Hopefully everyone is staying safe out there!  The grain industry can be a dangerous place to work!  Whether you are working with grain storage, drying, handling, or processing, there are always things that can go wrong.  On this week’s episode, we continue the theme of safety in the grain industry.  It is a privilege to have as our guest Dr. Carol Jones from Oklahoma State University.  She works to improve safety in the grain industry, and has an extensive background in the grain and agriculture sectors.  She has worked for many years to make these safer places to work.  In fact, she even contributed two chapters on these topics to my recent book.  

If you are interested, her chapter on dust control can be found here.
Her chapter on fumigation can be found here.

More about Carol and her work can be found at her faculty website at Oklahoma State University as well as her LinkedIn page:

She can be contacted at [email protected].  Thank you, Carol for a great conversation!

Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay.

Have you ever slipped on the ice?  Or twisted your ankle?  What about being engulfed in grain?  Working in the grain industry can be dangerous, even fatal.  Whether we consider what happens on the farm or at the factory, safety is critical.  And agriculture is one of the most dangerous professions to work in.  Thankfully there are people working to improve the safety of these systems.  Today’s guest is Dr. Gretchen Mosher from Iowa State University.  She works to improve safety, human interactions, and decision-making processes in the grain and feed industries.  In fact, she even contributed a chapter on this topic to my recent book.  If you are interested, it can be found here.

More about Gretchen and her work can be found at her faculty website at Iowa State University.   She can be contacted at [email protected].  Thank you, Gretchen for a great conversation! 

Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay. 

Have you noticed that the word “sustainability” has been used a lot in recent years?  What about “climate smart” or “regenerative agriculture”?  What do these actually mean?  Actually, the agriculture and food industries have been working on these topics for decades, even though we may not have been using these specific words.  These topics are becoming more important to consumers, companies, and even government policy makers.  Today’s guest is Lara Moody from IFEEDER, which is an organization that aims to improve the sustainability of livestock feed and feed ingredient manufacturers.  Their efforts include a variety of grain-based ingredients.  More about Lara and IFEEDER can be found at their website:  www.ifeeder.org.  Lara can be contacted at [email protected].  Thank you Lara for a great conversation!

Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay.

Are you a fan of Game of Thrones?  Did you know that it was filmed in Croatia?
 
When I envision Croatia, I think about agriculture, farming, and landscapes.  But I’m a big fan of cereal grains, as many of you know.  Join me for a conversation with my friends Dr. Ana Matin and Dr. Mateja Grubor, who are from the University of Zagreb.  We discuss research and teaching of agricultural and food systems.  And we also sample some of the local pelinkovac (if you haven’t tried this drink, you really should).  You can learn about their teaching and research at their university webpages.

If you are interested in learning more about grain production in Croatia, here is a report from the USDA.

Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay.

Zivjeli!

Over the past year, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about grains, their history, their processing, and their use.  But, we have not yet spent time talking about grain production.  We need to talk about these aspects.

So, in today’s episode we will spend time talking about the importance of soil to crop production.  Our guest is Dr. Amber Anderson from Iowa State University.  She is a faculty member in the Department of Agronomy, is part of the Sustainable Agriculture Program, as well as Global Resource Systems.

More about Dr. Anderson can be found at her ISU faculty webpage:  https://www.susag.iastate.edu/people/amber-anderson-0

Are potatoes really grains or not?  It will be interesting to learn what lawmakers decide!!  For the latest information and industry stories about cereal grains, check out the Cereals and Grains Association’s webpage, especially their InGRAINed Newsletter at https://www.cerealsgrains.org/ 

Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay. 

How did you start your day?  Did you eat breakfast?

If so, what did you eat?  Do you ever eat breakfast cereal?

Personally, I eat cereal any time of day – it is a perfect snack for me!

Breakfast cereal has a long and suprising history.  Today’s guest is Dr. Kathryn Dolan, who has recently published Breakfast Cereal – A Global History.  You can find her book at Reaktion Books.  More about her can be found at her faculty webpage at Missouri S&T University.

Grab a bowl and listen in!

For the latest information and industry stories about cereal grains, check out the Cereals and Grains Association’s webpage, especially their InGRAINed Newsletter.

Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay. 

Did you know that Russia and the U.S.  have been competing to feed the world as far back as the late 1700s?

Today's guest is Dr. Scott Reynolds Nelson, who's book Oceans of Grain describes how the flow of wheat has been a maker or breaker of empires since ancient times.   More about him can be found on his University of Georgia faculty webpage.

If you would like an update on the grain situation in Ukraine and Russia, the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service has published an overview of the 2023/24 wheat harvest.

Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay. 

Whole grains?  Organic foods?  Recipes?  History?
This week we talk with Marlene Bumgarner about all of these topics.  She is the author of The New Book of Whole Grains (and several other books as well) in which she weaves a tapestry of deliciousness and practicality.  I highly recommend checking out her books and blog.  She has had a fascinating journey, one which I think you will enjoy learning about!
Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay. 

Have you ever eaten Pharoah's Bread (I found this in Paris, of all places!)?  Or heard of King Tut Wheat?  In this episode we talk to Dr. Liz Carlisle about her journey into the world of Kamut - an ancient Egyptian wheat, and her path into deeper understandings of the intersections between humans and agriculture.   She is an Associate Professor at the University of California Santa Barbara, where she teaches and conducts research on transitions to more sustainable approaches to agriculture.  More information can be found at her faculty webpage as well as her personal webpage.
Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay. 

Welcome to the first episode of Season 2!  Have you ever wondered what students think about the things that they are learning?  I decided it was time to hear their thoughts.  Join me as we discuss what we have been learning in a graduate course devoted to Agroecosystems Analysis, the current state of farming and grain production, and the future of agriculture.  I think you will find our discussions wide-ranging and fascinating.  The future is in good hands with these emerging leaders!
Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay.