Something to Chew On
71 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsOur lives are frequently and significantly affected by food. Because we must eat to survive, many human cultures have developed with food at their very core. Through prosperous times and depression what we eat has influenced art, music, science, relationships, and more. In this fast-paced world, we often don’t take the time to consider how food gets to our plates, the importance of what and how that food is produced and the aesthetics of food requirements and food enjoyment. Often, seemingly obscure or unrelated aspects of life circle their way back to food. The goal of this podcast is to explore the complexity and nuance of food systems, celebrate the progress we have made, and debate the best ways for humans to proceed forward into the future. Join our hosts as they informally discuss these points with various contributors from Kansas State University and abroad.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Bringing diversity and change to the way we look at food systems. A discussion with Dr. Jeanette Thurston, Director, K-State Food Science Institute.
February 10, 2020 17:35 - 54 minutes - 40 MBGovernmental organizations, universities and the food industry carry out research relating to food-system challenges. These challenges can deal with agronomic, nutrition, engineering, safety and even sociological impacts on food systems worldwide. Today’s guest, Jeanette Thurston, newly appointed director of the K-State Food Science Institute, has had an influence on many of those supporting organizations and now works with diverse interests in the area of food science at K-State. Jeanette b...
Bringing diversity and change to the way we look at food systems. A discussion with Dr. Jeanette Thurston, Director, K-State Food Science Institute.
February 10, 2020 17:35 - 54 minutes - 40 MBGovernmental organizations, universities and the food industry carry out research relating to food-system challenges. These challenges can deal with agronomic, nutrition, engineering, safety and even sociological impacts on food systems worldwide. Today’s guest, Jeanette Thurston, newly appointed director of the K-State Food Science Institute, has had an influence on many of those supporting organizations and now works with diverse interests in the area of food science at K-State. Jeanette b...
Agricultural history in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. One story on “who wins.” with Dr. Bonnie Lynn-Sherow
January 14, 2020 19:46 - 1 hour - 50.4 MBThe history of agriculture can be viewed from many different perspectives including breeding crops with improved quality and yield characteristics, understanding fertilization requirements, challenges with water and weather patterns, but there are also historic social and political accounts that had profound effect on the landscape of today’s farming communities. In this podcast, Dr. Bonnie Lynn-Sherow shares a sobering look at some of the challenging events uncovered by her research as s...
Where Soil Health Meets Global Food System Challenges - a discussion with Dr. Charles Rice
December 09, 2019 17:14 - 1 hour - 60.7 MBAt the very heart of sustainable food production is the health of soil. Not only does soil health and microbial community impact the production of food for humans and animals, soil can be a major player in the sequestration of carbon – a main variable to climate change. Through focused research goals in finding ways to improved and protect the environment while also boosting agricultural productivity, Dr. Chuck Rice shares his thoughts on many facets of the complex agriculture system, new ...
The Future of Food: Food Systems, Podcasts and Farewells - with Dr. Jay Weeks
November 18, 2019 19:39 - 50 minutes - 41.1 MBDr. Jay Weeks is a recent graduate in the College of Agriculture at Kansas State University where is research focused on soil chemistry. Jay joined with the Global Food Systems Initiative at K-State early in its relaunch and has been instrumental in the development of “Something to Chew On”. Prior to his new professional journey into the agriculture industry with Indigo Ag, Scott, Jon and I talked with Jay about the student experience, the expansion of information sharing at K-State throug...
The Future of Food: Food Systems, Podcasts and Farewells
November 18, 2019 19:39 - 50 minutes - 41.1 MBDr. Jay Weeks is a recent graduate in the College of Agriculture at Kansas State University where is research focused on soil chemistry. Jay joined with the Global Food Systems Initiative at K-State early in its relaunch and has been instrumental in the development of “Something to Chew On”. Prior to his new professional journey into the agriculture industry with Indigo Ag, Scott, Jon and I talked with Jay about the student experience, the expansion of information sharing at K-State throug...
Food as Art and Experience with Linda Duke
October 14, 2019 16:34 - 56 minutes - 56.1 MBLinda Duke is the director of the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University. Formerly the director of audience engagement at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, she joined K-State in June of 2011 and has worked diligently to develop the atmosphere within and opportunities to engage with the museum, while also educating students about the roles of art in our lives. Our conversation covered the many ways we can experience art and its complex relationship with what we eat and ...
Rethinking Current Approaches to Food Security with Dr. Jim Stack – Food Systems/Plant Pathology
September 10, 2019 14:21 - 1 hour - 75.8 MBDr. Jim Stack is a professor of plant pathology at Kansas State University and director of the Great Plains Diagnostic Network. His areas of research emphasis include detection and diagnosis of diseases in natural and agricultural plant systems, threat identification, vulnerability assessments, and risk analyses for natural, accidental, and intentional threats to plant systems, as well as epidemiology and management of field crop diseases in the Northern Great Plains. Additionally, he is a g...
Rethinking Current Approaches to Food Security with Dr. Jim Stack – Food Systems/Plant Pathology
September 10, 2019 14:21 - 1 hour - 75.8 MBDr. Jim Stack is a professor of plant pathology at Kansas State University and director of the Great Plains Diagnostic Network. His areas of research emphasis include detection and diagnosis of diseases in natural and agricultural plant systems, threat identification, vulnerability assessments, and risk analyses for natural, accidental, and intentional threats to plant systems, as well as epidemiology and management of field crop diseases in the Northern Great Plains. Additionally, he is a g...
A Fresh Look at Science Education with Dr. Jeremy Marshall – Undergraduate Research
August 23, 2019 18:25 - 1 hour - 94.3 MBDr. Jeremy Marshall is an associate professor in the Department of Entomology and the new Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry faculty director at Kansas State University. He has training and degrees in biology, chemistry, environmental and evolutionary biology, genetics, genomics, and philosophy, and teaches courses on insect biology, behavior, genetics, and evolution, as well as interdisciplinary courses like Art and Insects and Bees, Plato, and Who Knows What. In 2016, Dr. ...
Diet, Impulsivity, and Obesity: Does What We Eat, Influence How We Behave? – Dr. Kim Kirkpatrick – Psychological Sciences
August 06, 2019 17:18 - 53 minutes - 57.9 MBDr. Kim Kirkpatrick is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychological Sciences here at K-State where she is the director of the Cognitive and Neurobiological Approaches to Plasticity Center (CNAP) and leads research at the Reward, Timing, and Decision Lab. The main focus of her research is the role of timing and reward processes in determining impulsive and risky choice in rats. This was a very interesting conversation where we discuss the role of diet, specifically those containing f...
Improving Family Nutrition at Home and Abroad with Dr. Sandy Procter – Maternal and Child Nutrition
July 12, 2019 03:14 - 1 hour - 74.6 MBDr. Sandy Procter is an assistant professor and extension specialist focusing on maternal and child nutrition in the Department of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and Health at Kansas State University. A registered dietitian and former coordinator of the Kansas SNAP-ED nutrition education program, she possesses a wealth of knowledge surrounding human nutrition that spans from pre-pregnancy all the way through advanced age. Our discussion was quite wide-ranging covering some more technical topics ...
Cover Crops and Agricultural Fertilizers: The complexities of crop nutrient management with Dr. Nathan Nelson – Soil Fertility
June 25, 2019 20:08 - 1 hour - 78.2 MBDr. Nathan Nelson is a Professor of Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management at Kansas State University. A native of Manhattan and an avid outdoorsman, he possesses a strong interest in developing agricultural systems that not only maximize productivity but protect environmental quality as well. Our discussion in this episode covers how and why farmers make the fertilizer decisions that they do and what that means for water quality. Nathan directs the Kansas Agricultural Watershed (KAW) Field ...
Making a Tastier Tomato with Dr. Harry Klee - Plant Breeding and Molecular Biology
June 11, 2019 18:02 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBDr. Harry Klee is a Professor in Horticultural Sciences at the University of Florida working to understand the chemical and genetic make-up of "flavor" in fruits and vegetables. After starting his career at Monsanto, in 1995 he accepted an endowed chair position tasked with developing better tomato varieties through traditional breeding techniques. Enjoy this wide-ranging conversation covering plant breeding, genetic modification/gene editing, why tomatoes at the supermarket don’t taste very...
Research in the Developing World with Dr. Jessie Vipham - Food Safety
May 27, 2019 02:21 - 1 hour - 68.7 MBDr. Jessie Vipham is a K-State alumna and food microbiologist currently serving as the faculty hire in global food systems and nutrition for the USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification (SIIL). This was a fantastic, wide-ranging conversation that started with Jessie’s graduate studies using direct-fed microbials in cattle systems and then moved on to the work she does now managing food safety projects in several developing countries aroun...
Insect Innovations: Solutions for Africa and the World with Dr. Segenet Kelemu – Insect Physiology & Ecology
May 09, 2019 02:29 - 45 minutes - 43.8 MBOur guest today is Dr. Segenet Kelemu. A native of Ethiopia and alumna of K-State, Dr. Kelemu is, by training, a molecular plant pathologist. Following a postdoc at Cornell University, she worked fifteen years as a senior scientist with the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) where she eventually became the leader of Crop and Agroecosystem Health Management. In 2007 she decided to move back to Africa to work on agricultural development. Currently, she is the Director General...
Working on Water with Dr. Melanie Derby - Engineering
April 24, 2019 18:44 - 47 minutes - 46.9 MBDr. Melanie Derby currently holds the Hal and Mary Siegele Professorship in Engineering where her research focuses mainly on thermal-fluids problems. She is part of the newly founded KSU R3 NRT team that is looking to leverage interdisciplinary collaboration to tackle some of the greatest challenges at the Food, Energy, and Water Nexus. In today’s interview we cover engineering approaches to improve water use efficiency in both the agriculture and energy sectors as well as Melanie’s experien...
Tales of a Food Explorer with Dan Stone
April 08, 2019 22:19 - 43 minutes - 20.5 MBDan Stone is a Washington D.C.-based writer with a passion for covering all topics related to environmental science, agriculture, and botany. Formerly a White House correspondent for Newsweek and editor of National Geographic, his work has also been featured in The Daily Beast, Time Magazine, The Washington Post, Vice, and Literary Hub. Additionally, Dan serves as an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University teaching environmental policy. His book, The Food Explorer, is the story ...
Food Security and GMO Labeling with Dr. Jon Herington - Philosophy
March 07, 2019 17:33 - 1 hour - 30.4 MBDr. Jon Herington is a political philosopher of applied ethics focusing mainly on the concept of risk within the fields of science, health, and technology. In today’s discussion we cover the definition of security and what it means to be food secure as well as why simply labeling food as containing genetically engineered ingredients may not actually be in the best interest of individual consumers. This interview was recorded in late 2018 before the USDA made a final ruling on the National ...
Global Food Security and Crop Diseases with Dr. Marty Draper - Plant Pathology
January 15, 2019 23:05 - 58 minutes - 26.9 MBPlant pathology is the study of diseases in plants and importantly in those plants grown to feed the world. Dr. Martin Draper shares his thoughts on how these diseases affect food sustainability historically, now and in the future. For more information on the important work carried out in the area of plant pathology you can read more at: https://www.npdn.org/. Or read more about Dr. Draper and his work at: https://www.plantpath.k-state.edu/about-us/ Transcript: Global Food Sec...
Introducing our Hosts and What Global Food Systems Are All About
January 15, 2019 22:40 - 14 minutes - 6.57 MBWelcome to ‘Something to Chew On.’ Here is a brief discussion between co-hosts Jay and Scott and Global Food Systems Coordinator Maureen to discuss the ideas behind and hopes for this podcast. Maureen Olewnik is coordinating the Global Food Systems Initiative at Kansas State University. She received her Ph.D. in Cereal Chemistry from K-State in 2003 while working for AIB International. Her work there dealt with basic and applied cereals based research and, more recently with food indu...