Farm Food Facts

The leader of U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action, Kevin Burkum, shares what topic he is keeping an eye on that will have an impact on agriculture. Stay connected with USFRA at usfarmersandranchers.org. 

Learn more about U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action: usfarmersandranchers.org
Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kevinburkum
Become a partner of USFRA: usfarmersandranchers.org/partnerships 

Kevin Burkum, CEO of U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action, shares how USFRA is making changes to help support agriculture in meeting its challenges and leveraging opportunities, both domestically and internationally.  Kevin also shares more about his background and professional experiences. 

Learn more about U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action: usfarmersandranchers.org

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kevinburkum

Become a partner of USFRA: usfarmersandranchers.org/partnerships

Expert Celya Glowacki, team lead for advocacy, literacy and ag-based experiences at National FFA, shares how they focus on the evolving careers in agriculture. Celya shares how they receive feedback from corporate partners about what skills they are looking for in the next generation of agriculturists and the new National FFA NexGen Conferences. Learn more at ffa.org/participate/next-generation-conference/. 

Honor the Harvest Forum is an invitation-only event that gathers food and agriculture leaders to further our global sustainable food system. Former head of Harvard Business School’s Agribusiness Program and is known as a strategic pathfinder in the global agri-food industry, Mary Shelman, emceed the USFRA Honor the Harvest. Today, we gain her high-level perspective of the event and what she’s keeping an eye on in the future of agriculture. 

Culvers is based out of Sauk City, Wisconsin and there are over 900 Culver’s locations across the United States. Today, we are going to learn more about their three pillars to Culver’s Thank You Farmers Project. We are joined with Alison Demmer, she is the marketing and public relations manager at Culvers. 

Learn more about Culvers at https://www.culvers.com/about-culvers.

Today, we are headed to Maryland to learn more about grain and we are joined by  
expert Lindsey Thompson. She is the executive director of the Maryland Grain Producers and also the owner Hidden Potential Farms with her husband, where they farm 130 acres of corn and soybeans. Did you know that Maryland typically grows soft red winter wheat and it is consumed by chickens and used to mill flour for cookies, pretzels, and pastries?  Learn more about all the things grain touches and how farmers are working in this unique market. 

Join us as we discuss the ideal flavor packaging and the next generation of milk drinkers with Dr. Maryanne Drake, a professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences at North Carolina State University, and director of the Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center and Dr. Eric Bastian, the Vice President of Innovation Partnerships at Dairy West and the director of the Western Dairy Center at Utah State University. We dig deeper into dairy product consumption's motivation by both familiarity and habit and what the future looks like for school meals.

Want to learn even more...

Authenticity shines in this episode with veteran and rancher Steve Cook of Cook Beef Cattle located in central Texas. Steve shares about his military career, transitioning to civilian life, mental health, Farmer Veteran Coalition and future advice and goals. We're thankful to have Steve share real experiences with us and the importance of networking with others. 

Connect and support Steve's ranch by checking out his website at cookbeefcattle.com. Learn more about the Farmer Veteran Coalition at farmvetco.org.

We appreciate the support from The Platform for Agriculture and Climate Transformation on this episode of F...

November is Native American Heritage Month, and we invite you to learn more about the cultures, traditions, and achievements of Native Americans. Today we are joined by Chanel Ford the director of programs at the Native American Agriculture Fund. NAAF provides grants to eligible organizations and business assistance, agricultural education, technical support and advocacy services to support native farmers and ranchers. We dig deeper into the basics of native farmers and ranchers and future innovations.

Learn more about NAAF and how you can celebrate Native American Heritage this month and every month with the resources listed below.<...

Who should farmers be connected with to help bridge the gap between processors and brands?  We’re joined by CEO of Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, Tim Trotter, as we discuss the ins and outs of the important relationships and connections that farmers need to successfully market their products. Does a relationship with processors and brands improve a farmer’s future success?  And why act now?

Learn about these topics and more now!

This exclusive episode is a double feature for National Farmer's Day! Join us as we catch up with first-generation rancher Angela Scott at Honor the Harvest this year. She talks about her lessons learned as a newer rancher and that it's ok to ask questions!

Then join us for our second podcast episode of the day featuring fifth-generation farmer Andrew Lauver and his story about taking over the family farm.

This exclusive episode is a double feature for National Farmer's Day! We had the chance to connect with fifth-generation farmer Andrew Lauver at Honor the Harvest this year and get his story on taking over the family farm. 

Then join us as we catch up with first-generation rancher Angela Scott as she talks about her lessons learned as a newer rancher and that it's ok to ask questions!

We had a chance to catch up with VP of Market Intelligence at United Soybean Board, Mac Marshall, during our Honor the Harvest Forum in September.  Mac gave us some major insight into the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate Report and how farmers and ranchers can use this as a resource.

Listen in to this episode of Farm, Food, Facts now!

Our leading expert Jenny Rees, an extension educator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the field is nothing short of impressive! We discuss the basic benefits of planting a perennial companion in soybeans, common perennial companion crops, on-farm research, challenges and if perennial companions will become more popular. If you're as interested in this topic as we are, then check out Jenny's blog at jenreeseresources.com and stay connected to research items like this by following the Nebraska Soybean board at nebraskasoybeans.org.  

We appreciate the support of this topic f...

Meet expert David Iverson, a true steward of the land! Today on Farm, Food, Facts, we have the honor of sharing his incredible journey as a fourth-generation crop farmer at Iverson Farms in South Dakota. David has taken sustainable agriculture to the next level by implementing two conservation practices: no-till and fertilizer placement, and that's not all. By strategically placing fertilizer, David maximizes nutrient absorption while minimizing runoff.  

Tune in now for our exclusive interview with David Iverson as he shares his secrets to success and how these practices have transformed his family farm.

Stay c...

Biofuels fits into the equation of being a strong competitor as a fuel source. Our leading expert, Doug Berven, vice president of corporate affairs at POET, shares the basics, competitors, infrastructure, economic benefits, how other countries utilize biofuels, challenges and trends of biofuels. Learn more about POET at poet.com. 

Our expert in this episode has over 20 years of experience in the agricultural industry, John Maman is the director of sales and marketing at Nutrien Financial. He shares more about inclusive financing, managing high interest rates, digital financial tools, financially assessing crops and what financial trends to follow. Check out at nutrienfinancial.com and follow Nutrien on social media @NutrienAgSolutions. Contact us at podcast@usfraonline.org to share feedback or a podcast idea. 

Get ready to be soy-amazed! Join us as we chat with leading expert and soy farmer extraordinaire, Laurie Isley, who spills the "bean" on all things soy. From soy-based shoes that are trendy as they are eco-friendly, to mind-blowing uses you never knew existed with tires, plywood, dust suppressant, turf and more. This episode will leave you hungry for more knowledge about the extraordinary uses of soybeans. 

Learn more: unitedsoybean.org

Find soy-based products:  soynewuses.org

Join us for an insightful discussion with our special guest, Gena Perry, executive director of the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH). A program of the American Soybean Association, WISHH expands global access to U.S. soy. Through partnerships, technical assistance, and training, WISHH helps address the protein gap and food insecurity in developing and emerging markets.

Alyssa Cho, Sustainable Agronomy Field Team Lead at Bayer is our guest. Alyssa is building a team of Sustainable Systems Agronomists to provide support to farmers for a successful transition to regenerative practices as part of ForGround by Bayer. 

Alyssa was the Agronomy Lead for a drone-based technology start-up, Aker Technologies prior to joining Bayer. She has been a professor of sustainable cropping systems, serving as a researcher, extension faculty, and instructor. Alyssa holds a Ph.D. in Agronomy, a M.S. in Horticultural Sciences, and a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Management.

Today's episode is a must see and is reference for all of our futures. USFRA CEO, Erin Fitzgerald, has been on a worldwide tour sharing the voice of the US Farmers and Ranchers globally. She's just returned from the critical and sometimes nail-biting 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or what's called the conference of the parties of the UNFCCC more commonly referred to, and much easier as COP 27, the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference that was held from the 6th of November to the 20th of November in Egypt.

To round out summer listening, we are scheduled to hear from Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig, winner of the prestigious 2022 World Food Prize, which honors leaders who are making huge strides in enhancing global food security and availability. Dr. Rosenzweig, a senior research scientist and head of the Climate Impacts Group at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) at Columbia University, is a pioneer in the study of climate change and agriculture.

In today’s episode we explore how the almost $13 billion retailer – Tractor Supply, with over 2,000 stores across 49 states, is a leader in working with farmers and ranchers - and committed to the goal of net zero operations. Tractor Supply’s mission statement is: “To work hard, have fun and make money by providing legendary service and great products at everyday low prices”. Our guest is Mary Winn Pilkington, senior vice president investor relations and public relations at Tractor Supply Company. Before coming to Tractor Supply in 2018, Mary Winn held senior positions at Dollar General, Pepsi Bottling Group and International Paper.

In today’s episode we meet the authors of “Net Positive: how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take” – the best selling book that Financial Times named as one of the best business books of the year. Andrew Winston and Paul Polman teamed up to to write the book that has at its core the argument that the companies of the future will profit by fixing the world's problems, not creating them.  

Paul Polman is the ex-Unilever CEO who increased his shareholders' returns by 300% while ensuring the company ranked #1 in the world for sustainability for eleven ye...

USDA Deputy Undersecretary Stacy Dean and several members of Congress provided updates on emerging and pressing food/nutrition and WIC policy issues at the National WIC Association’s National Policy Conference. A number of these issues affect grocers and others in the retail food industry, including a tripling of funds for vegetables and fruits for low-income families through WIC, a once-in-a-decade update to the WIC food packages expected in early 2022, child nutrition reauthorization getting underway in the House of Representatives, proposed regulations for online shopping expected in April 2022 and more. With more on the effect for farmers and ranchers, ou...

Join USFRA and Phil Lempert as we sit down with the UN World Food Programme Chief who blames a hunger crisis on a “toxic cocktail” of conflict, climate change, disasters, poverty and inequality. 45 million people in 43 countries around the world stand at the frontlines of hunger. WFP Executive Director David Beasley says farmers can help lift millions out of poverty and make agriculture environmentally sustainable. And he says billionaires have a duty to act.

Today’s episode is a very special one. Anne Meis, chair of USFRA and Erin Fitzgerald our CEO just returned from the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland where for the first time the farmers voice was heard and farmers now have a seat at the table.

Today we go behind the scenes and talk with Marlowe Vaughn and USFRA Board Chair Anne Meis.  Marlowe Vaughan is the star of the USFRA produced short film, The Carbon Neutral Pig.  She is also a North Carolina pig farmer and is the Executive Director of the Feed the Dialogue NC with a true passion for educating consumers about agriculture and where their food comes from. Her enthusiasm, passion and knowledge of the pork industry earned her the Emerging Leader Award, previously known as the Pork All-American, an award also earned by her father, Bob Ivey in 1982.  As well as...

Our guest today is David Turner, President of Kincannon and Reed.  He has been serving clients across the globe for Kincannon & Reed for nine years before being named President in 2019. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, David holds a BS from Arizona State University, an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management, and an Advanced Certificate in Executive Search and Leadership Consulting from Cornell University.

Prior to joining Kincannon & Reed, David led PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Canadian agribusiness practice and served in international positions across Cargill’s animal nutrition, grain milling, and meat processing businesses. David is actively involved in the searc...

Susanne Wasson is the President of the Crop Protection Business Platform for Corteva Agriscience.  Previously, she was the Vice President of Commercial Effectiveness.  Prior to being named VP, Susanne was the U.S. Commercial Leader of the Crop Protection Business of Dow AgroSciences.  She was previously a Global Business Leader for the Range & Pasture and Industrial Vegetation Management herbicide business and a Global Business Leader for the Seeds and Traits business focused on licensing of Dow AgroSciences’ Bt library, and M&A activities for seeds in Asia. She has held several other roles in marketing, sales and finance in her 3...

Jim O'Brien, Agrograph CEO/Co-Founder. He has held leadership positions at four startups, two of which he co-founded. His experiences have taken him around the globe from wine grapes in Europe, to potatoes in the UK to weather forecasting in Southeast Asia. James was on faculty at The Ohio State University in agricultural extension along with founding his own consulting company Ten 10 Solutions LLC. He has lead product innovation teams at several multinational corporations ranging from The Weather Channel to American Family Insurance, along with financial services and healthcare.  James holds an MBA from Edgewood College, a Master of S...

On this bonus episode, seventh generation poultry farmer and Director of Agricultural Services with the Association of Equipment Manufactures Austin Gellings, shares how he's keeping an eye on the farm bill, automation and finding a place to start in sustainability. 

Become a partner of USFRA: usfarmersandranchers.org/partnerships

If there's one thing that we've learned over the past 15 months is we all have to work together. And that's why together today, we're going to talk about the common connections project. With us today is Danielle Solis, Communication Specialist at the Maschhoffs, Rochelle Krusemark USB Director and Meal Target Area Coordinator and Randy Spronk, a grain farmer. 

Jeff Broin is the Founder and CEO of POET, the world's largest producer of biofuels and bioproducts. He is a recognized innovator, entrepreneur, agriculturalist, philanthropist, and advocate for the biofuels industry.

POET currently operates 33 bioprocessing plants with a combined annual production capacity of 3 billion gallons of bioethanol, reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality nationwide. In addition, POET produces a growing number of sustainable bioproducts that are marketed worldwide, many of which displace harmful, petroleum-based products. For these continued advancements in biotechnology, POET was named to FORTUNE's 2019 'Change the World' list and recognized as one of Fast...

Donna Lanzetta is an attorney and entrepreneur with a passion for sustainable seafood production. Motivated by a concern for our world’s growing population, our declining wild fish stocks, and the urgent need to feed our growing numbers, Manna Fish Farms (Manna) is currently awaiting permits to operate a sustainable and transparent fish farm, and to research Integrated Multi Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) off the Eastern Coast of The United States. 

Jeff Broin is the Founder and CEO of POET, the world's largest producer of biofuels and bioproducts. He is a recognized innovator, entrepreneur, agriculturalist, philanthropist, and advocate for the biofuels industry. 

For more than 30 years, Broin has played a critical role in producing renewable biofuels and bioproducts to address national and global issues surrounding agriculture, health and climate change. He was a founding member of Growth Energy, the country's largest biofuels trade association, serving as chairman for over a decade. Broin has received numerous notable recognitions, including BIO's George Washington Carver A...

Candace Laing is VP Sustainability & Stakeholder Relations at Nutrien where she is involved in strategic initiatives for the company who is the world’s largest provider of crop inputs, services and solutions  that span corporate affairs, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Her career has spanned both private and public-sector organizations and she has served as an instructor at the University of Saskatchewan in the Edwards School of Business and a board member of US Farmers and Ranchers in Action.

We continue our important discussion on the universal support of agriculture. Today's episode focuses on the Herculean efforts of two States, Maryland, and California, and the farmers who make those States great through the USFRA's Decade of Ag effort, Earth Day, and the public private partnerships, which we are all focused on the future of sustainable agriculture. In the previous episode, we heard about what's happening in Maryland, where the number one industry is actually farming. Now we travel across the country to California to continue the discussion with California's Secretary of Ag, Karen Ross and Don Cameron, President...

With Secretary of Agriculture Joseph Bartenfelder and Chip Bowling

This is a very important time for our food supply. No one, from farmers and ranchers to supermarket leaders to the consumer can dispute how important agriculture and the universal support of agriculture is. Right now today's episode focuses on the Herculean efforts of two States, Maryland, and California, and the farmers who make those States great through the USFRA's Decade of Ag effort through Earth Day and the public private partnerships, which are all focused on the future of sustainable agriculture.

National Ag Day is a day that recognizes and celebrates the abundance provided by American agriculture. With us today to introduce the Decade of Ag are three of our vitally important leaders, as well as current and past USFRA board chairs Anne Meis, Chip Bowling and Brad Greenway.

One of the biggest problems that many farmers and ranchers have doesn't have anything to do with soil or climate or water. Yes, these are all issues that we must solve, but the one problem that is much easier and quicker to solve has to do with technology specifically connecting rural communities to broadband 5g. 

Today I'm joined by Marci Green. She and her husband Lonnie are the sixth generation on her family's farm in Southeast Spokane County. There are two sons have now joined the farming operation. They raise wheat bluegrass seed, barley, dry peas, lentils a...

The Native American Agriculture Fund provides grants to eligible organizations for business assistance, agriculture education, technical support, and advocacy services to support native farmers and ranchers. Janie Hipp is the president and CEO, and she joins us today. Janie oversees the work of the fund of philanthropic organization, responsible for distributing the remaining funds created by the settlement of the landmark Keepseagle versus Villsack class action lawsuit. Hipp also founded the indigenous food and agriculture initiative at the university of Arkansas school of law. The nation's first law school based initiative, focusing on tribal governance, strategic technical policy assistance...

Today, it's all about dairy and with us today is Marilyn Hershey, a dairy farmer who operates a 600 cow dairy farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, Duane. She serves as the chair at Dairy Management, Inc. And is also a published author. She's the secretary of the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association Speaker's Bureau and serves on the national dairy promotion and research board among other various community organization . Marilyn recently joined the USFRA board of directors in 2020.