Podcast: USFRA videos airing on Discovery Channel feature Nebraska farmer

In this podcast, the Nebraska Corn Board's Kelsey Pope and farmer Shana Beattie provide some insight into videos created by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA),  in partnership with Discover Communications.

The videos involved farmers and consumers meeting around a table to talk openly. They began airing before Thanksgiving on Discovery’s networks, like the Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet. Shana Beattie, a farmer from Sumner, Nebraska, took part in the videos.

The videos were filmed on an almond farm in California. Several consumers around a table were there to ask questions of the farmers and ranchers. "Farmers included dairy, beef cattle, hog, eggs and fruit and vegetables," she said. "My role was to give the perspective of a grain farmer and as a mom."

Beattie, who is also a CommonGround volunteer, noted that while everything was filmed for TV, the conversations were real, and so were the questions. "We answered honestly and openly. In the portions I was involved in, the consumers at the table were moms," Beattie said. "They told me afterwards that they really had a different perspective of what we do after our conversation."

She said that was most rewarding and encourages others to speak up, too.

Check out the podcast for more — and watch an extended version of the video below. USFRA, if you recall, hosted the Food Dialogues in September, and you can find more videos and information there.

Nebraska Corn Kernel podcasts are also available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.