The Ranch Podcast

Phil McGrane is the Idaho Secretary of State and came in to discuss what happened in Elmore County after the Nov 2025 election. It was uncovered post election that over 300 votes were not counted, and Phil came in to explain what happened, how Idaho responded, and why Idahoans should have even more faith now in the election process. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundatio...

Monica Church is a District 19 representative in Idaho and came in to ring in the new year. As always, we stumbled onto tricky subjects and talked them out like champs. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media.  The Ranch Podcast is the premier source for long format interviews and information in...

Nick Fasciano is the executive director of the Idaho Wildlife Federation and came in to kindly share his bounty of wild game. The meal consisted of elk, pronghorn, mule deer, and bear, all of which were expertly prepared and served. Wild game access in Idaho is one of the state’s most incredible offerings, and thanks to Nick, I was able to try these incredible animals for the first time. Hearing h...

Alex Zamora is the superintendent of the Wilder School District. Wilder integrated a tech heavy curriculum roughly 7 years ago when Ivanka Trump and Tim Cook visited the district, but after years of seeing lackluster educational performance, the district switched back to classic curriculum and is improving significantly. As Alex pointed out, tech companies frequently over promise and under deliver...

Luke Visser is a third-generation dairy farmer in Idaho, involved with his family's dairy operations. He kindly took me all though the Idaho Dairy Product plant and explained operations. Luke and several other dairy farmers have been able to take Idaho dairy and create high quality dairy derivatives that are enjoyed world wide. What the Idaho dairy industry is doing is amazing. Enjoy! The Ran...

Tammy Nichols is an Idaho State Senator who came on to talk about some of the political issues around elections that Idaho has faced for years. Political operatives from out of state get flown into Idaho to advocate for or against Idaho candidates. These people are housed, paid, and instructed to engage very specific dialogue. This is a problem across the state and we should all be aware of it, re...

Brandy Furiani is the Executive Director of Eagle Chamber of Commerce and is coming to her last few days in the position. Over the last couple years, she has done a phenomenal job assisting her member businesses expand their visibility and support within the community. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization  to unbiased, Idaho focused me...

Eric Jones is the CEO of Thunder Mountain Gold, a prospecting and mining company operating in Idaho. His company has contributed both environmentally and financially to the state, and I greatly appreciate his willingness to come and explain what his organization does. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho fo...

Dr. Emily Wakild is a professor and historian and came in to talk about how people find their places in Idaho. As people move to this state, there is an ever evolving problem with building housing and changing the landscape. Boise specifically recently voted to tax itself to preserve more of the surrounding hills and open space because people felt it just wouldn’t be the same without it. Dr. Wakil...

Ali Rabe is the new executive director of the Gem State Housing Alliance, a non-profit group focused on state wide housing affordability. The crisis with housing costs is real and affects all Idahoans. Ali is working to understand the policies, practices, and issues that are driving up costs so Idaho can potentially lead the way with addressing this issue. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by...

Ron Nate is the President of the Idaho Freedom Foundation and came on to talk about the budget issues Idaho is facing. The Foundation has produced a budget that would cut off an additional 1.8 billion dollars, and I asked Ron to come on to explain how they came to that number. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased,...

Austin Johnson lives in the Treasure Valley and is the director of Ghana Make a Difference, an organization that runs an orphanage in Ghana on the banks of lake Volta. The area is a hot bed for human trafficking and slavery as parents routinely unknowingly sell their own children into slavery. As these children are liberated, they need not only food and shelter but also education and a glimmer of...

Scott Green is the President of University of Idaho and came on to speak about the value of education in Idaho. There is a large concern about youth of Idaho and their opportunities as they move into adulthood. There is also a growing anxiety amongst adults about their ability to retool and retrain as the AI wave washes over humanity. The University of Idaho has a place for all of these people. En...

Mitchell Searle is a multi-generation Idaho farmer and came in to speak on the difficulties around entering the ag field professionally. The astronomical cost of land as well as the variability of the product market has made this option all but impossible for anyone trying to start from scratch. For those inheriting an operation from an older generation, there’s also an increasingly confusing Deat...

Tori O’Neal is a fifth generation, sustainable rancher in Custer County, Idaho. She didn’t go straight into ranching, but instead headed to college, left the state, and worked in food product development. Throughout her work and travels, she recognized the growing trend of people feeling disconnected from the food they consume and the growing desire to understand the food system better. She works...

Alex Adams is the former head of Health and Welfare in Idaho and is now the Assistant Secretary for Family support, leading the administration for Children and Families at the US Department of Health and Welfare. He helps finance and oversee programs that help deliver vital services for our most in need populations, and as he points out, this area is one of the few where what is right and what is...

Dr. Jim Souza is the Chief Physician Executive at St. Luke’s Hospital system and came on to talk about the state of people’s faith in modern medicine. In recent years, people’s belief in the western medicine system has started declining. This has led to a paradox: we know more about medicine now than ever in recorded history and people are seeking alternative treatments more. Dr. Souza’s insights...

Sid Sullivan as a Giving Machine ambassador here in the Treasure Valley and came in to speak about the nature of the machines and what charities they go to help fund. There is a problem with giving that has become highlighted in the past decade with some organizations taking large sums of money and giving very little to those intended recipients. The giving machines completely eliminate that probl...

Aaron Menenberg works with Renewable Northwest to advocate for renewable energy sources in Idaho and came in to speak on the recent decision that was made by the Ada County Commissioners regarding solar farms on existing ag farms in the county limits. There is a big question about what ag producers should be allowed to use their land for, and Adam explained the position of Ada County perfectly. Sh...

David Douglass is the president of College of Idaho and came in to talk about the incredibly unique work that the school does. It is consistently rated at the top of the country for upward mobility, offering students that come from little to no means a path forward to prosperity and success in life. In a state like Idaho, this is an invaluable resource. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Tru...

Brian Whitlock is the executive director of the Idaho Hospital Association and came in to talk about the federal grant that Gov. Little is trying to garner for Idaho. Rural hospitals have always struggled with funding, and that problem has become exacerbated with recent legislation. Brian did an incredible job explaining how and why we need more federal funds going to these fundamental services. E...

Paul Arrington is the Executive Director of the Idaho Water User Association and came in to speak on canals and ditches that run across private property in Idaho. This is a huge point of confusion for many moving here from out of state. Fun fact: a canal or ditch for water transport does NOT need to be marked on your property, but the mere existence of said feature does in fact give a legal easeme...

Scott Bedke is the Lt. Gov. of Idaho and came in to speak about Idaho’s budget issues. Idaho exited the legislative session in a tenuous situation with its budget and earning forecast, and on top of lower than anticipated earnings, it faces the question of adopting the tax policies outlined in the One Big Beautiful Bill. All told, this would put Idaho almost $500 million short. Lt. Gov. Bedke had...

Dean Cameron is the director of Idaho’s Department of Insurance and came on to talk about the revisions to insurance and issues that were being discussed during the shutdown of our federal government. Things like tax credits for individuals making over 400% of the federal poverty level were passed into effect temporarily during previous administrations and were up for renewal, causing an enormous...

Tyler Kelly is the chairman of the Idaho Young Republicans group and came in to speak on the group, the mindset, and what matters to young republicans. Politics have become unrecognizable to many of the older generations, and Tyler is working to bring issue based discussions back to the political realm where people can disagree but also not hate each other. I couldn’t appreciate this goal more. En...