Food Focus

Food Focus

Do you trust the food you put on the table? Producers are responsible for feeding an increasingly hungry world, and American farmers provide the safest and most abundant food supply in the world. Here’s how they ensure everything all of us eat is safe.

Watch free Share
Food Focus
  • The Truth About Livestock and Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Damian Mason

    Are livestock producers unfairly targeted by climate activists for their environmental impact? Do consumers face unjust guilt trips over their meat, milk, and egg choices? In this episode of The Business of Agriculture, we dive into the debate surrounding livestock and greenhouse gas emissions.

    ...

  • Pulses: Plant-Based Protein & Growth for Agriculture | Damian Mason

    In this episode, we dive into the world of pulses—edible seeds from the legume family, including lentils, dry beans, and chickpeas (also known as Garbanzo beans). Discover why pulses are becoming a crucial part of the food industry, driven by rising consumer demand for plant-based protein, increa...

  • 3 Thoughts On The Future of Farming, Food Prices, & Our Farms | Damian Mason

    Imagine a future with more environmental regulation, a fusion of regenerative and conventional farming practices, tastier food that’s still affordable, fewer farmland acres — especially of corn and soy — with more acres of oddball crops like sorghum. These are just a few of Damian Mason’s BIG tho...

  • The Impact of Obesity Drugs on Agriculture | Damian Mason

    41.9% of Americans are obese. Most of these people are not on obesity drugs. Yet. But that day is coming according to Damian Mason, and when it does Agriculture is going to — for the first time ever — face a marketplace of declining per-person caloric consumption. Todd Thurman joins Damian in thi...

  • Rachel Smedberg | Tulip Tree Gardens Co | A Shot of Ag

    The Smedbergs, nestled in Beecher, IL, cultivate a vibrant tapestry of organic produce, fragrant blooms, and livestock on their farm. Rooted deeply in their community, they champion a philosophy centered around empowering individuals to make mindful choices for their well-being through nourishing...

  • Encouraging Good [Cattle} Choices + Bezos' Bogus Beef | Buzzard's Beat

    We finally took the stockers to grass in late spring and turned them out on acres and acres of green grass - I implored them to "make good choices" as well. But more importantly, Jeff Bezos is wasting his money again and I'm just tired of the "magical cure-all" mindset around faux meat. Tune in f...

  • Older Poorer Customers-Influence of Demographics & Food Inflation | Damian Mason

    The demographics are actually quite staggering — we are getting old, fast. Which means our customer’s dietary choices and demands are changing. Is Agriculture changing with its customers? What about the food inflation situation, with grocery prices up 25% since 2020? Todd Thurman, of Swine Insigh...

  • Nutrient Content of Food — Agriculture’s Next Challenge? | Damian Mason

    For years Agriculture has prioritized production, transport-ability, appearance, and efficiency in the food we make. But what about nutrients? Did nutrient content of food get relegated to the back seat? Somewhat, and that’s changing, as consumers demand tastier, more nutritious food. University ...

  • Purple Tomatoes, Taste, Waste, Nutritive Value & Much More | Damian Mason

    Fruits and vegetables have been bred over the past half century for the primary objective of transportability and shelf life. The tradeoff: taste and nutrient density. As marketplaces mature and consumers are afforded increasing food options in the produce section, might a play toward taste, nutr...

  • Product of the USA + Bringing Cows Home | Buzzard's Beat

    Are you a fan of transparency? You'll love this episode. Are you an advocate for mandatory Country of Origin Labeling? You might like this episode, but I'm not sure. Guess you'll just have to watch to find out where you stand!

  • Is the Migrant Crisis a Crisis for Agriculture or a Net Benefit? | Damian Mason

    A full three quarters of farmworkers in the U.S. are migrants and many are here illegally. Add in food service, meat processing, and the ancillary industries that feed the food business and you’re talking about a LOT of foreign-born workers who work to put food on America’s table. Is the migrant ...

  • Breeding Season + Beef Insight | Buzzard's Beat

    As a fall calving herd, we AI breed our cows and place embryos in late November. See a snippet of this process and also learn more about what shoppers consider "important" when it comes to purchasing beef.

  • Sugar Cookies and Gingerbread Houses! | The Dinner Bell

    Bake the perfect frosted sugar cookies for Santa this holiday season! Whip up a batch of these soft and buttery cookies, and let the little ones unleash their creativity as they decorate with colorful sprinkles, icing, holiday cheer, and, of course, eyeballs! Simple, sweet, and full of fun, these...

  • Pork: Production, Profitability, Pathogens, Proposition 12 & More!| Damian Mason

    Currently, pork profitability (or lack thereof) has certain observers comparing the industry to the late ’90’s when pork was in turmoil. It was that era, in fact, that set the stage for today’s (mostly) vertically integrated hog production model using contact grower farmers. Adam Krause, a contra...

  • Sayonara Stockers! | Buzzard's Beat

    After several months, the stockers are leaving our ranch! Watch as we gather and sort them for the last time and we load them out for their new homes. I also reflect on the U.S. food supply and why we should be grateful for our choices.

  • Beef on Dairy — A Trend That’s Changing the Meat Marketplace | Damian Mason

    The chasm between beef and dairy is being bridged as the two industries fuse in a trend that could be good for beef, dairy, consumers, the marketplace, and maybe the environment. The advent of sex-specific semen made a whole lot of dairy cow uteruses available. Meanwhile the beef industry needed ...

  • Calving Season Transport & Faux Meat - Both Having Some Issues | Buzzard's Beat

    What would a day on the ranch be without something breaking down or causing a headache? And what would plant-based food companies be without a little bit of drama?! Find out the latest squall between faux meat production, labeling regulations and consumers in this week's commentary.

  • Wicked Apple Martini & Hummus! | The Dinner Bell

    Mirror, mirror on the wall, who makes the wickedest cocktails of them all? Grab your brooms and gather your coven, because tonight, our cauldron is bubbling with my Wicked Apple Martini! With just a few ingredients, it's as easy to make as it is delightful to sip, making it the perfect potion for...

  • Fly Tagging and Food Waste | Buzzard's Beat

    Summertime is prime time for flies so we are fly tagging our yearlings and talking about the shameful problem of food waste in the United States.

  • Cheese Souffle! | The Dinner Bell

    Let’s get fancy. Having your girlfriends over for lunch? Impress the heck out of them with this show stopper of a meal. Light and airy, yet rich and complex this souffle most certainly delivers the wow factor.

    Let’s make souffle. Wait! Where are you going?! Souffles sound pretentious and incred...

  • Nebraska Volleyball ‘Meats’ Nebraska Beef | Rural Radio Network

    The Nebraska volleyball team recently enjoyed a five-course beef meal organized by Anna Kobza, a digital creator and Ph.D. student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The event, which took place earlier this month, aimed to connect Husker Athletics with Nebraska beef production.

    Kobza’s inspi...

  • Fish en Papillote! | The Dinner Bell

    Looking for a dinner that gets your whole family involved? Use your fresh catch-of-the-day for the foundation of this dinner. Set out an assortment of fresh ingredients and let the creativity run wild as each person builds their own parchment packet of deliciousness.

    In our home, we love to occ...

  • Chocolate Souffle! | The Dinner Bell

    Take your next date night from just okay to What a SOUFFLE! No fancy ingredients necessary to make this elegant dessert for two. Plus, we add the rich complexity of dark chocolate, so let’s take a leap and say it’s healthy!
    What will your friends say the next time they ask what you're making for...

  • Cumin-Lime Chicken Thighs! | The Dinner Bell

    If you're looking to get a' WOW' from those you love at dinnertime, try slipping these cumin-inspired chicken thighs and cauliflower rice into your weekly rotation. Eight ingredients make this a, "YES PLEASE!" in my book. Sometimes we need a break from the usual dinner sidekicks (rice and potatoe...