The Ranch Podcast

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...

Elaine Clegg is the CEO of Valley Regional Transit and came in to speak about the current state and future of transit in the Treasure Valley. As the area grows, the cost and time to move around the area also grows. This is a problem for both private citizens as well as the growing industry. Elaine had some great insights into potential solutions. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In M...

Erica Louder works with the US Dairy Export Council, an organization that works to improve and support US Dairy in international markets. The dairy industry in particular is blocked in many foreign markets, even though we have some of the highest quality dairy products in the world. In spite of this, US Dairy is doing quite well on the international scene, and there are reasons to be optimistic. E...

Mike Simpson is a US Congressman to Idaho and sat down with me to discuss Water and Ag Labor. Ag labor specifically is an issue threatening not just Idaho’s economy, but the national economy and food supply. The US has not made real immigration reform to supply growers and food producers with a viable foreign workforce since the 1960s. Congressman Simpson is trying to chip away at the problem. Enj...

Mike Crapo is a US Senator from Idaho and came on the show to discuss issues as he sees them with water, fire, and healthcare. Healthcare in particular is an issue that is plaguing Idaho as costs have skyrocketed in recent years and appear to only be getting worse. Senator Crapo had specific actions he’s taking to try to address that. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundat...

Russ Fulcher is a US Congressman to Idaho and sat down to talk about three crucial pieces of Idaho and the US: Water, Power, Healthcare. The turmoil around these three issues is massive not just in Idaho, but in the US. 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 so...

Jim Risch is a US Senator to Idaho and took time to come on the show to talk about two fundamental pieces of Idaho's economy: power and water. As an ag state, water is the source of massive feuds and turmoil, and building infrastructure for it's proper storage and management benefits not just Idaho but the west as a whole. Nuclear power is also a huge issue that this federal administrati...

Anna Paulina Luna is a Florida Congresswoman and came on the show to talk about emerging issues with the country. She is running legislation to address loopholes that allow for massive wealth accumulation amongst families in the federal government. She also voted to present the Epstein files just two days ago, and she has also been working on uncovering more about the JFK assasination. These are n...

Michael Dykes is the CEO and President of International Dairy Food Association and came on to speak on the state of dairy, dairy products, labor, and trade in the USA. Idaho’s largest sector of the economy is agriculture, and within agriculture the largest sector is cattle, and within cattle the largest sector is dairy. Long story short, as dairy goes, so too goes Idaho. Michael's analysis of...

Ander Sundell is a professor of GeoScience at College of Western Idaho. The west has always been home to hardrock mining, but the US has largely gotten away from that industry in the last 75 years. With that decision to outsource our mining, refinding, and production of minerals, we have also ushered in a situation where we are largely dependent on foreign governments and horrendous humanitarian s...

Amber Nelson is the executive director of the Idaho Coalition for Safe Healthcare. This group reviews legislation, works with healthcare providers and systems, and makes recommendations on policy and modifications that are born out of problems once policy hits the ground. This conversation will remind anyone that no matter how well intentioned a policy may be, the devil is always in the details. E...

Richard McPherson is a world leading authority on Nuclear Technology. In Episode 18 of the American Nuclear series, we review the executive order by Idaho Governor Butch Otter in 2018. In this particular order, Governor Otter orders three things specific to the nuclear industry, ranging from the LINE commission to public/private partnerships to nuclear education. The foresight that Governor Otter...

Wendi Secrist is the executive director of the Idaho Workforce Development Council and came in to speak on Idaho’s workforce needs. There are large concerns in this state about employment, cost of living, and the future of our children, but Wendi came in with a different view. We also have many, many employers that are looking for skilled, high quality labor to engage in fundamental industries, an...