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F.R.E. Lunch: The Food and Resource Economics Podcast
Have you ever wondered why the chicken crossed the road and now costs twice as much at your local grocery store? Maybe you're curious about how alligators, beer, and Bigfoot can all be major drivers of economic activity.
Then join us at the table for a monthly serving of F.R.E. Lunch, the official podcast of the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department (FRE).
Whether you're an aspiring economist or an inquisitive individual who wants to learn more about how consumer behavior shapes our relationship with food and natural resource systems, this is the podcast for you!
In each episode, we'll serve bite-sized lessons on the latest research in agricultural and applied economics, showcasing the many ways FRE students and faculty are using research to understand and address the complex issues facing agricultural and natural resource industries.
So we hope you'll join us. Our easily digestible format will be sure to bring you back for seconds.
Class Notes can also be found on our website, a teaching resource designed to allow episodes to be seamlessly incorporated into existing classroom curriculums.
F.R.E. Lunch: The Food and Resource Economics Podcast
Celebrate 100 Years of Food & Resource Economics - Special Centennial Season
Happy 100th Birthday to FRE!
That's right, 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of our department. To celebrate this season of FRE Lunch will focus on providing an overview of all our different research areas that have impacted the state of Florida, as well as our national and global food systems.
To learn more about our plans for events surrounding the Centennial, visit go.ufl.edu/FRE-100-Years
The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are their sole responsibility do not represent positions, policies or opinion of the University of Florida, UF/IFAS, or the UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics.
Got thoughts on the episode, questions for us, or an idea for what we should cover next? Reach out to us by email at fre@ifas.ufl.edu
Intro and Outro Music - "Just Kidding" - Ahjay Stelino. Used under the Mixkit Stock Music Free License.
00:00:04:00 - 00:00:07:20
[Introductory Music]
00:00:07:22 - 00:00:08:29
Alena Poulin
Happy birthday!
00:00:09:00 - 00:00:10:21
Caleb Stair
It's not my birthday, though….
00:00:10:23 - 00:00:14:03
Alena Poulin
Not everything's about you, Caleb. It's FRE’s birthday.
00:00:14:08 - 00:00:19:08
Caleb Stair
Oh, really? I didn't know abstract entities could have birthdays. How old is FRE?
00:00:19:09 - 00:00:21:05
Alena Poulin
It's 100 years old!
00:00:21:09 - 00:00:22:12
Caleb Stair
Whoa!
00:00:22:14 - 00:00:27:06
Alena Poulin
And over these last 100 years, it has been involved in a bunch of amazing efforts.
00:00:27:08 - 00:00:28:07
Caleb Stair
Like what?
00:00:28:10 - 00:00:39:04
Alena Poulin
Well, like helping farmers make good business decisions, better informing our policymakers with data and producing stellar graduates of both our undergraduate and graduate level programs.
00:00:39:06 - 00:00:47:20
Caleb Stair
This season isn't just about celebrating FRE's past accomplishments. We want to also highlight all the great work being done currently.
00:00:47:23 - 00:00:55:05
Alena Poulin
And don't worry, even if you're not an alumnus or currently affiliated with the department, there will be plenty of bite sized information for you too.
00:00:55:08 - 00:01:08:24
Caleb Stair
This season will coincide with all of the different activities and events that FRE has planned throughout 2026. So if you're in town and want to help us celebrate, check out the link to the Centennial schedule in the description.
00:01:08:26 - 00:01:13:13
Alena Poulin
We hope you'll join us this year for all of our festivities, discussions, and banter.
00:01:13:15 - 00:01:16:02
Caleb Stair & Alena Poulin
Happy birthday FRE!
00:01:16:04 - 00:01:23:13
Caleb Stair & Alena Poulin
[Singing] Happy, happy birthday to FRE, woohoo! There's so much here to celebrate, we hope you'll join us too. Whoo!
