Category Archives: Farming

Organic Food’s Sticky Wicket

Posted on July 17, 2017 by

When people think of local food, most have seasonal sweet corn and tomatoes in mind. That hasn’t changed much in years. The quest for good-tasting food that does no harm has also been around for a long time. Organic food … Continue reading →

Posted in Farming, Local Food, Organic Foods & Farming, politics | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Iowa Water Quality And Confirmation Bias

Posted on April 5, 2017 by

Progressives, farmers and environmentalists heard there is movement in the Iowa legislature to fund water quality and ears perked up — a natural impulse to interpret new events as supporting something we already believe or are working on, also known … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Farming, water | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Will Mexico Stop Buying US Corn?

Posted on February 18, 2017 by

A quiet shot across the unbuilt wall was fired Monday from Mexico City when Senator Armando Rios Piter said he would introduce a bill that would end the purchase of corn from the US. This is in response to some … Continue reading →

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How SILT Creates Farming Opportunities For Young Iowans

Posted on December 30, 2016 by

Sustainable Iowa Land Trust Meet Ben. Ben grew up in Cedar Falls, but after a stint volunteering on a farm decided to dedicate his life to it. He didn’t see Iowa offering the opportunity he was looking for, so he … Continue reading →

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Watch Tom Vilsack Explain What Hillary Clinton Will Do For Rural America

Posted on November 3, 2016 by

Thom Hartmann also asked Vilsack why Iowa is the only state where virtually all of the Republican elected officials have come out and aggressively endorsed Donald Trump. Watch the video for Vilsack’s candid response.  

Posted in 2016 Election Campaign, Farming | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

An Iowa Onion Trimmer

Posted on August 19, 2016 by

Between picture perfect onions and the compost heap lies an opportunity. A friend grows onions using organic practices as part of a Community Supported Agriculture project. Onions are harvested from the field then dried in the greenhouse for storage. Sorting, … Continue reading →

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Majority of Iowa Waterways Exceed Drinkable Nitrate Limit

Posted on May 6, 2016 by

IowaEnvironmentalFocus.org KC McGinnis | May 3, 2016 Data from the Iowa Water Quality Information System (IWQIS) shows that more than half of Iowa’s waterways being recorded currently exceed the nitrate threshold of 10 mg/l, with several outpacing levels from previous … Continue reading →

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Eaters Must Join Farmers To Reclaim America’s Food System

Posted on March 27, 2016 by

Every Iowan should listen to this talk about CAFOs and how they get away with it. There is hope through collective action. Click here to find out how to join the fight in Iowa. “Corporations, which should be the carefully … Continue reading →

Posted in Factory Farms (CAFOs), Farming, food | 1 Comment

How China Came To Own Iowa’s Land And Politics

Posted on February 23, 2016 by

https://harpers.org/2016/the-trouble-with-iowa Starting with the suit by Des Moines Water Works over farm pollution in Des Moines’ drinking water that is now in federal court, this article covers everything from Steve King, Bruce Rastetter, chickens, pork, Tyson Foods, Smithfield, Shuanghui Group, … Continue reading →

Posted in Branstad, Corporate Greed, Farming | Leave a comment

SILT: How Budget Bill Benefits Iowa Landowners

Posted on December 24, 2015 by

Update from Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT): The spending bill just signed by President Obama contains a huge benefit for Iowa landowners who want to protect their land to grow healthy food for good. It also creates a permanent IRA … Continue reading →

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