Focus on Agriculture: Recent Episodes
Focus on Agriculture
Dr. Jayson Lusk is an ag economist at Purdue University, where he is a distinguished professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics. Dr. Lusk studies what we eat and why we eat it. He is the author of several books, including his latest, Unnaturally Delicious: How Science and Technology are Serving up Super...
Today we wrap up our series on ag tech with a conversation with Dr. German Bollero. Dr. Bollero is currently Interim Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer, & Environmental Sciences and Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Illinois. In this discussion, he describes exciting new opportunities for students to combine...
Our Podcast series on the Past, Present, and Future of Ag Tech continues with returning guest Jack Marck, who is managing director of the Illinois Agtech Accelerator. Located at the University of Illinois Research Park, this program provides mentoring, funding, and office space for Agtech startups. In today’s conversation, we discuss the opportunities for new...
Scott Spal is a scientist with The Climate Corporation. In his current role, he investigates how enhancements to Climate FieldView can improve farmer profitability, as well as transparency and sustainability in agriculture. Listen to this episode to learn how farmers benefit from the massive amounts of data that they collect in their fields. To learn...
Happy 3rd anniversary to the Focus on Agriculture Podcast. In this brief update, we discuss the 5 most downloaded episodes from the past year. Be sure to rate and review us on your favorite podcast app.
Dr. Mike Canady is a scientist with a background in plant breeding who is currently director of agronomy for specialty crops at Verdesian Life Sciences. In this conversation, we learn about how farmers can help plants use nutrients more efficiently. We also discuss the use of biostimulants to enhance plant production. To learn more about...
Dr. Sarah Klopatek is a sustainability and cattle systems scientist at UC Davis. As a scientist, she explains why it is often difficult to reduce complex questions to a simple answer, leading to her statement, “myopia is the death of sustainability.” Her most recent publication explores the differences in nutritional profiles in beef from cattle...
“Before John Deere, Ford, and International Harvester became icons of American business, they were competitors in a forgotten battle for the farm. From 1908 to 1928, against the backdrop of a world war and economic depression, these brands were engaged in a race to introduce the tractor and revolutionize farming.” Neil Dahlstrom is the author...
Bret Sill grows diverse crops including alfalfa, corn, wheat, garlic, carrots, walnuts and almonds with his family on their farm which is over 100 years old. In this episode we discuss the similarities and differences between raising almonds and other crops. Bret also explains the incorporation of cover crops into his operation and we discuss...
Due to a variety of factors, 2021 and 2022 have seen significant increases in both commodity prices and farm input costs. In this episode, we discuss this market volatility with ag economist Dr. Paul Mitchell, who also offers advice for farmers to maintain or even increase profit margins in a challenging marketing environment. Dr. Mitchell...