Discover Ag

Ep 239 | This week on Discover Ag, Natalie and Tara dig into a Campbell's soup scandal, the CMA Awards crisis, a heartwarming veterans program, and the viral sesame seed discovery that has everyone rethinking their burger buns.

A leaked audio recording from a former Campbell's VP calling their food "bleep for poor people" and claiming their chicken comes from a 3D printer goes viral, but the hosts argue the real issue isn't false ingredient claims—it's corporate culture and classism. The CMA Awards hit rock bottom with only 6 million viewers (down from 16 million a decade ago), sparking debate about country music's identity crisis and why they desperately need the Dancing With the Stars Gen Z marketer. On a positive note, the Armed to Farm program is helping veterans transition into sustainable agriculture with an 83% retention rate through hands-on training in everything from aquaponics to beekeeping. Plus, Cheetos launches a "Simply Naked" line without artificial dyes, and a viral video reveals where sesame seeds actually come from—growing in pods that burst open when ripe, which is literally the origin of "open sesame."

What We Discovered This Week 🤠

🪩 Campbell's VP scandal and what it reveals about corporate culture 🪩 CMA Awards hit record-low ratings—what went wrong? 🪩 Armed to Farm: Veterans finding purpose in agriculture 🪩 Cheetos goes naked (the snack, not the hosts) 🪩 Sesame seeds: The viral food discovery we didn't know we needed 🪩 Open Sesame is literally about sesame seed pods bursting open

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro: Campbell's Mess, CMA Disaster, Veterans & Sesame Seeds 00:59 - Discovery 1: Campbell's VP Scandal & The 3D Printed Chicken Controversy 06:18 - The Food System Culture: Classism & Corporate Profit Over Quality 10:55 - Campbell's Stock Impact & Brand Innovation Opportunities 16:19 - Discovery 2: CMA Awards Hit All-Time Low with 6 Million Viewers 19:49 - Dancing With the Stars Strategy & Why CMAs Need a Gen Z Marketer 24:49 - Morgan Wallen Controversy & Country Music's Identity Crisis 27:16 - Discovery 3: Armed to Farm Program Helps Veterans Find Purpose 36:53 - Disco Debrief: Cheetos Goes Naked & The Maha Connection 40:49 - Discovery 4: The Sesame Seed Surprise—Where Do They Come From? 45:50 - Open Sesame: The Phrase Origin & Where Texas Produces Them 47:48 - Wrap-up and Monday's Dear Discos Interview with Duckworth Wool

🪩 WELCOME TO DISCOVER AG

Ep 238 | This week on Discover Ag, Natalie and Tara dig into Jeff Bezos' role in the beef industry, the end of a 200-year-old publication, and why your FFA jacket just became a fashion statement.

The hosts tackle viral claims about methane-reducing feed additives for cattle, separating Bill Gates' investments from Bezos' initiatives. They discuss the Bovaer controversy in Denmark where farmers are now required to use methane-reducing supplements, and explore the tension between environmental responsibility and farmer autonomy. Plus, the Farmer's Almanac is publishing its final edition after 206 years, FFA jackets have become the hottest vintage fashion item, and the hosts reveal why your Costco pecans are at least a year old.

Stick around for a disco debrief on the first documented US death from Alpha-Gal Syndrome (the tick-borne meat allergy), plus a deep dive into the pecan supply chain. Spoiler: the US grows 80% of the world's pecans, but we ship them to Mexico to be shelled, then import them back. The food supply chain is wild, and the hosts break down why "fresh" is complicated.

What We Discovered This Week 🤠

🪩 Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and the methane feed debate 🪩 Denmark mandates Bovaer for dairy farmers 🪩 The Farmer's Almanac publishes its last edition after 206 years 🪩 FFA jackets become vintage fashion gold 🪩 First US death from tick-borne meat allergy 🪩 Your Costco pecans are older than you think

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Intro: Bezos, Beef, Dead Almanacs & Viral FFA Jackets 03:15 Discovery 1: Jeff Bezos Controls Beef? The Methane Feed Controversy 07:42 Bill Gates vs Bezos: Who's Investing in What? 11:28 The Bovaer Debate: Denmark Makes It Mandatory 16:35 What's a Farmer's Job: Food or Saving the Planet? 22:18 Discovery 2: Farmer's Almanac Dies After 200 Years 28:05 Why We're Losing History in the Digital Age 34:20 Discovery 3: FFA Jackets Go Viral in Vintage Fashion 40:12 Should Non-FFA People Wear the Jacket? 45:30 Debrief & Discovery 4: First Tick-Borne Meat Allergy Death & Your Costco Pecans 50:15 The Pecan Truth: Why Your Nuts Are From Last Year (and Mexico) 56:40 Wrap-up and Thanks for Surviving Without Us

🪩 WELCOME TO DISCOVER AG

Ep 237 | This week on Discover Ag, Natalie and Tara serve up a lighthearted holiday episode packed with farm-to-table realities, football meets farming, Western fashion collabs, and viral hippo content. Celebrity chef Tim Love explains why true farm-to-table dining is almost impossible — from inconsistent supply to the direct-to-consumer "ribeye problem." The hosts break down why local sourcing is so complex and why prices would have to rise by about 30% to make it viable.

The Buffalo Bills celebrate National Farmer's Day by partnering with local dairy farmer "Farmer Shin," spotlighting New York's dairy industry. The segment also touches on quarterback Josh Allen's agricultural background, from FFA to his family's cotton and pistachio farms.

Abercrombie & Fitch teams up with Kemo Sabe for a Western-inspired line. The hosts discuss whether blending mass-market and luxury works — and how the Yellowstone Effect continues to shape Western culture.

A viral clip of a hippo eating a pumpkin during Denmark's Harvest Holiday leads to a conversation on seasonal feeding and closed-loop farming. The show ends with a story of a dairy farmer using colostrum to save a baby giraffe.

BUT WAIT — there's more!

The Disco Taste Test features a salted maple Dr. Pepper float perfect for Thanksgiving. Natalie spills hers, Tara swaps in Diet Coke, and both agree it's dangerously delicious.

What We Discovered This Week 🤠

🪩 Chef Tim Love's farm-to-table reality check 🪩 Buffalo Bills highlight dairy farming 🪩 Josh Allen's FFA and farming background 🪩 Abercrombie x Kims Sabi Western collection 🪩 The Yellowstone Effect on culture 🪩 Salted Maple Dr. Pepper Float recipe 🪩 Viral hippo + Denmark's Harvest Holiday 🪩 Dairy farmers saving baby giraffes

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro: Farm-to-Table, Football, Fashion & Hippos 03:00 - Discovery 1: The Farm-to-Table Reality Check 05:00 - Supply Chain Challenges: Why 100% Local Doesn't Work 07:00 - The Ribeye Problem: Direct-to-Consumer Beef 10:00 - Price vs. Principles: Why Americans Won't Pay 18:00 - Discovery 2: Buffalo Bills & Dairy Farming 22:00 - Josh Allen's FFA Roots 28:00 - Discovery 3: Abercrombie's Western Release 30:00 - The Yellowstone Effect 39:00 - Disco Taste Test: Salted Maple Dr. Pepper Float 46:00 - Discovery 4: Viral Hippo Eats Pumpkin 52:00 - Farm-Zoo Connection: Dairy Farmers Save Giraffes 55:00 - Wrap-up and Happy Thanksgiving!

🪩 WELCOME TO DISCOVER AG

A top-ranked podcast where agriculture meets pop culture. Hosted by https://instagram.com/nataliekovarik/?hl=en — western tastemaker & millennial cattle rancher — and https://instagram.com/taravanderdussen/?hl=en — sustainability expert & millennial dairy farmer. Every week, we dive into the top headlines in food, agriculture, and Western culture with a pop culture twist.

📲 CONNECT WITH US ONLINE

• Website: https://discoverag.com/

• Podcast: https://pod.link/1615443750

Ep 236 | This week on Discover Ag, Natalie and Tara dig into the headlines shaping how we think about food's worth, transparency, and trends — from America's broken sense of food value to Japan's farmer-forward labels and even Nara Smith's $38 garlic oil collab.

America's "food value problem" takes center stage as the hosts unpack why Americans spend less than 10% of their income on food — among the lowest worldwide — and what that says about how we price nutrition versus convenience. Then they explore Japan's photo-on-pack movement that connects consumers directly to farmers, redefining transparency and trust in the grocery aisle. Next, influencer Nara Smith launches a $38 garlic oil with a luxury twist, sparking questions about marketing buzzwords and the psychology of "premium" food. Finally, they tackle the McBee Dynasty crop-fraud sentencing, and end on an unexpected high note — Italian water buffalo enjoying massages and Mozart while producing world-famous mozzarella.

What We Discovered This Week 🤠 🪩 America's broken food value system and what $6 beef really costs 🪩 Japan's "farmer photo" packaging trend builds consumer trust 🪩 Nara Smith's $38 garlic oil — luxury or marketing stunt? 🪩 McBee Dynasty's crop-fraud sentencing and its ripple effect 🪩 The pampered water buffalo behind Italy's prized mozzarella

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro: Beef Prices, Japanese Transparency, Nara Smith & Water Buffalo 01:00 - Discovery 1: America's Beef Price Controversy & the Real Food Value Problem 04:18 - Starbucks vs. Ground Beef: Breaking Down What Americans Actually Value 10:55 - The Direct-to-Consumer Reality: Why $7 Beef Is Actually Losing Money 13:24 - Argentinian Beef Imports & Secretary Rollins Interview Teaser 16:15 - Discovery 2: Japan's Farmer Photos on Food Packaging Revolution 18:23 - Cherry Tomato Baseball Cards: US Companies Already Doing This 25:01 - Discovery 3: Nara Smith's $38 Garlic Oil — From Scratch or From Marketing? 30:04 - Small Batch for 4.8 Million Followers? The Math Doesn't Add Up 34:00 - Disco Debrief: McBee Dynasty Patriarch Sentenced to 24 Months for Fraud 40:48 - Discovery 4: Italian Water Buffalo Massages & Mozart for Mozzarella 49:14 - High-Tech Barns Bashing Conventional Dairy: The Irony Explained 54:33 - Wrap-Up & Monday's Duckworth Wool Industry Interview Preview

🪩 WELCOME TO DISCOVER AG

A top-ranked podcast where agriculture meets pop culture. Hosted by https://instagram.com/nataliekovarik/?hl=en — western tastemaker & millennial cattle rancher — and https://instagram.com/taravanderdussen/?hl=en — sustainability expert & millennial dairy farmer. Every week, we dive into the top headlines in food, agriculture, and Western culture with a pop culture twist.

📲 CONNECT WITH US ONLINE

• Website: https://discoverag.com/

• Podcast: https://pod.link/1615443750

Ep 235 | This week on Discover Ag, Natalie and Tara dig into viral food myths, western nostalgia, and the surprising ways agriculture moves around the globe.

From debunking dairy misconceptions about why American milk "expires so fast" to dismantling an Italian chef's garlic myth, the hosts tackle the misinformation swirling through social media kitchens. They explore the unexpected Gen Z revival of the 1985 western epic Lonesome Dove, dive into Coca-Cola's AI-powered mission to save the orange juice industry from citrus greening disease, and unpack the reality behind viral footage of 75,000 sheep boarding a massive cargo ship. It's a journey through pasteurization science, sulfur-induced bad breath, cowboy culture, and the complex world of live animal export—all with the usual mix of education, entertainment, and a few passion fruit margaritas along the way.

What We Discovered This Week 🤠

🪩 Why American milk "expires in 3 days" vs. shelf-stable Mexican milk

🪩 The garlic heart myth: what really causes bad breath

🪩 Lonesome Dove's surprising comeback with young female readers

🪩 Coca-Cola + MIT tackling the citrus greening crisis with AI

🪩 The real-life Noah's Ark: 75,000 sheep on a floating livestock carrier

🪩 Live animal export trade & veterinary-supervised ocean transport

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Intro: Dairy Debunks, Garlic Myths, Lonesome Dove & Traveling Sheep

01:00 - Discovery 1: Why Your Milk Expires in 3 Days (Iowa Dairy Farmer Explains)

04:00 - All Milk Has Bacteria: Pasteurization vs Ultra-Pasteurization

06:00 - Fair Life's One-Year Shelf Life & Expiration Date Secrets

09:00 - Milk Quality Has Never Been Better: The Opaque Container Factor

14:00 - Discovery 2: The Garlic Heart Myth & What Really Causes Bad Breath

18:00 - Sulfur Science: Why Brushing Your Teeth Won't Help

20:00 - Gilroy, California: The Garlic Capital Producing 90% of America's Garlic

27:00 - Discovery 3: Lonesome Dove's Surprising Gen Z Revival

28:00 - Seven-Hour Movie Marathon & The Baby Extra Story

33:00 - Teton Ridge's Reboot Plans for the Western Classic

36:00 - Debrief: Coca-Cola's AI Orange Juice Mission

37:00 - The OJ Crisis: From 45% to 5% of Global Production

41:00 - Discovery 4: 75,000 Sheep at Sea on the Real-Life Noah's Ark

43:00 - Live Export Trade: Inside Massive Livestock Carriers

46:00 - Vet-Supervised Transport & Normal Mortality Rates

50:00 - Wrap-up and Secretary Rollins Interview on Dear Discos

🪩 WELCOME TO DISCOVER AG

A top-ranked podcast where agriculture meets pop culture. Hosted by https://instagram.com/nataliekovarik/?hl=en — western tastemaker & millennial cattle rancher — and https://instagram.com/taravanderdussen/?hl=en — sustainability expert & millennial dairy farmer. Every week, we dive into the top headlines in food, agriculture, and Western culture with a pop culture twist.

📲 CONNECT WITH US ONLINE

• Website: https://discoverag.com/

• Podcast: https://pod.link/1615443750