Ep 230 | This week on Discover Ag, Natalie and Tara dig into AI-powered potato sorting, cowboy boot emojis, and McDonald's massive regenerative agriculture investment — plus a Clarkson's Farm debrief and Lil Wayne's unexpected horse racing debut.

First up: Potato Ty takes viewers behind the scenes of green potato sorting on his Canadian farm. The hosts explore how AI technology identifies toxic potatoes (yes, green potatoes contain solanine and shouldn't be eaten), the fascinating machinery that sorts them, and why dairy cows are the ultimate recyclers — eating those green potatoes safely thanks to their multiple stomachs. It's a masterclass in agricultural innovation and food waste reduction.

Then, Ariat's social media team makes a bold move: an open letter to Apple demanding better cowboy boot emojis. With three British guard options but no proper Western representation, the hosts debate whether this PSA will spark real change and share their own emoji habits (spoiler: Tara switched to grayscale mode and can no longer tell which heart she's sending).

Next, Lil Wayne enters the horse racing world with his stallion "Six Hoof Seven Hoof" (named after his hit "6 Foot 7 Foot"). Tara shares her family's deep horse racing history, from summers in Delmar to a touching tribute to her late father-in-law through a racehorse named Randy's Reserve.

BUT WAIT — there's more!

McDonald's announces a $200 million commitment over seven years to promote regenerative agriculture practices on 4 million acres across 38 states. Natalie and Tara dissect whether this is genuine change or greenwashing, how grants will reach family ranches in the cow-calf sector, and what it means when major suppliers like Cargill co-fund the initiative. Plus: insights from an upcoming Dear Disco interview with food scientist Stefan Van Vliet on labeling and marketing in agriculture.

What We Discovered This Week 🤠

🪩 AI sorting technology for toxic green potatoes

🪩 How dairy cows safely eat what humans can't

🪩 Ariat's emoji activism for Western culture

🪩 Lil Wayne's horse racing debut (and prize money!)

🪩 Clarkson's Farm Season 4 emotional pub journey

🪩 McDonald's $200M regenerative agriculture commitment

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro & Listener Review: Pop Culture Meets Agriculture

02:00 - Green Potatoes: Why They're Poisonous & How AI in Agriculture Sorts Them

08:00 - Cows Eat Green Potatoes? How Ruminants Prevent Food Waste (Potato Tie & Jennifer Garner)

13:00 - Sponsor Break: Duckworth Co. & Turtle Box Speakers

15:00 - We Need a Cowboy Boot Emoji! Ariat International's Viral Social Media Campaign

21:00 - Lil Wayne Enters Horse Racing: The Rapper's Racehorse Wins Big

26:00 - Sponsor Break: Farm Wife Tallow & Cozy Earth

29:00 - Clarkson's Farm Effect: How Jeremy Clarkson's Show Boosted Agricultural Education

35:00 - McDonald's Regenerative Ag Investment: Is it Greenwashing or Real Change?

46:00 - Wrap-up & Outro

 

🪩 WELCOME TO DISCOVER AG

A top-ranked podcast where agriculture meets pop culture. Hosted by @NatalieKovarik — western tastemaker & millennial cattle rancher — and @TaraVanderDussen — 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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