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Smarty Plants: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Smarty Plants is a podcast exploring invasive insects and noxious weeds that threaten Minnesota’s natural and agricultural resources. Experts from the MDA’s Plant Protection Division cover important topics engaging the public in efforts to protect our environment.
Latest Episodes
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- 1 weeks ago36 min
Weeding Through Changes
This year brought changes to the Minnesota Noxious Weed List. Listen to weed experts Emilie Justen from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Dr. Jim Calkins from the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association and learn what changes to the list mean, how changes are made, and why it continues to evolve. Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-plants for more episodes. Look for a new episode of Smarty Plants...
- Apr 17, 202642 min
Garden Smarter, Not Harder
After our long Minnesota winter, many of us are itching to get outside and work on our gardens, or put some new plants in the ground. Set yourself up for success this gardening season with this episode of Smarty Plants, featuring tips and tricks from MDA staff Michelle Grabowski, Plant Disease Specialist and Allen Sommerfeld UMN Extension Master Gardener and MDA Communications Director. Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/pla...
- Mar 20, 202646 min
Buckthorn: There is Light at the End of the Tunnel
As one of the most aggressive and invasive plants threatening Minnesota, buckthorn is a major problem in urban and rural forest alike. Managing a buckthorn infestation can make many go from pulling plants to pulling out their own hair, as the plant appears never stops growing and popping up in new places. However, Mike Schuster and Lee Frelich, buckthorn experts, join this episode of the podcast to make the seemingly impossible, possible. Listen in to learn tips and tricks for successfully ma...
- Feb 23, 202632 min
Bee the Change
Having a perfectly manicured lawn in your front yard is often a goal for many homeowners. But all that freshly mowed grass doesn't make a great habitat for Minnesota’s pollinators. Dan Shaw and Erin Loeffler join us from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources to discuss pollinators and the Lawns to Legumes program. This program is helping the public rebuild pollinator habitats in Minnesota. Listen in to find out how you can Bee the Change. Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota...
- Jan 22, 202636 min
Consumer Protections on the Smallest Scale
Sitting down with a big bowl of salad or admiring the beauty of our plants, it isn't always in the forefront of our minds where those things came from, a tiny little seed. Lucky for us it is a priority for MDA staff members that work in our seed unit. Michael Merriman and Shane Blair from the MDA seed team join us today to describe the in-depth work that goes into seed sale in Minnesota and everything that is done to keep customers safe. Michael also recalls a seed conundrum of 2020 whe...
- Dec 18, 202535 min
Managing Eco-Anxiety
The environment around us is changing. Invasive plants and pests affect native species, the climate is different, and major weather events are happening more frequently. Watching these rapid changes can seem create feelings of worry. On this episode of Smarty Plants, Host Jennifer Burington joins Angie Gupta from the University of Minnesota Extension office to put a name to those feelings: eco-anxiety, and walks us through important ways to cope. Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minne...
- Nov 20, 202533 min
Shop Local - Even for Your Holiday Tree!
Listen in to hear all the benefits for purchasing a real locally grown holiday tree. John Krueger, a Minnesota Christmas tree grower, and Rachel Wandrei of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Minnesota Grown program give tips and tricks to shopping local and caring for your holiday tree. Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-plants for more episodes. Look for a new episode of Smarty Plants every month.
- Oct 24, 202544 min
Creepy Crawlies
Spiders tend to elicit fear from people. Their eight legs, extra eyes, fast moves, and love for dark, hidden places can be startling. However, the wonderful world of spiders isn't as scary as it seems. Angie Ambourn with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Chad Hiens from Bethany Lutheran College join host Jennifer Burrington to discuss spiders in Minnesota and help calm our fears a bit on this episode of Smarty Plants. Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of ...
About Smarty Plants
Smarty Plants is a podcast exploring invasive insects and noxious weeds that threaten Minnesota’s natural and agricultural resources. Experts from the MDA’s Plant Protection Division cover important topics engaging the public in efforts to protect our environment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's Smarty Plants daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Smarty Plants as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
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When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
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No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
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How often does Smarty Plants release new episodes?
Smarty Plants publishes monthly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does Smarty Plants cover?
Smarty Plants covers topics including Leisure, Science, Government, Garden, Nature, Home & Garden. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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