Best The James Madison Program Podcasts (2025)

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S5 - E25: Social Enterprises, Systems-Thinking, and Flower Farming with Dr. Christine Mahoney, Part I 17:45

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7d ago17:45

17:45

What role can social entrepreneurship have in building soil health and achieving positive ecological goals? Mary and Eric explore this question with Dr. Christine Mahoney of the University of Virginia's Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and Wayflowering Flower Farm. Dr. Mahoney shares her own experiences with social enterprises, s…

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S5 - E24: Health and Nutrition Start with the Soil with Dr. Robin "Buz" Kloot, Part II 17:22

21d ago17:22

17:22

Health and nutrition start with caring for the soil. Food can and should be our medicine. Dr. Robin "Buz" Kloot of the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health and Soil Health Labs shares his perspective on connections with soil health and public health with Eric, Mary, and Jeff in this episode. Buz reflects on his own research…

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S5 - E23: A Fundamental Overhaul and Paradigm Shift in Soil Science with Dr. Robin "Buz" Kloot, Part I 17:51

1M ago17:51

17:51

Changing course is never easy, especially if the change requires a complete overhaul at the most basic, fundamental level. Dr. Robin "Buz" Kloot of the University of South Carolina's Arnold School of Public Health and Soil Health Labs talks with Eric, Mary, and Jeff about this paradigm shift among farmers and within the soil science community. Buz …

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S5 - E22: Encouraging a Hospitable Habitat for Soil Microorganisms with Dr. Ashley Jernigan of Virginia Tech, Pt. II 17:21

2M ago17:21

17:21

Did you know soil microorganisms of all sizes and shapes need water, air, shelter, and care to function and thrive? Dr. Ashley Jernigan, assistant professor and director of Virginia Tech's Sustainable and Organic Vegetable Crops Production Lab, returns to talk with Jeff and Mary about what farmers and gardeners can do to encourage a hospitable habi…

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S5 - E21: Regenerating Worn Out Soils with Dr. Ashley Jernigan of Virginia Tech, Pt. I 18:41

2M ago18:41

18:41

Does your garden soil just fall apart in your hands? How do you regenerate and bring back life to worn-out soils? Dr. Ashley Jernigan, assistant professor and director of Virginia Tech's Sustainable and Organic Vegetable Crops Production Lab, in visiting with Jeff and Mary, advises doing your own test in your garden or crop field with a shovel. As …

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S5 - E20: Soil Health beyond the Economic Rationale with Kasper Krabbe of Aarhus University, Pt. 2 18:56

3M ago18:56

18:56

Is the economic rationale of soil health always the top priority for farmers? Or, do other soil values rise to the top of farmers' minds, for example, having a healthy habitat for soil fungi? Kasper Krabbe, a doctoral student at Aarhus University in Denmark and a visiting guest scholar at Virginia Tech, returns to talk with Mary, Jeff, and Eric abo…

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S5 - E19: Agroecological Dynamics of Soil Health with Kasper Krabbe of Aarhus University, Pt. I 18:47

3M ago18:47

18:47

When you close your eyes, how do you envision your farm and soil ecosystem? What ideals, values, and priorities are part of your vision and farm business model? Kasper Krabbe, a doctoral student at Aarhus University in Denmark and a visiting guest scholar at Virginia Tech, talked with Mary, Jeff, and Eric about these questions and his research inte…

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S5 - E18: Round Bale Grazing for Soil Health with Dr. Summer Thomas, Pt. II 18:29

3M ago18:29

18:29

Feeding hay to livestock in the winter is very expensive, and often results in a sacrifice lot where manure gathers. At the same time, manure is considered gold because of its nutrient content, ability to supply organic matter, and to build soil life. In this second episode, Dr. Summer Thomas, education and outreach specialist with the Virginia Soi…

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S5 - E17: Everything Good Starts with the Soil with Dr. Summer Thomas, Pt. I 17:59

4M ago17:59

17:59

Everything good starts with the soil and a conservation stewardship mindset. In the 101st episode, Dr. Summer Thomas, education and outreach specialist with the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, explains how agriculture and soil health are good for everyone. As a third-generation farmer from Delaware, former watermelon queen, a trained soil scientist…

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S5 - E16: Celebrating Our 100th Podcast Episode with Jeff, Mary, and Eric 18:13

4M ago18:13

18:13

During this 100th episode of 4 The Soil: A Conversation, Jeff, Mary, and Eric take a look back at some of the most memorable topics and guests. They share how (and why) the podcast started in 2021, and also offer their vision for the future of the podcast. To help us commemorate this milestone, please share how and why you are 4 the Soil with us an…

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S5 - E15: Building Confidence and Knowledge through Mentorship with Dara Booher, Pt. II 17:53

5M ago17:53

17:53

Building confidence and knowledge through mentorship is necessary for farmers to overcome fears and take bigger steps towards meeting their goals. Dara Booher wears many educational hats. Dara is the coordinator of the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council's farmer-mentor program and the facilitator of the Virginia Farmer Mentor Network, a collabor…

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S5 - E14: Youth Education and Soil Health with Dara Booher, Pt. I 18:38

5M ago18:38

18:38

Soil and agriculture provide us with something every day. Dara Booher is an agricultural educator with Shenandoah County Public Schools and a farmer-mentor coordinator with the Virginia Forage and Grassland Council and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition. Dara loves talking to youth and others about soil and agriculture. In this episode, Dara shares…

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S5 - E13: Seven Generations of Stewarding the Land with Susan Watkins 17:45

6M ago17:45

17:45

In this episode of the podcast, Jeff Ishee chats with Susan Watkins of Watkins Farms in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, a 3,500-acre farm growing soybeans, corn, and wheat. Susan shares information about the long history of her family far, their transition to cover crops and no till over twenty years ago, and their approach to cover cropping. She share…

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S5 - E12: A Whole Community with Elizabeth McMullen and Garland Mason of Organic Valley, Pt. II 17:31

6M ago17:31

17:31

The three-year transition to certified organic farming can present a formidable challenge for farmers. A whole community working together can make the process smoother. In this second episode, Elizabeth "Liz" McMullen and Garland Mason of Organic Valley Cooperative (OV) share how the company and its farm membership nourish a whole community perspec…

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S4E41: Season Finale! 1:08

6M ago1:08

1:08

That’s a wrap on the 2024-2025 season of Madison’s Notes!Stay tuned until the end for a special announcement—you won’t want to miss it! A massive thank you to our incredible listeners and guestsfor making this season unforgettable. Your support means everything! The show will be back—so hit subscribe to be the first toknow when we return. Until the…

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S4 E40 Interpretations of the Second Amendment: A Conversation with Joel Alicea 37:38

7M ago37:38

37:38

The Supreme Court’s ruling in 2022 changed the established methodology for evaluating Second Amendment cases. What was the existing methodology, and what does this shift signify for future interpretations? We sit down with Joel Alicea, Professor of Law and Director, the Center for the Constitution and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition at the Colu…

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S5 - E11: Common Ties: Cooperation and Sustainability with Elizabeth McMullen and Garland Mason of Organic Valley, Pt. I 18:29

7M ago18:29

18:29

Public Relations Specialist Elizabeth McMullen and Sustainability Funding and Communications Specialist Garland Mason of Organic Valley Cooperative join Mary and Eric to share about the common ties that are essential to the farmer-owned cooperative. Cooperation and a strong commitment to the sustainability of small and mid-size family farms, local …

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S4E39 Executive Power and the President Who Would Not Be King: A Conversation with Michael McConnell 50:20

7M ago50:20

50:20

In this episode of Madison’s Notes, Michael McConnell examines the gap between the Founders’ vision of a limited presidency and today’s expansive executive power. Drawing on his book The President Who Would Not Be King (Princeton University Press, 2022), we discuss how the Constitution’s safeguards against monarchical authority have eroded over the…

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S4E38 False Dawn: A Conversation with George Selgin on Recovering from the Great Depression 58:31

7M ago58:31

58:31

Join us on Madison's Notes as we sit down with George Selgin, senior fellow and director emeritus of the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives and professor emeritus of economics at the University of Georgia. In this insightful conversation, Selgin unpacks the myths and realities of FDR’s New Deal through the lens of his b…

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S5 - E10: Farmers Talking with Farmers with Anthony Beery of Beery Farms, Part II 16:53

7M ago16:53

16:53

Farmers talking with farmers is key to building soil health, encouraging innovation, and expanding peer-to-peer mentoring. Anthony Beery of Beery Farms and Cumberland Hay and Straw LLC shares his journey of learning, mentoring, and on-farm experimenting with Mary Sketch Bryant and Jeff Ishee. In the previous episode, Anthony talked about how his fa…

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S4E37 Threats to Universities and What We Can Do: A Conversation with Brandice Canes Wrone 58:24

7M ago58:24

58:24

Universities are under attack, but what exactly are the threats? How does free speech in the last 10 years compare to today? What do we stand to lose if higher education collapses? In this episode, Brandice Canes-Wrone dives into the major threats facing universities—from defunding to restrictions on free expression—and what we can do to solve them…

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S4E36 Institutional Corruption in News Media: A Conversation with William English 1:00:55

8M ago1:00:55

1:00:55

Why has trust in the news media declined? How can we combat biased reporting and the spread of misinformation? And how do these challenges compare to the media landscape during America’s founding era? Join us as we explore these pressing questions with William English, a political economist and Associate Professor of Strategy, Economics, Ethics, an…

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S5 - E9: Soil Health is Attainable with Anthony Beery of Beery Farms, Part I 16:16

8M ago16:16

16:16

Soil health is attainable. Anthony Beery of Beery Farms and Cumberland Hay and Straw LLC shares that message with Mary Sketch Bryant and Jeff Ishee based on his farming experience and journey. Anthony grew up in the Shenandoah Valley, where he and his father, Danny, raised dairy cows and poultry. Anthony benefitted from his father's mentorship and …

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S4E35 Slacking: A Guide A Guide to Ivy League Miseducation 48:47

8M ago48:47

48:47

What does a general education from an Ivy League mean? What structures produce the course catalogues that students can choose to customize their education from? Is a world-class degree a world-class education? In this episode, we sit down with the three authors of Slacking: A Guide A Guide to Ivy League Miseducation (Encounter Books, 2025). Adam Ki…

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S4E34 Constitutional Private Law: A Conversation with Garrett West 51:46

8M ago51:46

51:46

What is constitutional private law, and how does it differ from the way we traditionally think about constitutional issues? When an individual employed by the government breaks the law, do we sue the person or the government? And what do these choices reveal about justice, accountability, and constitutional interpretation? This week Madison’s Notes…

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S5 - E8: Ins and Outs of Compost Tea with Nicky Schauder of Permaculture Gardens, Part II 18:40

8M ago18:40

18:40

In this episode, Nicky Schauder of Permaculture Gardens continues the conversation about permaculture and the ins and outs of compost tea with Mary Sketch Bryant, Marian Dalke, and Jeff Ishee. Nicky received two USDA-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Producer Grants to specifically research the benefits of compost tea and its ef…

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S4E33 The World of Academic Publishing: A Conversation with Robert Dreesen 46:21

8M ago46:21

46:21

How do academic books get published? How do scholars turn dissertations and articles into the books we love? How does academic publishing compare to the world of trade publishing? This week, we speak with Robert Dreesen, a seasoned publishing professional with over 30 years of experience in the industry. Dreesen has worked in trade publishing at Pe…

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S4E32: We Have Never Been Woke: A Conversation with Musa al-Gharbi 43:52

9M ago43:52

43:52

Why does occupation reliably predict political leanings? What is social capitalism, and how does it span income classes? If social capitalists are sincerely committed to equality and “wokeness,” why do they simultaneously benefit from—and perpetuate—the very inequalities they denounce? Join us as we dive into Musa al-Gharbi’s provocative new book, …

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S5 - E7: Grow-It-Yourself (GIY) with Nicky Schauder of Permaculture Gardens, Part I 16:37

9M ago16:37

16:37

Nicky Schauder and her family started Permaculture Gardens to make permaculture and growing food accessible to everyone - especially families and children. Nicky shares her story and experience with learning, researching, and growing food with Mary Sketch Bryant, Marian Dalke, and Jeff Ishee. Nicky is constantly learning by experiment. Nicky is a t…

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S4E31 The Free Speech and Poetry of Ana Blandiana 48:49

9M ago48:49

48:49

In this episode, we sit down with Director and Producer Diana Nicolae and Editor and Camera Matt Jozwiakowski to discuss their documentary film, "Between Silence and Sin." The film explores the life and work of dissident Romanian poet Ana Blandiana, an artist whose voice was threatened, censored, and banned under the Communist dictatorship. In our …

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S4E29 Pt. 2 In Covid’s Wake: How our Politics Failed Us--A Conversation with Stephen Macedo (Part 2) 51:12

9M ago51:12

51:12

This week on Madison’s Notes, we continue our discussion with Stephen Macedo, co-author of In COVID’s Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us (Princeton UP, 2025). The book examines the institutional failures during the pandemic, including the politicization of science, inconsistent messaging, and the disproportionate impacts of policies. We cover key que…

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S5 - E6: Education first and foremost with Nicole Shuman of Cornerstone Farm, Part II 18:04

9M ago18:04

18:04

Nicole Shuman is a community agriculturalist and educator at Cornerstone Farm at Fairfield Middle School in Henrico County, VA. Nicole shares that education is the first and foremost goal of Cornerstone Farm. As a functioning farm, students and the school community learn what and how food is grown, while also gaining hands-on knowledge and experien…

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S4E29 Pt. 1 In Covid’s Wake: How our Politics Failed Us: A Conversation with Frances Lee 44:12

9M ago44:12

44:12

In the first part of our two-part conversation on Madison’s Notes, we speak with Frances Lee, Professor of Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University, about her co-authored book In COVID’s Wake (Princeton UP, 2025). The book offers a comprehensive and candid political assessment of how institutions performed during the pandemic. It explore…

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S4E28 Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law--A Conversation with Janie Nitze 41:48

10M ago41:48

41:48

In the latest episode of Madison’s Notes, I spoke with Janie Nitze, co-author of Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law (Harper, 2004), a book written alongside Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. Janie, a Harvard-educated attorney and former clerk for Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Neil Gorsuch, discussed the growing complexity of laws in Americ…

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S5 - E5: Hands-On Community Agriculture Work with Nicole Shuman of Cornerstone Farm, Part I 18:13

10M ago18:13

18:13

Context is foundational to authentic, experiential learning, and understanding how to build soil health within a landscape context. Hands-on educational activities and programs help students of all ages better understand the context and real-life application of learning objectives, principles, and practices. Nicole Shuman is a community agricultura…

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S4E27 Religious Freedom: A Conversation on the Conservative Tradition with John D. Wilsey 44:10

10M ago44:10

44:10

In this conversation, we sit down with John D. Wilsey, Professor of Church History and Philosophy at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Senior Fellow at the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy, to tackle the urgent and often contentious topic of religious freedom in America. Drawing from his forthcoming book, Religious Freedom: A…