More information about his work can be found at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Small Grains Improvement team.

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

More information about her work can be found at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s Small Grains Improvement team.

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

More information about his work can be found at his UC Davis webpage.

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

More information about her work at the commission can be found at their website.

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

More information about his work and his publications can be found at his Iowa Grain Quality Initiative website at Iowa State University.

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

Few authors can move as effortlessly between industrial intrigue and the rumble of vintage iron as Lee Klancher. In this engaging conversation, we dive into his fascinating book Snoopy and the Spy (check it out!  It has a reversible cover!), where espionage history takes an unexpected turn, before shifting gears into his celebrated work documenting classic tractors—from the legacy of International Harvester to the enduring cultural impact of John Deere. Whether you’re drawn to stories of spies or the heritage of American agriculture, Klancher brings these worlds to life with depth, curiosity, and a storyteller’s touch that keeps you hooked from start to finish. More information about him, his work, and his publications can be found at his website at Octane Press.

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

She also has pages on Facebook and Instagram.  Hopefully you will be inspired to read one of her books and to visit Paris to discover French bread for yourself!

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

If so, you should consider joining the GEAPS organization.  This is the Grain Elevator and Processing Society.  It consists of more than 4000 members who work in all aspects of grain – from farm to consumer, especially storage, handling, preservation, and processing.

Every year I am excited to attend their annual conference, known as Exchange.

I get to reconnect with friends and colleagues across the grain industry, both in the U.S. and internationally.  And the trade show (more than 400 exhibits this year) showcases all of the new tech that is being commercialized and implemented in the industry.  So many exciting new developments are underway!

In this episode I take inspiration from Chrissy Wozniak, the host of North American Ag Spotlight podcast.  She frequents ag trade shows and talks to vendors to learn about their developments.

I hope you enjoy, and hope to see you at Exchange next year!

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

The history of grain is filled with the history of innovations.  This encompasses not only biological advances, but also agronomic and machinery evolutions.  Join us for a conversation with Neil Dahlstrom.  He is an historian who is the corporate archivist for John Deere, one of the world's oldest and largest farm machinery companies.  Did you know that John Deere has multiple museums and historical locations?  Let’s dig in and learn more about Neil’s work.  Information about him, his work, and his publications can be found at his website.

Information about John Deere’s historical sites can be found here:

John Deere Pavilion 

John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum

John Deere Historic Site

Hopefully you will be inspired to visit one of these to learn more!

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

Good luck with everything you do moving into the future, Claire!

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

Have you ever wondered what students think about the things that they are learning?  It is always informative 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. 

Originally from Ireland, Crinion is a partner with Ash Grove Dairy. Michael studied Agriculture and Farm Management at Warrenstown Agricultural College. In 2002, I was the first runner-up in the Farmers’ Business Development’s All Ireland Young Farmer of the Year competition.

More information about his work can be found at the USFRA website.

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

If you have any questions or podcast suggestions, please leave them below. 

More information about Connie can be found at her university website.

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

If you have any questions or podcast suggestions, leave them below. 

More information about Curtis Cattle Co. can be found at their website.

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

This week, we welcomed Reece Cannady to the podcast. Reece Cannady serves as the regional director for South Asia for the U.S. Grains & Bioproducts Council, a non-profit organization that promotes the use of U.S. barley, corn, sorghum, and related products. Our conversation explored how trade connects U.S. farmers to international markets, what cultural dynamics shape grain demand across South Asia, and why understanding where our food comes from matters.

 For more information about Reece, visit his webpage.

More about the work and the impacts of the U.S. Grains and Bioproducts Council can be found at their website.

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

More about Jim and his amazing work can be found at his webpage.  

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

To find more information about the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods, see the program webpage. 

More about Dr. Burras can be found at his ISU faculty webpage.  

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

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

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

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

Grains can be efficiently processed into a variety of products.

 Our guest for this episode is Professor Kent Rausch from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  He has worked extensively in grain processing, with particular focus on corn wet milling and dry grind ethanol processing.  He also coordinates the University of Illinois Corn Processing Workshops, which are key industry training programs for processing companies.

 More about Kent can be found at his university faculty page.

Additionally, his scientific publications can be found on his Google Scholar page.

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

Can we do this while improving soil and water quality?  Absolutely!

Regenerative agriculture is one way to accomplish this.

Our guest for this episode is Professor Stephanie Anderson.  She is a teacher and writer at Florida Atlantic University, where she teaches creative nonfiction and writes extensively about food and agriculture systems, especially regenerative agriculture.  She is originally from a ranch in South Dakota, and has deep agricultural ties.

Her latest book, From the Ground Up: The Women Revolutionizing Regenerative Agriculture, relays the stories of many women who are working to improve ag systems not just in the U.S.A., but around the world.  This book provides many hopeful and encouraging stories about how regenerative agriculture is making a difference.  More about Stephanie can be found at her author page.

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

Our guest for this episode is Dr. Robert Dees, who is an historian of farmers, especially in medieval Germany.  His recent book can be found at the Commons Press website: 

Commons Press – The Power of Peasants – Economics & politics of farming in medieval Germany 

(He has written other history books as well.) 

It is important to understand that innovation has been part and parcel of agriculture since the agricultural revolution began thousands of years ago.  This includes not just the equipment and machines that are use to grow, harvest, store, and process grains, but also societal structures.  Robert’s book gives us a fantastic glimpse into the importance of farmers, and even though his focus has been on medieval times, the lessons continue to be important today. 

For further thoughts, and some interesting images that Robert has graciously shared, check out my new Substack page!

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

Because it’s a fun guy! 

 In this episode we talk with Dr. Graeme Walker from Abertay University in Scotland.  He is a professor of zymology – in other words, he studies yeasts and fermentation.  His focus over the years has been fermentation for alcoholic beverages, distilled spirits, and biofuels – many of which (but not all) use cereal grain as a substrate.  His recent work has been investigating non-cereal substrates for fermentation. 

Graeme’s contact information can be found at his faculty webpage at Abertay University.  If you would like to dig deeper into yeast and fermentation, check out his Google Scholar page and explore his publications.  You can also take a deeper dive into yeast nutrition in a recent webinar with Graeme. 

Especially relevant to our discussion about non-cereal fermentations is a recent study that estimates yield drags for corn, wheat, and barley due to climate change.   

A half-century of climate change in major agricultural regions: Trends, impacts, and surprises

Indeed, changing cropping conditions may necessitate the development of non-cereal alternatives for fermentation of both beverage as well as biofuel alcohols.

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

Do you know about the Dust Bowl in the USA?  It occurred during the 1930s through much of the central US, and devastated the lives of many rural people and communities.  Why did this happen?  Wind erosion, coupled with agricultural practices.   

This phenomenon was predicted by Joseph Hutton, who was the first soil scientist in South Dakota.  He was an fierce advocate for changing the way crops were grown.  More about his legacy can be found at the South Dakota Agricultural Heritage Museum, located on the campus of South Dakota State University.

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In her new role, Kaylee will lead student initiatives, coordinate CAST’s volunteer network, and manage membership services and retention strategies. She’ll also support event logistics and strategic planning in close collaboration with CAST’s communications team.

Kaylee grew up on a farm in Iowa and was heavily involved in 4H and FFA.

Thank you, Kaylee, for talking to us about agricultural communications, the work you are doing at CAST, and your thesis research!

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 While pursuing a doctorate degree in biomedical engineering in 2011, she had an epiphany:  she realized that she loved writing and
communicating about research just as much (or more) than working at the lab
bench. A few months later, she started a blog and took a brazen leap in the
world of science communication. She’s maintained From The Lab Bench,
a blog about all things science communication originally hosted on SciLogs.com,
since 2011. 

 She’s held various science and health communication positions. In the past few years, Paige has been Science Communication Specialist for the LSU College of Science, Director and then VP of Science Communication at LifeOmic, co-founder of Lifeology, and adjunct for the LSU Manship School. She’s also currently a science communicator for the NIH Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (CARD). And, she also still pursues passion projects like consulting, science communication training and teaching! 

 One of her latest projects is Silenced Science Stories – which uses art to tell the stories of scientists and researchers who have been impacted by the US Government’s funding cuts and firings throughout 2025. 

 Thank you, Paige, for a great conversation about science communication! 

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

Today’s guest is Tanya Trombly.  She is a professional ballet dancer based in New York City.  She dances freelance around the U.S., and is the founder of a fitness and nutrition company in NYC.  For the past several years she has been a guest artist in the Iowa State Center’s performance of The Nutcracker, where she also dances in a STEM-focused performance.  This version of The Nutcracker is intended to introduce young Iowa students to the confluence of dance, science, and engineering, and is sponsored by Iowa 4H. 

Join us for a conversation about communication.  Whatever your field, communication is critical.  In science, we historically have very defined ideas about what this means – conference presentations and journal papers most commonly.  Perhaps we should expand our understanding of what communication means.  Throughout human history dance has been an important means of communicating ideas without the spoken word. 

More information about her work can be found at her website, Bulletproof Ballerina. 

Thank you, Tanya, for a great conversation about communication! 

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

Her publications can be found at her Google Scholar profile.

And, here is a link to the story we discussed about new research that deletes genes for alpha-gliadins.  If you are interested in the actual journal article, you can find it here.

Thank you, Amrita for a great conversation!

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

Today’s guest is Dr. Marina Mefleh.  She is a Professor of Food Studies at The American University of Rome. Her work encompasses sustainability and biodiversity of ancient and old wheats and their suitability in the production of bread, as well as development of sustainable plant-based foods using various alternative sources of protein.  If you are interested in her work, more information can be found at her department’s website.

Her publications can be found at her ORCID profile as well as her Google Scholar page.  

And, here is a link to her review article comparing ancient to modern durum.  If you have a few minutes, I think you will find this a fascinating discussion.

Thank you, Marina for a great conversation!

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

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

If you are interested in the SDGs, more information can be found at the UN website. 

Thank you  ISU students for being willing to share your thoughts.  Let's all try to do our part to make the future better.

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

As corn and soybean harvest progresses in the USA (almost all of the wheat crop has already been harvested), we have to consider grain quality and preservation.  Drying and aeration is important due to the potential of mold and insect infestation.  This episode is part 2 of a mini-series on preservation.  Our guest today is Dr. Graham Thorpe.  He has worked for many years to improve moisture control of grain in storage.  In fact, he even contributed a chapter to my recent book.  

If you are interested, his chapter on alternative and emerging storage technologies can be found here. 

More about Graham and is work can be found at his faculty website at Victoria University and at the Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities. 

He can be contacted at graham.thorpe@vu.edu.au.  Thank you, Graham, for a great conversation about grain storage! 

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

If you are interested, his chapter on grain aeration can be found here.

More about Ken and is work can be found at his faculty website at North Dakota State University.

He can be contacted at kenneth.hellevang@ndsu.edu.  Thank you, Ken for a great conversation!

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

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 jcarol@okstate.edu.  Thank you, Carol for a great conversation!

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

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

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

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!

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. 

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. 

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

• Evidence for food storage and predomestication granaries 11,000 years ago in the Jordan Valley (by Kuijt and Finlayson, 2009)
• Archaeobotanical evidence reveals the origins of bread 14,400 years ago in northeastern Jordan (by Arranz-Otaegul et al., 2018) 

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

Dr. Suleiman’s research program focuses on food safety, food quality management, new product development and post-harvest management applied to grain, and fruits and vegetables. Projects involve post-harvest loss reduction and prevention, food security, food systems, mycotoxins, value-added products and process, grain storage and stored products protection, extrusion technology, new product development and formulation, techno-economic analysis and food packaging.

Dr. Suleiman’s outreach program focuses on crop post-harvest handling, storage, processing and loss prevention, mycotoxin control, nutrition feeding programs, and food and nutrition security. 

 More about Rashid, his work, and his department can be found on his website.

If you are interested in learning more about the current state of global food security, some good resources can be found in articles from the World Bank, as well as the World Economic Forum.
Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay. 

In this episode we talk about PGC, education, and a variety of other topics.  The agricultural revolution continues to evolve.

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

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.  We should care because Russia and Ukraine  produce approximately 25% of global wheat supply and a large share of other grains.  Ukraine alone (at least prior to the war) was exporting approximately 15 of the world’s corn and 10% of the world’s wheat.  Food prices, insecurity, and starvation have been rising, especially in countries that are dependent upon these two countries as sources of food.  Targeting Ukraine has impacted the world’s food supplies, with people most in need being hardest hit – innocent bystanders.

The USDA has resources and about grain  export from Russia and Ukraine.  You can find more information here: https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/russia-grain-and-oilseed-exports-expand

https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/outlooks/105619/whs-23a.pdf?v=9791.4 

Initially, all exports out of Ukraine ceased, which led to price spikes throughout global commodity trade.  Post-invasion, the U.N. and the government of Turkey were able to negotiate the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) which allows Ukrainian grain to be shipped out of a handful of ports in the Black Sea (https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/ukrainian-grain-exports-explained/); but this required mandatory inspections of incoming and outgoing cargo vessels.  It was established in order to help meet global grain demand by allowing commodities to be shipped out of Ukraine – corn, wheat, sunflower, and other ag products (64% of Ukrainian wheat has been destined for developing countries while 51% of the corn has been similarly destined).  This endeavor has helped global commodity prices stabilize and to even decrease to almost their pre-invasion levels.

On July 17, when this agreement was set for renewal, Russia decided not to extend the deal.  Global wheat prices spiked by at least 9% within two days.  The New York Times has an excellent piece discussing these developments: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/07/19/world/russia-ukraine-news/wheat-prices-spike-after-russia-declares-all-ukraine-bound-ships-are-possible-military-targets?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare 

As I prepare this post, stories from the BBC just entered my feed:  the Russians have been conducting missile strikes on grain terminals in Odesa:  https://www-bbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66242446.amp 

Hopefully  we can soon get back to feeding people, especially in developing countries.  Stay tuned.  This is such an important topic that we will definitely have another episode in the future.

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Global Food Crisis: 10 Countries Suffering the Most From Hunger

Please rate this podcast wherever you get your podcasts, and feel free to reach out to me any time.  Thanks for listening!

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

I suggest listening to today's episode with a rich IPA.  Enjoy the hoppy notes while you listen to our conversation!

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