Farming For Dummies

New Mexico may not be the first state that comes to mind when you think of the dairy industry, but it is home to some of the largest dairy farms in the country and todays guest, Tara Vander Dussen. Tara is a fifth generation dairy farmer turned environmental scientist who is making waves in the industry for approach to sustainable dairy farming. Not only do we dive into some of the most controversial topics in the dairy industry, but we also take a look at why this industry gets painted in such a negative light. So for the second week in a row we invite you to pour yourself a glass of milk and enjoy this a-moo-sing interview! 

G’Day mate! We are headed down under to meet Australia’s most famous dairy farmer, Big Farmer Andy! Andy takes us on a journey, learning about his family’s history, the breed of dairy cows he raises and how the Australian dairy industry differs from the United States. Andy’s fun loving spirit, passion for cattle, and over-arching message will definitely put a smile on your face and have you pouring a big ol' glass of milk!

Tip your hat to cowboy next to you because today in Texas we're learning all about the extension agency. Stephen Janak is an extension program specialist with Texas A&M Agri-life and a second generation extension agent who tells us all about the rich history of the extension service, the resources they have to offer, and if there's anything they can't do! Whether you are in agriculture or not, the extension service has a program or resource that you can benefit from. If you're stuck and don't know where to turn, this episode is for you. 

Join our journey through history as we explore how an inedible plant became one of the most widely grown crops in the entire world. From its humble beginnings in central Mexico, corn has played a huge role throughout world history as a food source and even in religion. We'll explore how selective breeding led to thousands of corn varieties, the classification of corn types, and some of the unique ways we use corn today!  

Sources Used: 

https://www.britannica.com/plant/corn-plant

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rethinking-corny-history-maize-180971038/

https://www.lhf.org/learning-fields/crops/corn/#:~:text=Corn%20comes%20from%20a%20wild,the%20corn%20we%20know%20today.

https://www.britannica.com/plant/teosinte

https://www.nativeseeds.org/pages/teosinte

https://www.seriouseats.com/popcorn-history-movie-theaters#:~:text=Corn%20was%20probably%20cultivated%20as,cobs%20studded%20with%20puffed%20kernels.

Music Used: 

Suavemente - Alysha Sheldon

Unsolved - Mythical Score Society

In the Amazonas - Kikoru

Excavation at the Amazon - Trace Way

Nights in Mexico - Alysha Sheldon

Bluegrass Boogie - The Undertowns

Caravan Trails - Sight of Wonders

Acoustic Ornaments - Codey Randall

Tumbleweed Town - River Run Dry 

The stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of Texas! That’s right, we are headed back to the Lonestar state where we are joined by Braxton and Raven of Dolce Holistic Horsemanship. Whether it’s sharing their life’s on social media, training horses using a natural method, or inviting everyone to their ranch for the pumpkin and ponies events, they are always having a good time! In this episode we learn about their training approach and why it is so effective. As well as their own history and how they got to where they are today. So tighten up your cinch and get your heels down in the stirrups, because this is a good one! 

Grab your Red Raider shirt because we are headed to the panhandle of Texas, a place so flat you can watch your dog runaway for 3 days. Today we are Joined by Lubbock Native, Dr. Vikram Baliga. When he isn’t debunking gardening myths on the internet, he is working in his family’s peach orchard or at the Texas Tech greenhouse. When it comes to season extension there is a lot to learn, and Dr. Baliga is just the person to teach us. Just like leafy greens love a greenhouse, your gonna love this one.

Grab your maple syrup and poutine, because we are headed to Canada eh. On this episode, we got the opportunity to sit down with Hayden Fox, a Canadian hay farmer and social media personality. He educated us on the different types of hay, what it’s uses are, how they grow it, and of course, what type of vehicle you should (or should not) use to pick up hay if you want to avoid being the main character in one of his videos. This is a fun one, full of laughs and education!

Grab your armadillo eggs and straw hats, because we are headed back to Texas. We are joined today by Trey Rutherford of Rutherford show goats to take a deep dive into the show goat industry. We take a glimpse back 30 years ago when boer goats first started showing up

Grab your umbrella and a cup of coffee because today we are headed to Washington to learn all about Canning. Jordyn and Kay of Portage View Farm aren’t your average homesteaders. They’ve taken a whole new approach with their in-law dynamic and education forward content. Not to mention they both share a passion for growing food and preserving it. In this episode we get two outlooks, the seasoned canning veteran, and the rookie on a mission. This one will blow your lid off, unless of course, you use your pressure canner.