The Cereal Grain Café

Today’s guest was Dr. Julia Pezzali.  We discussed her work on pet food nutrition as well as a variety of other topics.  She is doing some really interesting work on use of cereal grains in pet foods.  More information can be found about Dr. Pezzali and her work at her faculty webpage at Iowa State University . You can find her publications at her Research Gate page . I have recently found an inte...

Today’s guest was Dr. Thomas Sinclair, and we discussed his book “Bread, Beer, and the Seeds of Change: Agriculture’s Imprint on World History”.  It is a fascinating journey through the history of grains, foods, and humans.  I highly recommend it.  More information can be found about Professor Sinclair and his work at his faculty webpage at North Carolina State University . Information about this...

Shea ( Vitellaria paradoxa ) is a key non-timber forest product that occurs largely in forested areas in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, including northern Ghana. Harvesting of non-timber products from trees is being promoted worldwide to enhance local food supplies, rural livelihoods, and to increase environmental sustainability and biodiversity.  Shea nuts provide fruits for direct consumption...

Russia continues to destroy grain export infrastructure in Ukraine.  This has global implications to food security.  But this is not the first time that grain has been contentious between Russia and Ukraine. Today our guest is Professor Mark Tauger.  He is an expert in agricultural history, especially that of famines in Ukraine, the Soviet Union, and Bengal.  Join us as we talk about famines.  You...

Is perennial ground cover the future of agriculture? Since the dawn of the agricultural revolution, humans have been working to increase productivity from the soil.  Intensive farming practices in the USA, which include mechanized tillage and fertilizer applications, have resulted in a hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico due to nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from fields.  More information about thi...

Grain as a weapon?  Have you ever heard of food being weaponized?  What does this mean?  It has happened repeatedly throughout history and is not new. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.  We should care because Russia and Ukraine  produce approximately 25% of global wheat supply and a large share of other grains.  Ukraine alone (at least prior to the war) was exporting approximately 15 of the...

Cereal grains are staple foodstuffs around the world.  Unfortunately, it is estimated that in 2023 nearly 350 million people will suffer from food shortages.  How can we help alleviate hunger and starvation? Our guest this week talks about global food security issues.  Olivia Caillouet is a Soil Health Program Manager at the University of Missouri-Columbia.  Prior to that she was a recruiter for W...

Light or dark?  Which kind of beer do you prefer?  Do you like hoppy IPAs? Me?  I like to explore all kinds of flavors.  I'm a food scientist after all! Today's episode builds upon our previous conversation with Dr. Noelle Phillips about the history of beer.  This episode is Part 2 of our beer sequence.  Our guest today is John Forte, who is the President of Betatec Hop Products , which...

How many of you like to have a cold beer after working hard on a hot day?  How about relaxing with friends in the evening?  Pizza is always better with beer too! Beer has been part of human cultures since the dawn of civilization - in fact, some scholars argue that perhaps the Agricultural Revolution began because of a desire for more beer.  In this episode, we talk with Dr. Noelle Phillips about...

You've heard my guests talk about grain.  You've heard me talk about grain.  How many times can you say the word "grain" in a single podcast?? Have you ever wondered about careers in the grain industry?   There are many.  And they encompass a wide range of interests and skill sets.  In this episode, we talk with Amanda Homan, who is an engineer with Green Plains Renewable Energ...

Is your food safe to eat?  How do you know?   There are many toxins that hide in grain, and they can make you sick even if you don't eat the grains themselves.....they may end up in the milk, meat, or eggs that you eat.  In this episode Dr. Kurt Rosentrater talks with Dr. Chris Maragos, who is a research scientist with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service...

How often do you think about cereal grains?  Hopefully every day!   They are in your food, in your car, and in so many other places that you might not expect.  In this episode Dr. Kurt Rosentrater talks with Dr. Chad Hart, who is a Professor of Economics at Iowa State University.  He teaches, researches, and provides extension training on supply, demand, and marketing of grains.  Their discussion...

Do you like veggie burgers?  Have you ever heard of corn burgers?  Do you know that this is the year of pulses?  In this episode Dr. Kurt Rosentrater talks with Dr. Fatma Boukid, who is a research scientist with ClonBio.  She works on developing food products from plant-based proteins and fibers.  They discuss plants, product development, science, and the curiosity that drives innovation.  Our mus...

In our inaugural episode, Dr. Kurt Rosentrater introduces this new podcast series, the topics that we will aim to cover, and why you may be interested in listening. Our music is Inspiring Cinematic Asia by Lexin Music, which is available at Pixabay . 

In our second episode, Dr. Kurt Rosentrater talks with John Caupert.  He is the director of the National Corn to Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) in Edwardsville, Illinois.  They discuss the exciting grain processing projects that happen at NCERC and how they help the bioeconomy evolve.  Further information about John and NCERC can be found at the NCERC homepage . Our music is Inspiring Cinematic A...