From the Almond Man to live-play D&D, here are five Fresno-based podcasts to hear now

Russell Harris isn’t a podcast guy.

In fact before his son-in-law introduced him to the format, the farmer/ag businessman didn’t even know what a podcast was. His experience in recorded media ended with his days playing college ball, when he would get to do interviews from time to time.

But if Harris learned anything turning his family farm into a large, vertically-integrated agricultural operation, it’s the importance of being proactive. “You’re either in front with your business or you’re behind,” says Harris, who runs Harris Family Enterprises out of the Gottschalks building in Madera.

So, he built a studio inside the office that he and his staff could use to record videos and the like. At first, it was used for informational stuff mostly, targeting the region’s young growers in a format they understood.

That was until Harris realized podcasting was actually kinda fun.

Last week, Harris launched The Almond Man Podcast, a weekly show that serves as a sneak peek into his life and the lives of other prominent Fresno farmers, entrepreneurs and business people.

“I decided to launch this podcast to inform growers on what is going on in the almond business while also adding a little flair of my life,” Harris says.

In its first episode, Harris chronicles his family’s origin story in the Valley. The second episode, released on Monday, features former Fresno State football coach Pat Hall. Future episodes will include Fresno Mayor-elect Jerry Dyer and controversial restaurateur Dave Fansler.

While Harris serves as interviewer, the episodes tend to unfold like conversations among friends hanging out.

“It leaves so many openings for you to tell stories,” Harris says.

“I’m still trying to master that art.”

Right now, the podcast is building a backlog of episodes with season one planed for 30 weeks or so.

The Almond Man Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Listen if you want to: Sit in on prominent Fresnans swapping stories.

The Almond Man is not the only podcast that’s come out of the Fresno area the past few years. A quick Google search (and also this Reddit post) brings up a good list. Church podcasts seem plentiful, especially in COVID times.

Here’s a brief look at four other Fresno-based podcasts to put in your playlist.

Favored Terrain

Last year, John Graham and a crew of six players started gathering around a table at his house for two to three hours each Sunday to play Dungeons & Dragons. They recorded the sessions and edited them into 30- to 45-minute episodes released in podcast form under the name Favored Terrain.

That’s an inside-joke for hardcore fans of the long-standing role-playing game.

The group completed its first campaign (four episodes are streaming now) before the coronavirus derailed their plans some, though members of the group have hosted other one-off role-playing campaigns on the livestream gaming platform Twitch.

Favored Terrain can be found at www.favoredpod.com.

For fans of: Role-playing and/or generalized gaming.

Clothes Minded

The Clothes Minded Podcast sells itself as “conversations rooted in topics for the kids who care about what they wear.”

Hosted by Sam Hansen and Kirk James, the podcast explores the history, evolution and cultural impact of fashion, with a particular focus on street wear.

Hansen is the guy behind the merchandising and marketing at the Fresno Grizzlies. He also created T-shirts designs for no-less than Kanye West and just reopened his street wear shop FTK (which previously had locations in Visalia and on Black Avenue in Fresno).

James is a graphic designer who has created a run of decidedly pro-Fresno gear and, along with partner Cassey James, started the downtown boutique Root.

In five episodes, the pair have broken down everything from T-shirts and leather jackets to camouflage.

As a bonus, the podcast often has exclusive access to merchandise available at FTK.

Clothes Minded can be found on Apple Podcasts or clothesminded.libsyn.com.

Fan fans of: Nerd-level knowledge of fashions you won’t find at the mall or national retail store.

Two Guys Talkin’ Fresno

The concept is in the name on this one.

Two Guys Talkin’ Fresno is two people — Craig Scharton and Paul Swearengin — in discussion about the challenges and shortcomings that face the community. Plus, they invite guests.

Over the past two years, the guys have talked with everyone from Cornerstone Church pastor Jim Franklin, to artists Robert Ogata and Mark Rodriguez and former Fresno Bee environmental reporter Mark Grossi.

It helps that the two guys happen to know Fresno better than most. Scharton is an ex-Fresno City councilmember and nonprofit CEO who was a downtown business owner (for those who remember Peeve’s Public House). Swearengin is a longtime Fresno talk show host and pastor and husband of former Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, with whom he runs another podcast, Non-Partisan Evangelical.

Two Guys Talking Fresno can be found on Apple Podcasts or twoguysfresno.blubrry.net

For fans of: Local matters that matter.

Devin Nunes Podcast

This is the informational arm for the Devin Nunes campaign.

The podcast, which is updated multiple times each week, is mostly the kind of political talk one would expect from Nunes, who has made headlines as the long-time representative of California’s 22nd congressional district. Per the podcast intro: “Breaking through the political noise. Separating fact from fiction. From the San Joaquin Valley, breadbasket of the solar system, here’s your host, Devin Nunes.”

There is some non-political content, which, according to Bee columnist Marek Warszawski can be surprisingly interesting and informative — how the U.S. Navy during World War II lost more ships, planes and seamen to a single typhoon than to any battle after Pearl Harbor.

The Devin Nunes Podcast can be found on YouTube, or at www.devinnunes.com.

Listen if you want to: Knowing what’s going on in the world of Devin Nunes.

This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 1:30 PM.