Farm Tales Unplugged Daily Farm Brief
A daily farm brief podcast, including AG news, market watch, agriculture trends and technology and a visit to the farmers almanac. Short informative and funny. Geared for the farmer and trucker audience or anyone with interest in agriculture lore and current events. Brought to you by World TradeX.
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Audible Recent Episodes
Oct. 30, 2026
Bird Flu Hits Iowa Turkeys: A Warning for Poultry Owners | Daily Farm Brief
Bird flu confirmed in Iowa turkeys: state and federal officials have detected the virus in a commercial turkey flock in Sac County. Wild birds can carry it without appearing sick, while the disease can be deadly to domestic poultry. We lead with the new case, the warning signs poultry owners should watch for, and Iowa’s call for stronger disease-prevention routines.
Join Rick Portanova for Farm Tales Unplugged — Daily Farm Brief, Episode 38, for Saturday, October 31, 2026. Also: grower Iain War
Join Rick Portanova for Farm Tales Unplugged — Daily Farm Brief, Episode 38, for Saturday, October 31, 2026. Also: grower Iain War
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Oct. 29, 2026
Forgotten Seeds, Seven-Headed Wheat & a Hidden Beehive Threat, Opening Pine Cones
A bag of forgotten seed nearly became farmyard waste. Instead, it grew into a remarkable old-grain revival—with wheat reaching about six feet tall and a long central grain head surrounded by six smaller branches. Join Rick Portanova for Farm Tales Unplugged — Daily Farm Brief for Thursday, October 29, 2026, brought to you by World TradeX — Empowering Farmers. The Family Farm Story follows Claudio Grossi near Parma, Italy. A recent Smithsonian feature revisits his early-1990s attic discovery, t
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Oct. 28, 2026
Plastic from Milk? USDA Funds for Farm Projects, Planting Garlic and Preparing the Field for Spring | Daily Farm Brief
New money for working farmland, a dairy byproduct becomes a plastic, garlic fall planting and getting the field ready for spring. Send us Fan Mail Sponsored by World TradeX
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Oct. 27, 2026
Nearly 250,000 Fewer Cattle | Flytraps, NASA & Harvest | Daily Farm Brief
Nearly a quarter-million fewer cattle entered America’s big feedlots in September than a year earlier—the lowest September total in thirty years. What could fewer cattle coming through the gate mean for beef supplies in the months ahead? Join Rick Portanova for Farm Tales Unplugged — Daily Farm Brief, Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Episode 35 brings together cattle news, an unusual family nursery, farm technology, harvest progress, migrating hawks and a brief market snapshot. USDA’s cattle repor
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Oct. 26, 2026
AI Listens for Crop Pests + Ohio’s Wild Pumpkin Roll | Daily Farm Brief
What if farmers could find crop pests by listening to them? Researchers are testing technology that detects insect vibrations—and uses artificial intelligence to help recognize what’s making them. Join Rick Portanova for Farm Tales Unplugged — Daily Farm Brief, Episode 34, for Tuesday, October 27, 2026. In Farm News: We look at $573 million in proposed USDA funding, including projects in Kansas and Indiana, and why farmers should watch what actually gets built. We also cover a correction to Se
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Oct. 25, 2026
Butter From Carbon? $5 Billion for Meat Processing, Screwworm in Elk. Oregon Wasabi Daily Farm Brief
Butter made from carbon. A Texas elk carrying a livestock pest. And real wasabi selling for around $130 a pound. Join Rick Portanova for Farm Tales Unplugged — Daily Farm Brief for Monday, October 26, 2026, with farm news, surprising science, and why it matters to the people growing our food. More buyers for your cattle? USDA’s new SPUR program offers at least $5 billion in loans to expand meat, poultry, and seafood processing. More capacity could give producers another place to sell. Scre
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Oct. 23, 2026
Understanding the Grain Markets for Dummies | Grain Futures Made Simple | Daily Farm Brief
What makes grain prices rise and fall—and what exactly are futures? Grab your coffee and join Rick Portanova for a relaxed Farm Tales Unplugged — Daily Farm Brief bonus show that explains it all in plain English. Follow a fictional corn farmer through simple examples showing why grain markets exist, how weather and demand affect prices, and how futures contracts work. We walk through what buying and selling a contract means, how a farmer closes a futures trade, and how money from the grain sale
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Oct. 22, 2026
Apple-Picking Chaos, Weed-Hunting Sprayers & Soybean Protection | Ep. 31 Daily Farm Brief
When did apple picking start involving traffic control, security checks, and stolen fruit hidden under a spare tire? Rick Portanova brings a fast, lively look at agriculture in this Friday, October 23, 2026 edition of Farm Tales Unplugged — Daily Farm Brief. First, Pioneer’s Victrato seed treatment joins its soybean lineup for the 2027 growing season. The goal: protect young plants against damaging root pests and diseases before trouble becomes visible above ground. Then, what does USDA’s $8 b
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Oct. 22, 2026
Runaway Pumpkin, Apple-Picking Robots & Cattle Markets | Daily Farm Brief — October 22
A giant pumpkin escapes a family farm, robots team up to find hidden apples, and cold weather gives the fall garden a sweeter finish. Join Rick Portanova for Farm Tales Unplugged — Daily Farm Brief, Thursday, October 22, 2026. Farm News — A Clearer Look at Cattle Prices USDA is adding a regional cash cattle report covering Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kansas. We explain why combining sales across the region could give producers another useful reference as fewer cattle trade through
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Oct. 20, 2026
Buffalo Houseguest, Purple Warning Corn & the Hot-Spray Beetle | Daily Farm Brief
A 2,500-pound buffalo moved into the house—and watching television was part of his routine. Add an underground harvest found by a dog, corn designed to signal trouble, and a beetle with an extraordinary chemical defense, and there’s plenty to discover this morning. Join Rick Portanova for Farm Tales Unplugged — Daily Farm Brief, Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Episode 29. We begin with USDA’s $8 billion Harvest Fuel Relief announcement, including the payment details farmers are still waiting
Recent Blog Posts
Oct. 30, 2026
Dual-Use Farming: How Solar Panels Over Idle Cranberry Bogs Restore Profitability
Agrivoltaics combines renewable energy generation with agricultural production by installing elevated solar panel arrays over active or idle farmland. By carefully engineering 10-foot vertical clearances and wide 18-foot aisles for machinery, grower…
Oct. 29, 2026
Tropilaelaps Mites: The Emerging Beehive Parasite Threatening U.S. Agriculture
Discover the growing threat of Tropilaelaps mites to U.S. honeybee colonies. Learn how these aggressive parasites attack developing brood inside the honeycomb, why researchers like Dr. Sammy Ramsey are monitoring them overseas, and what their potent…
Oct. 28, 2026
Fall Garlic Planting Guide: Step-by-Step Instructions for Big Bulbs Next Summer
Planting garlic in the fall is one of the most rewarding small-scale farm and garden projects, setting you up for a robust harvest by next summer. By utilizing proper soil preparation, optimal clove selection, and correct winter mulching techniques,…
About the Host
Rick Portanova
Rick is a broadcaster at heart, having built an internet radio network back in 1993. Back then they were called archived shows (mp3), the term podcast didn't exist but some people were already podcasting and he was one of them. Internet radio fizzled out fast when the Sirius satellites were launched and all the big networks inhaled all the programming. Here we are 30 years later. My how things have changed. Independent media put regular people on the same playing field and news and entertainment changed forever. His passion is being a boat captain and spending every minute with his little girl dog Mandy by his side.
His news delivery style is described as "Hit the fact, explain why anyone would care, make a joke and move on". He tears though things he believes will be worth a listener knowing and hoping he can get them to smile or chuckle. Much of the news is not "Happy news" and he realizes how hard things are for farmers and truckers, so he tries to keep it light and comical because no matter how bad things get we always need to find a way to laugh about it or we'd all go crazy.
If you want a passionate ally to dole out the news while mixing it up with funny short stories and odd side news, you will find his favorite program "Daily Farm Brief" a worthy 10 minutes of you weekday.
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