October 21, 2020
Podcasts have become both magazine and radio for the 21st century. They cover every topic imaginable, have built-in ads targeted to their audiences, and bring expertise and talent from out of the woodwork. Farming podcasts, or ag podcasts, are a rich field of information, interviews, and entertainment. We’ve compiled a short list to introduce virgin listeners and veterans alike to the best farming podcasts. This list of farmer-to-farmer podcasts is not comprehensive, however and if you have a specific niche—say permaculture or beekeeping—explore the hundreds of options from around the podcasting globe.
From drones to climate change, these farming podcasts are a great way to stay on top of agriculture industry trends -- start listening to some of the best farming and agriculture podcasts today! Be sure to also check out our complete collection of agricultural radios to make work days efficient on your farm.
For humor, we recommend Shark Farmer. The format includes interviews with a variety of farmers, but the host—farmer Rob Sharkey—is in the same league with seasoned comedians. Coming from a long line of Illinois farmers, Sharkey knows of what he speaks. He makes it easy for guests to inform and entertain in whatever their niche may be, and a website supports the podcast to make the whole affair accessible to newbies and long time followers.
Farmer to Farmer is a production where you get exactly what the title implies. The strength of this farming podcast, however, is in the details. Not every farming podcast boasts a website with photos, quotes, and transcripts. Host Chris Blanchard, a 25-year veteran farmer and teacher, is highly skilled at getting into the nitty gritty.
Image from Burgess Hill Farms
If you like your farming political, RealAgriculture.com with Shaun Haney is your best bet. Although Canadian, these hosts cover every relevant issue for farmers who—no matter their homeland—have similar interests that span international borders.
AgWired is considered on nearly every top ten farming podcast list because it is business oriented, hard-hitting, and highly relevant. Hosts answer questions and cover farm-related events as they arise. If you want the bottom line, and treasure hearing it from the horse’s mouth, you’ll love this podcast. Using an interview format, hosts Chuck and Cindy Zimmerman are all farming news, all the time.
The Farming Podcast covers homesteading and permaculture, and daily life of farmer Josiah Garber. A straightforward website archives all the episodes, and the focus is on food and small operations. This podcast is perfect if you want variety but also relatability, and since it’s been going now for years, there is a huge backlog of episodes to get started.
Image from Brendon Ulrich
Farm to Table Talk gets down and dirty about food, whether it’s conventionally grown or some range of organic. This podcast searches for answers on a topic of growing interest—where does our food come from? Host Rodger Wasson shines a light on both farmers and their customers, the American consumer. Want to know more about what you eat and feed to your family? Follow Farm to Table as a farming podcast favorite.
Open Field Radio is a new podcast from Gowan Company described as "cool people talking about agriculture and life. Because Ag and life live side by side, and sometimes overlap." So far, this podcast has covered topics from desert farming to America's love of food and supermarkets. You can also listen to this podcast on YouTube.
Image from Hingtgen Farms
The Young Farmers is a weekly podcast by the National Young Farmers Coalition. Recent episodes have covered everything from industrial hemp production to politics in rural America to land access to farmland to climate change. Similar to RealAgriculture, many of these podcast episodes are about the politics, trends, and future of farming in America.