Show-Me Horticulture Podcast

Discovering PhotosynthesisEpisode 5  |  Host: Tiffany McCoy  |  Published: December 18, 2025  |  Runtime: 5:32Listen to Show-Me Horticulture on Spotify & YouTubeAbout This EpisodeIt's the most important chemical reaction on Earth — and most of us learned it as a formula and immediately forgot it. In this episode, Tiffany takes photosynthesis out of the textbook and puts it back where it belongs: in the leaf, the garden, and the food on your plate. From a 17th-century scientist who weighed a willow tree to the ancient cellular event that changed all life on Earth, this episode makes the science of photosynthesis genuinely fascinating. Because when you understand it, you'll never look at a plant the same way again.What You'll LearnWhy Jan van Helmont's 1648 willow tree experiment was centuries ahead of its timeHow Nicolas de Saussure (1804) proved water is an essential ingredient in photosynthesisJoseph Priestley's 1771 discovery: plants produce the oxygen we breatheHow Robert Mayer connected sunlight to stored chemical energy — the law of conservation of energyWhy chlorophyll is the plant's solar panel and how it was finally classifiedEndosymbiosis — the prehistoric 'acquisition' that created the chloroplast and changed all life on EarthHow photosynthesis and cellular respiration form a perfect planet-sized exchange system between plants and animalsWhy fossil fuels are really just ancient, compressed packages of captured sunlightThe full photosynthesis equation and what each part actually meansThe Photosynthesis Equation6CO₂ + 12H₂O + light energy → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ + 6H₂OCarbon dioxide + Water + Light → Glucose + Oxygen + WaterScientists & Discoveries MentionedJan van Helmont (1648) — plant mass comes from water, not soilJoseph Priestley (1771) — plants produce oxygenNicolas Théodore de Saussure (1804) — water is an essential reactantRobert Mayer (1845) — sunlight stored as chemical energy (conservation of energy)20th century — chlorophyll classified as the key photosynthetic pigmentAbout Your HostTiffany McCoy is the host of Show-Me Horticulture and founder of the Show-Me Horticulture pilot farm in northeast Missouri. She is pursuing a B.S. in Sustainable Horticulture at Unity Environmental University and is passionate about connecting people to the food they grow. Every episode is rooted in real Missouri gardens, practical growing advice, and the community that makes local food so meaningful.Connect With Show-Me HorticultureEmail: [email protected] & Facebook: @ShowMeHorticulturePodcast: Spotify & YouTube — search Show-Me Horticulture📦 CSA Sign-Up: show-me-horticulture.polsia.app/#/csaIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Spotify or YouTube — it helps more Missouri gardeners find the show! 🌱

Native Plants, Native Pride!Episode 4 | Host: Tiffany McCoy | Published: November 22, 2025 | Runtime: 9:40Listen to Show-Me Horticulture on Spotify & YouTubeAbout This EpisodeIf you've been battling the same old weeds and the same tired boxwoods, this episode is for you. Tiffany dives into twenty minutes of fast facts and local stories that will fundamentally change how you view your Missouri landscape. She makes the case for ditching high-maintenance non-natives and embracing the thriving, resilient beauty that defines the Show-Me State — from Missouri's 900+ native bee species to the legend of the Sassafras tree to the forgotten fruit that foragers are rediscovering.What You'll LearnWhy Missouri hosts over 900 native bee species — and why they're specialists that need native plants to surviveThe ecological desert hiding in plain sight: your lawn, and what to plant instead (Little Bluestem!)Why Monarchs can't survive without Milkweed — and what you can do about it right nowThe legend of the Sassafras tree — from Ozark folk medicine to one of the New World's first exportsWhy Sassafras has THREE different leaf shapes on the same tree and what wildlife depends on itThe Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) — why you should never cut it back in fallThe Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) — Missouri's forgotten native fruit and how to grow itNative Plants FeaturedLittle Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) — drought-tough prairie grass with 10-foot rootsCommon Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) — the Monarch butterfly's only host plantSassafras (Sassafras albidum) — three leaf shapes, spectacular fall color, Spicebush Swallowtail hostPurple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) — goldfinch magnet, leave seed heads standing all winterPawpaw (Asimina triloba) — largest native fruit in North America, forest understory growerAbout Your HostTiffany McCoy is the host of Show-Me Horticulture and founder of the Show-Me Horticulture pilot farm in northeast Missouri. She is pursuing a B.S. in Sustainable Horticulture at Unity Environmental University and is passionate about connecting people to the food they grow. Every episode is rooted in real Missouri gardens, practical growing advice, and the community that makes local food so meaningful.Connect With Show-Me HorticultureEmail: [email protected] & Facebook: @ShowMeHorticulturePodcast: Spotify & YouTube — search Show-Me Horticulture📦 CSA Sign-Up: show-me-horticulture.polsia.app/#/csaIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Spotify or YouTube — it helps more Missouri gardeners find the show! 🌱

The Roots of Missouri GardeningEpisode 3  |  Host: Tiffany McCoy  |  Published: November 5, 2025  |  Runtime: 6:39Listen to Show-Me Horticulture on Spotify & YouTubeAbout This EpisodeEvery flower bed, every backyard tomato patch, every native prairie restoration has a story beneath the soil. In this episode, Tiffany digs deep — into the historical, ecological, and cultural roots of gardening in Missouri. From the Indigenous Three Sisters planting systems to the Victory Gardens of World War II, from the clay-rich loam of central Missouri to the rocky Ozark soils that shaped an entirely different kind of plant community — this episode explores what it truly means to garden in the Show-Me State.What You'll LearnHow Indigenous peoples like the Osage, Missouria, and Illini practiced sophisticated companion planting thousands of years agoThe 'Three Sisters' system — corn, beans, and squash — and why it still works todayHow European settlers adapted their farming to Missouri's unique clay, loam, and limestone soilsThe role of garden societies, agricultural fairs, and Victory Gardens in shaping Missouri's gardening cultureWhy Missouri sits at a crossroads of ecosystems — prairie, Ozark forest, and river valley — and what that means for gardenersHow native prairie grasses like Big Bluestem send roots 10+ feet deep, building soil and sequestering carbonThe movement to preserve heirloom seeds and why each seed is a time capsule of Missouri historyHow modern Missouri gardeners are blending Indigenous ecological knowledge with contemporary soil scienceAbout Your HostTiffany McCoy is the host of Show-Me Horticulture and founder of the Show-Me Horticulture pilot farm in northeast Missouri. She is pursuing a B.S. in Sustainable Horticulture at Unity Environmental University and is passionate about connecting people to the food they grow. Every episode is rooted in real Missouri gardens, practical growing advice, and the community that makes local food so meaningful.Connect With Show-Me HorticultureEmail: [email protected] & Facebook: @ShowMeHorticulturePodcast: Spotify & YouTube — search Show-Me Horticulture📦 CSA Sign-Up: show-me-horticulture.polsia.app/#/csaIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Spotify or YouTube — it helps more Missouri gardeners find the show! 🌱

Nature's Chemistry: From Life's Building Blocks to Lifesaving MedicinesEpisode 2  |  Host: Tiffany McCoy  |  Published: October 12, 2025  |  Runtime: 9:22Listen to Show-Me Horticulture on Spotify & YouTubeAbout This EpisodeHave you ever thought about how much we owe to the quiet work of plants? In this episode, Tiffany takes a slow walk through a fascinating idea: that the chemistry of life itself is also the chemistry of medicine. From the willow tree that gave us aspirin, to the Pacific yew bark that became a cancer drug, to a humble Chinese herb that changed the story of malaria — plants have been humanity's pharmacy for thousands of years. And it all begins with just six elements: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur.What You'll LearnThe six elements that form life's alphabet and how they build every living thingThe four major families of biological molecules: proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acidsHow plant chemistry directly inspired modern medicine — from aspirin to chemotherapyThe story of willow bark and how it became the world's most widely used drugHow the opium poppy led to both breakthrough painkillers and a cautionary taleThe Pacific yew tree, taxol, and the conservation question it raisedSweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) and how artemisinin transformed malaria treatmentWhy understanding plant molecules means we can recreate them sustainablyPlants & Medicines MentionedWillow (Salix spp.) → Salicin → Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid)Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum) → Morphine & CodeinePacific Yew (Taxus brevifolia) → Taxol (breast & ovarian cancer treatment)Sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) → Artemisinin (antimalarial)About Your HostTiffany McCoy is the host of Show-Me Horticulture and founder of the Show-Me Horticulture pilot farm in northeast Missouri. She is pursuing a B.S. in Sustainable Horticulture at Unity Environmental University and is passionate about connecting people to the food they grow. Every episode is rooted in real Missouri gardens, practical growing advice, and the community that makes local food so meaningful.Connect With Show-Me HorticultureEmail: [email protected] & Facebook: @ShowMeHorticulturePodcast: Spotify & YouTube — search Show-Me Horticulture📦 CSA Sign-Up: show-me-horticulture.polsia.app/#/csaIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Spotify or YouTube — it helps more Missouri gardeners find the show! 🌱

Risky Water Quality in Northeast MissouriEpisode 1 | Host: Tiffany McCoy | Published: October 6, 2025 | Runtime: 5:34Listen to Show-Me Horticulture on Spotify & YouTubeContact DNR(573) 634-2436 or dnr.mo.gov/container-form.htmAbout This EpisodeWhat happens when a major flood leaves behind more than washed-out roads? In this episode, Tiffany McCoy digs into the growing water quality concerns in northeast Missouri — from the orphaned storage containers left behind by the 2019 floods to the ongoing pressure of farm runoff and industrial discharge. More importantly, she connects local contamination to global consequences and shares practical steps every Missourian can take today.What You'll LearnHow the 2019 Missouri floods created an ongoing water contamination crisisThe main sources of water pollution in northeast Missouri — farm runoff, factory discharge, and orphaned containersHow local water pollution connects to regional rivers, the Mississippi system, and global ocean healthThe planetary boundary concept of biogeochemical flow and why it matters to your backyardSimple household steps to reduce exposure to contaminantsHow to report orphaned flood containers to the Missouri DNRHow to get involved in local drinking water decision-makingResources Mentioned📞 Report orphaned flood containers: (573) 634-2436 or dnr.mo.gov/container-form.htmAttend local water quality meetings: call (573) 324-5451🔗 Missouri DNR Water Protection Program📄 Bowling Green Public Water Supply Annual Report🔗 EWG Tap Water DatabaseAbout Your HostTiffany McCoy is the host of Show-Me Horticulture and founder of the Show-Me Horticulture pilot farm in northeast Missouri. She is pursuing a B.S. in Sustainable Horticulture at Unity Environmental University and is passionate about connecting people to the food they grow. Every episode is rooted in real Missouri gardens, practical growing advice, and the community that makes local food so meaningful.Connect With Show-Me HorticultureEmail: [email protected] & Facebook: @ShowMeHorticulturePodcast: Spotify & YouTube — search Show-Me Horticulture📦 CSA Sign-Up: show-me-horticulture.polsia.app/#/csaIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Spotify or YouTube — it helps more Missouri gardeners find the show! 🌱

Climate-Smart Vineyards: Growing Resilient in a Changing WorldEpisode 0 (Pilot) | Host: Tiffany McCoy | Published: October 6, 2025 | Runtime: 6:06Target AudienceVineyard owners, sustainable farmers, climate-conscious growersAbout This EpisodeImagine your vineyard like a fine wine — delicate, resilient, and full of character. But what happens when the climate becomes too hot, too dry, or too unpredictable? In this pilot episode, Tiffany McCoy introduces Show-Me Horticulture with a compelling look at how climate-smart agricultural practices are helping vineyards survive and thrive in the face of climate change. From cover crops in Napa Valley to climate-smart villages in Colombia, this episode makes the science of agricultural resilience practical, inspiring, and actionable.This episode was created as a science communication project through Unity Environmental University's Eco-Literacy for a Sustainable World course — and it became the launch episode that introduced the world to Show-Me Horticulture.What You'll LearnHow California vineyards are facing hotter summers, unpredictable rainfall, and soil degradationWhat climate-smart practices are — and how they turn agricultural challenges into opportunitiesHow cover crops improve soil structure, moisture retention, and vine health (turning dry ground into a sponge)Christina Lopez's real-world story: how cover crops transformed her Napa Valley vineyardHow climate-smart villages in Colombia use improved irrigation, drought-resistant crops, and agroforestry to build resilienceHow cover crops restore the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles that agriculture depends onThe planetary boundaries framework and why farming within natural limits protects both producers and the planetThree actionable steps any grower can take today to start a climate-smart journeyClimate-Smart Practices MentionedCover cropping — planting clover, vetch, or grasses between rows to build soil and retain moistureConservation irrigation — adjusting water use to reduce runoff and drought vulnerabilitySoil health monitoring — tracking organic matter, microbial activity, and compactionAgroforestry — integrating trees with crops to improve shade, habitat, and carbon captureDrought-resistant crop varieties — selecting genetics adapted to warming and variabilityReal-World Examples FeaturedChristina Lopez, Napa Valley vineyard owner — cover crop success story (Wine Enthusiast, 2024)LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards — large-scale cover crop implementationClimate-Smart Villages, Cauca, Colombia — community-wide agricultural resilience (Loboguerrero, 2018)Your 3-Step Call to Action (from the episode)Adopt one practice today — plant cover crops, monitor soil health, or optimize irrigationExperiment and learn — start small, observe results, then expandThink like a climate-smart community — share knowledge, seek extension advice, collaborateAbout Your HostTiffany McCoy is the host of Show-Me Horticulture and founder of the Show-Me Horticulture pilot farm in northeast Missouri. She is pursuing a B.S. in Sustainable Horticulture at Unity Environmental University and is passionate about connecting people to the food they grow. Every episode is rooted in real Missouri gardens, practical growing advice, and the community that makes local food so meaningful.Connect With Show-Me HorticultureEmail: [email protected] & Facebook: @ShowMeHorticulturePodcast: Spotify & YouTube — search Show-Me Horticulture📦 CSA Sign-Up: show-me-horticulture.polsia.app/#/csaIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Spotify or YouTube — it helps more Missouri gardeners find the show! 🌱