So, You Talk to Cows? A Podcast for Agricultural Communicators
This is a podcast for people learning about or working in agricultural communications. In each episode, we talk to a communications professional that specialized in the agricultural field and learn from them. We discuss tips to improve our craft, future projections for our industry, and potential challenges. The podcast is hosted by Erica Irlbeck, a professor of agricultural communications at Texas Tech University.
Episodes
29 episodes
Rural Newspapers: Laurie Ezzell Brown
Rural newspapers create a "community conversation" according to this episode's guest. I interviewed the editor/publisher of The Canadian Record, Laurie Ezzell Brown. The newspaper is located in Canadian, Texas, a beautiful community on the east...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 4
•
32:39
Communicating Food Safety: Mindy Brashears
It's a beautiful thing when science and communications are done well. Dr. Mindy Brashears does both very, very well. She communicates complicated information in a way that's simple to understand, and she's a very likeable person. She shares sto...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 3
•
36:27
Severe Weather Communication: Chris Weiss
Communicating about severe weather is something we all need to understand. However, the current system in the United States can be a little confusing. Dr. Chris Weiss, professor of atmospheric science at Texas Tech explains the system for us, t...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 2
•
33:57
Issues Communication: Frankie Gould
Lots of crises can be prevented when they're in the issues phase through good communication, leadership, and management.Earlier this year, I attended a webinar hosted by today's guest, Frankie Gould, on issues management and communication. ...
•
Season 4
•
Episode 1
•
34:02
Communicating the Climate Crisis: Katharine Hayhoe
Communicating the climate crisis is a difficult and emotional task. Texas Tech University's Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is a scientist that communicates a tricky subject, yet she remains positive and continues with her work. She's active on L...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 7
•
20:56
Communicating the Risk and Potential Crisis of Severe Weather: Ron Roberts
Severe weather comes in lots of forms: drought, blizzard, thunderstorm, tornado, flooding, dangerous heat, extreme cold, and possibly more. However, weather can be hard to forecast consistently, and sometimes the public is jaded to the weather ...
•
16:30
Spokesperson Development and other Crisis Comm Topics: Cindy Cunningham
Cindy Cunningham is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable communicators I know, especially when it comes to preparing for and responding to a crisis. She worked in the pork industry for several years and is now at Woodruff. She is...
•
20:48
Working with the Media: Emily Leonard
Emily Leonard is the evening anchor for WTVA in Tupelo, Mississippi, and was previously in Lubbock at KLBK/KAMC. She is a Texas Tech graduate and an excellent reporter. In this episode, she tells us how to be helpful to the media in th...
•
31:19
Creating the Agriculture Crisis Management Framework: David Doerfert
David Doerfert is a co-worker, friend, and mentor AND he developed the agriculture crisis management framework. Dr. Doerfert is one of the best researchers I know, and it was a joy to talk about his research and thoughts on the topic of crisis ...
•
28:56
Risk & Crisis Communications for a Large Staff: Faith Peppers
Faith Peppers is now the director of communications for USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. However, in her career, she has managed communications for a major newspaper and the University of Georgia's agricultural extension servi...
•
32:23
A Crisis Communications Case Study: Lindsay Kennedy
For all former students requesting Lindsay Kennedy and I do a show together: we hear you and we grant your request.Dr. Lindsay Kennedy is my coworker, but more importantly, my friend and kindred spirit. Also she is an outstanding communicat...
•
Season 3
•
Episode 1
•
31:38
Season 3 Trailer
Season 3 of the So You Talk to Cows podcast focuses on risk and crisis communications. I just finished by book, The Crisis Communications Guide for Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources, and I'm teaching a graduate class on the same subjec...
•
Season 3
•
20:18
Book Publishing: Mandy Gagel & Ben Stephen
I wrote a book! Not only did I write it, the book is being published. XanEdu is publishing my book and it is available. I have had conversations with several ag communicators who would like to write a book, and I encourage anyone that wants...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 7
•
29:13
Event Planning + Professionalism - Diane Johnson
If you have attended Ag Media Summit, you have probably experienced an event planned by Diane Johnson. She is the Ft. Worth based owner of Details by Design. Although she has slowed down her business in recent years, she still plans and assists...
•
32:05
Social Media Advocacy - Tara VanderDussen
Tara VanderDussen is one of the most influential leaders in social media advocacy for the agricultural industry. She is a courageous myth buster and does a fabulous job of promoting dairy and ag in general.In this episode she shares some of...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 5
•
25:59
Farm Broadcasting + Advocacy - Janet Adkison
Janet Adkison is the embodiment of an agricultural communicator. Her degree is in farm broadcasting. She has worked for radio stations, ag radio networks, ag television, and now she is working in public affairs and advocacy for the Missouri Far...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 4
•
25:55
Graphic Design + Creativity - Courtney Gibson
Do cool things with cool people is great advice. Dr. Courtney Gibson is a cool person that I like to do cool things with. She's my co-worker and friend, and she is also the retiring Texas Tech University Faculty Senate President.She shares ...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 3
•
24:57
Organizational Communications - Jennifer Blackburn Warren
Jennifer Warren is the Vice President of Communications for National Sorghum Producers. She is an excellent and visionary communicator, and she is also a wonderful internship supervisor. Students in our program that intern in Jennifer's office ...
•
21:23
Job & Internship Readiness - Cara Ferrell
To lead off Season 2, we are going to focus on getting and keeping a job. Cara Ferrell is one of the most knowledgeable people I know on this topic. She worked in career services at Oklahoma State for years and is highly trained in inner-office...
•
22:49
Season 2 Trailer
New things are in store for the second season of the podcast.I like for my podcast to accompany what I'm currently teaching, and for the summer semester, we're focusing much of our content on job and internship readiness. It doesn't matter ...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 1
•
1:27
Entrepreneurship - Megan Foote
So many of our agricultural communications students are interested in starting their own businesses. For my final podcast of this season, I'm wrapping it up with a former student that has a phenomenal small business: Megan Foote. She and her hu...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 9
•
26:36
Television Advertising Sales - Clay Erwin
Sales is a major area of agricultural communications, and working in the sales profession is rewarding and fun. Clay Erwin is a good friend of mine from church and Lubbock County 4-H activities. He is a senior sales account executive for KCBD-T...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 8
•
28:39
Video Production: Austin Moore
Austin Moore is an expert in agricultural video production. His career started for Oklahoma Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M, back to Oklahoma State, Oklahoma Career Tech, and now he's crushing it as an instructor at Abraham Baldwin Agricul...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 7
•
21:03
Social Media: Vikram Baliga
Vikram Baliga is a true role model for science communicators. He is a lecturer in horticulture and manages the greenhouse at Texas Tech, but he's also an excellent communicator. He tells us a few of his social media strategies in this ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 6
•
25:29
Organizational Communications: Kara Bishop
Kara Bishop is the director of communications and public affairs for Plains Cotton Growers. In her role, she regularly communicates with cotton growers and ginners (internal audience), as well as consumers, lawmakers, media, and others (externa...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 5
•
22:26