POPagriculture: Recent Episodes
Steve Savage
POPAgriculture combines plant pathologist Steve Savage's love of agriculture and pop culture for an interesting listen about the food you eat and today's agricultural system.
Join Dr. Steve Savage as he sits down with CropLife America President & CEO, Chris Novak, where they'll discuss the current state of the agriculture industry, ag tech, tools, and policies as well as Chris’ journey to CLA.
Have you ever noticed some food brands advertise they have, well…nothing? No GMOs, gluten, fat, sugar, oils, and the list goes on! Steve dives into how we pay “money for nothing” based on marketing claims for what’s in, or not in, our food.
In a childhood before the creation of video games, what did Steve turn to? Pest control, of course! In this episode, Steve details his past experiences with pest control and agriculture through family gardens and high school jobs.
Join Dr. Steve Savage as he continues to pick the brains of CropLife America’s summer 2019 interns on their goals and ambitions after college, their thoughts on the current state of the agricultural industry, and how they’re taking what they learned this summer into their ag careers!
The future stars of the agriculture industry are bright! Join Dr. Steve Savage as he interviews CropLife America’s 2019 interns on their background, education, and their future ambitions in the agriculture industry.
What if there were dangerous toxins that had the potential to contaminate our food, but, much like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ secret protection of the citizens of New York and because our food system does a great job of protecting us from that threat, they don’t pose a risk to you? In this episode, Steve talks about mycotoxins and how protection from them varies around the world.
Imagine if the Daleks of Dr.Who successfully completed their mission to exterminate all humans! This running feature is one of many pop culture examples of battles between humans and some type of alien invader. In this episode, Steve discusses the extermination of some alien invaders who were threatening the grape industries of California.
Who among us doesn’t love a good mystery? A whiff of danger and a few threads of misdirection leaves one wondering how the detectives will crack the case! In this episode, Steve discusses a murder mystery that nearly went cold: a case of a disease afflicting grapes in the 19th century.
While Paul McCartney ponders, “will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty-four?” Steve wonders who will farm when 62% of U.S. farmers are reaching retirement age. In the season finale, Steve examines the barriers beginning farmers must overcome as well as the vast job opportunities available in agriculture today.
Whether you typically crave a drip coffee or something a bit more intricate and of the Niles Crane type of order, we can all agree that caffeine is necessary, right? On this episode, Steve discusses our collective love of coffee and his journey to discover his “coffee footprint.” What exactly does it take in terms of land and resources to maintain our daily coffee habit?
Our collective desire to get “back to nature” is probably one of the better instincts from the Woodstock era that still resonates today. In today’s episode, Steve discusses his relationship to gardening and how that has shaped his understanding of agriculture.
Bet you never thought fertilizer was magical but that changes today! In this episode, Steve discusses how scientific discovery brought us fertilizer, effectively changing the game for farmers around the world.
Scammers are having a moment and in this week’s episode, Steve tackles scams within the #agriculture & #food realm, including a pesky scam that occurs each year around this time…
Need to manage a pest problem? Luckily, there are many ways to do that! From physical to biological to chemical controls, Steve covers an array of pest management strategies farmers can use when an issue arises.
Ag recycles! In this week’s episode, Steve delves into the world of ag stewardship, specifically agricultural container management. Mark Hudson, executive director of the Ag Container Recycling Council, discusses how ACRC’s program has helped to recycle more than 190,000,000 lbs. of pesticide containers since 1992!
This time it’s all about the bees! From the composition of a working hive to the diseases that plague honey bees, Steve delves into the basics of bees.
Fear is hard-wired into our biology and an integral part of survival. It can, however, become a debilitating force when it is out of proportion to the threat. In this episode, Steve talks about the fear of chemicals and how fear can be manipulated and distorted to make some people fear what they need to survive: food.
Sit back, relax and let Steve take you back to the early days of plant biotechnology! From the first breakthrough to the early pioneers of genetic engineering, Steve takes listeners on a journey to highlight the necessity of GMOs and how activists have mischaracterized biotechnology.
Bonus POPagriculture episode! Steve chats with Zach Jacobs of Agriculture Future of America about how a new generation of ag students approach farming, what they’re bringing to the table and what makes him passionate about agriculture.
Since most of agriculture is inextricably linked to the sunlight, rainfall and temperature patterns that occur in any given geography and at any time, what are the potential impacts of climate change on agriculture? And what can we do to mitigate the effects? On the season four finale, Steve tackles the subject of climate change and how it impacts farming.
Ever try finding a needle in the haystack? It’s a bit like creating safe, effective and timely pesticides to manage insects, crop disease and fungus in the field. In this episode, Steve addresses the lengthy and rewarding process of developing innovative crop protection.
There are a lot of “what ifs” in life and farming is no exception. In this episode, Steve presents a “what if” scenario, discussing an apple grower, what would occur if they didn’t keep up with pest control challenges in the orchard and how those decisions have a distinct domino effect.
And, just like that, a new crop was born…well, not exactly. Steve discusses a crop that has been around since the 1970s, become an important part of the modern food supply and has real “star power” – canola!
What exactly is sustainability and how has the conversation around agricultural sustainability evolved over the years? Steve explores this topic and reminds us that we all have a stake in sustainability and the future of our planet.
Nobody puts produce in a corner! Steve discusses the annual Dirty Dozen list, debunking its claims, particularly its complete lack of science and how it has deterred consumers from eating healthy produce.
What’s in a label? When it comes down to non-GMO labels, a lot of marketing! In today’s episode, Steve discusses how selling fear and advertising misinformation harms farmers and consumers.
Steve Savage is back for POPagriculture’s third season and kicks it off with a discussion about food waste. How can we reduce food loss on the farm? Can consumers better control food waste at home? Steve explores these questions and discusses several initiatives currently underway.
We’re going back to the prairie in this bonus episode! Steve explores the use of prairie strips, an innovative technique used to prevent erosion and nutrient loss as well as increase regional biodiversity.
While an encounter with “pod people” may be relegated to a rerun of Invasion of the Body Snatchers on television, for some farmers, scary invasions are far too real! From citrus greening to an invasion on wine grapes, listen to today’s podcast and learn more about modern-day crop infestations that may affect fields near you.
Words, words, words. We all know they have power and sometimes that power is used for less…honest purposes. On today’s episode, Steve explores how emotive language is used to describe today’s agriculture and how that specific language is often used to purposefully mislead, debunking some of the more common “big little lies” about ag technology.
A little-known fact is a lot of the land in the U.S. that farmers tend isn’t land that they own. Instead, they rent it from someone else. On this episode, Steve explores this interesting dynamic, the history of farmland ownership, who actually owns the land and what this all means for farming.
Every physical thing we can see, touch or smell is made of chemicals. In fact, some of the chemicals that are man-made were inspired by chemicals created by nature. In this episode, Steve explores nature, the OG chemist, in all of her beauty, diversity and, sometimes toxic, glory.
On this episode of POPagriculture, Steve discusses the term “local” and how it applies to our food. From questioning what local food truly means to exploring how sustainability factors into food buying decisions, Steve travels through uncharted territory!
On today’s special bonus episode of POPagriculture, Steve discusses the basics of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a growing strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests through a mixture of techniques like biological control, habitat manipulation and use of resistant varieties. Listen to learn the ABCs of IPM!
Soil isn’t just “dirt” - it is the foundation of healthy agriculture! On today’s episode, Steve examines how farmers control crop-eating insects that live in soil and agricultural practices to create and maintain healthy soil.
Is sulfur really the organic pesticide from hell? In this episode of POPagriculture, Steve questions if the benefits of sulfur in agriculture outweigh some of the downsides and sheds a light on why natural isn’t always nice.
On the latest episode of POPagriculture, Steve continues to explore why there are crop pests and questions if our farming methods have thrown nature out of balance, exacerbating agriculture’s pest problems.
While their existence won’t make farmers say “hakuna matata” anytime soon, food and crop pests do fulfill a role in the natural world. In this episode of POPagriculture, Steve discusses the relationship between plants and insects, and how agricultural pests fit in the circle of life.
Ready to take a walk on the wild side? Steve Savage is back for POPagriculture’s second season and kicks it off with a discussion about genetic diversity and how humans alter crops from their wild states to create something edible and sustainable.
In the POPagriculture season one finale, hear how Steve became involved with plant biology and agriculture. Spoiler: it’s not your typical agriculture tale!
Pesticides…they’ve come a long way! In the latest episode of POPagriculture, Steve discusses hazard, risk and the evolution of pesticide safety.
Organic: it may not mean what you think it means! In this episode of POPagriculture, Steve explores how crops are grown according to organic standards, what that means for pesticide use and, while it may sound inconceivable, how this relates to the movie, The Princess Bride!
In this week’s episode of POPagriculture, Steve muses that “wheat is like wine,” claiming the crop has its own terroir, similar to wine. So sit down, pour yourself your favorite glass of vino and discover how wheat shares more characteristics with wine than previously thought!
In this week’s episode, Steve talks with Alan Bjerga, agricultural reporter at Bloomberg News. Steve and Alan discuss the changing landscape of American agriculture, and Alan provides his perspective on the state of agriculture news reporting in the U.S.
In this episode, Steve recounts the history of tilling and how the Dust Bowl prompted a change in farming methods to manage weeds.
In this episode, Steve discusses how fruits and vegetables are kept fresh after they’re harvested to ensure reliable access to healthy produce and reduce food loss.
Did you know that plants can get sick, too? That’s right, just like us, plants can get diseases. In this episode of POPagriculture, Steve takes listeners on a historical trip to recount the many times plant sickness became a real problem for people.
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