The Ranch Podcast

Susan Buxton is the director of Idaho’s Parks and Recreation department. She very kindly came on to talk about new parks and features that are coming online and the changing of recreation seasons. We all owe her. Like, big time! 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 p...

Steve Seppi is the CEO of Dairy West, the four state dairy association committed to supporting this fundamental industry in Idaho, Utah, Oregon, and Washington. Dairy in Idaho is the single largest ag based product, but as Steve points out in our discussion, dairy is starting to represent many different things, ranging from liquid milk to cheese to protein power, etc.. As these products evolve, so...

Claudio Berti, PHD is the director Idaho Geological Survey and came on to talk about the potential that Idaho has for mining and mineral extraction. There are roughly 50 critical minerals in the US and many rare earth materials, dozens of which can be found right here in Idaho. However, there are also several problems that companies face when attempting to extract these minerals. Claudio came on t...

Will Hay is a business owner in the Treasure Valley and an advocate for reforming the liquor license system in Idaho. Currently there is a quota system which restricts the number of licenses that can be in operation, but these licenses also have a rich history of being a controlled monopoly, essentially granting the owner a substantial market advantage over other business owners. Will came in to e...

Britany Hurst Marchant is the executive director of the Idaho Wheat Commission and came in to speak on the international contracts and sales of one of Idaho’s key products. There has been much concern about local Idaho farmers and exports as tariffs were issued earlier this year, and Britany came in to explain where this staple crop sits, what contracts have been renewed, and if wheat will continu...

Annette Tipton is the executive director of the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs. Idaho has a large hispanic community, and understanding the needs, potential, and anxieties of that community is crucial to Idaho’s continued prosperity. Annette came in to help explain how the commission attempts to address all of these things. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation,...

Richard McPherson is a world leading authority on Nuclear Technology. In Episode 17 of the American Nuclear series, we review what President Trump has done in and with the Nuclear Industry in the first year since he was elected again. There are many issues that need to be resolved across huge industries, including mining, manufacturing, environment, and more. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported...

Matt Clifford is the Sheriff of Ada County. Deputy mental health has been a growing concern across the country as people are waking up to the mental toll that law enforcement takes on the men and women who serve our communities. Sheriff Clifford is taking on this challenge aggressively, pushing for better, more robust services that work not only with the taxing life of the job but also work to mea...

Eric Crawford is a Salmon and Steelhead expert with Trout Unlimited in Idaho. He came on to discuss the ever evolving problems and solutions with species restoration, as well as larger pragmatic problems like power replacement and the western power grid structure. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organization committed to unbiased, Idaho focuse...

Don Day is the co-founder of Boise Dev. Don and his wife co-founded the news source almost a decade ago and focused on local development in the Treasure Valley. This flew in the face of most other news outlets, many of which have national level ownership and focused on things other than hyper local issues. Hearing how this went from a one article a day project to now having a full time staff of 11...

Steve Guerber is a former mayor of Eagle, Idaho and helped design and guide the city to look the way it does today. Eagle started pushing to build in a unique manner compared to its surrounding cities at the end of the 20th century, and people like Steve helped shape the vision that has become a reality. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organiz...

Joey Palmer is the assistant superintendent for Vallivue School District in Idaho’s Treasure Valley. There is a large conversation occurring across Idaho and the United States about the inundation and educational ROI that parents and schools are getting with technology. Almost all schools have identified personal tech devices like cell phones as a large problem, but many are also realizing that sc...

John Shirts is an Idaho state representative and former federal prosecutor. He came in to explain the process and obligations that various agencies had in the recent FBI operation in Wilder. Many have offered conflicting stories about who was in charge or what agency spearheaded the operation, and John came on to explain the process that is required and why so many various agencies appeared to be...

Rob Hanson is a member of the Braver Angels organization right here in Idaho. This group has been working for almost a decade nationally to engage the hyper polarized country that we find ourselves in and offer a framework to build bridges and connect with our fellow countrymen again. They host live and virtual events, and you can find them online and on Facebook. If you have the time or interest,...

Scott Nichols is a geothermal expert who has been working in the industry for decades. He came in to explain the nature and potential of geothermal power, from heating buildings to producing energy for our lights. The problem, however, is that although geothermal is indeed a baseload, green energy source, it takes considerable time to find and build out. Additionally, you’re not looking at making...

Richard McPherson is a world leading authority on Nuclear Technology. In Episode 16 of the American Nuclear series, we discuss the infamous Chernobyl disaster, whereby local operators engaged in an experiment with the reactor that was expressly forbidden in the operations manual, which resulted in loss of life. The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In Media Foundation, a non-profit media organiz...

Dave Murray is a longtime Middleton resident and is running for re-election for City Council. He is passionate about Middleton, the culture, the growth, and the direction the city is going. 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 interview...

Jason Van Gilder is the director of public works for Middleton and came in to speak on the issue of the waste water treatment plant that Middleton is slated to build. The driving force behind the upgrade is in fact not growth, but instead a revision made by the Idaho Dept. of Environmental Quality that was made in 2015 that requires phosphate levels to be dropped from 5 parts per million down to b...

Liz Flower is a longtime Star resident and is running for City Council. She is passionate about Star, the culture, the growth, and the direction the city is going. 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 T...

Steve Day is a Star resident and is running for City Council. He is passionate about Star, the culture, the growth, and the direction the city is going. 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 Val...

Phil McGrane is the Secretary of State for Idaho and came in to talk about the finding and prosecuting of illegal votes and voters in the state. With the support of the state and federal government, McGrane’s office has been able to identify several dozen individuals who have registered or registered and voted in Idaho that were not legally allowed, and from that roughly a dozen people are being p...

Scott Brock is a seasoned security agent and runs the private security force working within the Middleton School District. Part of the levy that is coming up in the district is for security, and Scott came in to explain what he does, what his security force does, and how Middleton families can sleep better knowing that Scott and his team are there. Enjoy! The Ranch Podcast is supported by Truth In...

Kristina Glascock is the Twin Falls County Clerk and kindly invited me to come chat about national election grifters that come to her office insisting that we modify Idaho’s election system. Things like hand counting votes is a common idea, but other things like “giving elections back to the people,” and eliminating the county clerks and statewide voter registration were new ideas I had never hear...

Stan Ridgeway is a former mayor of Eagle and the Eagle Senior Citizen organization that sued and won against the city of Eagle. There are many details regarding the lawsuit that should be understood, including the hundreds of thousands of dollars that the city of Eagle now has to pay in legal fees to the Eagle Senior Citizen organization. It has also come to pass that the building that was funded...

Bruce Skaug is an Idaho State Representative out of Nampa and came in to talk about handling some of the darker sides of Idaho. The Gem state has its share of problems, and Bruce is working to address them head on. 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...