Super Smart Farm Show

This week on the Super Smart Farm Show, we're figuring out how to crack open an egg-related mystery without cracking any actual eggs.
When it comes to what's inside a chicken egg, there are two options: a chick or a yolk. But how can you be sure which might be lurking within that egg? When you crack an egg for breakfast, is there a chance there might be a chick inside? And how can farmers know which eggs have chicks and which eggs just have yolks?
Join host Elmer and Henrietta the chicken as they discuss the how farmers know egg-sactly what's inside.
Do you have a question for the Super Smart Farm Show? Drop us a line at supersmart@lancasterfarming.com!
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Fulton Bank
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In this episode of the Super Smart Farm Show, Elmer visits Farmer Wendy's farm to talk with Henrietta the Chicken about why some eggs develop into baby chicks while others become the eggs we eat for breakfast. Inspired by a question from young listener Madeline, the episode explores the differences between fertilized and unfertilized chicken eggs, explaining that hens can lay eggs without a rooster, but fertilization is necessary for an egg to potentially develop into a chick. Young listeners learn how roosters play a role in chicken reproduction and why fertilized eggs need the right temperature and conditions to hatch, either through a hen sitting on her eggs or by using an incubator. The show explains that chicken eggs typically take about 21 days to hatch and explores how poultry farmers manage their flocks to produce eggs for eating or raising baby chicks. Kids also discover how often hens lay eggs, why farmers collect eggs at least once a day, and how proper egg collection helps keep eggs clean, fresh and safe. The episode follows the journey of eggs from chicken coops to grocery stores, restaurants and home kitchens, introducing children to poultry farming, egg production, chicken reproduction, egg incubation and farm animal care. Interactive multiple-choice quiz questions reinforce key lessons about fertilization, egg collection and whether hens need roosters to lay eggs, making this a fun, educational introduction to how chickens lay eggs and how baby chicks are born.

This week on the Super Smart Farm Show, we're taking a trip down the dairy aisle to figure out why there are so many different types of milk.
If you've walked through the dairy section recently, you might have noticed there's more than one kind of milk. In fact, it seems like there's a whole wall of milk options available to dairy lovers: whole milk, skim milk, 2% milk, lactose-free milk and more. But how do we get all those different types? How does milk from a cow become so many different products?
Join host Elmer and Bessie the cow as they discuss how we get all those different types of milk — including chocolate.
Do you have a question for the Super Smart Farm Show? Drop us a line at supersmart@lancasterfarming.com!
Thank You to Our Sponsor
Fulton Bank
For More Lancaster Farming Podcasts Click Here
In this episode of the Super Smart Farm Show, Elmer and Bessie the Cow explore why grocery store dairy cases offer so many different types of milk and explain what common milk carton labels mean. Young listeners learn how pasteurization uses heat to kill harmful bacteria and help milk stay fresh, including the differences between traditional pasteurization and ultra-pasteurization. The episode also explains why health experts recommend pasteurized milk and discusses the risks associated with drinking raw milk. Elmer and Bessie introduce homogenization, the process of breaking milk fat into tiny droplets so cream stays mixed throughout the milk, and explain how cream-top milk differs from homogenized milk. Kids discover what the fat percentages on whole milk, 2% reduced-fat milk, 1% low-fat milk and skim milk mean, and learn how dairy processors use separators to remove cream and adjust milk fat content. The conversation also explores how lactose-free milk is made by adding the enzyme lactase, what makes organic milk different, how chocolate and strawberry milk are flavored, and how plant-based drinks made from oats, almonds and soy differ from cow's milk. Interactive quiz questions reinforce key lessons about pasteurization, homogenization, milk fat and the scientist Louis Pasteur. The episode offers a kid-friendly introduction to dairy farming, milk processing, food safety, nutrition and the science behind the many milk choices available at the grocery store.

Grab your magnifying glasses, super sleuths! This week on the Super Smart Farm Show, we're asking for your help in figuring out a super smart mystery: Who's been eating Elmer's pumpkins?
Someone's been nibbling at Elmer's pumpkins. The clues: smalls tracks around the pumpkins, no damage to the leaves and stems and plenty of bite marks in the fruit. Was it Henrietta the chicken looking for something sweeter than a grub? Or was it was Gilbert the goat, looking for a fun snack? Or perhaps it's a sneaky third option?
Join host Elmer and farmer Clementine as they get to the bottom of this super smart mystery.
Do you have a question for the Super Smart Farm Show? Drop us a line at supersmart@lancasterfarming.com!
Thank You to Our Sponsor
Fulton Bank
For More Lancaster Farming Podcasts Click Here
In this episode of the Super Smart Farm Show, Elmer and Clementine investigate a garden mystery to discover what has been eating Elmer's pumpkins. With help from Ollie, they question three suspects: Henrietta the chicken, Gilbert the goat and Riley the rabbit. Young listeners learn about herbivores, animals that eat plants, and how their feeding habits can help farmers identify which animals may be damaging crops. By examining bite marks, plant damage and animal tracks, Elmer and Clementine discover that Riley the rabbit has been nibbling on the pumpkins because rabbits naturally seek out vegetables and other plants for food. The episode explores how farmers and gardeners can protect vegetable gardens from hungry wildlife, including using fences and other barriers to keep rabbits, groundhogs, deer and other animals away from crops. Interactive quiz questions reinforce lessons about herbivores, animal feeding behaviors and ways to prevent crop damage. Through this fun farm mystery, kids learn about vegetable gardening, pumpkin plants, wildlife, crop protection and the problem-solving skills farmers use every day to care for their crops and keep their farms running smoothly.

This week on the Super Smart Farm Show, we're not sheepish about wondering whether it's better for lambs to be born in the winter or spring.
On most farms, lambing season — the time when lambs are born — happens in either the winter or the spring. But is one more preferrable to the other? Do winter lambs really get a jump on their spring siblings? And how do farmers decide which season is better for them?
Join host Elmer and Wally the sheep as they figure out the right time for lambing season in two shakes of a lamb's tail.
Do you have a question for the Super Smart Farm Show? Drop us a line at supersmart@lancasterfarming.com!
Thank You to Our Sponsor
Fulton Bank
For More Lancaster Farming Podcasts Click Here
In this episode of the Super Smart Farm Show, Elmer visits Farmer Clementine's farm to talk with Wally the wool sheep about winter lambing versus spring lambing. Inspired by a question from young listeners Rowan and Ethan, the episode explores the advantages and challenges of raising lambs in different seasons. Kids learn why winter lambing can be a good choice for farmers preparing sheep for summer livestock shows at local 4-H and FFA fairs, as winter-born lambs have more time to grow and may experience fewer parasite problems when they move to pasture. The show also explains the challenges of winter lambing, including cold temperatures, the need for adequate indoor barn space and the importance of monitoring sheep for disease. Through Wally's conversation with Elmer, young listeners discover the benefits of spring lambing, when fresh pasture grass provides a natural food source, potentially reducing feed costs and giving farmers more options for where lambs are born. The episode also highlights the importance of pasture management to ensure sheep and lambs have access to good-quality forage. Interactive quiz questions reinforce key lessons about lambing seasons, barn safety and what lambs eat, introducing children to sheep farming, lamb care, livestock shows, pasture management and the everyday decisions farmers make to keep their animals healthy.

This week on the Super Smart Farm Show, we're tossing aside our rulers and learning how to measure horses and ponies — in hands.
How tall are you? Forty inches? Three feet tall? Ten hands tall? Wait, what? Humans are usually measured in feet or inches, but horses and ponies get measured in hands. But why? How big is a hand? And why do we use hands instead legs or feet or other body parts?
Join host Elmer and Poppy the pony as they discuss why horses and ponies are measured in hands and why that might be starting to change.
Do you have a question for the Super Smart Farm Show? Drop us a line at supersmart@lancasterfarming.com!
Thank You to Our Sponsor
Fulton Bank
For More Lancaster Farming Podcasts Click Here
In this episode of the Super Smart Farm Show, Elmer and Poppy the Pony explore how horses and ponies are measured in hands rather than feet and inches. Young listeners learn that one hand equals four inches and that ponies measure 14.2 hands or less, while taller equines are considered horses. The episode explains the history of horse height measurement, from ancient cultures that used body parts as measuring tools to King Henry VIII, who standardized the horse hand at four inches in the 1540s. Elmer and Poppy discuss why the traditional measurement is still used in the equestrian world, including when buying, selling, breeding and showing horses, while also exploring the growing use of the metric system and meters in international horse competitions. Interactive quiz questions reinforce key facts about horse height, measurement conversions and the origins of the horse hand. To put their new knowledge into practice, listeners learn how to calculate their own height in hands by dividing their height in inches by four. This kid-friendly episode introduces horse care, equine science, pony measurements, measurement history, math skills and equestrian traditions through fun farm conversations and educational questions.