The Ranch Podcast

Mark Uranga is a pediatrician with St. Luke’s in the Treasure Valley and came in to talk about the Vitamin K shot that is offered at birth, infant fatal bleeding, and the recent hesitation around vitamin K. 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...

Tracy Basterrechea is the chief of police for Meridian, the population center for Idaho, and came on to speak about what he sees as issues with ICE operations throughout the country. Chief Basterrechea works frequently and aggressively with our federal partners, but is also an enormous advocate for de-escalation, identification, and community safety. Instances where ICE agents engage in stops in u...

Jacob Gray and Sierra Robatcek are with the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game and came in to talk about big game migration corridors, data collection, and working with the public and developers to ensure that we find a way to live our lives but also preserve these incredible resources that have become so iconic for the state. Hunting is a way of life in Idaho, and there can be no surplus for harvest wi...

Richard McPherson is a world leading authority on Nuclear Technology. In Episode 21 of the American Nuclear series, we discuss the capacity of some nuclear reactor designs to “blackstart.” Classic power production systems like coal plants or gas plants do generate enormous amounts of power, but in the event of an EMP, they’re vulnerable because they actually need some consistent power to get start...

Jeremiah Shinn is the interim president of Boise State University and came in to talk about the state of the university, its partnerships with industry, the athletics program, and the unbelievable multi billion dollars economic impact it has for the state of Idaho. Enjoy!  The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focu...

John Robison is the public lands and wildlife director at the Idaho Conservation League and came in to talk about the enormous, almost decade long effort to preserve the Owyhee’s for Idahoans, industry, and the United States. 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 prem...

Drew Hobby is an executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Blue Cross of Idaho and came on to start the conversation around the question everyone is asking: why is healthcare so expensive in the US? He recently made headlines for fighting back against an out-of -state medical provider system that came into Idaho and all but refused to engage state insurance plans and used a loophole t...

Ben Adams is an Idaho State Senator and came on to talk about his proposed constitutional amendment that he hopes to pass that would create a safety net in the event that Idaho does in fact take ownership of the federal public lands that are now owned and maintained by the federal government. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization commit...

Eric Smallwood is a Twin Falls School District board member and came on to talk about a situation he finds himself in with several state legislators. In a recent district meeting, Eric advocated for participation in the upcoming May primary election and outlined what he felt was at stake, specifically the defunding of the public schools in Idaho, and urged everyone to participate. Some lawmakers f...

Mike Simpson is a US Congressman from Idaho and Zak Miller is the CEO of the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation. They both agreed to come on to discuss the state of agriculture in Idaho, which has seen better days. As Zak pointed out, Ag is Idaho’s baseload resource for its economy, and Rep. Simpson came on to talk about what is and can be done to support it. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Tru...

Mike Simpson is a US Congressman from Idaho and Rick Naerebout is the CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association. They both agreed to come on to discuss the state of ag labor in Idaho and the US which is a huge point of concern for both citizens and producers. The US hasn’t seen a revision to immigration law or labor law in many decades, and this inability to act at the federal level has put our dair...

James Ruchti is an Idaho State Senator and came on to talk about how Idaho has changed in the last two decades. As a state lawmaker from 2006 to 2010, James was part of the severe cuts that were required during the great recession. Those cuts, as with the ones now, reflected the values and priorities of the state. Learning what the state held onto and protected then vs now was an eye opening exper...

David Duro is the CEO of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA and came on to talk about this pillar of the community. I did not grow up going to the “Y,” but since moving to Idaho, I have come to greatly appreciate and love the incredible commitment the organization has to improving our community. They’re the largest daycare provider in the valley, they run youth in government programs, and they even s...

Jerald Raymond is an Idaho State Representative and came on to talk about the bind that Idaho agriculture is in. High production coupled with high imports has led the commodities to suffer extensively across the state. Jerald is working to help anyway he can. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focused med...

Jack Nelsen is an Idaho State Representative and came in to talk about the state of Ag and Water in Idaho’s Magic Valley. 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 and great state of Idaho. T...

Jason Monks is an Idaho State Representative and came in to talk about the realities of Idaho’s budgeting process. The state budget is established at the beginning of the year, which takes effect in July of the same year and runs to the end of June the following year. Many things can and do happen during this almost 18 month timeframe, including changes at the federal level which make a balanced b...

Lori Barber is the President of the College of Eastern Idaho and came in to talk about its role in the community, the students’ lives, and Idaho’s future. 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 V...

Shelly Smede is the head of advocacy for the Idaho PTA and came on to talk about the work they’re doing, the growth, and the goals that the organization has for the future of the state and its children. 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 for...

James Petzke is an Idaho State Representative and is working on a constitutional amendment to help Idaho preserve its lands. As an avid outdoorsman and distance runner, James has more knowledge of unique aspects of the land value than most people. More than anything, he reminded me that once we sell land, we’re likely never getting it back. His passion for land preservation and access for all is p...

Jamie Braithwaite is the current president of the Idaho PTA and is working to build the voice and capacity of the largest parent and student advocacy group in the state of Idaho. Big things are on the horizon! 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 l...

Brit Raybould is an Idaho State Representative and came on to talk about the constitutional amendment that she is proposing that would help protect more of the land owned by the state of Idaho by giving the landboard more tools and considerations when calculating prudent fiscal actions. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to...

Richard McPherson is a world leading authority on Nuclear Technology. In Episode 20 of the American Nuclear series, we discuss the future role of Thorium in the nuclear fuel cycle. Thorium is NOT a fuel, as many people think, but instead something that can be converted into a type of Uranium, which can then be used as a fuel. This is a main point of confusion when people think of a “thorium reacto...

Ben Gillenwater is a parent and family advocate and educator in the technology space and created Family IT Guy to help families understand the risks and solutions with internet connectivity. Recently many countries have started engaging in government run age verification to allow access to social media or sensitive material like pornography. I initially thought this was a good idea, but Ben came i...

Mike Moyle is the state Speaker of the House for Idaho and came in to talk about a range of issues that the state faces currently. Budget issues, out of state political manipulation, taxes, and more. 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...

Ali Rabe is an Idaho State Senator and came in to talk about the recent action from the federal government around halting corporate investment in single family homes. The cost of housing is skyrocketing, especially in Idaho, and many investment firms are continuing to reduce the available housing stock for owner occupancy purchase by buying up huge chunks across the state. Ali and I spoke about po...