© 2026 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The bat scientist and the pecan farmer

Jessica Cornelison
/
KCUR 89.3

A Texas pecan farmer spent years rethinking whether he needed so many chemicals to grow food. He cut back on things like weedkillers, but when it came to ditching insecticides, crop pests posed a challenge. That’s what brought him together with a famous bat scientist — who helped him build an insect-eating army of bats.

This episode was reported by Michael Marks and produced and mixed by Celia Llopis-Jepsen. Up From Dust's editor is Mackenzie Martin.

Resources:

Up From Dust Season 1
I'm the creator of the environmental podcast Up From Dust. I write about how the world is transforming around us, from topsoil loss and invasive species to climate change. My goal is to explain why these stories matter to the Midwest and Great Plains, and to report on the farmers, ranchers, scientists and other engaged people working to make the region more resilient. Email me at celia@kcur.org.
I cover rural issues and agriculture for Harvest Public Media and the Texas Standard, a daily newsmagazine that airs on the state’s NPR stations. You can reach me at mmarks@kut.org.
KCUR is here for Kansas City, because Kansas City is here for KCUR.

Your support makes KCUR's work possible — from reporting that keeps officials accountable, to storytelling that connects our community. You can make sure the future of local journalism is strong.