The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation and New York Agriculture in the Classroom have launched a new podcast. Outstanding in Their Field (agclassroom.org/outstandingpodcast/) is a podcast will provide information and inspiration through a lens of food and agriculture. The podcast will hear from educators who are creatively teaching and inspiring their students in food and agriculture. It also features agriculture industry experts showing the technology and science of modern food production.

The podcast is hosted by Will Fett and Katie Carpenter. Most episodes will highlight individuals from either Iowa or New York. However, the first episode is a collaboration featuring and Iowa corn farmer and a New York elementary teacher. The corn farmer talks about his family farm and the technology changes and improvements that his family has witnessed over the years. Iowa corn farmer, Schyler Bardole, shares with listeners why corn is grown in Iowa, what type of corn is grown, and the many different food and industrial products that rely on corn.

Amy Gosier is a first-grade teacher at Milton Terrace Elementary in New York, who developed a cross curricular unit on corn and whose students regularly connected virtually with an Iowa corn and soybean grower as he planted, cultivated and harvested his crop. She shares with listeners how agriculture supports her classroom learning and why it is important for students to understand agriculture and where their food comes from.

"We work with teachers and farmers on a daily basis, and each of these groups of people have a story to tell," said Carpenter. "We want to share those stories about their struggles, their triumphs, opportunities, the future of food, and the pure grit it takes to educate and feed a nation."

The first season will take listeners to the rooftop farms of New York City, to the fertile fields of corn and soybeans in Iowa, into the milking parlor of an Upstate New York dairy farm, and onto the pasture of a cow calf operation, with many stops in between. Episode topics will include corn production, urban agriculture, pork production, dairy production, beef production, maple production, soybean production, dairy goat production, turkey production, and vegetable crops.

Fans of the podcast can contact info@iowaagliteracy.org or nyaitc@cornell.edu to provide feedback and ideas for the podcast and to recommend guests for the show. To listen to the podcast, visit TuneIn, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and iTunes. The podcast will also be broadcast on KIFG radio based in Iowa Falls, Iowa.