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Behind the Burger
New Mexico Beef Council
24 episodes
1 day ago
Send us a text Hard truths, open pastures, and a lot of heart—Heidi Humphries invites us into her family’s Black Angus cow‑calf ranch outside Tucumcari, New Mexico, and shows what real stewardship looks like. We dig into the daily choices that keep cattle healthy and a multi‑generation operation moving forward: adapting to arid grasslands, rotating pastures with intention, fixing water lines after storms, and building a uniform herd that fits today’s beef market without losing sight of long‑t...
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All content for Behind the Burger is the property of New Mexico Beef Council and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Send us a text Hard truths, open pastures, and a lot of heart—Heidi Humphries invites us into her family’s Black Angus cow‑calf ranch outside Tucumcari, New Mexico, and shows what real stewardship looks like. We dig into the daily choices that keep cattle healthy and a multi‑generation operation moving forward: adapting to arid grasslands, rotating pastures with intention, fixing water lines after storms, and building a uniform herd that fits today’s beef market without losing sight of long‑t...
Show more...
Documentary
Arts,
Food,
Society & Culture
Episodes (20/24)
Behind the Burger
How A Multi‑Gen Ranch Thrives On Adaptability, Community, And Care with Heidi Humphries
Send us a text Hard truths, open pastures, and a lot of heart—Heidi Humphries invites us into her family’s Black Angus cow‑calf ranch outside Tucumcari, New Mexico, and shows what real stewardship looks like. We dig into the daily choices that keep cattle healthy and a multi‑generation operation moving forward: adapting to arid grasslands, rotating pastures with intention, fixing water lines after storms, and building a uniform herd that fits today’s beef market without losing sight of long‑t...
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1 day ago
24 minutes

Behind the Burger
Ranching on Thin Margins in Fort Sumner with Sarah Fitzgerald
Send us a text A famous outlaw's grave you can see from the kitchen sink, a trail that once fed frontier forts, and a family betting on rain—this is ranching in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. We sit down with Sarah Fitzgerald, chair of the New Mexico Beef Council, to unpack what it really takes to raise beef in an arid landscape where stocking rates stretch to 50–70 acres per animal unit and every decision hinges on land, water, and numbers. We explore the engine room of their operation: a small, ...
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2 weeks ago
39 minutes

Behind the Burger
Generations On The Range: What It Takes To Raise Cattle And Community with Boe Lopez
Send us a text Curiosity, service, and straight talk drive this deep dive with New Mexico rancher and board member Boe Lopez, who opens up about life on the range and the work behind a trustworthy beef supply. We trace his path from a family operation rooted in generations of grit to leadership roles that demand tough decisions, transparency, and constant learning. Along the way, Boe breaks down what most folks never see: how Beef Council dollars are governed, why promotion needs to be bold y...
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4 weeks ago
52 minutes

Behind the Burger
A Fourth-Generation Cattleman Shares How Planning, Stewardship, And Grit Sustain Beef And Open Lands ft. Ross Foster
Send us a text We sit down at Corralitos Ranch with fourth-generation cattleman Ross Foster to explore drought planning, water work, herd temperament, and the real meaning of stewardship on public and private lands. Grit meets grace as we follow the choices that make cattle calm, grass recover, and families keep going. • family history and purpose of the Las Cruces ranch • drought, wind and the decision to let pastures seed • water lines, dirt tanks and center pivots for resilien...
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1 month ago
29 minutes

Behind the Burger
From Mules To GPS: Building Beef And Family Across New Mexico with Jim and Jay Hill
Send us a text What does it take to keep a ranch thriving when prices swing, rain stalls, and the next generation needs a runway? We sit with Jim and Jay Hill outside Las Cruces to map a path from mules and tobacco fields to GPS tractors, custom feeding, alfalfa, cotton, seed crops, and even commercial real estate. Their story is equal parts resilience and reinvention, proving that diversification is not a buzzword—it’s a survival plan that protects both cattle and family. Jim shares how sma...
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1 month ago
40 minutes

Behind the Burger
Year In Review: How New Mexico Beef Council Built Connections from Balloons to Classrooms
Send us a text We celebrate a year of bold outreach: a locally piloted hot air balloon, a fast-growing school beef grant, a statewide sports nutrition push, and farm tours that bring health pros onto ranches. Every move centers one goal—connect producers and consumers with clear stories, real education, and local pride. • Launching a New Mexico Beef hot air balloon with Zia approval • Starting a podcast to bridge ranch and table • Extending the Sports Nutrition Game Plan through NMAA • Pract...
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2 months ago
30 minutes

Behind the Burger
From Lobby Floors to Arena Doors: How Denny Gentry Built Cowboy Golf and Shaped Beef Advocacy
Send us a text A lobby fight over the beef checkoff. A dusty arena humming with beginners and world champs. And a simple reframing that changed everything: team roping isn’t just a rodeo discipline - it’s “cowboy golf.” We sit down with Denny Gentry to chart how a ranch kid from southern New Mexico helped unite a divided industry, grew local qualifiers into national institutions, and built the infrastructure that turned a ranch skill into a billion‑dollar ecosystem. Denny recounts the hard l...
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2 months ago
36 minutes

Behind the Burger
From Calf to Community: Building a Ranch That Lasts with Jimmie Fitzgerald
Send us a text Early mornings on horseback and late nights in a tractor aren’t a contradiction—they’re the operating system of a ranch that actually works. We sit down with Fort Sumner’s Jimmie Fitzgerald to trace how a Texas upbringing, New Mexico grass, and a stubborn love for doing things right built a family operation that farms, grazes, and finishes with purpose. Jimmie opens up about making the hard choice to move, take over, and then expand—adding ranches, growing the farm, and buildi...
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3 months ago
27 minutes

Behind the Burger
The Dairy-Beef Connection: Inside Route 77 Dairy with Joel Van Dam
Send us a text Joel Van Dam, a third-generation dairy farmer from Route 77 Dairy, takes us behind the scenes of modern dairy production and its surprising connection to the beef industry. With 4,200 dairy cows and a newly acquired ranch, Joel bridges two agricultural worlds with innovative thinking and deep family roots. The conversation explores "beef on dairy" genetics – an increasingly common practice where dairy cows are bred with specialized beef bulls to produce calves with better beef...
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3 months ago
25 minutes

Behind the Burger
Agriculture is a calling, not just a business. Featuring Larry Reagan, President of New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau
Send us a text Agriculture runs deep in Larry Reagan's blood. As President of the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, he bridges the gap between policy and pasture, advocating for the 22,000 members who make up the state's oldest and largest agricultural organization. "Raising cattle is a calling, not just a job," Reagan explains during this enlightening conversation with Caroline Romo of the New Mexico Beef Council. His journey from insurance customer to influential agricultural leader pa...
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4 months ago
16 minutes

Behind the Burger
The Aloha State's Beef Secret: Ranching Against the Odds (Special Collaboration with Hawaii Rancher Kristin Mack-Almasin)
Send us a text Have you ever wondered what ranching looks like in paradise? Our journey to Maui reveals a surprising side of Hawaii few visitors ever see - a thriving cattle industry generating $82 million annually across the islands. This special collaboration between the New Mexico Beef Council and the Hawaii Beef Industry Council is a fun way to share the story of ranching in another state. In this special on-location episode, we're joined by Kristin Mack-Almasin, Livestock Manager at Ulu...
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4 months ago
34 minutes

Behind the Burger
From Reluctant Politician to Agriculture's Biggest Fan ft. NM Secretary of Ag Jeff Witte
Send us a text Secretary Jeff Witte takes us behind the curtain of New Mexico agriculture, revealing how a reluctant political appointee became the state's longest-serving Secretary of Agriculture. With warmth and candor, he shares the fascinating journey that began when his college dean urged him to enter a field he initially resisted, ultimately discovering his passion for agricultural policy and public service. The conversation unveils the surprising reach of the New Mexico Department of ...
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5 months ago
37 minutes

Behind the Burger
Drought, Decisions, and Desert Conservation: Alisa Ogden's Ranching Story
Send us a text Alisa Ogden, a fifth-generation rancher and third-generation farmer from southeastern New Mexico, shares her family's rich history of land stewardship dating back to 1890. Her insights reveal how successful ranchers balance conservation, innovation, and tough decision-making through challenging drought cycles while maintaining passion for producing quality beef. • Fifth-generation rancher whose great-great-grandfather homesteaded south of Carlsbad in 1890 • Past president of N...
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5 months ago
29 minutes

Behind the Burger
Screwworm, TB, and Beyond: Protecting New Mexico's Livestock ft. State Vet Dr. Holeck
Send us a text Dive into the world of veterinary medicine and food safety with Dr. Samantha Holeck, New Mexico's State Veterinarian, as she shares her remarkable journey from growing up on a small Carlsbad cattle ranch to safeguarding the health of livestock across the entire state. Dr. Holeck pulls back the curtain on the critical yet often unseen work of protecting our food supply, revealing how her 15 years as a mobile livestock veterinarian prepared her for monitoring and managing animal...
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6 months ago
28 minutes

Behind the Burger
Regenerative Ranching in New Mexico's High Desert with Sile Pastures
Send us a text What happens when a chef's passion for food quality leads to raising cattle? In this enlightening conversation with the family behind Sile Pastures, we discover how culinary expertise transformed into regenerative ranching in Sile, New Mexico. Sage Hagan shares his remarkable journey from high-end kitchens working alongside Wolfgang Puck to establishing a diversified farm operation with his wife Andrea and their daughters. Their story illustrates the challenges and rewards of ...
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6 months ago
38 minutes

Behind the Burger
Why Should You Trust Your Food? A Fifth-Generation Dairy Farmer Explains ft. Tara Vander Dussen
Send us a text Agricultural advocate Tara Vander Dussen takes us behind the scenes of modern dairy farming, revealing how traditional practices are evolving alongside innovative approaches like beef-on-dairy breeding programs. As a fifth-generation dairy farmer married to another fifth-generation producer, Tara brings a unique perspective that spans environmental science, hands-on farming, and global advocacy. The conversation explores a fascinating transition happening in dairy operations n...
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7 months ago
31 minutes

Behind the Burger
From Vet School to Meat Science: Dr. Francine Giotto's Journey
Send us a text Dr. Francine Giotto shares her journey from veterinary medicine in Brazil to becoming a meat science professor at New Mexico State University, where she revitalized the program after a long gap following her predecessor's retirement. • Originally from Brazil with parents in agriculture and food processing industries • Holds degrees in veterinary medicine, animal production, and two PhDs in animal science and meat science • Focuses research on combating pathogenic bacteri...
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7 months ago
26 minutes

Behind the Burger
From Rancher to the Livestock Board: Belinda Garland's Beef Legacy
Send us a text Belinda Garland brings a unique perspective to the beef industry as both a fourth-generation New Mexico rancher and the first female Executive Director of the New Mexico Livestock Board. Her story begins in the 1870s when her great-grandfather settled in Torrance County after the Civil War, establishing a ranching legacy that continues today. Growing up without brothers meant Belinda and her sister became "the cowboys" – learning to work cattle, developing strong work ethics, ...
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7 months ago
19 minutes

Behind the Burger
Stewardship and Legacy at Bill King Ranch ft. Abby O'Connor
Send us a text Abby O'Connor, fifth-generation rancher from Stanley, New Mexico, shares her family's century-old ranching legacy and their operation raising Hereford, Angus, and Charlay cattle for seed stock while managing the challenges of New Mexico's unique landscape. • Bill King Ranch has been operating for over 100 years with Abby's two-year-old daughter representing the sixth generation • Managing cattle in New Mexico's arid climate requires constant adaptation to rainfall patterns tha...
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8 months ago
23 minutes

Behind the Burger
Naturally Nourishing: Why Beef Deserves a Place at Every Table with Kate Schulz
Send us a text Kate Schulz shares her unique perspective as both a ranch-raised dietitian and the nutrition expert for the New Mexico Beef Council, helping bridge the gap between food production and nutritional guidance. • Family connection to agriculture spans generations, with her great-grandfather homesteading the Nebraska-Wyoming family ranch over 100 years ago • Becoming a registered dietitian requires a master's degree, internship, national exam, and state licensure • Common misconcep...
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8 months ago
31 minutes

Behind the Burger
Send us a text Hard truths, open pastures, and a lot of heart—Heidi Humphries invites us into her family’s Black Angus cow‑calf ranch outside Tucumcari, New Mexico, and shows what real stewardship looks like. We dig into the daily choices that keep cattle healthy and a multi‑generation operation moving forward: adapting to arid grasslands, rotating pastures with intention, fixing water lines after storms, and building a uniform herd that fits today’s beef market without losing sight of long‑t...