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 flawed science surrounding nutrition and the food industry. Let’s dive into wellness and weight loss for real life, including drinking, eating out, and skipping the grocery store.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Breaking down the differences between agriculture and the food industry
06:17 Understanding pesticides, glyphosate, and bio-engineered crops as tools in the farmer's toolbox
09:13 Why food labels shifted from consumer information to marketing, and how to shop by personal values
14:29 The truth about factory farms versus family farms and why 98 percent of dairies are family owned
19:10 Conventional dairy quality: antibiotic protocols, testing standards, and why milk is one of the most tested products in the food supply chain
25:45 How animal welfare and farm transparency have improved, and the water recycling system on a dairy farm is explained step by step
29:29 Grass-fed versus grain-fed beef unpacked and why most cattle spend two-thirds of their lives on pasture
36:42 How tariffs and global markets affect dairy farming prices and why grocery store milk prices can mislead
38:57 The complicated relationship between consumer demand, imports, exports, and the modern food supply
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
💎 The organic label is a farming practice, not a health guarantee. Understanding what it means operationally helps consumers make decisions based on values rather than marketing.
💎 The majority of farms in the United States, including large-scale operations, are still family-owned and operated. The idea that factory farms have replaced family agriculture is largely a myth built on online rhetoric.
💎 Every tanker of conventional milk is tested for antibiotics at the parts-per-trillion level, both on the farm and at the processing plant, making it one of the most rigorously tested products in the food supply chain.
💎 Consumer spending drives the food system. When purchases do not align with stated preferences, food companies follow the dollar, making intentional buying one of the most powerful tools available to consumers.
ABOUT THE GUEST:
Tara Vander Dussen is a fifth-generation dairy farmer, environmental scientist, and co-host of the podcast and TV series Discover Ag. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Soil, Water, and Environmental Science from the University of Arizona and spent more than a decade working as an environmental consultant for dairy farms. Through Discover Ag, Tara blends food, agriculture, and pop culture to make conversations about the food system accessible and engaging.
Natalie Kovarik is a fourth-generation cattle rancher, entrepreneur, and co-host of the top-ranked podcast and TV series Discover Ag. She holds a Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of Montana and, alongside her husband, owns and operates Kovarik Cattle Co. in Nebraska. Through Discover Ag, Natalie helps reconnect consumers to their food by sharing the stories of farmers and ranchers in an engaging, modern way.
RESOURCES:
Become a Happy Healthy Hub Member
Jenn’s Free Menu Plan
A Salad With a Side of Fries
A Salad With A Side Of Fries Merch
A Salad With a Side of Fries Instagram
About Uncomplicating Wellness
Text ‘Book’ to 833-801-0500
GUEST RESOURCES:
Discover Ag
DISCOVER AG ON THE ROAD - Instagram
Discover Ag 'On The Road' - YouTube
Discover Ag - Podcast
DISCOVER AG - Instagram
Discover Ag Podcast - YouTube
Tara Vander Dussen - Instagram
Natalie Kovarik - Instagram
QUOTES:
07:22 "GMOs, pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, all of those things are tools in farmers' toolboxes. Different farmers are going to use different tools in different ways, and that comes down to management decisions." - Tara Vander Dussen
09:55 "I don't want people to fear the food in their grocery store. I think we have gotten to a really bad place in this country where people have real fears around their food." - Tara Vander Dussen
12:01 "I believe changing our food system is about how we spend our dollars. The onus is not going to be on these food companies, it's on us as consumers to tell them what we want." - Jenn Trepeck
13:55 "We are even having this conversation so we can make informed choices versus the choices based on the fear mongering or the marketing or whatever is coming at us." - Jenn Trepeck
38:18 "So much of our food is local and there is so much that goes into creating that food source, even if it is not marketed to us or on that label." - Jenn Trepeck
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