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Natural Sciences · Cindy Hicks/ISU Seed Science Center

GermiNation

by Cindy Hicks/ISU Seed Science Center

Welcome to GermiNation—the podcast where seeds tell their stories. I’m your host, Cindy Hicks, coming to you from the Iowa State University Seed Science Center, a global leader in seed research, education, and outreach. Each episode, we dig into the beauty, wonder, and science of seeds—those tiny powerhouses at the heart of agriculture, biodiversity, and global food security. Through conversations with scientists, farmers, industry leaders, and changemakers around the world, we explore how seeds connect us, sustain us, and shape our future. This is GermiNation—where every great story starts with a seed.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

GermiNation S2E9 Seeds After the Storm: Helping Jamaica Grow Again

After Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica’s agriculture, farmers urgently needed quality seed to rebuild. Discover how Jamaican agricultural leaders, High Mowing Organic

Sep 11
37 min

Audio only: GermiNation S2E9 Seeds After the Storm: Helping Jamaica Grow Again

After Hurricane Melissa devastated Jamaica’s agriculture, farmers urgently needed quality seed to rebuild. Discover how Jamaican agricultural leaders, High Mowing Organic

Aug 25
37 min

Getting to the Root of the Fertilizer Problem: How Nitrogen-Efficient Flax Could Help Farmers Grow More with Less

Can crops produce strong yields with less fertilizer? As fertilizer prices rise and concerns grow about nutrient runoff and greenhouse gas emissions, researchers are look

Aug 19
22 min

GermiNation S2, E7 One Acre, Two Paychecks: The Promise of Relay Cropping Part 2 of 2 (Audio only)

Today's episode is Part Two of our special series from the Relay Cropping Field Day at Iowa State University's Sorenson Research Farm. In Part One, we learned about the p

Jul 9
43 min

GermiNation S2, E7 One Acre, Two Paychecks: The Promise of Relay Cropping Part 2 of 2

Today's episode is Part Two of our special series from the Relay Cropping Field Day at Iowa State University's Sorenson Research Farm. In Part One, we learned about the p

Jul 9
43 min

Audio only: GermiNation S2E7 - One Acre, Two Paychecks The Promise of Relay Cropping (Part 1 of 2)

Today on GermiNation, we're exploring one of the most innovative approaches in modern crop production: relay cropping. Researchers at Iowa State University are studying h

Jun 10
33 min

GermiNation S2E7 - One Acre, Two Paychecks: The Promise of Relay Cropping (Part 1 of 2)

Today on GermiNation, we're exploring one of the most innovative approaches in modern crop production: relay cropping. Researchers at Iowa State University are studying h

Jun 10
33 min

Audio only: GermiNation S2E6 - Planting Policy: How the Farm Bill Impacts the Seed Industry with Janae Brady

What does the new Farm Bill mean for the future of the U.S. seed industry? On this episode of GermiNation, host Cindy Hicks sits down with Janae Brady, Vice President of

May 18
22 min

GermiNation S2E6 - Planting Policy: How the Farm Bill Impacts the Seed Industry with Janae Brady

What does the new Farm Bill mean for the future of the U.S. seed industry? On this episode of GermiNation, host Cindy Hicks sits down with Janae Brady, Vice President of

May 18
22 min

Seeds of Resilience: Strengthening Africa’s Future with African Seed Trade Association Secretary General Yacouba Diallo

In this episode of GermiNation, host Cindy Hicks sits down with Yacouba Diallo, Secretary General of the African Seed Trade Association, to explore the powerful role of s

May 5
33 min

Audio only: GermiNation S2E4: The Future of Seeds Starts Here — Dr. Susana Goggi on Legacy, Leadership, and the Next Generation

  As she prepares to retire, Susana Goggi reflects on a remarkable career shaping the science—and the people—behind seed technology. In this episode of GermiNation, Dr.

Apr 14
45 min

GermiNation S2E4: The Future of Seeds Starts Here — Dr. Susana Goggi on Legacy, Leadership, and the Next Generation

  As she prepares to retire, Susana Goggi reflects on a remarkable career shaping the science and the people behind seed technology. In this episode of GermiNation, Dr.

Apr 14
45 min

Audio Only: GermiNation S2E3: The 80-Year-Old Startup: Jim Schweigert on Education, Agility, and Family Roots in the Seed Industry

What does it take for a family seed company to thrive for more than 80 years in an industry increasingly dominated by global giants?   In this episode of GermiNation, h

Mar 3
21 min

GermiNation S2E3: The 80-Year-Old Startup: Jim Schweigert on Education, Agility, and Family Roots in the Seed Industry

What does it take for a family seed company to thrive for more than 80 years in an industry increasingly dominated by global giants?   In this episode of GermiNation, h

Mar 3
21 min

From Seed to Certification: Becoming a Registered Seed Technologist - GermiNation S2E2 Audio Only -

What does it really take to become a Registered Seed Technologist (RST), and why does the credential matter more than ever? In this episode of GermiNation, we sit down w

Feb 2
28 min

GermiNation S2E2 - From Seed to Certification: Becoming a Registered Seed Technologist

What does it really take to become a Registered Seed Technologist (RST), and why does the credential matter more than ever? In this episode of GermiNation, we sit down w

Feb 2
28 min

Germination E1, S2 - Leading the Seed Industry Forward: Insights from ASTA and the Seed Association of the Americas

In this episode of GermiNation, we bring together two influential voices in the global seed industry. We sit down with Andy LaVigne, President and CEO of the American See

Jan 12
47 min

GermiNation S1E5 From days to a day: A testing breakthrough in the battle against Goss's Wilt

On this episode of GermiNation, we’re joined by a scientist working at the forefront of molecular seed diagnostics: Jeffrey Williams, research scientist at Iowa State Uni

Dec 5 2025
23 min

GermiNation S1E2: The Seeds That Connect Us (Audio Only)

In this episode of GermiNation, We explore the seeds that connect us -  we’re taking you to the Seed Savers Exchange annual conference and 50th anniversary celebration fo

Nov 20 2025
47 min

GermiNation E4S1: "The past, the present, and the future of feeding the world one seed at a time."

In this episode of GermiNation, we take you inside the 2025 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue — where innovation, legacy, and global collaboration take center stage. I si

Nov 3 2025
56 min

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