The Guano Wars: When Poop Became Power
What if the most valuable substance on Earth wasn’t gold, or oil, or diamonds… but bird droppings?In the mid-19th century, guano—yes, seabird excrement—fueled an agricultural and geopolitical revoluti...
18 Nov 20251h
Produce in Space: The Story of Intergalactic Agriculture
What happens when humanity takes its most basic need - food - beyond Earth’s atmosphere? From John Glenn’s applesauce tubes to the first lettuce grown aboard the International Space Station, the story...
11 Nov 20251h 2min
Tanaka Farms: A Japanese-American Farming Legacy
What is the legacy of Japanese American farmers in shaping California’s agricultural landscape? How did a community once barred from owning land become pioneers in strawberry and vegetable farming? An...
4 Nov 202552min
Cornellian Chats: Van Gogh, Organics, Tomatoes on Trial, and Freeze!
Join John and Patrick for a special bonus episode recorded live from Anaheim, California, at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show! Surrounded by the sights, sound...
30 Okt 202516min
Produce Poisons and Curses
What do garlic, blackberries, cucumbers, eggplants, mushrooms, and pumpkins have in common? More than you might think. Across history and folklore, fruits and vegetables have not only nourished humani...
28 Okt 202551min
The History of Apples: Modern Fragility (Part 5)
From myth and legend to cider-fuelled revolutions, from Johnny Appleseed’s frontier orchards to the Victorians’ quest for the perfect pippin, the story of the apple has been anything but ordinary. In ...
21 Okt 202557min
The History of Apples: The Colorful Victorian (Part 4)
From the barefoot wanderings of Johnny Appleseed to the fiery kick of applejack on Civil War battlefields, the apple’s story in America takes a dramatic turn in this fourth episode of our series. John...
14 Okt 202545min
The History of Apples: America's Dependence (Part 3)
John and Patrick journey into the seventeenth century, when cider wasn’t just a drink - it was a matter of national survival. From John Evelyn’s bold call for apple orchards to secure England’s navy a...
7 Okt 202547min
