One to Grow On

Understanding how food production impacts ourselves and our world

About

One to Grow On is a podcast where we dig into questions about agriculture and try to understand how food production impacts us and our world. Each episode, hosts Hallie and Chris pick an area of agriculture or food production to discuss. Listen for plant facts, dad jokes, and the stories behind your food.

One to Grow On is an older kid-friendly podcast that is safe and appropriate for listeners of all ages. There are a few clearly marked episodes that contain content that may not be suitable for all ages.

Meet the Team

brunette girl half smiles in front of trees

Hallie Casey is a One to Grow On host and producer. She is a native Texan and passionate about agriculture and the people that practice it. Her passion for science communication began at the age of 12 when she co-founded Discover Green, a statewide non-profit focused on promoting youth leadership in environmental activism. In her career, she has grown these skills through work in agricultural extension, including at the Horticulture Innovation Lab and Navajo Technical University.

Hallie earned a bachelor’s in agribusiness from Texas State University and a master’s in International Agricultural Development at the University of California, Davis. She now lives in Austin, Texas where she works on local supply chain and value chain coordination at the Sustainable Food Center. While not working, she enjoys gardening, swing dancing, and lemon tarts.

Chris popping out of a window in a production of Taming of the Shrew

Chris Casey is a host of One to Grow On. A long-time lover of podcasts, he is thrilled to be learning about agriculture from his daughter along with the audience. Chris is a computer software engineer and semi-professional stage actor. Previously, he hosted the podcast eBook Ninjas. Chris lives in his hometown, Austin, Texas. When not podcasting, acting, or coding, Chris enjoys perfecting his smoked brisket recipe.

Our Story

two girls making faces in the back seat of a car
Catherine and Hallie, March of 2009

Throughout her years in the industry, friends, family, and virtual strangers alike repeatedly asked Hallie the same few questions about agriculture. She recognized that there wasn’t a lot of basic agricultural and plant science education available to the general public.

So she called Catherine, her long-time best friend, and couldn’t stop talking about the idea. Catherine was immediately on-board and they began scheming.

A young Hallie sits in Chris's lap while they both wear Troy Aikman jerseys
Chris and Hallie, January 1997.

After months of planning and research, Hallie and Catherine had decided to create a podcast, and the next step was finding a co-host. They were nervous that they wouldn’t find someone else who was as interested in the topic and excited to learn about it, but after Hallie got into a long conversation with her dad about the “organic” and “natural” labels, it was obvious he was the perfect choice.

Chris signed on and production began. After two years of working with Hallie and Chris on One to Grow On, Catherine had to step away from her role as producer on the show to pursue her dreams of global policy work.

Now, One to Grow On is a two-person operation with the goal of open and honest learning out loud.