Bites and Bytes Podcast

Welcome to the Seafood Summer Series 2026 on the Bites and Bytes Podcast, and we are kicking it off with a great one!

Over 120 million tons of seafood are farmed every year. Most people have no idea. And the technology making it happen: AI-powered feeding systems, underwater robots, satellite-connected ocean farms, is advancing faster than the policy and security frameworks trying to keep up with it.  That disconnect is exactly...

Most people have never heard of insect agriculture. By the end of this episode, you’ll wonder how you missed it.

Bites & Bytes Podcast host Kristin King sits down with Dr. Heather Jordan, microbiologist, professor at Mississippi State University, and site director for the NSF-funded Center for Insect Biomanufacturing and Innovation (CIBI), and Cheryl Preyer, the center’s industry liaison and former fast food exe...

She’s back. And she brought a book.

After a quieter stretch on the feed, Kristin King returnsto the Bites & Bytes Podcast with a solo episode to announce what she’s been building behind the scenes: Securing What Feeds Us: Cybersecurity in Food and Agriculture, published by Wiley and available for pre-order now, with an official release date of September 29, 2026.

In this episode, Kristin breaks down what’s insid...

Danielle Jablanski isn’t your typical OT security expert… she studied genocide in Rwanda, analyzed future water wars for her master’s thesis, and once received a phishing text inviting her to eat grilled crocodile on the beach. Now leading STV’s OT cybersecurity consulting program and teaching at both Middlebury Institute and Dallas College, Danielle brings policy depth, technical expertise, and genuine cur...

What happens when we stop asking where our food comes from — and what we lose when we do?

In this season-closing episode of the Bites and Bytes Podcast, your host, Kristin King, sits down with Fiona Delaney, an award-winning agri-food technologist and founder of Origin Chain Network, for a reflective, story-driven conversation about food systems, agriculture, technology, and trust.

Recognized across Europe for her work at the i...

In this episode, Kristin King sits down with Serg Masis, a data scientist at Syngenta, to explore how AI, data, and digital agronomy are reshaping modern agriculture (Agronomy is the science of how crops are grown—soil, climate, plants, and farming practices working together).

Serg brings an engineering mindset to AI, explaining it less like science fiction and more like a murder mystery,  where multiple pe...

What does a deep fake phone call scamming your grandma have to do with food manufacturing?
More than you think.

In this episode of Bites and Bytes Podcast, host Kristin King and James Slaby discuss the operational technology challenges in food production—from legacy systems running Windows XP to ransomware threats when production lines go down.

James is Director of OT Solutions GTM at Acronis and brings over 20 years of ...

Why does your avocado cost $3? And what does that have to do with climate change, cybersecurity, and geopolitical conflict? In this fascinating conversation, host Kristin King sits down with Francisco Martin-Rayo to connect dots most of us never see, revealing how our food system is far more fragile and interconnected than we realize.

Francisco's journey is unconventional: from studying radicalization in refugee camps in Yemen, Pak...

In this episode of the Bites and Bytes Podcast, host Kristin Demoranville sits down with Jake Leguee, a third-generation farmer from Saskatchewan, Canada, to explore the intersection of tradition, technology, and risk in modern agriculture.

From “tractor naps” as a kid to operating GPS-guided combines, Jake reveals how precision agriculture has transformed aspects of farm life. However, with increased connectivity comes...

On this episode of Bites and Bytes Podcast, Kristin Demoranville talks with Kylie McClanahan, Chief Technology Officer at Bastazo, about what food and agriculture can learn from the electric utility sector. With nearly a decade of experience in the electric utility sector and a PhD in computer science, Kylie brings a systems-thinking perspective to securing the technology that underpins food and agriculture.

From chicken houses and...

In this episode of the Bites and Bytes Podcast, host Kristin Demoranville sits down with Gerry Friesen, also known as The Recovering Farmer. Gerry grew up on a grain and poultry farm in Manitoba, Canada, later running a hog operation with his brother, before transitioning into mediation and mental health advocacy. His personal journey through financial challenges, anxiety, and depression led him to co-found the Manitoba Farmer Well...

Most people talk about farming. This time, we talk with someone living it.

Kristin Demoranville sits down with Jonathan Lawler, also known as the Punk Rock Farmer. He’s a full-time American farmer based in Indiana, a food security advocate, and an agricultural filmmaker who doesn’t pull punches.

Jonathan doesn’t speak in soundbites; he tells stories. About what happens when operational tech fails. About the emotio...

What does it take to build a cybersecurity workforce capable of protecting the systems that keep the lights on and food on our plates?

In this episode, host Kristin Demoranville is joined by Nathaniel Smith, Co-Founder and VP at SR2, a purpose-driven recruitment firm. Nathaniel, who specializes in hiring OT/ICS, brings over 14 years of recruiting experience and a refreshing dose of honesty to the challenges of hiring in critical in...

In this episode of Bites and Bytes Podcast, Kristin sits down with Colson Steber, co-CEO of Qlarity Access, Ag Access, CEO of Vet Access, and a voice for intentional, human-centered innovation in agriculture.  With nearly two decades of experience conducting market research for some of the biggest names in agriculture, Colson shares why understanding farmers is essential before offering them another piece of tech.

Together, th...

What does it really take to launch a perishable food brand that refuses to cut corners?  

In this episode of The Bites and Bytes Podcast, host Kristin Demoranville talks with Camille Hardy, founder and CEO of Chunky Vegan, about building a baby food company that blends clean ingredients, operational resilience, and cybersecurity from the ground up.

Camille brings decades of experience from Disney, NBCUniversal, and Sony Pictur...

Why do most new food products fail, and what does AI have to do with it?

In this episode of the Bites and Bytes Podcast, you host, Kristin Demoranville,  is joined by Andreas Duess, co-founder of GoCPG and CEO of 6 Seeds, to unpack what’s really driving the food and beverage industry right now.  

Spoiler: it’s not just taste trends or fancy branding.  Its behavior, data, and decisions are made without pro...

In this compelling episode of the Bites and Bytes Podcast, host Kristin Demoranville sits down with Tracy Brunet, cattle rancher, Canadian Ag media powerhouse, and host of The Impact Farming Show. Broadcasting from her family farm in Southeastern Manitoba, Tracy opens up about the realities of modern agriculture, including land pressures, succession planning, tech adoption, and how family farms are quietly being squeezed out.

Toget...

💡 What can the food industry learn from 25+ years of defense cybersecurity experience?

In this episode of the Bites and Bytes Podcast, host Kristin Demoranville talks with Brian Schleifer, a cybersecurity expert with a career spanning the U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense systems, and advanced cyber-physical risk management.  Together, they unpack how the principles of defense cybersecurity, from risk modeling to system r...

What happens when cyber threats hit critical infrastructure?

In this episode of the Bites and Bytes Podcast, host Kristin Demoranville sits down with Tom Sego, a cybersecurity leader with a fascinating background from chemical engineering to Apple to professional poker, now focused on making security simpler and more effective for critical infrastructure as CEO at Blastwave.

Cyber risks in critical industries are real, but so are t...