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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 ago40 min
Your Pest Questions
On this special episode of Smarty Plants, three experts from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture - Angie Ambourn, Michelle Grabowski, and Emilie Justen - sit down to answer your questions about pests. Listeners had the opportunity to submit questions about insects, diseases, and weeds at the Minnesota State Fair. Listen in to hear the answers to several questions that were on the minds of fair goers. Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.m...
- Sep 18, 202643 min
A Safe Food Supply is Common Ground
Farmers have a great responsibility of feeding the world. A big part of ensuring the health and safety of our food supply is pest management on farms. Two farmers, Erin Stackhouse and Hannah Hernke from the organization CommonGround Minnesota join us on Smarty Plants. They discuss the importance of pest management, the ways they manage pests, and the massive amount of work and planning that goes into it all. Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit w...
- Aug 19, 202627 min
EAB: There is No Silver Bullet
Emerald ash borer (EAB) was first detected in Minnesota in 2009. Over the last 17 years of management efforts EAB has kept everyone on their toes as we have prepared for its inevitable arrival throughout Minnesota. EAB experts Jonathan Osthus and Mark Abrahamson join this episode of Smarty Plants giving a look back when EAB first arrived and what has transpired since. Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/smarty-...
- Jul 24, 202635 min
Teamwork Tackles Tree of Heaven
Tree of Heaven, a high priority noxious weed, was discovered for the first time in Dakota County in 2025. Host Jennifer Burington talks with MDA weed scientist Tony Cortilet and Loni Anderson of the Minnesota Department of Transportation about its accidental discovery, the team effort happening to eradicate the problem, and how you can be on the look out for tree of heaven and other noxious weed in Minnesota on this episode of Smarty Plants. Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota ...
- Jun 24, 202649 min
Small Fly, Big Trouble
Just as berry season is approaching peak deliciousness in Minnesota, we zoom in and take a look at a tiny pest that causes problems for berry growers on this episode of Smarty Plants. Berry experts Mary Rogers from the University of Minnesota and Andy Petran, owner of Twin Cities Berry Company discuss the invasive spotted wing drosophila fly and the work being done to keep our berries dazzling and delicious. Smarty Plants is a podcast of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Visit w...
- May 26, 202636 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...
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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.
Is this an official Smarty Plants product?
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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