Science In Your Shopping Cart
Episodes
Season 1: Tomatoes, Potatoes & Spinach | Episode 2: Potatoes
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
“I’m your huckleberry.” Learn about the origins of the Huckleberry Gold Potato and other interesting facts about potatoes.Connect with us: Twit...
Season 11: Wholesome, Nutritious Grains | Episode 8: Building A Fortress Around Barley
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS Research Geneticist, Dr. Dolores Mornhinweg at the Peanut and Small Grains Research Unit in Stillwater, OK is developing new Barley crop lines tha...
Season 6: Aquaculture | Episode 3: Farm Fishing Indoors
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When you grow anything indoors, you can control a lot of the conditions, including temperature, irrigation, insect and disease resistance, and water q...
Season 6: Aquaculture | Episode 2: Fastest Growing Fish You've Ever Seen
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fish farmers are using natural contained aquifers to grow fish to market size at an incredible fast rate. That’s because aquifers can provide optima...
Season 9: Healthier & Tastier - It's All In The Formula | Episode 6: Wrapping Up More Flavor
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Tara McHugh may be the GOAT when it comes to creating foods that are both healthy and tasty. Dr. McHugh and her team have a created a variety of...
Season 8: Wearable Science | Episode 2: Getting Cozy with Wool
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that many of the advances in wool and leather clothing were developed in Wyndmoor, PA, including a technique to get rid of the yellowing ...
Season 9: Healthier & Tastier – It's All In The Formula | Episode 2: Cheers To A Heartier New Hop
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We travel to Corvallis, Oregon, to meet with ARS research geneticist John Henning. Here at the Forage Seed and Cereal Research Unit, John and his te...
Season 12: Cheers To Wine Grapes | Episode 5: Managing Vineyards From Space
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS researcher Bill Kustas, a Research Hydrologist and Distinguished Senior Research Scientist at ARS’s Hydrology and Remote Sensing Laboratory in B...
Season 11: Wholesome, Nutritious Grains | Episode 2: Shucking A Nasty Fungus
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Corn is grown all over our planet and is an important crop in all parts of our lives. ARS Research Entomologist Xinzhi Ni, at ARS’s Crop Genetics an...
Season 9: Healthier & Tastier – It's All In The Formula | Episode 3: These Peaches Are A Real Joy
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We travel to Byron, Georgia, to the ARS Fruit and Tree Nut Research Unit, and visit with Research Horticulturist Chunxian Chen. Dr. Chen and his group...
Season 4: Berries | Episode 4: Strawberries
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Check out our newest strawberry, and hear how new strawberry cultivars are created.Connect with us: Twitter: @USDA_ARSFacebook: @AgriculturalResearch...
Season 4: Berries | Episode 1: Blueberries
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Learn how a USDA breeding program was responsible for the development of the blueberry growing industry in the southeastern United States and how ARS ...
Season 1: Tomatoes, Potatoes & Spinach | Episode 1: Tomatoes
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Where was the Roma tomato developed? Rome? Nope, the answer may surprise you. Learn this and more interesting facts about the Roma tomato.Connect wi...
Season 12: Cheers To Wine Grapes
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS researchers make sure the science, chemistry, and math all add up to great wine grape production across the U.S. Learn about ARS’s crucial rol...
Season 12: Cheers To Wine Grapes | Episode 10: Turning Wine Waste Into Healthy Food Products
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS researchers Nancy Keim and Wally Yokoyama are looking to turn wine waste – mainly pomace or what the researchers call marcs – into healthy foo...
Season 12: Cheers To Wine Grapes | Episode 9: Building A Sustainable Future For Vineyards
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS researcher Kerri Steenwerth, a research soil scientist with the Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Unit in Davis, CA, battles weather extremes ...
Season 12: Cheers To Wine Grapes | Episode 8: Robots & Wine
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS researcher Lance Cadle-Davidson, a research plant pathologist at ARS’s Grape Genetics Research Unit in the finger lakes region in Geneva, NY, is...
Season 12: Cheers To Wine Grapes | Episode 7: Tracking Water Usage With AI
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS researcher Bradley King, a research agricultural engineer at ARS’s Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research lab in Kimberly, ID, is utilizing AI ...
Season 12: Cheers To Wine Grapes | Episode 6: Wine Charms
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) protects and helps the wine industry thrive in the United States. Learn some fun facts to share at...
Season 12: Cheers To Wine Grapes | Episode 4: Unintended Consequences
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS researchers are working with the National Grape Research Alliance (NGRA) to help wine grape growers adapt to ever-evolving weather patterns as wel...
Season 12: Cheers To Wine Grapes | Episode 3: Fatal Attraction
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Meet ARS researcher Jacob Corcoran, a research molecular biologist at ARS’s Biological Control of Insects Unit in Columbia, MO. Corcoran and his t...
Season 12: Cheers To Wine Grapes | Episode 2: Smoke On The Grapevine
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS researcher Arran Rumbaugh, a research chemist at the Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Unit in Davis, CA, is studying how smoke from wildfires...
Season 12: Cheers To Wine Grapes | Epsiode 1: Where Wine Grape Research Is Needed Most
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS researchers work with the National Grape Research Alliance (NGRA) to initiate novel research projects and programs to solve industry challenges. A...
Season 11: Wholesome, Nutritious Grains
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS researchers have been instrumental in developing cereal crops and enhancing food for the American people. In this season of Science in Your Shoppi...
Season 11: Wholesome, Nutritious Grains | Episode 7: Those Despicable Weeds
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS Ecologist, Martin Williams at ARS’s Global Change and Photosynthesis Unit in Urbana, IL is researching ways to help farmers to deal with their w...
Season 11: Wholesome, Nutritious Grains | Episode 6: Negotiating With Diseases
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS research leader Shahryar Kianian and his colleagues at ARS’s Cereal Disease Lab in St. Paul, MN are leaning on the art of negotiation to help oa...
Season 11: Wholesome, Nutritious Grains | Episode 5: Fun Facts About Cereal Crops
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS researchers have developed and strengthened our food supply. Listen to learn some fun facts about cereal crops and other foods that can enhance yo...
Season 11: Wholesome, Nutritious Grains | Episode 4: The Emperor’s Rice
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas, ARS geneticist Shannon Pinson studies specialty rice that is beneficial to h...
Season 11: Wholesome, Nutritious Grains | Episode 3: Nutrient Packed Ancient Grains
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ancient grains refers to a category of grains – particularly pseudo-cereals – that possess a very unique health benefit that provide essential nut...
Season 11: Wholesome, Nutritious Grains | Episode 1: Kicking Off The Rust In Wheat
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wheat is a big crop in the United States. Stripe rust is one of the most important diseases for wheat. ARS Research Plant Pathlogist, Xianming Che...
Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Honey bees and their pollinating cousins are essential to human life. Without honey bees, we cannot grow a lot of the food we love. Honey bees have be...
Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees | Episode 11: Breeding A Better Bee
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have been breeding honey bees for centuries to help them adapt to new environments, and with technology improving at a rapid pace, breeders may...
Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees | Episode 10: A Perfect Symbiosis
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
ARS research entomologist Dr. Shawn Steffan works in cranberry country, USA – aka Madison, WI. Here, bees are vital to cranberry production, so keep...
Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees | Episode 9: The Hunt For A Predator
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., where we talk with ARS researcher Matthew Buffington, who explains how a deadly...
Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees | Episode 8: Bee Diversity
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How many different types of bees can you think of? Bumble bees, honey bees, mason bees. There’s actually a lot more bee diversity than you think, ...
Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees | Episode 7: Honey Bees And Pesticide Exposure
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pesticides are an important tool for managing hungry and destructive insects and invasive species. But there is little known how pesticides affect the...
Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees | Episode 6: How To Make Your Yard Pollinator Friendly
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bee experts Liz Walsh and Lanie Bilodeau offer tips for making your home yards more bee friendly.Find out how you can help honey bees by clicking on t...
Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees | Episode 5: The Queen Bee
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Being the queen bee may have its perks, but there’s a lot of stress to the job. Sure, you have worker bees bringing you food, grooming you, and cari...
Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees | Episode 4: A Mite-y Big Problem For Bees
31 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The varroa mite is one of the biggest threats to honey bees around the world. Essentially, it’s a modern honey bee plague. Varroa is an invasive spe...
Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees | Episode 3: Can Bees Adapt To A New Environment?
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Today, bees and other pollinators are facing many pressing issues, either directly related or amplified by extreme weather conditions and new weather ...
Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees | Episode 2: Bee Health And Survival Long Term
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Take a trip with us to ARS’s Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Unit in Albany, CA, where researchers are looking at long-term factors affecting...
Season 10: The Buzz Around Bees | Episode 1: The State Of The Honey Bee
10 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We sat down with one of the world's leading honey bee experts, Dr. Jay Evans to find out the state of honey bee populations. Are honey bees dying at a...
Season 9: Healthier & Tastier - It's All In The Formula
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here at ARS we love food as much as you do, and we’re also conscious of making healthy food choices. That’s why in this episode we’re going to s...
Season 9: Healthier & Tastier - It's All In The Formula | Episode 7: Move Over Bees, This Almond Pollinates Itself
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Yorizane is the first self-pollinating almond in the U.S., and it has the traits industry and consumers are looking for. It won’t be long before the...
Season 9: Healthier & Tastier – It's All In The Formula | Episode 5: Waxing Poetic About Healthy Oils
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wouldn’t it be great if the oils and margarines you cook with were actually healthy for you and still enhanced the flavor of your foods? Researchers...
Season 9: Healthier & Tastier – It's All In The Formula | Episode 4: Breaktime: Getting Healthy
12 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here at ARS, we are constantly researching ways to make the food in your shopping cart healthier and tastier, including for those who have to be caref...
Season 9: Healthier & Tastier | Episode 1: A Healthier Milk Chocolate
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. imports around $5 billion in cocoa and chocolate products annually, and we produce millions of pounds of chocolate for consumers. The health ...
Season 8: Wearable Science
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Americans spend millions, maybe billions, on clothes every year. It’s a huge industry. And when you think about clothes, do the words style, fit, an...
Season 8: Wearable Science | Episode 7: Back to the Future with Hemp
15 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is hemp the plant of the future? See if this crop, which has been around for thousands of years, will find its place in the US agricultural marketpl...
Season 8: Wearable Science | Episode 6: Spotting A Good Hide
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Get the inside story of how ARS researchers created an automated, objective method for detecting imperfections on a hide - a method that greatly benef...
Season 8: Wearable Science | Episode 5: Breaktime
01 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about scientific breakthroughs from ARS. Check out jeans that don’t scratch, insect repellents made from natural ingredients, and the Super ...
Season 8: Wearable Science | Episode 4: Preparing For Combat
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
ARS is showing its military might by developing insect-repellent treatments that could be applied to service member uniforms to protect our brave men ...
Season 8: Wearable Science | Episode 3: Turning Down the Flames
17 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if your clothes were naturally flame-retardant, and that protection were durable enough to remain effective after multiple washes? Well, that’s...
Season 8: Wearable Science | Episode 1: COVID-Busting Clothing
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learn how ARS researchers in New Orleans are finding innovative ways to enhance masks, clothing, and other wearable materials that help protect agains...
Season 7: Sports and Science
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every part of a sport, from the clothing to the equipment, even to the playing field, has been enhanced by science. In this podcast, we look at how ...
Season 7: Sports and Science | Episode 7: Nutrition is Part of Training Too
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wendy Shaw, a registered dietitian formerly with the National Agricultural Library, discusses the importance of nutrition, from the world’s elite at...
Season 7: Sports and Science || Episode 6: Good Leather
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The leather industry in the United States, while not as prosperous as in days past, is still a significant market in textiles, clothing, and sports. ...
Season 7: Sports and Science || Episode 5: Turf Battles
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know ARS has been developing natural turf cultivars since the 1940s? And this has led to improved playing surfaces on golf courses all acros...
Season 7: Sports & Science | Episode 4: Break Time - True or False about Nutrition
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are apples good for you to eat before or during an athletic event? How about bananas? When should you consume sports drinks. Find out these answers an...
Season 7: Sports and Science | Episode 3: Taking the Smell Out of Sports
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Nanoparticles help protect your body from germs and other microbials, it also fights body odor, especially from sweating. ARS researchers have figur...
Season 7: Sports and Science | Episode 2: Stay Hydrated
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hydration is so important to our bodies during exercise, perhaps more important than the exercise itself. Not properly hydrating during athletic compe...
Season 7: Sports and Science | Episode 1: Batter Up
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The sport of baseball is woven into America’s culture like the uniforms worn by the players. Baseball has been around for nearly 150 years, and in t...
Season 6: Aquaculture
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this season of Science in Your Shopping Cart, we take a deep dive in to seafood production in the U.S. Learn how research facilities across the c...
Season 6: Aquaculture | Episode 9: West Coast Shellfish Represent!
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learn how ARS scientists are working with Oregon State University to produce new strains of the Pacific Oyster and protect them from a serious disease...
Season 6: Aquaculture | Episode 8: East Coast Shellfish Represent!
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
An east coast perspective on how important shellfish are to our agriculture ecosystem and how their sustainability and low environmental impact makes ...
Season 6: Aquaculture | Episode 7: How Do You Fight Fish Disease?
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A healthy fish is a happy fish! ARS researchers are fighting fish diseases by developing vaccines, breeding fish strains that are resistant to select ...
Season 6: Aquaculture | Episode 6: Water Conservation in Indoor Systems
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Take a tour of an indoor recirculating system in Shepherdstown, West Virginia and learn how ARS researchers are using less fresh water while keeping o...
Season 6: Aquaculture | Episode 5: Aquaculture Trivia!
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Test your knowledge of aquaculture and learn some interesting facts.Connect with us: Twitter: @USDA_ARSFacebook: @AgriculturalResearchServiceLinkedIn...
Season 6: Aquaculture | Episode 4: Taking on Atlantic Salmon's Biggest Foe
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sea lice is a huge problem in the seafood business. Not only does sea lice cause physical harm, but it can also stress the fish out, which can then af...
Season 6: Aquaculture | Episode 1: Bringing Seafood Closer to Home
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Aquaculture, commonly known as fish farming, is a global multi-billion dollar industry, and is one of the fastest growing forms of food production. ...
Season 5: WonderPlants
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Science In Your Shopping Cart we take a tour of some super human plants that we use in our everyday lives to help feed and protect ...
Season 5: WonderPlants | Episode 7: Soybeans
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about this amazing wonderplant and some of the ways we use this plant in our everyday lives.Connect with us: Twitter: @USDA_ARSFacebook: @Agric...
Season 5: WonderPlants | Episode 6: From Shells to Cells
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
ARS scientists are coming up with new ways to produce clean energy by developing a large filter-type application out of discarded almond shells that c...
Season 5: WonderPlants | Episode 5: Did You Know - Insect Repellants
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that some wonderplants can be used to control and even kill annoying flies and mosquitoes?Connect with us: Twitter: @USDA_ARSFacebook: @...
Season 5: WonderPlants | Episode 4: Super Cotton
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
ARS scientists are turning nano fibers from cotton plants into mask filters, wound dressings, and other medical applications.Connect with us: Twitter...
Season 5: WonderPlants | Episode 3: Taking the Guayule Plant for a Test Drive
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the amazing Guayule plant and how this desert loving plant is used in making tires, including a 100% Guayule tire!Connect with us: Twitte...
Season 5: WonderPlants | Episode 2: One Time Use Containers
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
ARS scientists are turning plant fibers in to single-use containers to one day replace non-biodegradable plastic containers.Connect with us: Twitter:...
Season 5: WonderPlants | Episode 1: National Arboretum
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Check out some amazing wonderplants at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC.Connect with us: Twitter: @USDA_ARSFacebook: @AgriculturalResear...
Season 4: Berries
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Science In Your Shopping Cart we pull back the curtains to reveal how ARS scientists create new berry cultivars and work with the f...
Season 4: Berries | Episode 3: Breaktime
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Tips on how to grow your own blueberry and blackberry plants right in your own backyard.Connect with us: Twitter: @USDA_ARSFacebook: @AgriculturalRes...
Season 4: Berries | Episode 2: Blackberries and Raspberries
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
ARS scientists created a thornless blackberry plant along with many new varieties of blackberries for the agricultural industry and a trellis system d...
Season 3: Biomass
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about innovations and research that ARS scientists are conducting to turn farm waste, called Biomass, into environmentally friendly products.Con...
Season 3: Biomass | Episode 4: Bioproducts from Corn Waste
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about innovations and research that ARS scientists are conducting to produce biopolymers such as nanocellulose from corn waste as a replacement ...
Season 3: Biomass | Episode 3: Breaktime
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Take a look at some cool ARS developments that are benefiting our ecosystem.Connect with us: Twitter: @USDA_ARSFacebook: @AgriculturalResearchService...
Season 3: Biomass | Episode 2: Polymers from Cotton Gin Trash
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about innovations and research that ARS scientists are conducting to turn cotton waste into agro-based biodegradable polymers.Connect with us: ...
Season 3: Biomass | Episode 1: Pallets from Almond Shells
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
ARS scientists are turning agricultural waste (Biomass) into environmentally friendly products that can replace non-biodegradable plastics.Connect wit...
Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin'
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Apples are as American as apple pie. Let's look at some cool innovations and research that ARS scientists are conducting to ensure those apples in you...
Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin' | Episode 6: Rapid Breeding
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The apple industry is a highly impactful business for the U.S. Growers are always looking for new varieties that are not only tasty but more resistant...
Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin' | Episode 5: Mysterious Disease
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Apple growers have a mystery on their hands. Something is killing popular dwarf apple trees, but researchers are unsure if the cause is environmental,...
Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin' | Episode 4: Snack Break
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ready for a snack break? Then sink your teeth into this apple trivia. You'll finally be able to answer the question, "What does a 200-year old apple t...
Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin' | Episode 3: Precision Sprayer
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
These days, we are all more conscious of pesticide spraying, especially growers who rely on this method for keeping pests off their crops. ARS scienti...
Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin' | Episode 2: Apple Sorting Machine
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ARS researchers have developed an in-field apple sorting machine that not only improves apple picking efficiency, but also scans and grades apples. Th...
Season 2: Apples: Get Crunchin' | Episode 1: Apple Rootstocks
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that the apple you're eating right now probably came from a rootstock developed by ARS? Our scientists are breeding new rootstocks that a...
Season 1: Spinach, Tomatoes, & Potatoes: What Do They All Have In Common?
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We know that all three are vegetables, or two vegetables and a fruit if you will, but what else do they have in common? Take a virtual trip with us to...
Season 1: Tomatoes, Potatoes & Spinach | Episode 3: Spinach
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Making Popeye proud. ARS recently released the world’s first true red spinach, called “USDA Red”. Learn about the benefits this new powerful veg...