Welcome to "Farms and Frontlines," the podcast where we dive deep into the complex and critical issues surrounding global food security. Hosted by a former Congressional Staffer and a History Professor at West Point Military Academy, this show brings together a unique blend of expertise and perspectives to shine a light on one of the most interesting challenges of our time. We dive into history, lay out current issues, ask questions, and explore potential solutions and problems in conflict areas.
Learning from History or Corollary II: Arctic Boogaloo
We did it. Eight episodes, six countries, one genuinely unhinged Russian immigrant who financed a coup with banana money, and more Edward Bernays than anyone asked for. The Banana Wars series is officially wrapped!
In our finale, we recap the whole arc (Cuba to Guatemala, Platt Amendment to Operation PBSuccess), read a White House national security document like a primary source, and end up talking about TikTok, the Arctic Circle, and whether Bernays would have loved or invented the algorithm. Spoiler: yes.
Also: the Trump Corollary is a real thing that exists, Venezuela happened, and it turns out hot spots from 1899 are still hot spots in 2026. History is fun like that.
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Farms & Frontlines is a history podcast exploring the intersection of agriculture, conflict, and global power. Newsletter, sources, and show notes at farmsandfrontlines.substack.com
15 Jun 2026
Blessed are the Activists with Dr. Michael Cangemi
After the CIA-backed coup that transformed Guatemala, what happened to the people left behind? Historian Dr. Michael Cangemi joins Farms & Frontlines to explore activism, faith, indigenous self-determination, and the remarkable story of Father Greg and the community of San Lucas Tolimán. This is a story not just about Cold War intervention, but about what ordinary people do when confronted with injustice.
Follow our newsletter! (farmsandfrontlines.aubstack.com)
Buy "Blessed are the Activists" (https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Blessed-Activists/Michael-J-Cangemi/9780817361266).
25 May 2026
Guatemala: From Postal Service to Coup d'etat
In 1901, the Guatemalan government hired the United Fruit Company to deliver its mail. It seemed like a practical arrangement — a cash-strapped government, a well-organized American company with logistics infrastructure already in place across the Caribbean. Attached to the contract were land grants. Small parcels, at first.
By 1950, United Fruit owned 42% of all Guatemalan land. 85% of it sat uncultivated.
In this episode, Max and Jess trace how a postal contract became the foundation of an economic empire — and how that empire, when threatened by a democratic land reform law, triggered the CIA's first successful coup d'état. We cover the concession system that built El Pulpo, the October Revolution that briefly interrupted it, Jacobo Árbenz and Decree 900, Edward Bernays and the manufacture of a Cold War emergency, and Operation PB Success — the covert operation that reversed it all in a matter of days.
We also follow the thread forward. From Bananagate to a 2024 federal jury finding Chiquita Brands liable for funding a paramilitary death squad in Colombia, the structural logic that organized United Fruit's operations in Central America didn't disappear when the Marines went home. It traveled.
The Banana Wars officially ended in 1934. Guatemala shows what that actually meant.
Farms and Frontlines is supported by our newsletter at farmsandfrontlines.substack.com (farmsandfrontlines.substack.com) — sources, photos, maps, and more for every episode.
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5.0 / 5
3 ratings
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5.0 / 5
12 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 51 / 100
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82
Social presence
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YouTube
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Engagement
51
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