The Ranch Podcast

John Wagner is the director of Idaho National Labs, the birthplace of American commercial nuclear power. INL is responsible for turning on the first light bulb with nuclear derived energy, and that legacy continues today. This presidential administration is pushing hard for nuclear energy as the next great energy boom in America, and INL needs Idahoans both young and old to understand what an incr...

Celeste Bolin is the Executive Director of One Stone High School, a project based, student-led private school in the Treasure Valley. One Stone focuses on many core principals that run counter to standard public education, and specifically focuses on community creation and integration. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to...

Caleb DeGroot is a multigeneration Idaho Dairy producer at Sunview Dairy. He graciously took me on a huge tour of the entire operation. We spoke about diet, milking, transport, testing, and many other things that actually blew my mind. The vision of dairy that I had understood from other media sources, I came to find out, is all wrong. I greatly appreciate Caleb for showing me how they produce inc...

Dr. Justin Brink is the proprietor at Premier Spine and Sport in Eagle. He is also on the Treasure Valley masters water polo team that won the championship game at the Rigby tournament for the second year in a row. He also helps me with my trash back. We had too much fun on this one. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to un...

Debbie Kling is the Mayor of Nampa, Idaho, and came in to speak on a myriad of topics including growth, long term development projects, the Ford Idaho center, and more. She is electing to not run for re-election and leaves big shoes to be filled. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media.  The Ranc...

Janie Ward-Engelking is an Idaho state senator on JFAC. We spoke earlier in the year about her concerns regarding the tax relief and Idaho’s capacity to fulfill its financial obligations. Now Idaho finds itself in a situation where departments are being asked to make cuts and hold back funding to ensure any shortfall in revenue can be dealt with. We also touched on the public education and the vou...

Cally Younger is the Administrator for the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources in Idaho. She recently came in to speak on the enormous energy rate increase that many Idahoans are about to absorb, our current energy options, and mining in Idaho. Chalk this one up to another show and guest that kind of blew my mind. Fun fact: The USA cannot make bullets and ammunition for our defense services wit...

Richard McPherson is a world leading authority on Nuclear Technology. In Episode 3 of the American Nuclear series, we discuss the progress America has made since the start of the first nuclear power plant, Shipping Port. It only took the US three years to build and turn on the plant. Now it takes nearly two decades. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit m...

Mike Simpson is the District 2 US Congressman to Idaho and came in to speak about Nuclear Power & Water in Idaho. The current administration has issued executive orders to engage nuclear power in our country on a historic level, and Idaho National Labs is at the forefront of that project. Water, of course, is a huge piece of that conversation and is also THE vital resource for our ag based eco...

Susie Keller is the CEO of the Idaho Medical Association and came in to speak on the recently released JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) report on the continued slide of women’s health access in Idaho. Since the Roe V Wade repeal, Idaho went from having 268 OB/GYNs in the state to losing 114 and was only able to recruit 20 to the state for a net loss of 94. There was hope that the...

Shannon McGuire is the executive producer of the Potato Movie, a love song for Idaho, as she puts it. Shannon moved to Idaho almost two decades ago from an inner city in California and has not only embraced and been embraced by Idaho, but also struggled with understanding the story that is told about this incredible state everywhere else. She worked to create a film that helps people better unders...

Jeff Carlson is an Education Tech specialist and came in to speak on the value of having a Student Longitudinal Data Set in Idaho. An SLDS would allow policy makers in Idaho to better understand the complete picture of funds spent by the Idaho government on an individual 0-18 years old and better enhance or restrict funding based on efficacy and life outcomes. It’s a fascinating idea that is alrea...

Jacob Silvester is a practicing attorney and works with medical contract law across the country. There has been much discussion in recent times about non-competes in Idaho and their effect on attracting qualified medical professionals to our state. Jacob came in to shed light on the good, the bad, and the ugly from where he sits. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation,...

Brandon Woolf is the Idaho State Controller, one of the five constitutional officers on the land board, and the driving force behind the Transparent Idaho site. The state controller is in charge of monitoring millions of transaction points, and as such is ground zero for anyone looking to double check the spending of the Idaho state government. The access to this information that controller Woolf...

Amber Ford is the Co-President of the Vallivue Education Association, commonly referred to as the “Teachers Union.” Every year, the VEA hosts Vallivue Back to School Fair where parents and students come from the entire Treasure Valley to receive free back to school supplies, sports physicals, vision and hearing checks, middle school uniforms, haircuts, and so much more. This is a free event to fam...

Richard McPherson is a world leading authority on Nuclear Technology. In Episode 2 of the American Nuclear series, we discuss the role of Uranium supply in the race for nuclear power, Russia’s control of Uranium, and the nuclear fuel cycle. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused media.  The Ranch Podc...

Brandy Furiani is the executive director of the Eagle Chamber of Commerce and came in to speak on summer events, gluten free beer, and getting tan. 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 the Treasure Valley a...

Britany Hurst Marchant is the Executive Director of the Idaho Wheat Commission and came in to speak about transportation, economics, and qualities of Idaho wheat. There are roughly 200,000 people involved in the planting, growing, harvesting, transporting, and sale of this product, making it a HUGE cornerstone of the Idaho economy and diet. Understanding better what is involved in this staple crop...

Tommy Ahlquist is an ER Doc, developer, and former candidate for Idaho Governor. He has been instrumental in developing the Treasure Valley and engaging fundamental issues that affect everyday Idahoans. He serves on many boards and non-profits and believes deeply in helping others and our communities as a way towards self improvement. Hopefully this is the first of many. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast i...

Alexis Morgan is the former Idaho state PTA President, education advocate, and PHD student in public policy. She recently traveled across the US for a national education technology conference in Texas as well as a stop in DC where she participated in a national press conference on the state of education with vouchers. She is also the host of the Our Kids Our Schools podcast which is changing name...

Richard McPherson is a world leading authority on Nuclear Technology. He has worked in this sector since the mid 1960s and is now educating the country on the realities of Nuclear Energy on what much of the world already knows: nuclear power is the best renewable energy source that the world has. In Episode 1, we discuss the role energy had to play in the rise of American dominance, the role relia...

Ernest Woods is a proud Star, Idaho resident and publisher of Star Spirit Media. He understands Idaho on a deep level and is aware of the larger cultural shifts that are happening. He was an absolute blast to speak with, especially around the birthday of our country. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho foc...

Toni Lawson is a Gov. Affairs liaison with the Idaho Hospital Association. There are many issues within medicine and health care right now in Idaho, including non-compete clauses, medicare reimbursement, and medical education. Toni’s knowledge of all these things was remarkable and absolutely important for anyone looking to understand why we are last in the country with physician access. Enjoy! Th...

Nick Fasciano is the Executive Director of the Idaho Wildlife Federation. He and the IWF, along with many other organizations across the country, worked tirelessly to get the public lands sale provision removed from the recent bill that moved through our national government. Nick did an incredible job explaining the nuances of the bill, how the language found its way in, and cautioned that this is...

Paul Arrington is the Executive Director of the Idaho Water Users Association. He came on to speak about some of our Idaho dams as they relate to salmon, the history of the salmon prior to the dams, and our ever changing water prospects. 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...