F.R.E. Lunch: The Food and Resource Economics Podcast

Known as the Sunshine State, Florida is also synonymous with water. And so, it’s no surprise that as our state’s flagship university, the University of Florida is renowned for its expertise in water-related research. 

That is why, we are excited to announce the launch of our second season of FRE Lunch – The Food and Resource Economics Podcast. This season, we will be partnering with the UF Water Institute to bring you a total of 8 episodes all about Florida’s fresh water and the research happening at UF around it! 

Episode One will be released on World Water Day - Saturday March 22, 2025.

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The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their sole responsibility do not represent positions, policies or opinion of the University of Florida, UF/IFAS, or the UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics.

Got thoughts on the episode, questions for us, or an idea for what we should cover next? Reach out to us by email at [email protected]

Intro and Outro Music - "Just Kidding" - Ahjay Stelino. Used under the Mixkit Stock Music Free License.

Happy Valentine’s Day from F.R.E. Lunch! Whether you're enjoying a romantic dinner out or cooking a meal at home, there’s one big question—where are your leftovers going?

In part two of our first-ever two-part episode, we're diving deeper into the behavioral science behind efforts to reduce food waste on college campuses with guest expert Dr. Olesya Savchenko, assistant professor of food and resource economics. This episode explores her research into how food waste in college dining halls can be reduced through educational campaigns that increase awareness which could eventually promote long-term behavioral change. Tune in to learn about the economic and environmental impact of food waste and discover strategies to influence choice architecture to make campus dining more sustainable.

Resources:

• Dr. Olesya Savchenko Faculty Directory Page
• Every plate counts: Evaluation of a food waste reduction campaign in a university dining hall

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The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their sole responsibility do not represent positions, policies or opinion of the University of Florida, UF/IFAS, or the UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics.

Got thoughts on the episode, questions for us, or an idea for what we should cover next? Reach out to us by email at [email protected]

Intro and Outro Music - "Just Kidding" - Ahjay Stelino. Used under the Mixkit Stock Music Free License.

Did you know that, according to the National Resources Defense Council, 22 million pounds of food is wasted annually on college campuses? 

In today's episode, we'll discuss the economics of food waste, and some of the strategies such as composting, trayless dining, and educational efforts that are being used by the University of Florida to reduce food waste on campus. We are joined by expert guest Maddie Kowalewski, Sustainability Manager for Florida Fresh Dining. 

For students interested in learning more about Project Clean Plate, the dates of the next two events are February 5, 2025 from 5:30 - 6:30 pm at the Food Hall at Gator Corner and February 12, 2025 from 12:30 - 2 pm in The Eatery at Broward.

Additional Resources:

UF Office of Sustainability - Campus Food Initiatives

USDA Food Waste & Loss

SDSU Extension - Food Waste in Schools and Strategies to Reduce It

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The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their sole responsibility do not represent positions, policies or opinion of the University of Florida, UF/IFAS, or the UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics.

Got thoughts on the episode, questions for us, or an idea for what we should cover next? Reach out to us by email at [email protected]

Intro and Outro Music - "Just Kidding" - Ahjay Stelino. Used under the Mixkit Stock Music Free License.

As temperatures drop this December, we sat down with Dr. Jamie Dinkins Bookwalter and Dr. Will Kohlway, two Christmas tree specialists from North Carolina State Extension. Join us for the final episode of 2024 as we discuss the economic impacts of the forestry industry, the ecosystem services forests provide, the unique Christmas Tree farm industry in North Carolina, and how North Carolina's Christmas tree farms were impacted by Hurricane Helene this year.

Additional Resources:

• NC State Extension - Christmas Trees Program
• Dr. Jamie Bookwalter - Directory Page
• Dr. Will Kohlway - Directory Page

Statistics from Today's Episode:

• Oswalt , S. (2019, April). The state of the Forest. USDA. 
• Florida Forests. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. 
• (December 2023) 2023 U.S. Forestry Economic Contributions by State. Arkansas Center for Forest Business.
•  (November 2024). Christmas tree: plans among U.S. consumers in 2024. Statista.
• (November 2021).  Time to put up the Christmas tree in the United States 2021. Statista.
• (January 2024) 2023 Season Recap. National Christmas Tree Association.
• (November 2024) Christmas tree: plans among U.S. consumers in 2024, by age group. Statista.
• Ferrell, J. & Richardson, S. (December 2024) Real v. Artificial: The Christmas Tree Decision. Red River Radio.
• (November 2024) Planned expenditure for Christmas decorations in the United States 2024. Statista.
• Camberg, N. (December 2024). Mapped: Where US Christmas trees come from. WMTW.
• (2020) Fire related home product sales in supermarkets in the United States in 2019. Statista.

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The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their sole responsibility do not represent positions, policies or opinion of the University of Florida, UF/IFAS, or the UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics.

Got thoughts on the episode, questions for us, or an idea for what we should cover next? Reach out to us by email at [email protected]

Intro and Outro Music - "Just Kidding" - Ahjay Stelino. Used under the Mixkit Stock Music Free License.

November is National Entrepreneurship Month! To celebrate, we interview Food and Resource Undergraduate alumnus Emma Biggers about her small business, how she applies the lessons learned through her major to running it, and the research project it inspired where she sought to evaluate the economic feasibility of an entirely local cotton t-shirt supply chain in Florida where the cotton would produced, processed into textiles, and distributed to clothing stores like hers all in state.

Send us Fan Mail

The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their sole responsibility do not represent positions, policies or opinion of the University of Florida, UF/IFAS, or the UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics.

Got thoughts on the episode, questions for us, or an idea for what we should cover next? Reach out to us by email at [email protected]

Intro and Outro Music - "Just Kidding" - Ahjay Stelino. Used under the Mixkit Stock Music Free License.

Happy Halloween! In this very special episode, we sit down with the UF Smathers Libraries marketing and communications team to discuss their latest Sasquatch themed marketing campaign and are even visited by a ghost - I mean guest - from episode 1, Dr. Christa Court, to learn about the direct and indirect effects of Cryptid Tourism on local economies.

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The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their sole responsibility do not represent positions, policies or opinion of the University of Florida, UF/IFAS, or the UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics.

Got thoughts on the episode, questions for us, or an idea for what we should cover next? Reach out to us by email at [email protected]

Intro and Outro Music - "Just Kidding" - Ahjay Stelino. Used under the Mixkit Stock Music Free License.

In this episode, Nathan Palardy, assistant professor of Food and Resource Economics, joins the F.R.E. lunch podcast team to discuss how craft breweries impact local economies, and his research into the policies surrounding beer sales in the United States.


Note: This episode was initially scheduled for release in September, but was delayed due to the wide-ranging impacts of Hurricane Helene across the Southeastern United States. Some areas mentioned in this episode, such as Asheville, NC. were severely impacted and are still recovering. For more resources about all stages of Disaster Preparation, Response, and Recovery, visit the following sources:

• UF/IFAS Disaster Preparation & Recovery
• Florida Extension Disaster Education Network
• Florida Farm Bureau Helene Resources

Send us Fan Mail

The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their sole responsibility do not represent positions, policies or opinion of the University of Florida, UF/IFAS, or the UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics.

Got thoughts on the episode, questions for us, or an idea for what we should cover next? Reach out to us by email at [email protected]

Intro and Outro Music - "Just Kidding" - Ahjay Stelino. Used under the Mixkit Stock Music Free License.

This month's episode of F.R.E. Lunch: The Food and Resource Economics Podcast explores the potential threats posed by a zoonotic disease outbreak to the U.S. Cattle Industry and provides a unique look into the undergraduate research opportunities available to UF/IFAS College of Agriculture & Life Sciences students looking to complete an honors thesis project. 

In this episode, Shelby Sumner, a Spring 2024 alumnus of the Food and Resource Economics Program and current graduate student at Oklahoma State University, joins us to discuss her honors thesis project - 'Moo'd Swings: Potential Disease Hazards Facing the U.S. Cattle Industry

More Resources

UF/IFAS CALS Honors Resources: Honors Forms & Resources - College of Agricultural and Life Sciences - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - UF/IFAS (ufl.edu)

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The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their sole responsibility do not represent positions, policies or opinion of the University of Florida, UF/IFAS, or the UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics.

Got thoughts on the episode, questions for us, or an idea for what we should cover next? Reach out to us by email at [email protected]

Intro and Outro Music - "Just Kidding" - Ahjay Stelino. Used under the Mixkit Stock Music Free License.

Since 2022, United States policy has made it illegal to sell or buy shark fins in the United States.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Andrew Ropicki, UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Assistant Professor and marine economics specialist for Florida Sea Grant, to discuss the economic considerations behind the policy and other efforts to reduce shark finning. 

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The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their sole responsibility do not represent positions, policies or opinion of the University of Florida, UF/IFAS, or the UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics.

Got thoughts on the episode, questions for us, or an idea for what we should cover next? Reach out to us by email at [email protected]

Intro and Outro Music - "Just Kidding" - Ahjay Stelino. Used under the Mixkit Stock Music Free License.

Dr. Christa Court is an Assistant Professor of Regional Economics in the UF Food and Resource Economics Department and Director for the UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program. In this episode, Dr. Court joins us to explain how her team uses economic research to estimate the short term impacts of Agriculture Damages and Losses sustained when a hurricane hits Florida.

Additional Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Economic Impact Analysis Program: https://fred.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/economic-impact-analysis-program/
USDA Farm Service Agency: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/index

Send us Fan Mail

The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their sole responsibility do not represent positions, policies or opinion of the University of Florida, UF/IFAS, or the UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics.

Got thoughts on the episode, questions for us, or an idea for what we should cover next? Reach out to us by email at [email protected]

Intro and Outro Music - "Just Kidding" - Ahjay Stelino. Used under the Mixkit Stock Music Free License.