# Big Food, Big Ag, Local Farms (feat. Tara Vander Dussen)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/salad-with-a-side-of-fries-nutrition-wellness-weight-loss-91254/big-food-big-ag-local-farms-feat-tara-vander-dussen
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/salad-with-a-side-of-fries-nutrition-wellness-weight-loss-91254/big-food-big-ag-local-farms-feat-tara-vander-dussen.md
Podcast: [Salad With a Side of Fries  Nutrition, Wellness & Weight Loss](https://stenobird.com/podcast/salad-with-a-side-of-fries-nutrition-wellness-weight-loss-91254)
Published: 2026-03-11T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://saladwithasideoffries.captivate.fm/episode/big-food-big-ag-local-farms-feat-tara-vander-dussen
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/episodes.captivate.fm/episode/1e0535d3-a9ab-4896-acb5-fbc577a91b5f.mp3
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Duration seconds: 2889

## Resource

Do you know where your food comes from? Most of us buy and consume food every single day without understanding who grew it, how it was raised, or what the labels actually mean. What if the fear driving your grocery store decisions is based more on marketing than reality? On this episode of Salad With a Side of Fries, Jenn Trepeck welcomes fifth-generation dairy farmer and environmental scientist Tara Vander Dussen of Discover Ag Podcast and Discover Ag TV for a grounded, no-nonsense conversation about the food system, family farms, organic versus conventional choices, and how consumers can make smarter decisions without the overwhelm. From antibiotic use in dairy farming to the truth about grass-fed beef, water recycling on modern farms, and the impact of imports and tariffs on local agriculture, this episode reframes the conversation and replaces fear with facts. What You Will Learn in This Episode: ✅ How the food system is divided between agriculture and big food, and why understanding that distinction helps you shop smarter and reduce unnecessary food fear ✅ What the organic label actually means as a farming practice, and how conventional dairy farming maintains strict quality and safety standards that often go unrecognized ✅ Why most cattle in the United States spend the majority of their lives on pasture, and what the real difference between grass-fed and grass-finished beef means for your plate ✅ How sustainable farming practices like water recycling, on-site veterinarians, and cattle nutritionists reflect a level of animal care and environmental responsibility that rarely makes it into the public conversation The Salad With a Side of Fries podcast, hosted by Jenn Trepeck, explores real-life wellness and weight-loss topics, debunking myths, misinformation, and fl…

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