Dirt Road Discussions

Send us Fan Mail

This week we sit down with Paul Marchant, a rancher and ag journalist from Oakley, Idaho, who's spent over a decade telling the human side of agriculture through his columns. We talk about his path into journalism, why he writes from the heart instead of chasing headlines, and the lasting friendships (including one with cowboy poet Baxter Black) that came from his work. 

A look at what it means to tell agriculture's story well. 

Send us Fan Mail

Tyson Redpath joins us from Washington, DC to talk federal ag policy: where the farm bill stands, the ongoing fight over agricultural labor, and what's behind rising concerns in the beef industry. We also cover his advice for farmers and ranchers making their case on Capitol Hill, and why staying engaged in policy matters for agriculture's future. 

Send us Fan Mail

We head to New Sweden Farms in Idaho Falls to talk pumpkins, corn mazes, and agritourism with co-owner Deby Infanger. Deby shares how her family’s farm grew from a personal project into a seasonal destination, the surprising science behind designing a corn maze, and why she hopes every visitor leaves with a little more appreciation for where their food comes from.

New Sweden Farms' website: https://www.newswedenfarms.com

Send us Fan Mail

Matt Todd, founder and host of The Ranch Podcast, joins us to talk about building a show from scratch in the chaos of 2020 into over 1,000 episodes and 7 million YouTube views. Matt shares his philosophy on authentic, curiosity-driven interviewing and why he refuses to fake interest in a topic. We also get into his upcoming nuclear energy series, some of his most memorable guests, and what he's learned about Idaho after moving from California. 

Send us Fan Mail

Maddy Butcher, founder of Buck the Trend, and Anna Lickley of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture join us for an important conversation on mental health and suicide prevention in agriculture. We talk about the unique pressures farmers and ranchers face, how to check in on a struggling neighbor, and what to know about Buck the Trend's upcoming Idaho training, November 13-15. 

Send us Fan Mail

Andi Woolf-Weibye, executive director of the Idaho Bean Commission (better known around the office as the Bean Queen), joins us to talk about one of Idaho's most underrated crops. 

We dig into why Idaho leads the nation in bean seed production, how beans quietly boost the state's economy by tens of millions of dollars, and why the humble bean shows up in everything from burritos to gluten-free chocolate cake. Plus: garbanzo beans, coffee beans, and why neither one gets to call itself a real bean. 

Send us Fan Mail

Thomas Watson, owner of Spud Daddy and founder of Potato Days, sits down with us to talk all things potato:
- From a crowdfunded card game to his viral baked-potato restaurant
- Why a potato only has a 90-minute window of perfection
- The ice cream potato, butter squishies, and other Spud Daddy quirks
- Potato Days' growth from 500 people to 30,000 — and what's next

Send us Fan Mail

Step onto the dirt road and into the vibrant world of high-altitude flower farming with Beth Brinkerhoff, owner of Teton Flower Farm in Victor, Idaho. In this episode of Dirt Road Discussions, she shares her story of what it takes to grow, harvest, and market delicate flowers in one of the state’s most challenging climates. 

Beth and her husband learned how to use geothermal resources to heat and cool crops naturally using underground air tubes. Beth breaks down the reality of her daily routine—from pre-dawn harvests to fulfilling orders for Jackson Hole florists and Whole Foods—and shares her plans to expand into agritourism with "cut-your-own-bouquet" nights.

Send us Fan Mail

What does it take to carry a 100-year farming legacy into the future? On this episode of Dirt Road Discussions, hosts Cam Hammond and Ott Clark sit down with Mitchell Searle—a fifth-generation Burley, Idaho producer, father of six, and current Idaho Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher Chair. From the financial realities and barriers facing the next generation of ag to balancing big-family chaotic energy with harvest season, Mitchell shares an inside look at what it really means to step up, take risks, and how to navigate working alongside family members without losing your vision

Beyond the daily grind of spuds, beets, and beef, Mitchell dives deep into multi-generational farm management, smart investments, and why common-sense is critical for the future of agriculture. Whether you’re trying to navigate high machinery costs, looking to build stronger relationships with state policymakers, or just wondering how to manage a farm with six kids in tow, this episode is packed with practical wisdom, humor, and values.

Send us Fan Mail

Nate and Zoe Pancheri, a father-daughter farming team from Nampa, Idaho, join the podcast to talk about building a sweet corn operation from the ground up. Zoe, a fifth-generation farmer, shares how she now runs the family's packing shed, hiring and training local high schoolers to hand-sort and box every ear that comes through. Nate walks through the custom equipment he's rebuilt from the ground up to harvest corn overnight, cutting out the heat, the labor risks, and the quality issues that come with hand-picking in the dark. 

Together they explain why sweet corn never travels far; from field to store shelf in under 24 hours; and how that speed, paired with cold-harvest timing, is what actually makes it taste sweet. The conversation also digs into the difference between sweet corn and field corn, the economics of a contract-free, handshake-driven crop, and what it means to build a legacy your kids actually want to inherit.