The Fenceline

Join us this week for Hollywood vs Reality! Dr. Dusty and Matt breakdown the myths portrayed in popular TV shows about our western way of life and agricultural production.

Do GMOs cause cancer? And is the FDA hiding the truth? These are questions you’ve probably wondered about, or seen on TikTok at least once. When it comes to agriculture, food, and the government, there’s plenty of fearmongering, disinformation, and misinformation online, created by everyone from the truly concerned, to those who profit from anxiety and engagement.Fear sells, but, this week on the Fenceline, Matt Hamilton and Dr. Dusty Abney will do their best to give you some education and peace of mind. They’ll rotate through rapid-fire questions about what the FDA approval process for products like GMOs looks like, why more and more seedless fruit and veggie varieties are popping up, why lab-grown meat is not secretly being used to replace beef in the grocery store, and, the big question, whether we know if GMOs can cause cancer. Many of these issues can be looked at through different lenses, so Matt and Dusty’s perspectives may not always agree– but they can agree that fear and confusion are off the table. Whether you’re listening for yourself, or looking for something to share with that friend who’s gone a touch too far down the TikTok rabbit-hole, episode 8 of The Fenceline is for you.

You’re blaming the restaurant, but it turns out your kitchen might be the real problem.

In this bone-chilling episode of the Fenceline Podcast, Matt Hamilton and Dr. Dusty Abney break down how foodborne illness really happens, why your refrigerator temperature matters, and how simple mistakes at home can lead to cross-contamination, spoiled food, and serious illness.

From contaminated lettuce and salmonella to unsafe refrigerator temperatures and dirty cutting boards, this conversation reveals the hidden food safety risks many families overlook every day. You’ll also learn how investigators trace foodborne illness outbreaks back to the source—and why the number of confirmed cases may only represent the tip of the iceberg.

You’ll also hear:

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Why a refrigerator set too warm can shorten food shelf life and increase bacterial growth

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How raw chicken can contaminate salads, cutting boards, and other ready-to-eat foods

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What the lettuce outbreak teaches us about food safety and supply-chain traceability

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Why people often blame the wrong meal after getting sick

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The simple kitchen thermometer every household should own

This episode will change the way you think about food safety, refrigerator temperature, cross-contamination, and the everyday habits that protect your family.

#FoodSafety #KitchenSafety #FoodborneIllness

Do you notice when it doesn’t rain?

Sure, you notice when it does, and you might even check the radar and hope it holds off a little longer. But have you ever considered the life-and-death consequences that a couple of inches of rain (or lack thereof) can have on the farmers and ranchers who put the food on your plate?

This week on The Fenceline, Matt Hamilton and Dr. Dusty Abney talk through the most important natural factor in agriculture: drought. It’s a topic at the front of every producer’s mind, and the one they have the least control over. That lack of control takes a serious toll on producers’ mental health, and helps explain the high rate of suicide among America’s farmers and ranchers– a difficult, but indispensable, topic of discussion.

Matt and Dusty will teach you how to interpret the University of Nebraska’s Drought Monitor, explain how certain weather patterns affect producers’ yields and mental health, and recommend a book that will stay with you long after you slide it back on the shelf.

So, why should you smile the next time you see storm clouds piling up? Find out on episode 6 of The Fenceline.

Beef, Pork, Chicken, How long and what does it take to produce each. This week Dr. Dusty and Matt breakdown the details of how long it takes to produce a steer vs pigs and chicken. Also how much grain it takes to produce each and how cattle are the only protein that are not 100% grain dependent.

The Screw Worm is back! In this episode Dr. Dusty and Matt give you the history of the Screw Worm and how we beat it in the 50's, how it came back, and how we are going to beat it again.

Also, your beef supply is safe!

In this episode of the Fenceline Dusty and Matt discuss the differences between a dairy cow and a beef cow, scale and size of beef operations vs row crop operations and how family farms are using incorporation to hold on to the family farm.

In episode 2 Matt and Dusty discuss what is and is not in a hot dog, no lips in here! What is in ground beef and how it is made. Explain the different kind of trim used to make ground beef. Dive into the food safety aspects of ground beef vs steaks. Give you behind the sciences info about how the ground beef game is changing at the retail stores you shop at.

Most Americans have no idea how complicated, fragile, and important the food system really is and that’s exactly why The Fence Line Podcast exists.

In Episode 1, Matt Hamilton & Dr. Dusty Abney pull back the curtain on the American beef industry and break down the full journey from pasture to plate. From cow-calf operations and stocker programs to feed yards, processors, trucking, grocery stores, and restaurants, this episode explains what really happens before a steak ever hits your plate.

But this conversation goes way beyond beef.

Matt and Dusty dive into:

- Why American farmers and ranchers matter more than ever

- The truth about modern agriculture and food production

- Misconceptions consumers have about beef and livestock

- How cattle are actually raised, fed, transported, and harvested

- Why the American food system is both incredibly efficient and dangerously fragile

- The growing disconnect between consumers and agriculture

- Why supporting American agriculture is a national security issue

- What “farm to table” really means

- How misinformation has shaped public perception of farming and ranching

This isn’t corporate talking points or internet outrage farming. It’s a real conversation from people who’ve spent their lives in agriculture and want consumers to better understand the people, processes, and sacrifices behind the food they eat every single day.

Whether you’re a rancher, consumer, hunter, foodie, or someone who’s simply curious about where your food comes from, this episode is packed with insight, humor, hard truths, and real-world perspective.

Welcome to The Fenceline Podcast.

Subscribe and share with someone who cares about food, farming, ranching, and the future of American agriculture.

#TheFenceLine

#FarmToTable

#AmericanAgriculture