just drop that because I don't even remember exactly [00:31:30] Craig Macmillan: I think that's sound advice And it's always been a challenge. We do have some statewide Organizations that have that mission. They have a lot on their plate But I agree with you. I think that that is definitely the route or it seems to be the route There's more more research coming out that's showing that Not just the time but also like where people get their news You know, it shows you how important that is to them, how important , that venue is to them. [00:31:55] Eddie Urman: 1 of the things for me to extrapolate on that a little bit. What Audra was talking about is unified at the industry hot topics. Um. Rock mcmillan talked for a minute. The ceo of silicon bank about the wine industry Not itself and taking market share from itself, but taking market share from wine from beer from spirits They've clearly done that to us. [00:32:18] I mean It's a competition. It is what it is, and we've not done a great job marketing To younger, younger generations, everybody knows that everybody repeats it, but what are we going to do about it? And how can we as an industry figure out how to do a better job getting people exposed to wine, getting people to enjoy wine? [00:32:37] Audra Cooper: Yeah, I like that, Eddie. It's time to get aggressive and it's time to re enter wine in the conversation of culture and being part of the daily lifestyle. We've let it kind of fall by the wayside and it's time to get aggressive about what wine can be and was and should be here in the near future. [00:32:57] Craig Macmillan: right. You'd mentioned, you know, what's happened in the past. Audra, are there lessons that we learned that we are forgetting from 20 years ago or lessons that we should have learned 20 years ago that might help us now? [00:33:11] Audra Cooper: it's, that's an interesting question, and I think it is a great question of merit, because history does tend to repeat itself I think we need to get better about predictive trends, and I don't know what the answer is to that, I just know that we need to do that and again, we, we kind of talked about it early in the podcast here that, you know, it's really hard to plant a trend, because you're usually behind the eight ball on it. [00:33:38] And I think that we need to get better about how we plan for the future. I think we forget that, you know, Robert Mondavi and the Gallo's and, and countless others who came before us really went out. To the masses and marketed wine, not just their brands or their programs. They were out there to make sure that they were representing the wine industry and the product that we produce first and foremost. [00:34:06] And so I think there's that element. It's not necessarily missing, but it's not loud enough and it's not aggressive enough. And so we definitely need some leaders to come forward in that regard and really push the initiatives. That we fought so hard to stay in business for. When you look back historically to, I think we have a tendency to kind of do the blame game a little bit. [00:34:28] Like, you've planted too much over there on the coast and you've removed too much of the northern interior and you're charging too much up there in the north coast. And the reality is there's a place. For everyone to play and instead of being the competitive set that we are, again, to Eddie's point that Rob McMillan made as state of the industry, we should be looking at how do we take market share from our competitors, which are beer and spirits, RTDs, and so forth, not from each other. [00:34:57] Craig Macmillan: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. It sounds like it's a time when we need to see some new leadership step up or some folks to take leadership roles which is always kind of scary. [00:35:08] Audra Cooper: It is. It's, it's, you know, here's the, the beautiful thing about emotion though. It's usually a call to action. So if we get scared enough. Someone will do something and I think we're just about there, and, and there's probably people working in the shadows that we're not aware of that will probably come forward here soon, you know, there's great leadership at CAWG level with their association as well as the Wine Institute, they're working hard every single day to be lobbyists , for our industry and to be making sure that they're representing our issues and finding solutions, solutions. [00:35:40] You know, one of the big things that I've learned over the last couple of years, particularly this last year, is, is that we are all responsible for our future and making sure our future is compelling. And so we need to be supporting those associations and paying attention to the relevancy of the information that's out there. [00:35:55] Craig Macmillan: Yeah, that's excellent. This is a, again, kind of a, kind of a tangent and it may not lead anywhere, but I, I just had this thought. You were talking about sustainability certifications and how important they are for growers now. Do you think that communicating the sustainability story of wineries and probably done at an individual level and then spreading out from there do you think consumers would respond to that? [00:36:17] Eddie Urman: Yeah it's hard to say because marketing is not my forte, but I, it sure seems like with the trends as far as health conscious and all this, I think it would resonate with them. It really should. And it's something we should probably capitalize on more as an industry in general. Yeah. [00:36:33] Craig Macmillan: That's interesting. Well do you have, does anybody have like a final message or one thing you would tell growers on this topic? Audra, [00:36:40] Audra Cooper: Well, we covered a lot of topics today, and I think I'll leave everyone with the same thing I said earlier, Where focus goes, energy flows, and if we're focused on the negative, and we're focused on how tough the industry is right now, that's where we're going to be. If we're focused on solutions, we'll find one that works, and it's going to be different for everyone. [00:37:04] Everyone's solution may look a little bit different. This is both an individual and industry wide issue that we're facing currently. with the downturn in the industry and the extreme oversupply. But I have faith that the work that's already being done will pull us out of this. We just need to get innovative in how we market to new consumers. [00:37:26] Craig Macmillan: That's great. Where can people find out more about you folks? [00:37:29] Eddie Urman: on our website. , you can get our information on there and reach out and contact us. Anything else Audra. Right. [00:37:44] Audra Cooper: Year you can go to our social media Turrentine Brokerate or you can find me at GrapeBroker on Instagram. You can also call us or email us or text us if you'd like, or smoke signal us too, although please don't carry fires. [00:37:50] Craig Macmillan: Anyway, right. Well, thank you so much. I guess today we're Audrey Cooper she is a director of great brokerage at Turrentine. Brokerage and Eddie Urman, who is the central coast, great broker Turrentine. Thank you both for being here and having such an interesting conversation. It's an important topic with a lot of question marks, lots and lots of questions, but I think we had some good things come out of it and I really appreciate it. [00:38:11] Audra Cooper: All right. Thank you.  [00:38:17] Beth Vukmanic: Thank you for listening. Today's podcast was brought to you by wonderful laboratories. Wonderful laboratories. Operates two state of the art high throughput laboratories to support pathogen detection and nutrient analysis. The team provides full service support to customers with field sampling, custom panels, and special projects. Their customers include pest control advisors, growers, consultants, seed companies, backyard gardeners, researchers, and more. [00:38:45] Make sure you check out the show notes for links to Turntine brokerage. Their previous interview on the Sustainable Winegrowing podcast, that's number 259, wine Grape Market Trends for 2024, plus other sustainable wine growing podcast episodes, including 265. How to stand out on social media in 2025 and 268 how to tackle leadership transitions successfully.   [00:39:10] If you'd like this show, do us a big favor by sharing it with a friend, subscribing and leaving us a review. [00:39:16] You can find all of the podcasts@vineyardteam.org/podcast and you can reach us at podcast@vineyardteam.org. Until next time, this is Sustainable Winegrowing with the Vineyard team.   Nearly perfect transcription by Descript

California's Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and the Assembly Democratic Caucus are working to protect the people of California, its communities and economy by supporting the rights of immigrants. While the new federal administration has shown it has no respect for immigrants, Speaker Rivas and Assembly Democrats are listening to and supporting everyone in our communities. The immigration issue is particularly important in Central California. As part of the Look West Immigration Series Assemblymembers Esmerelda Soria and Liz Ortega join us for a conversation about their personal immigration stories, what rights you need to know and the work they are doing to help.

 OWN, Nate Berkus,, CBS, NBC, , HGTV', DIY, “Yard Crashers”, “The Dirt On” “Green Me Up”, “Blog Cabin,” is where you have seen Ahmed.Welcome to Earth Month!During Spring, you enjoy fresh food from the garden. Greens such as lettuce, arugula and mustard, along with some cool-weather crops including kale and Swiss chard can be grown in a cloche or cold frame. Many root crops and brassicas will overwinter for a spring harvest.At the age of 10, Ahmed Hassan discovered his love of gardening and working outdoors. To many children, mowing lawns, trimming shrubs and stacking wood would be considered mundane chores. Not to Ahmed. With each completed task, he was building confidence and moving closer to his purpose in life, teaching others the importance of combining creativity with hard work. Ahmed's love of landscaping paved the way to a successful career as one of today's most sought after Celebrity Landscape professionals and Green Industry ExpertsHis Unique Personality was seen on The “Crashers” brand and format was born with spin off shows House Crashers, Bath Crashers, Room Crashers and Kitchen Crashers. Ahmed also hosted a couple seasons of a landscape competition show, “Turf War” on DIY Network. Landscape gardening has never before been showcased in a way that was so exciting to watch on television.Ahmed has co-hosted and consulted for The Nate Berkus Show where he led the residential landscape design for Monica “Warrior Mom” Jorge's house. He also co-hosted HGTV's live coverage of the 2011 Tournament of Roses Parade. He regularly serves as guest contributor for both CBS Early Show and NBC's Today Show. He is a guest columnist for several industry publications and HGTV magazine. In 2013 Ahmed began shooting web and promotional videos for various Green Industry companies.Ahmed Hassan is a self taught landscape designer that began working as a professional maintenance gardener at the age of 15. The 25-year expert is a California licensed Landscape Contractor (C-27), and PLANET Certified Landscape Maintenance Technician. He and his wife Tiffanie own and operate Ahmad Hassan Landscape Services (AHLS) a landscape consulting, design and installation firm. Ahmed has collaborated and worked on several landscape and construction projects throughout the country. Though speaking and doing landscape construction projects on television is what he enjoys most.The California native has spent most of his life in the Sacramento and greater Bay Area. He attributes his success in life to his many years of sobriety and the support and spiritual philosophy of his blended family. His entrepreneurial parents taught him the value of creating a business with the work you enjoy most.Ahmed's rural roots, mixed with inner city upbringing, has given him a unique ability to relate to people from all walks of life. The connective thread through each stage of his life remains Agriculture, Construction, Improvements and Maintenance. “The status quo is boring and complacent. I envision and enjoy making things better and I prefer to do this outdoors”, says Ahmed.Ahmed began spelling his name with an “e” for phonetic reasons when he became a TV host. His legal name is Ahmad Hasan Hassan, pronounced (Ahh-med).Ahmed, has 3 children & reside in Northern California's foothills.© 2025 All Rights Reserved© 2025 BuildingAbundantSuccess!!Join Me on ~ iHeart Media @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

04/17/25: Joel Heitkamp is joined by the former Governor and Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, for a conversation on the status of the Farm Bill, how the tariffs impact our ag economy, trade agreements with other countries, and more. In 1998, Mr. Vilsack became the first Democrat to be elected as the Governor of Iowa in more than 30 years. He became the 30th and 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture, from 2008-2017 and 2021-2025, respectively. Only five people in U.S. history have served in the Cabinet longer, and during his tenures, the United States Department of Agriculture set records for U.S. agricultural exports and provided food assistance to millions of Americans. He now serves as the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack will focus on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service. Learn more about him and the World Food Prize Foundation on their website. (Joel Heitkamp is a talk show host on the Mighty 790 KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. His award-winning program, “News & Views,” can be heard weekdays from 8 – 11 a.m. Follow Joel on X/Twitter @JoelKFGO.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

*The cattle markets are nervous about the Trump tariff wars.  *USDA is allocating money for animal health research in Texas.  *Corn and sorghum planting is ahead of schedule, but cotton planting is lagging behind.*The winter wheat crop in Moore County is the best it has been in years.  *President Trump is calling on Congress to stop the annual time changes.  *2025 is another good year for the cattle producers, but drought is still a problem.*April showers can bring May flowers, but they can also bring weeds.  *A severe disease can occur in newborn piglets.  

In this episode, Carl Coleman continues his deep dive into the lessons learned from years of soil health experimentation—and how they changed not only his farm but his entire career. Carl shares how the pushback he received from scientists and extension professionals led him to set up a randomized, replicated study on his farm, proving that regenerative practices could reduce inputs without sacrificing yield.We explore some of the biggest surprises from these trials, including how fields with no applied potassium actually maintained or increased soil test levels over five years—completely contradicting conventional wisdom. Carl also discusses the economic and agronomic benefits of cover crops, including how they have helped farmers reduce subsoiling, cut back on herbicide passes, and save thousands in input costs.Carl's transition from farming to the seed business was not planned, but as demand for high-quality, affordable seed grew, he saw an opportunity to help other farmers navigate the complexities of cover cropping. Now, as the owner of Choice Ag, Carl provides tailored cover crop blends based on individual farm needs, ensuring that growers avoid common mistakes and maximize their returns.If you're wondering how real-world farmers are making regenerative agriculture work economically, this episode is packed with practical insights and hard-earned wisdom.

Mr K R Jyothilal is a 1993 batch IAS officer with a B.Tech from IIT Madras. He did his MBA from ICFAI University. In the Government of Kerala, he has served as the Secretary of many departments, including IT, Transport, Aviation, Ports, Excise, Parliamentary Affairs, and so on. He also headed many projects such as Kochi Metro, Smart City, E-Mobility, Kannur Airport, and High-tech Agriculture. Earlier, he was the Collector of Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur. In 2022, he was appointed as Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala. In this Satsang Mr Jyothilal shares his joy of being in Prasanthi Nilayam for Vishu Celebrations in April 2025 and goes on to reflect on the immense relevance of Bhagawan's teachings and ideals which has left a deep impact on him and which he feels are paramount for application in society today to overcome the modern day challenges.

California Senator Adam Schiff is hitting the ground running as the first California Senator in over 30 years to serve on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee.

As we hit the quarter-century mark in agriculture and ag lending, there’s a tale of two economies unfolding. According to Dr. David Kohl from Virginia Tech’s Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics, the U.S. economy is holding strong, but the global economy is facing headwinds. Stu Muck tells us what rainfall could look like around the state this evening and into the Easter weekend. Spring is the time for bunnies and baby chicks. It's fur and feather swap season at a town near you. In Walworth County, they're gearing up for a swap to help fund the Fur & Feather Sale at the county fair and several scholarships for youth exhibitors. Dr. Temple Grandin tells Ben Jarboe that if you get down and see what an animal sees, then you can better understand their behaviors. At a UW-Madison event, she tells Mid-West Farm Report about key moments in her career that have led her to new animal welfare research today. Ever.Ag dairy analyst and broker Cody Koster joins Mid-West Farm Report with an explanation for the Class III rally. He says, despite the tariff scare, countries can't argue that U.S. dairy products are the cheapest in town, spurring an increase in export numbers, aided by a weaker U.S. dollar. Exports are critical to eating up the domestic supply.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tommy talks with Mike Strain, Commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry, about making sure you get Louisiana seafood, not imported stuff.

* There is a major nursing shortage across the US, and stress and burnout make it even harder. * Checking in with Ag Commissioner Mike Strain

We visit with western Illinois native Jon DeClerck. He is being honored by the Texas Tech Department of Animal and Food Sciences Hall of Fame, earning the Graduate of Distinction with Advanced Degree Award.Illinois Farm Bureau Associate Director of Food Systems Development Raghela Scavuzzo promotes the Market Maker local foods directory.  Bryan Thomas, Specialty Crops Portfolio Manager at Bayer Crop Science discusses grain sorghum products.

The episode kicks off with breaking economic news: while Canada's overall inflation slowed to 2.3% in March, food inflation surged to a staggering 3.2%—a monthly jump not seen since 1983. Sylvain attributes the spike to Ottawa's counter-tariffs, rising ingredient costs, and shifting sourcing strategies as Canadian grocers de-Americanize their supply chains. This backdrop leads into a discussion on recent Caddle research indicating that 61% of Canadians are willing to pay more for local products—an unprecedented level of national loyalty that presents both opportunity and urgency for domestic producers.Listeners also get a sneak peek at the upcoming release of the Canadian Food Sentiment Index, sponsored by MNP, which shows growing trust in Canada's food industry. Michael and Sylvain then pivot to the controversial topic of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, raising critical questions about childhood obesity, pharmaceutical influence, and the implications for food industry giants like Nestlé and Mondelez.The second half of the episode features Elysabeth Alfano, CEO of VegTech Invest and host of two sustainability-focused podcasts. Elysabeth unpacks how her ETF invests in publicly traded companies that are accelerating food systems transformation—emphasizing impact, liquidity, and innovation over startup hype. She shares candid takes on the realities of lab-grown meat, the risks of insect protein, and why countries like Singapore and Israel are leading the charge in food security and innovation.Elysabeth also weighs in on the role of policy, pointing to rising geopolitical instability and trade tensions—especially in the U.S.—as a catalyst for investment in food innovation. From precision fermentation to biosecurity risks, she outlines why now is the time for bold moves in food tech and ESG investing.With both news and expert insights, this episode offers a comprehensive look at the forces reshaping what we grow, invest in, and consume.About Elysabeth Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of  VegTech™ Invest , the Advisor to a publicly traded Food Innovation ETF.  Run by sector experts, VegTech™ Invest drives capital to those companies innovating for a resilient, sustainable and less damaging food supply system through its educational tools and financial product. It, thus, positively impacts Climate Change and biodiversity loss.Elysabeth is an expert in investing in food systems transformation and speaks internationally on the intersection of investing, sustainability, and our global food supply system. She has spoken at the U.N. Global Leaders Compact Summit, the United Nations Climate Change Summit, SXSW, COP27 and COP28, Yale University and Northwestern University, several Bloomberg Intelligence events and has done a myriad of TV interviews including Bloomberg TV and Ameritrade TV. Elysabeth began her career with Kellogg Company working on Special K and Frosted Mini-Wheats before acting as Chief Investment Officer for a small family office. A graduate of Northwestern University and the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Elysabeth consults and advises C-Suite Executives on the sustainable food industry landscape, direction and whitespaces.  Lastly, Elysabeth hosts the  Plantbased Business Hour , a podcast which features the CEOs and business leaders in the industry.  The Plantbased Business Hour is considered “The Gold Standard” for those who want to understand, participate in, and capitalize on the growing Plant-based Innovation sector. She is the voice of sustainability in the invment community hosting the Upside & Impact: Investing for Change on Advisorpedia.Elysabeth contributes to ESG Clarity, WGN Radio, Vegconomist Magazine, CAIA, ETFCentral.com Advisorpedia and FinTechTV on a regular basis. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Bringing back Southwest peach orchards won't be easy, but researchers are on the lookout for remaining trees—and they need help. And, the newly discovered Lokiceratops is challenging paleontologists' understanding of how horned dinosaurs evolved and existed together. How A Navajo Plant Researcher Is Reviving A Desert PeachWhen you think of states known for their peaches, Utah might not be at the top of your list. But there is a variety—the Southwest peach—that grows in this arid landscape, and Native communities have cultivated this tree since the 1600s. But many of the orchards were intentionally destroyed by colonizers hundreds of years ago, and the remaining trees are now scattered across the region.A local scientist and member of the Navajo Nation is on a mission to track down Southwest peach trees so we can learn more about how these peaches are so well-suited to grow in the desert.At a live event in Salt Lake City in March, Host Flora Lichtman spoke with Reagan Wytsalucy, plant scientist and assistant professor at Utah State University Extension in San Juan County, Utah. She researches traditional Native American crops, including the Southwest peach.Meet Lokiceratops, A Giant Dinosaur With Blade-Like HornsThe Intermountain West is a dinosaur nerd's dream because it's such a hotspot for fossils. Some of the most famous dino fossils in the world, like T. rex, triceratops, and stegosaurus can be found in western North America. So, of course, Science Friday couldn't go to Salt Lake City, Utah, without digging into some dinosaur science.At a live event in Salt Lake City in March, Host Ira Flatow spoke with the scientists behind the discovery of Lokiceratops, a large dinosaur with impressive horns that was unveiled in 2024. Dr. Mark Loewen, vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Utah and the Natural History Museum of Utah; and Savhannah Carpenter, paleontologist and school outreach coordinator at the Natural History Museum of Utah, discuss how they figured out Loki was a new dinosaur, the process of describing and naming the fossil, and what it taught them about dino evolution.Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.  Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

In this conversation, Dr. Aaron T. Dossey discusses the surprising amount of land clearing around the globe for agriculture and its detrimental effects on the environment, including biodiversity loss and climate change. The solution, according to our guest, is insect protein as a sustainable alternative to traditional livestock because of the efficiency and nutritional benefits of growing insects for food. Dr. Dossey shares his journey into the field of entomophagy, detailing how he transitioned from a passion for insects to founding All Things Bugs LLC where he focuses on the commercialization of insect-based food products. In this conversation, Dr. Aaron T. Dossey discusses the challenges of the insect protein market, the processing techniques he developed, the hurdles faced in scaling production, and the importance of consumer acceptance. Dr. Dossey emphasizes the need for collaboration within the industry and shares his vision for a sustainable future where insect protein becomes a mainstream food source.Key points from this episode:Land clearing contributes significantly to climate change.Deforestation leads to loss of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation.Insect protein is more sustainable than traditional livestock.Insects require less water and resources for production.Insects provide complete proteins and essential nutrients.Funding opportunities can drive innovation in sustainable food sources.Product development in insect protein is complex but necessary.Scaling insect farming can address food security issues.Serendipity plays a role in entrepreneurial success.Innovative processing techniques can enhance the quality of insect protein.Market challenges include competition from lower-quality products.Consumer acceptance is crucial for scaling insect protein products.Collaboration within the industry can lead to more efficient practices.Raising awareness about the benefits of insect protein is essential.Funding and investment are critical for growth in this sector.Sustainable practices can make insect protein a viable alternative.The ingredient price must be competitive for widespread adoption.Consumer products can help normalize insect protein in diets.A better world includes more wild spaces and equitable economic systems. Sound Bites“It appears that land clearing potentially is a bigger problem than climate change.""We're losing species faster than we can track.""Insects are really a no-brainer when you really look at their benefits, their efficiency, all the positive attributes and lack of negative – other than perception, there really aren't a lot of negative attributes.""Insects use very little water compared to livestock. For example I see usually around 1% water use compared to beef, or something in that range.”"Insects are complete proteins, unlike many plants.""We need to scale up sustainable technologies quickly.""We need to reduce beef and dairy consumption.""We are the R&D labs for major food manufacturers." LinksDr Aaron T Dossey on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarontdossey/All Things Bugs - https://allthingsbugs.com/All Things Bugs on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/allthingsbugs/All Things Bugs on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AllthingsbugsAll Things Bugs on X - https://x.com/AllThingsBugsAll Things Bugs on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/AllThingsBugsAll Things Bugs on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@allthingsbugsAll Things Bugs: Leader in Insects as a Sustainable Bioresource - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgGWStYQC_YBugs In Space: Biomimicry Solution for Sustainable Food on the Moon, Mars and Earth - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp0S-Gfk_tAInsects as Sustainable Food Ingredients (Book) - https://shop.elsevier.com/books/insects-as-sustainable-food-ingredients/dossey/978-0-12-802856-8Invertebrate Studies Institute - https://isibugs.org/Invertebrate Studies Institute on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/isibugs/Invertebrate Studies Institute on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/InvertebrateStudiesInstitute/Invertebrate Studies Institute on X - https://x.com/ISIBugsInvertebrate Studies Institute Research Video - https://vimeo.com/user48219928Griopro (Ingredient) - https://griopro.com/Some videos:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgGWStYQC_Yhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp0S-Gfk_tAhttps://vimeo.com/user48219928…Brands for a Better World Episode Archive - http://brandsforabetterworld.com/Brands for a Better World on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-for-a-better-world/Modern Species - https://modernspecies.com/Modern Species on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-species/Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagemitchell/…Print Magazine Design Podcasts - https://www.printmag.com/categories/printcast/…Heritage Radio Network - https://heritageradionetwork.org/Heritage Radio Network on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-radio-network/posts/Heritage Radio Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRadioNetworkHeritage Radio Network on X - https://x.com/Heritage_RadioHeritage Radio Network on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritage_radio/Heritage Radio Network on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritage_radio

Summary In this episode of Develop This, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig discusses his journey to his current role, the importance of Iowa's agricultural production, and the challenges faced by farmers today. He emphasizes the balance between increasing agricultural output and sustainable land stewardship, the impact of tariffs on agriculture, and the safety nets in place for farmers. Naig also addresses the challenges in the egg production industry, particularly due to avian influenza, and the consolidation within the industry. He concludes with a call for greater consumer awareness and appreciation for the work of farmers. Takeaways Mike Naig has served as Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture since 2018. Iowa ranks second in agricultural production in the U.S., only behind California. The Iowa Department of Agriculture focuses on land stewardship, food safety, and consumer protection. Farmers face significant challenges, including weather and market fluctuations. Tariffs can disrupt agricultural markets and impact prices. The farm safety net is crucial for maintaining food security in the U.S. Egg prices have risen due to increased production costs and avian influenza outbreaks. Avian influenza has led to significant losses in poultry production. Consolidation in the egg industry has raised concerns about profit distribution. Consumer awareness of agricultural processes is essential for supporting farmers.

As any parent knows, it is really important to help our children to make healthy food choices. I know as a father who cooks for my child, it is really critical that I introduce her to fruits and vegetables and encourage whole grains and try to manage the amount of additional sugars, but it's hard. We do this with the goal of trying to make sure that our child is able to eat healthy once she leaves the home. That she's able to make healthy choices there. But it's not just about the future. My child is making choices even today at school and outside of school, and the question is, can we help her make those choices that are going to lead to healthy food outcomes? Do food labels on products encourage children to make healthy food choices if it indicates good ingredients? Or would labels that warn against nutrients of concern actually discourage kids from using those or consuming those products? Today we're going to actually explore those questions in a particular context- in Chile. In 2016, the Chilean government implemented a comprehensive set of obesity prevention policies aimed at improving the food environment for children. Last year on this podcast, we actually explored how the Chilean food laws affected school food purchases. But now today, we're going to explore how food labels are influencing youth outside of school. It is my pleasure to welcome back my colleagues, Gabriela Fretes, who is an associate research fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute, or IFPRI; and Sean Cash, who is an economist and chair of the Division of Agriculture, food and Environment at Tufts University at the Friedman School of Nutrition, Science and Policy. Interview Summary Gabi and Sean, I'm excited to discuss our new paper, Front of Pack Labels and Young Consumers an Experimental Investigation of Nutrition and Sustainability Claims in Chile that was recently published in a Journal of Food Quality and Preference. Gabi, let's begin with you. So why look at Chile? Can you explain the focus of the Chilean labeling and food environment policies there? So, the setting of our study, as in the previous study, was Chile because recently the country implemented the law of food labeling and advertising, which includes three main components. The first one being mandatory front of package warning labels on packaged goods and beverages. The second one being restrictions on all forms of food marketing directed to children younger than 14 years. So, including printed media, broadcast, and also all digital media. And the third component being at school regulations at different levels including preschool, elementary, and high school levels. Briefly, food manufacturers in Chile must place front of package labels on packaged foods or beverages that are high in specific nutrients of concern, including added sugars, saturated fats, sodium, and or energy. This law was implemented in three stages, starting in June 2016. The last stage was implemented in June 2019. So, it has been already six or seven years since the full implementation of the regulation. Specifically talking about the school component because this, yeah, it relates to children and adolescents. The law mandates that foods and beverages with at least one front of pack warning label cannot be sold, promoted, or marketed inside schools. And this includes the cafeteria, the school kiosks, and even events that are happening inside the schools. And additionally, food and beverages that have at least one front pack warning label cannot be offered as part of school meal programs. In addition to this front of pack warning label regulation, Chile also implemented voluntary eco labels starting in 2022 that provide information about the recyclability of food packages specifically. There is a certification process behind this labeling regulation and the eco label can be displayed if the food or beverage package is at least 80% recyclable. Wow. This is a really comprehensive set of policies to encourage healthier food choices, both at the school and then also outside of the school. I'm excited to discuss further what this may do to food choices among children. Sean, that really brings up the question, why is it important to look at young consumers and their food choices and what makes them unique compared to adults? Thanks for asking Norbert. This is an area where I've been interested in for a while. You know, young consumers play a crucial role in shaping the demand for food and long-term dietary habits. And young consumers might be more open to incorporating dietary advice into those long-term habits than adults might be. Just perhaps kids are less set in their ways. Children and adolescents are both current, but also future consumers with growing autonomy in what they choose around food as they get older. To marketers, we sometimes would say they might represent a three-in-one market. First, they spend their own money on snacks. What you could think of as the primary market. And how children spend money autonomously is really something that hasn't been studied enough by researchers. Although it's an area where I have tried to make a contribution. Second, kids influence household purchases. This is sometimes called pester power. You can think of a kid in the supermarket begging a parent to buy a favorite snack or a certain brand of cereal. But this can also be more socially positive in that kids might be agents of change within their households. Encouraging perhaps other family members to buy healthier food items if they get more interested in that. And third, this three-in-one market is rounded out by the fact that children represent future purchasing power as future adults. So, the habits that they're forming now might influence what they do when they're older. Despite this importance for marketers, but also for pro-social behavior change, there really hasn't been a lot of research on youth food purchasing behaviors. And this question that we are looking at here of how kids might respond to front to package labels has been particularly limited. In this project, we wanted to understand how Chilean adolescents might respond both to nutrition warning labels, but also eco labels, and how they consider price when choosing snacks. We were lucky to be able to recruit a sample of over 300 kids, aged 10 to 14, to participate in these experiments. I know we're going to chat a bit more about what we found, but in general, our results suggest that while price is perhaps the biggest factor in explaining what the kids chose in our experiment, that some of these youth showed preferences for the eco labels, which could be indicative of an emerging interest in sustainability issues. But overall, understanding these behaviors is really important because the food choices made during childhood and adolescence can persist in adulthood. And this can be really something that helps change long-term health outcomes.   Gabi, let's talk a little bit more about eco labels for a moment. What are they, and how do these echo labels influence children's snack choices? What did they tell us about their awareness of sustainability? That's a great question, Norbert. Thanks. In our study specifically, we found that eco labels, had a greater influence on adolescents' snack choices than nutrition warning labels these black and white octagons that are displayed on the front of the package of products in Chile. And this suggests that some young consumers are becoming more aware of environmental issues, or at least in our sample. One possible explanation for this could be that eco labels suggest positive emotions rather than warnings, as with the nutrition labels. Which might feel more restrictive. Unlike the nutrition labels that tell consumers what not to eat, eco labels, on the other hand, highlight a product's benefits, making it more appealing. This could be one of the reasons. Related to that, adolescents may also associate eco-friendly products with social responsibility aligning with increasing youth-driven environmental movements that are very prevalent around the world. However, not all adolescents in our sample responded equally to the eco labels that were presented to them in the snacks. Our study specifically found that those who receive pocket money were more likely to choose eco label snacks. And this could be possibly because they have more autonomy over their purchases and their personal values could be playing a bigger role in their choices. If eco labels are really influencing children and adolescents with choices, one intervention that could be potentially beneficial could be to incorporate sustainability messaging in school food and nutrition education in order to reinforce those positive behaviors. And make them part of the daily food choices that they make. In making sustainable food more affordable, government incentives or retailer promotions could encourage youth to choose more eco-friendly snacks. Given that price, as we saw in our study, remains a key factor for choice. Lastly, not all eco labels are created equal. And this suggests that clear standardization and regulation are needed to prevent misleading claims. And ensure that adolescents receive accurate information about the sustainability of their food choices. Ultimately, the eco labeling, of course, is not a silver bullet. It's not going to solve all the environmental issues, but it represents a promising tool to nudge consumers. So our better dietary and environmental behaviors. Gabi, you talked about how the eco labels have a bigger effect than nutrition warning. And overall, the nutrition warning labels didn't really have that big of an effect on snack food choices. Why do you think that's the case? Yes, this was really one surprising finding in our study. That front of pack nutrition warning labels did not significantly impact children's and adolescents' snack choices. And this kind of contradicts some previous research suggesting that warning labels can help consumers make healthcare choices. And there are several possible explanations for why this could be happening. The first one could be just lack of interest. So compared to adults, children and adolescents may be just more responsive to positive rather than negative messaging. Because negative messages related to nutrition might not seem relevant to them because they feel healthy in the present. They just are not interested in those kinds of messages. The second could be label fatigue. We discuss this in our paper and basically it is because Chile's regulation was already introduced in 2016. Given that it has been already some time since implementation, young consumers may have become habituated to seeing the warning labels on food products. So, like how adults also experience label fatigue, and this is documented in the evidence, children and adolescents might no longer pay attention or pay less attention to the warning. Third possible explanation is it relates to taste and brand loyalty. For this point, research shows that for youth specifically, taste remains the top priority when they choose food. So often outweighing any other factors including health concerns. If a favorite snack, for example, has warning labels but remains tasty and familiar to the kid, the label alone may not discourage them from choosing that snack. And lastly, social and environmental factors. Our study found, as we already mentioned, that eco labels had a stronger influence that nutrition warnings, and this could indicate that children and adolescents are just more responsive to messages about sustainability than to warnings, which they may perceive as less immediate. Thank you for sharing that. And at this moment in the US there is a conversation about front of pack labels. And the work that you are showing in this paper may even point to some of the things that may happen if we see similar front of pack labels here in the US. I'll be looking forward to see what happens with that effort right now. Sean, I want to turn to you and ask an economist type question. What role does price play in adolescent food choices? Not only price, but the availability of pocket money? And how do you think that should influence policy? Our study shows that price is the most significant factor influencing the snack choices of the kids in our study. And higher prices definitely reduce the likelihood of seeing a certain product being selected. It was kind of interesting. Interestingly, this effect was consistent regardless of whether the kids regularly received pocket money. Suggesting that even those that don't receive spending money still are paying attention to price. And this was a little bit different from what we found in some other studies that I've been able to work on, in the US and Germany, that suggested that previous experience with pocket money, or getting an allowance, was really important for understanding which kids might be most careful about spending their own money. I don't know if that's something different in the Chilean context than those other contexts. Or if that was just about what the kids in this particular study were paying attention to because we're asking about different things. But when we look more closely at the kids in our Chilean study, we found some important differences. As Gabi already mentioned, those kids who received pocket money were the ones who were more positively inclined to choosing products with the eco labels. And that suggests that they might be valuing sustainability a little bit more when making their own choices. Perhaps because they're already a little bit more familiar with some of those dynamics of spending their own money. Whereas those without pocket money were more likely to choose cheaper options or sometimes the healthier options like the apples that we provided as an option in our study. And suggesting they're focused more on affordability or health. So, what this means for policy, given the strong influence of price, it means that policy interventions that focus on price, like taxes on unhealthy foods or perhaps subsidies for healthier options, might be effective tools in guiding better choices for these kids. But also, programs promoting budgeting skills and food literacy might help adolescents make more informed decisions both about the nutrition and the sustainability of the foods they're eating. Finally, since some kids are responding positively to eco labels, integrating sustainability messages with the nutrition education could enhance the impact of food labeling policies. Overall, combining price policies and education labeling strategies could be really effective in driving meaningful changes in children and adolescent food choices. Sean, thank you. And it's really important to appreciate the differences that may occur when we think about a country like Chile versus the US or in some of your other work in Germany. And understanding that youth culture may be different and may be shaping these behaviors. But it's very clear that all people, it sounds like, are responding to price. And that's a constant that we're seeing here. Sean, here's my final question for you. What is the take home implications of this study? Well, first and foremost, our findings here suggest that nutrition labeling alone isn't necessarily going to be enough to drive healthier choices among children and adolescents. It can be part of an answer, but policymakers looking to promote healthier food choices might need to compliment labeling with education campaigns that reinforce the meaning of these warnings and integrate them into school-based nutrition programs. That said, I think that Chile has already been a leader in this regard, because the food items that get the warning labels in the Chilean context are the same ones that are subject to different restrictions on marketing or sales in schools, as well. I do think that we're going to see kids and eventually adults just become more familiar with these categorizations because of the consistency in the Chilean law. Also, on the eco label side, leveraging that kind of eco labeling alongside nutrition messaging might be an effective combination to help promote both healthier and more sustainable food choices. And finally we've been talking about new front to pack labeling schemes here in the United States. And it's really important to make sure we learn as much as possible from the experiences with such policies in other countries. Chile's really been a world leader in this regard and so I'm very happy to have tried to contribute to an understanding of how people use these labels through this study and through some of the other projects that Gabi, you and I have all been involved in. Bios Gabriela (Gabi) Fretes is an Associate Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health (NDH) Unit of the International Food Policy Research Institute. She received her PhD in Food and Nutrition Policies and Programs at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, USA in 2022 and holds a master's in food and nutrition with a concentration on Health Promotion and Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases from the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile. Her research interests are at the intersection of child obesity prevention, food policy and consumer behavior, and her doctoral thesis involved evaluation of a national food labeling and advertising policy designed to improve the healthfulness of the food environment and address the obesity epidemic in Chile, particularly among children. She has worked with a broad range of government, international organizations, academia, public and private sector stakeholders and decision-makers in Paraguay, Chile, and the United States of America. Sean Cash is an economist and Chair of the Division of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. He conducts research both internationally and domestically on food, nutrition, agriculture and the environment. He is interested in environmental impacts on food and beverage production, including projects on crop quality and climate change, consumer interest in production attributes of tea and coffee, and invasive species management. He also focuses on how food, nutrition, and environmental policies affect food consumption and choice, with specific interest in children's nutrition and consumer interest in environmental and nutritional attributes of food. He teaches courses in statistics, agricultural and environmental economics, and consumer behavior around food. He is currently Specialty Chief Editor of the Food Policy and Economics section of Frontiers in Nutrition, and has previously served as an Editor of the Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics as well as the Chair of the Food Safety and Nutrition Section of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

*The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association met last weekend in Fort Worth.  *Mexico is delivering some of the water it owes to the Rio Grande Valley.   *Texas cattle feeders are seeing good times right now, but there could be troubles ahead.  *The U.S. is preparing to levy new duties on tomatoes from Mexico, while China has raised it tariffs on U.S. goods. *The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was a record-breaking success this year, thanks to some great partnerships.  *Nursery production and sales are strong in the spring.  *Thrush is a common horse foot disease.  

This Day in Legal History: Rush-Bagot TreatyOn April 16, 1818, the United States Senate ratified the Rush-Bagot Treaty, a landmark agreement with Great Britain that fundamentally reshaped security along the U.S.-Canada border. Negotiated in the aftermath of the War of 1812, the treaty aimed to de-escalate military tensions between the two nations by significantly limiting naval armaments on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. Specifically, it allowed each country to maintain only a single military vessel on Lakes Ontario and Champlain and two vessels on the upper Great Lakes, each restricted in size and armament. The treaty marked a mutual commitment to demilitarization and ushered in a new era of diplomacy.The negotiations were spearheaded by Acting U.S. Secretary of State Richard Rush and British Minister to the U.S., Charles Bagot. Though initially framed as an exchange of diplomatic notes rather than a formal treaty, it was nonetheless submitted to the Senate for ratification, reflecting its constitutional significance. The Rush-Bagot Treaty laid the groundwork for what would become the world's longest undefended border. It also set a precedent for the peaceful resolution of border disputes through legal and diplomatic means rather than military force.While tensions between the two nations would persist in other areas, the Great Lakes remained largely free of armed conflict, validating the treaty's long-term effectiveness. Over time, the agreement became a model of arms control and remains in effect today, albeit with amendments reflecting evolving security concerns. Its ratification on this day helped steer U.S.-British relations toward lasting peace and cooperation, especially in North America. The treaty's enduring legacy is a testament to the power of legal frameworks in shaping geopolitical stability.The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the state of Maine, escalating tensions between the Trump administration and the state over transgender athletes' participation in girls' and women's sports. The suit alleges that Maine is violating Title IX by permitting transgender female athletes to compete on girls' teams, citing recent examples from high school track events. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the action days after the administration attempted to cut off Maine's federal school funding and school lunch programs.This legal move follows a standoff between President Trump and Maine Governor Janet Mills, who rebuffed Trump's executive order banning transgender athletes from female sports. Mills told Trump, “We're going to follow the law, sir. We'll see you in court.” The administration's Title IX-based complaint argues that allowing transgender participation undermines fairness and safety, though no specific safety threats are detailed—of course.The Department of Education had already announced the suspension of $250 million in K-12 education funding for Maine, while the Department of Agriculture sought to freeze school lunch support. A federal judge has temporarily blocked the USDA's actions after Maine sued the federal government. Maine's Assistant Attorney General, Sarah Forster, pushed back, arguing that Title IX does not prohibit schools from including transgender girls in girls' sports and criticized the federal government's lack of legal precedent.US to take legal action against Maine over Trump executive order on transgender athletes | ReutersSenate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced he will block President Trump's nominations of Jay Clayton and Joe Nocella to serve as U.S. attorneys in New York's Southern and Eastern Districts, respectively. Schumer's refusal to return the customary “blue slip” signals his opposition and sets up a potential clash over the Senate tradition that gives home-state senators influence over federal prosecutor and judge appointments. He cited concerns that Trump intends to politicize the Justice Department, accusing him of seeking to weaponize law enforcement against political enemies.Clayton, a former SEC chair, was nominated to oversee the Southern District, which includes Manhattan and is often referred to as the nation's "Wall Street watchdog." Nocella, a state judge, was tapped for the Eastern District, covering Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island. Schumer's move could provoke Republicans to eliminate the blue slip practice for U.S. attorney nominations, as they previously did for circuit court judges.While Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley had earlier indicated he planned to preserve the blue slip process for U.S. attorney picks, growing political tensions may lead to changes. The debate echoes earlier pressure on Democrats to bypass blue slips during the Biden administration for nominees in states with GOP senators. Meanwhile, other Democratic senators, like Adam Schiff, are also using procedural holds to delay nominees they find objectionable, such as Ed Martin, who previously defended January 6 participants.Schumer to Block Jay Clayton as Top US Prosecutor in ManhattanPresident Donald Trump's threat to revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status has sparked broader concerns about the politicization of the IRS and a potential crackdown on nonprofits. His warning followed Harvard's refusal to meet administration demands tied to federal funding, prompting a freeze of over $2.2 billion in grants. Other universities like Columbia, Cornell, and Princeton also saw funding halted, amid GOP claims that schools are failing to curb antisemitism after protests over the Israel-Hamas war.Critics see Trump's move as an attempt to use federal tax authority to punish political opponents. Legal scholars warn that using the IRS in this way echoes past abuses, such as those during Nixon's presidency. Some nonprofits have already started removing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language from websites to avoid scrutiny, with lawyers reporting a spike in “DEI audits.” Though the IRS hasn't yet changed its enforcement patterns, reduced staffing could make it more susceptible to politicized influence.A recent executive order from Trump targeting “illegal DEI” efforts has heightened fear among nonprofits that their programs, especially those aimed at underrepresented communities, could be labeled discriminatory. Meanwhile, conservative activist Edward Blum has asked the IRS to investigate several foundations for offering race-specific grants, hoping to set a precedent against such practices. Legal experts say programs must be evaluated based on whether they exclude other races, which would likely violate federal law.Trump's Harvard Threat Raises Specter of IRS Nonprofit CrackdownIn my column for Bloomberg this week, I argue that proposals to exempt college athletes' name, image, and likeness (NIL) income from state taxes undermine one of tax policy's core principles: horizontal equity. That principle holds that taxpayers with similar incomes should be taxed similarly—something these NIL exemptions blatantly violate. While some student-athletes now earn six or seven figures, their peers working long hours in campus jobs continue to pay tax on modest earnings. Exempting high-income athletes while taxing low-wage student workers creates a two-tiered system that rewards fame and marketability, not need or effort.These exemptions aren't rooted in sound tax design—they're political moves, often motivated by the desire to curry favor with voters who are fans of college sports. But when states exempt wealthy student-athletes, they're making a value judgment: that celebrity deserves more support than everyday work. Even in states where lower-income students may owe no tax, the policy distinction is stark—exempting income to prevent poverty is not the same as exempting it to boost a football program.Rather than distorting the tax code to chase athletic prestige, I propose a fairer alternative: a progressive income exemption available to all full-time students, tied to the cost of their tuition. If a student pays $12,000 in tuition, they could exempt that amount from tax—regardless of whether their income comes from NIL deals, a job in the library, or a work-study program. This model keeps relief targeted to those bearing educational costs while avoiding regressive giveaways to already well-compensated students. The tax code should reflect fairness and support for all students—not just the most marketable ones.Student NIL Tax Breaks Would Put Splashy Recruits Above Fairness This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

In this week's episode, Tracy is rounding out her series of solo episodes reflecting on and weaving together the insights shared by so many incredible voices in agriculture. With so many great conversations, Tracy wanted to take a moment to pause, gather the main points and pull them together in several easy to consume episodes for the audience. After hosting a wide range of thoughtful guest conversations, she's hitting pause to highlight the key takeaways—bringing them together in a few focused, easy-to-digest episodes designed just for you. Young farmers today are navigating a complex landscape, and when it comes to succession and transition planning, they have a mix of practical, emotional, and economic concerns. Here are some of the big ones on their minds: 0:00 - Introduction 6:02 - Uncertainty around ownership and decision-making power 11:38 - Lack of clear farm transition plans 12:29 - Financial viability and debt in farming 13:21 - Generational farmer differences in vision 16:16 - Off-farm heirs and family dynamics 18:19 - Legal and tax complexities for farm succession and farm transition planning 18:45 - Access to land for first-generation farmers 22:42 - Emotional tension and communication gaps in farm family communication 27:00 - Clarity is kindness. Communicate your intention to farming children 29:20 - If we want to keep the farm going, why aren't we making transition planning a priority? 34:00 - Need resources? Make sure to download our FREE Transition Planning Resource Guide ebook

California dairy farmers are on track to exceed the state's methane-reduction targets ahead of the 2030 deadline, according to a recent Ag Alert from the California Farm Bureau.

California dairy farmers are on track to exceed the state's methane-reduction targets ahead of the 2030 deadline, according to a recent Ag Alert from the California Farm Bureau.

Land reform has been at the forefront of political debate in South Africa in recent months, leading to strained relations with Donald Trump and his administration. A new law allows the government to expropriate land without compensation in rare cases where the land is abandoned or not being used. This has led some farmers and activists to call on the US president and Elon Musk for help, claiming that White South Africans are victims of racial persecution. But on the ground, other farmers say the issue has been plagued with disinformation. To date, no private property has been expropriated without compensation in South Africa. Our correspondents report.

Episode Description: “We need to think more about the ecosystem, and it's not always the cheapest way to do stuff. I think we're just trying to make a difference. And if we can make a living while making a difference, then that's really important.” —Jason Walker   Regenerative organic farming is more than just a method—it's a revolutionary approach to healing our planet's most critical resource: soil. It offers a holistic approach that sees agriculture not as an extraction process but as a recuperative, life-giving partnership with the Earth. Jason Walker is a visionary third-generation farmer who leads StarWalker Organic Farms, championing regenerative organic agriculture and raising heritage breed livestock in their natural environments. With a deep commitment to soil health, animal welfare, and sustainable farming practices, Jason is not just a farmer, but an educator and advocate for transforming our understanding of food production and its impact on human and environmental well-being. Listen in as Justine and Jason decode the complex landscape of regenerative organic farming, exploring the intricate connections between soil vitality, heritage breeds, certification standards, and the profound impact of conscious agricultural practices on nutrition and environmental sustainability. Meet Jason:  Jason Walker is a third-generation farmer and co-founder of StarWalker Organic Farms, a pioneering regenerative organic farm with nearly 45 years of organic farming experience. As a passionate advocate for sustainable agriculture, Jason has transformed his family's farm by implementing regenerative practices that prioritize soil health, animal welfare, and ecosystem diversity. Jason is committed to educating consumers about the importance of regenerative farming and its impact on nutrition, environmental sustainability, and food production.    Website Instagram Facebook YouTube  TikTok Pinterest     Connect with NextGen Purpose: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube     Episode Highlights: 01:23 The Origin: StarWalker Organic Farms  07:34 Transitioning to Regenerative Organic  10:19 The Impact of Regenerative Farming on Soil and Ecosystem   21:38 Regenerative Farming: Challenges and Opportunities 29:03 Heritage Breeds and Nutrient-Dense Meat 38:44 Future Aspirations and Community Engagement 40:04 Availability and Accessibility of Regenerative Products

Today, I'm joined by Robby Sansom, co-founder & CEO of Force of Nature. Setting a new standard for the industry, Force of Nature delivers pasture-raised, 100% grass-finished, nutrient-dense proteins that prioritize animal welfare and soil regeneration. In this episode, we discuss building a radically transparent, values-driven meat company. We also cover:   The real cost of cheaply produced food Reshaping consumer perception and habits Restoring ecosystems with climate-friendly farming   Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcastSubscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribeFollow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Force of Nature Website: https://forceofnature.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/forceofnaturemeats/ The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart workout solutions for fitness and health facilities. Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/ Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:30) Force of Nature's mission (04:00) Problems with our current food system (06:30) Agriculture's impact on global land use (09:00) Misaligned incentives in food production (12:30) Creating transparency and authenticity in meat production (16:15) How Force of Nature ensures quality and integrity (18:45) Testing every batch for antibiotic residue (21:15) Connecting consumers back to their food system (24:30) Changing consumer perception about food pricing (28:15) The commoditization of chicken and its problems (31:45) Force of Nature's poultry program and higher standards (35:15) The ancestral blend and incorporating organ meats (37:30) Future roadmap (40:00) Conclusion

Some call it the reset, but why now? Well, people are noticing the illusion that was life around them. The reset is The Great Distraction while new systems are put in place for a new system that is not as noticeable.  ☕ Support Civilization Cycle Podcast Buy As a Double Espresso

A conversation with Herb Young, farmer who, after 36 years in the chemical industry working for Bayer, retired and bought a small farm in Georgia—where things quickly got out of hand. While researching organic premiums, Herb came across regenerative agriculture—and fell deep, very deep, down the rabbit hole. For over a year, he read everything, listened to everything, and then planted his first trees. A few years later, Herb is now one of the leading regenerative citrus growers in the country, conducting cutting-edge research while selling his first harvest directly to consumers in over 36 states. And the most surprising part? His citrus is, on average, eight times more nutrient- dense than conventionally grown oranges. That means you'd have to eat eight regular oranges to match the nutrients of just one of his. Suddenly, the idea of food as medicine becomes very affordable. And, of course, his citrus is incredibly tasty. We also discuss his history in the agrochemical industry, what his former colleagues think of his new "hobby" and what excites him most about the upcoming second season.More about this episode on https://investinginregenerativeagriculture.com/herb-young.==========================In Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast show we talk to the pioneers in the regenerative food and agriculture space to learn more on how to put our money to work to regenerate soil, people, local communities and ecosystems while making an appropriate and fair return. Hosted by Koen van Seijen.==========================

Agrologist Cory Davis joins me to unpack the environmental toll of animal agriculture—and the enormous potential of plant-based food systems to reduce emissions, reclaim land, and restore ecosystems. Cory brings a systems-level perspective that blends science, ethics, and practical solutions. He also does some serious myth-busting about “sustainable” local meat and “regenerative grazing”. Whether you're a climate advocate or curious about food's environmental impact, this episode will challenge what you thought you knew about sustainable eating. Cory is a licensed professional agrologist with over 10 years of experience in natural resource and environmental management. He is a co-author of “Plant-Powered Protein: Nutrition Essentials and Dietary Guidelines for All Ages” along with Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis, where he breaks down the environmental impacts of different protein choices. He also recently coauthored a paper in the Annals of Medicine titled "Health Disparities and Climate Change in the Marshall Islands".

"Learning to do, doing to learn"   Phil, alongside guest host Jamie Thibodeau, is joined by Dr. Travis Park to explore the National FFA Organization's mission and its connection to experiential education. Travis discusses the importance of agricultural education in developing leadership, personal growth, and career success among students. The discussion highlights the role of experiential learning in FFA programs, the leadership development opportunities available to students, and the empowerment of youth through peer leadership. The conversation concludes with insights on collaboration between FFA and experiential education organizations. FFA is an agricultural leadership organization for students. The mission of FFA is to develop leadership and career success. Experiential education is integral to FFA's teaching methods. Students engage in supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs). Peer leadership is a key component of FFA's structure. FFA chapters empower students to lead their peers. Leadership development occurs through conferences and workshops. FFA provides opportunities for networking and mentorship. Agriculture teachers play a crucial role in student development. Collaboration between FFA and experiential education can enhance learning. Learn more about the FFA - https://www.ffa.org/ Connect with Phil; Email - podcast@high5adventure.org Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/verticalplaypen/ Donate to the podcast - verticalplaypen.org Music and sound effects - epidemicsound.com  

In this episode: Florida lawmakers may shower millions in taxpayer money on the beef-cattle industry — while also passing laws to obstruct potential lab-grown and plant-based competitors. Plus: Subsidies for the horse-racing industry; a money-losing incentive program written by a company that profits off of money-losing incentive programs; and a corporate tax break for a national funder of conservative causes.Show notesThe bills discussed in today's show:Senate Bill 700 — Department of Agriculture and Consumer ServicesSenate Bill 2500 — AppropriationsHouse Proposed Bill WMC 25-02 — TaxationSenate Proposed Bill 7034 — Taxation Get full access to Seeking Rents at jasongarcia.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when decades of conservation experience meets cutting-edge technology? Kent Bohnhoff, retired Illinois grain farmer and former NRCS district conservationist, recently received a grant from One Good Idea to implement automated drainage water management systems on his land. Hear Kent's unique perspective gained from over 30 years in agricultural conservation, and why he believes the system will benefit both crop yields and water quality.Chapters:00:00 Introduction 00:36 A Long History in Farming and Conservation01:59 Connecting Farming Passion with a Career at the NRCS05:03 Satisfaction from Helping Farmers Implement Conservation08:15 Technological Advancements in Agriculture and Drainage Over 30 Years11:19 Family Farming Legacy and Future Involvement12:36One Good Idea Grant13:51 Initial Observations and Benefits of the Automated System15:53 The Importance of Water Storage and Slowing Down Runoff16:46 Landscape Changes and the Role of Conservation Practices17:47 Looking to the Future and Benefits for the Next Generation18:42 Staying in Touch and the Impact of Drought19:38 Closing RemarksRelated content:Best Practices: Drainage Water Recycling#120 | One Good Idea: An Educational Clearinghouse for Farmers#113 | Drainage Water Recycling: Creating Resiliency Amidst Dwindling Resources#71 | Is Drainage Infrastructure More Valuable Than Underground Transit?Find us on social media!Facebook Twitter InstagramListen on these podcast platformsApple Podcasts Spotify YouTube MusicYouTubeVisit our website to explore more episodes & water management education.

In this episode, we're joined by Peter Sargent, founder of Longroots Ranch in Boulder County, Colorado. Peter grew up on horse and cattle operations in Pennsylvania and Wyoming and spent a decade as an environmental organizer before combining those two worlds in a regenerative agrivoltaic operation.We explore Peter's journey into farming, the concept of agrivoltaics—which merges agriculture with solar energy—and how this practice benefits soil health, livestock, and energy production. Peter breaks down how solar grazing works, its potential to transform land use, and the challenges of managing animals within solar arrays. He also shares his perspective on conscious meat consumption, the importance of nose-to-tail eating, and what it means to consume meat “in season.”Whether you're curious about renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, or how to be a more ethical meat consumer, this episode offers a rich and grounded conversation at the intersection of farming and environmental innovation.Tune in to learn more about:The practical realities of integrating sheep with solar arraysHow carbon sequestration ties into both grazing practices and climate solutionsTips for eating meat more ethically, including seasonal awareness and full-animal useWhat makes solar grazing economically viable for farmers and energy providersBehind-the-scenes challenges that most people don't see in small-scale livestock operationsHow thoughtful land stewardship can benefit ecosystems, communities, and farmers… And so much more!Peter's Resources & Links:Visit Long Roots Ranch: www.longrootsranch.com/Connect with Hannah:Instagram: @hannahkeitel

Dr. Keshav K. Singh is the Joy and Bill Harbert Endowed Chair and Professor of Genetics, Dermatology and Pathology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is also the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Mitochondrion Journal. In addition, Keshav is the founder and Chief Scientific Officer of the company Yuva Biosciences. Research in Keshav's lab focuses on how to reverse aging and diseases like cancer that are associated with aging. Mitochondria are relevant for all of the hallmarks of aging, including things like changes in epigenetic regulation, genomic instability, and communication problems between cells. He is working to better understand the intricacies of how mitochondria work and how they can be targeted or leveraged to improve health. Outside of work, Keshav enjoys flying kites on the beach, traveling, and painting. In particular, he gets creative painting all different kinds of mitochondria, and this is a great outlet for him when experiments aren't working in the lab. Keshav began his studies in India, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology from Rohilkhand University and his Master of Science from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology. Next, he moved to Australia and was awarded his Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the University of Wollongong. Keshav then conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard University before joining the faculty at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He later moved to the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and served as Distinguished Professor of Oncology. Next, he joined the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he is today. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and a member of Sigma Xi (The Scientific Research Honor Society). He has been recognized as one of the Innovation Heroes by Newsweek, and Yuva Biosciences was the recipient of the "Company of the Year - Innovation and Excellence into Mitochondrial Science" award at the Indian Icon Awards. In our interview, Keshav shares more about his life and science.