Voices of the Valley

About Voices of the Valley

Do you want to go behind the scenes and learn about how the food gets on your table? Hear about the complex world of agricultural policy, food safety, crop protection, disease control and more from the most influential people working in farming. Be sure to tune in each week as we delve deeper into the inner workings of our food system.

Publisher

Western Growers

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Jun 2018

Latest episode

18 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 172 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   18 Sept 2026

   Why Good Food Gets Left Behind

   This episode of Voices of the Valley takes a closer look at an often-overlooked part of the food system: food loss on the farm. Join Western Growers' Jeana Cadby as she sits down with Leigh Prezkop of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to learn more about why perfectly edible produce may be left in the field, from market signals and buyer specifications to the economic realities that influence what gets harvested. Together, they discuss the difference between food loss and food waste, how food loss varies across crops and the solutions being developed to better utilize the harvest. They also explore WWF's Global Farm Loss Tool, efforts to create new markets for imperfect produce and how consumers can play a role in reducing food waste. As Leigh explains throughout the episode, addressing food loss requires looking beyond the farm and considering the entire supply chain.

2. 

   24 Aug 2026

   Peeling Back the Layers of Onions

   In this episode of Voices of the Valley, we're peeling back the layers on one of the most familiar ingredients in our kitchens: onions. Jessica Peri Dunham, Sales Manager at Peri & Sons Farms and a fourth-generation farmer, takes us behind the scenes of how onions are grown, harvested, cured and brought to grocery store shelves. She also shares her family's journey in agriculture, the evolution of farming and why some time-tested practices are still essential to producing a quality onion. Along the way, we'll uncover surprising facts about different onion varieties and how to choose the right onion for your next meal.

3. 

   30 Jun 2026

   The Water It Takes to Grow Your Food

   In this episode of Voices of the Valley, Western Growers' Taylor Lauson sits down with Michelle Paul, Executive Director of the California Farm Water Coalition, to break down one of the most important and misunderstood topics in agriculture: water. From where California's water comes from and how it reaches farms to the technologies helping growers use it more efficiently, Michelle explains the complex systems that keep fresh food on our tables. Together, they discuss common misconceptions about agricultural water use, the challenges of managing water in the West and why reliable water infrastructure is essential to the future of farming and our food supply. As Michelle reminds listeners throughout the episode, "Food grows where water flows."

Inside a recent episode

Farm from a Box’s Brandi DeCarli on Creating Local Food Access Through Entrepreneurship

Published 3 Jan 2023 · Transcript excerpt

[…] But it is that grit and that continual belief in what our vision is. And knowing that along the way, the more that we learn, it may change, it may look a little bit different, but we're still sort of guiding to what that core vision is, which is how can we use clean technology to really increase and strengthen localized food access and local and regional food production at this point. So that has never wavered, even though the product has certainly advanced and gone through multiple iterations for us to get there. Well, and I think one of the things that our listeners should know is, I mean, you've always had kind of an international bent and focus around this project. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

12 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 31 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

29

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

82

Contact Voices of the Valley

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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