Ep 240 | This week on Discover Ag, Natalie and Tara dig into homemade sugar, surprise Western collabs, celebrity cowboy boot shopping, and what's really in your heavy cream.

A viral reel reveals the complex 12-step process of making sugar from sugarcane—and the shocking truth that natural sugar is brown, not white. The hosts debate why we bleach sugar, flour, and rice, then explore an unexpected collaboration between Airstream, Stetson, and Taylor Sheridan's Four Sixes Ranch for a limited-edition Western trailer. While Natalie sees brilliant marketing, Tara argues it's impractical influencer bait for Coachella, not serious campers.

The surprises continue with J-Lo spotted shopping for boots at Cowboy Christmas during NFR, leaving the hosts with endless questions and zero answers. They discuss the USDA's new pasture-raised labeling standards for chicken and dive into heavy cream drama—exposing how many brands now contain gums as cost-saving additives. The episode wraps with a kitchen science experiment on making homemade butter, plus announcements about their holiday break and upcoming Florida sugarcane farm content.

What We Discovered This Week 🤠

🪩 Making sugar from sugarcane—and why it's naturally brown 🪩 Airstream x Stetson x Four Sixes: Western luxury or marketing stunt? 🪩 J-Lo spotted shopping for boots at Cowboy Christmas 🪩 USDA updates pasture-raised labeling for chicken 🪩 Heavy cream's hidden ingredient: gums everywhere 🪩 The kitchen science of making butter from cream

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro: Homemade Sugar, Western Airstream Collabs, J-Lo at NFR & Heavy Cream Drama 01:27 Discovery 1: Making Sugar from Sugarcane: The Wild 12-Step Process 04:13 Why Natural Sugar Is Brown (Not White!) 06:38 The Bleaching Debate: Sugar, Flour & Rice 08:19 Molasses, Brown Sugar & The Science Behind It All 10:15 Discover on the Road: Florida Sugar Cane Coming Soon 16:20 Discovery 2: Airstream x Stetson x Four Sixes: Taylor Sheridan's Western Collab 20:33 Tara's Hot Take: Why This Collab Misses the Mark 25:10 Ben Christensen Shoots the Campaign & NFR Memories 27:49 Discovery 3: J-Lo Spotted at Cowboy Christmas Shopping for Boots 32:08 Tara's NFR Experience: Fur Coats & Custom Furniture 37:28 Debrief: USDA Updates Pasture Raised Labeling for Chicken 44:16 Discovery 4: Heavy Cream's Hidden Ingredient - Gums Are Everywhere 50:03 Why Companies Add Gums: Fat Is Expensive 52:03 Making Butter from Heavy Cream: The Kitchen Science Experiment 55:30 Wrap-up and Holiday Break Announcement

🪩 WELCOME TO DISCOVER AG

A top-ranked podcast where agriculture meets pop culture. Hosted by https://instagram.com/nataliekovarik/?hl=en — western tastemaker & millennial cattle rancher — and https://instagram.com/taravanderdussen/?hl=en — sustainability expert & millennial dairy farmer. Every week, we dive into the top headlines in food, agriculture, and Western culture with a pop culture twist.

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