Purdue Agricultural Economics Podcast

Kick off the New Year with excitement for Ag Week! (PAEP 105)

Join Marie and Shay to kick off 2025 with the first podcast of the semester! This episode features special guests from the Purdue Ag Week Task Force—Olivia Reynolds, Marnie Schwartzkopf, Jaydon Kauffman, and Kyra Meister—who share their personal experiences serving on the task force and discuss the incredible impact Ag Week has on the Purdue student body and beyond. If you love agriculture, you will love to hear more about the history of Ag Week and how you can be involved.

Behind the Scenes of Academic Advising with LeeAnn Williams and Andy Oppy (PAEP 104)

Join us for a heartfelt and informative episode as Marie and Shay learn more about two of the department's academic advisors (and conveniently, Marie and Shay’s academic advisors): Mrs. LeeAnn Williams and Mr. Andy Oppy! LeeAnn and Andy share what it is like to be the best academic advisors and what all academic advisors do outside of what students see during their advising appointments. LeeAnn and Andy share wonderful advice and insights on how current students and alumni should navigate through their careers.

Exploring Research Paths with Agricultural Economic Undergrads (PAEP 103)

Dr. Valerie Kilders and Shay Doerstler sit down with three seniors involved in undergraduate agricultural economics research. Sara Hasselbring, Olivia Reynolds and Jackson Lusk share a bit about each of their unique journeys, the projects they are currently working on and the challenges they've faced along the way. Whether you're considering undergraduate research or just curious about what this process looks like, this conversation offers valuable insight and advice. Tune in to learn more about Sara, Olivia, and Jackson's research in agricultural economics!

Rethinking Food Waste and Understanding Consumer Choice with Dr. Brenna Ellison (PAEP 102)

Happy (early) Thanksgiving! Please join Dr. Foster and Marie Mechley as they discuss food conservation with Dr. Brenna Ellison, a professor in Purdue’s Department of Agricultural Economics. Dr. Ellison is leading Purdue’s newest center, the Center for Food Conservation and Waste Reduction. Tune in to hear more about how you can help waste less food during this holiday season!

Combining Higher Education and Serving Your Country: First Lieutenant Austin Berenda’s Story and Success (PAEP 101)

Dr. Valerie Kilders and Marie Mechley sit down with Purdue graduate student and First Lieutenant Austin Berenda, Platoon Leader in the Indiana National Guard, to discuss his journey and experiences. Tune in to hear about how Lieutenant Berenda has juggled being both a student and a Platoon Leader, his advice for both students and service members and how he got to where he is today.

Learning about the Impact the Farm Bill has on Local Communities Part 3 (PAEP 100)

For the third and final episode in the Farm Bill series, our two student co-hosts, Marie Mechley and Shay Doerstler, interviewed two people who are affected by the Farm Bill in their daily operations. The first interview welcomes guest Kier Crites Muller, the CEO of Lafayette Food Finders Food Bank, to talk about the nutrition portion of the Farm Bill and the impact that it has on Food Finders and the communities they serve. The second interview welcomes guest Ty Brown, a local farmer and entrepreneur from Rossville, Indiana, to talk about crop subsidies, conservation, and the future of creating demand for farmers’ products through the Farm Bill.

Digging Deeper Into the Farm Bill with Dr. Anetra Harbor and Halee Fisher Part 2 (PAEP 99)

Join Dr. Foster and Shay Doerstler for the second episode of the 3-part Farm Bill series. We have two very special guests this episode who are joining us from Washington D.C. Dr. Anetra Harbor is a USDA Detailee on the U.S. Minority House Agriculture Committee, Office of Ranking Member David Scott. Our second guest and previous Podcast student co-host, Halee Fisher, Legislative Assistant U.S. House Agriculture Committee Office of Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson. In this episode, we discuss the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, the current status, and regular process of a Farm Bill. Tune in to learn more about their perspectives from working on the Farm Bill and the work put in behind the scenes! 

Breaking Down the Farm Bill with Dr. Roman Keeney (Part 1) (PAEP 98)

On this episode, Dr. Valerie Kilders and Marie Mechley sit down for the first episode of a 3 part series on the Farm Bill. They are joined by Dr. Roman Keeney, a Department of Agricultural Economics professor who has been with the department since 2005 as a farm-rural household economics professor. He received his doctorate and initial faculty appointment at Purdue University, and he currently teaches a class on Agriculture Policy. Dr. Keeney gives his expert overview on what the Farm Bill is, what it includes, what causes increases in cost, why it has not been passed, and what the future may look like for the Farm Bill. With legislation at the forefront of many topics, this episode gives an insight into information many viewers may not know. 

 

Roman Keeney began his appointment with the agricultural economics faculty of Purdue University in August 2005 as assistant professor of farm and rural household economics. Prior to that, Roman was a Ph.D. student in the Purdue AgEcon department. Roman’s research program explores how farm households and rural residents respond to and are impacted by changes to farm and farm-related policies. Roman has worked extensively on the interaction between U.S. domestic farm programs and international trade barriers, focusing in particular on the distribution of gains and losses across the population of U.S. farmers. Recently, Roman has taken on Extension responsibilities for analysis and education of farm payment programs. In addition to research and Extension, Roman teaches the department’s undergraduate math programming course and graduate-level production economics course.