At the Iowa Farm Table Podcast

How Prairie Made Iowa

We wanted to send a quick note of appreciation for all of our listeners! Thank you so much for your support. Please be sure to write a review of this podcast (especially if you listen outside of Substack). And sign up for the Iowa Food System Coalition’s Local Food Challenge [https://www.iowafoodsystemcoalition.org/challenge] taking place this summer. Have you ever wondered why U.S. tax payers often pay farmers NOT to farm? In this episode, we frame that question a little differently: have you ever wondered why U.S. tax payers don’t pay more farmers to provide ecosystem services for the health of our landscapes? 150 years ago, prairie got in the way of Iowa’s European settlers. In order to farm, they had to till it up. Now, many Iowans are advocating for us to restore as much of it as we can. In this episode, Beth dives into the “why” of prairies with one of Iowa’s “Prairie Farmers,” Nicholas Lirio of Hocksey Native Seed. Voices Nicolas Lirio—Hocksey Native Seed [https://hokseynativeseeds.com/] and the Prairie Farm Podcast [https://hokseynativeseeds.com/blogs/podcast] Resources History of the Conservation Reserve Program [https://ers.usda.gov/data-products/charts-of-note/chart-detail?chartId=74893] House Farm Bill Falls Short [https://www.nationalorganiccoalition.org/blog/2026/5/1/house-farm-bill-falls-shortsenate-must-do-better-for-organic] Environmental Working Group—Conservation Database [https://conservation.ewg.org/crp.php?fips=00000] Music Geoff Harvey [https://www.youtube.com/@geoffharveymusic] Monume [https://music.apple.com/us/artist/monume/1381293436] Stay in the Loop Stay connected to the latest in Iowa’s food system news. Subscribe to the Iowa Food System Coalition newsletter [https://mailchi.mp/iowafoodsystemcoalition/newsletter-sign-up-landing-page] for timely news, action alerts, and event updates, all focused on supporting local farms and communities. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit attheiowafarmtable.substack.com [https://attheiowafarmtable.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Iowa, Farming and Cancer: What Do We Really Know?

Iowa has a cancer problem. We are one of the only states in the nation with a growing cancer rate, and have higher levels of certain kinds of cancers than do similar areas of the country. Many have put the blame on Iowa’s fields, while others say that legal pesticides are safe for us and the environment. In this episode we go down the rabbit hole to understand—how do chemicals become products on our shelves? Is a legal chemical safe? And what do researchers know about the relationship between chemicals and cancer? Thanks for listening to At the Iowa Farm Table. Please subscribe to receive our podcasts right to your inbox Voices Audrey Tran Lam [https://ceee.uni.edu/directory/audrey-e-tran-lam]—Environmental Health Program Director, Center for Energy & Environmental Education, University of Northern Iowa David Cwiertny [https://engineering.uiowa.edu/directory/david-cwiertny]—Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Director, Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, University of Iowa Seth Watkins—Pinhook Farm [https://sandcountyfoundation.org/our-work/leopold-conservation-award-program/pinhook-farm] Weary Ramblers— Kathryn Severing Fox [https://open.substack.com/pub/kathrynseveringfox] and Chad Elliott [https://substack.com/profile/68303284-chad-elliott] Resources Higher cancer rates in counties with more CAFOs, study finds [https://www.thenewlede.org/2026/04/cafos-cancer-pollution/] U.S. chemical management system must be transformed to prevent harm, argue new policy papers [https://comingcleaninc.org/latest-news/in-the-news/u.s.-chemical-management-system-must-be-transformed-to-prevent-harm-argue-new-policy-papers] REACH Regulation—European Commission on Energy, Climate change, Environment [https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/chemicals/reach-regulation_en] Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors in Iowa [https://www.iaenvironment.org/our-work/cancer-and-environmental-risk-factors-in-iowa/]—Iowa Environmental Council EPA contact in Iowa [https://www.epa.gov/ia/forms/contact-us-about-epa-iowa] Cancer in Iowa [https://shri.public-health.uiowa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026-Cancer-in-Iowa.pdf]—Iowa Cancer Registry Interactive Iowa Maps [https://shri.public-health.uiowa.edu/cancer-data/interactive-iowa-data-tools/]—Iowa Cancer Registry International Study Reveals Glyphosate Weed Killers Cause Multiple Types of Cancer [https://publichealth.gmu.edu/news/2025-06/international-study-reveals-glyphosate-weed-killers-cause-multiple-types-cancer] Stay in the Loop Stay connected to the latest in Iowa’s food system news. Subscribe to the Iowa Food System Coalition newsletter [https://mailchi.mp/iowafoodsystemcoalition/newsletter-sign-up-landing-page] for timely news, action alerts, and event updates, all focused on supporting local farms and communities. Lyrics to Reduce, Reduce, Reduce! by the Weary Ramblers Pesticides kill things That’s just what they do They wouldn’t be good at their job If they weren’t bad for you So we need to spray more sparingly Only what we really need Listen to Mother Nature She loves diversity Got a few weeds? That’s alright A little milkweed and some foxtail Their just fine If you’re sprayin’ Just to spray It does more harm than good It costs more at the end of the day We gotta’ start doing something…there’s just too much to lose Reduce, Reduce, Reduce what we use Reduce, Reduce, Reduce what we use Don’t plant your crops on the water’s edge Give ‘em ‘bout fifty feet On the edge of every field Go ahead and leave the trees Doin’ these two things makes for A Healthier, happy home For the plants to grow and for the little critters to roam Got a few weeds? That’s alright A little waterhemp and thistles Their just fine If you’re sprayin’ Just to spray It does more harm than good It costs more at the end of the day We gotta’ start doing something…there’s just too much to lose Reduce, Reduce, Reduce what we use Reduce, Reduce, Reduce what we use This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit attheiowafarmtable.substack.com [https://attheiowafarmtable.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

USDA, Beginning Farmers, and Broken Promises

The Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program [https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/increasing-land-access] was slated to bring millions of dollars into Iowa, while supporting new farmers. Contracts were signed, fellows quit their jobs, and we were off to the races. Until suddenly, we weren’t. USDA abruptly pulled the funding in March with two days notice, deferring the dreams of new farmers like Lawrencia Rogers and eliminating the jobs created to help them. Please “like” this podcast or write a review! Share it with a friend too. Voices Lawrencia Rogers—Farmer Jason Grimm—Executive Director of Iowa Valley RC&D [https://www.iowavalleyrcd.org/who-we-are] Katie Das—State Coordinator at the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT) [https://silt.org/] Breanna Horsey—Executive Director at SILT [https://silt.org/] At the Iowa Farm Table is brought to you by the Iowa Food System Coalition [https://www.iowafoodsystemcoalition.org/]. Edited by John Hogeland [https://www.iowa-farm.com/about] and Tommy Hexter [https://open.substack.com/users/42399856-tommy-hexter?utm_source=mentions]. Photo: Fellow Lawrencia and Farm Manager Malik doing tractor work at the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm. Courtesy Iowa Valley RC&D [https://substack.com/profile/169758351-iowa-valley-rc-and-d]. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit attheiowafarmtable.substack.com [https://attheiowafarmtable.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Can Restaurants Transform Iowa into a Farm-to-Table Mecca?

In the second episode of our two part mini-series on restaurants, Beth visits with those championing for the transformation of Iowa into a farm-to-table haven. She talks to the chefs and farmers making it a reality, and to those in government supporting the change. Voices Suman Hoque of HoQ [https://hoqtable.com/] and Flora [https://www.floradsm.com/] in Des Moines, Iowa Jill Beebout of Blue Gate Farm [https://www.bluegatefarmfresh.com/], Chariton, Iowa Austin Frerick [https://www.austinfrerick.com/], Author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry [https://www.austinfrerick.com/barons] Sam Gelman of The Webster [https://thewebsteric.com/] Jessica Dunker, President and CEO of Iowa Restaurant Association [https://restaurantiowa.com/about-us/] Colin Tadlock, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-tadlock-47205416b/] Chief of Staff to Iowa Secretary of Agriculture [https://iowaagriculture.gov/] At the Iowa Farm Table is brought to you by the Iowa Food System Coalition [https://www.iowafoodsystemcoalition.org/]. Edited by John Hogeland and Tommy Hexter [https://open.substack.com/users/42399856-tommy-hexter?utm_source=mentions]. Brian Doubek and Ian Post created the music used in the show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit attheiowafarmtable.substack.com [https://attheiowafarmtable.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Iowa Restaurants, Broadliners, and Meh Food

How come so much of the food in Iowa seems to taste the same? In this two-part mini-series, Beth Hoffman dives deep into how and why restaurants have evolved (not for the better), and the ways chefs can help reinvigorate the state of Iowa. Listen to this 12-minute podcast on Substack or any other podcast player. Voices Suman Hoque of HOQ [https://hoqtable.com/] and Flora [https://www.floradsm.com/] in Des Moines, Iowa. Jill Beebout of Blue Gate Farm [https://www.bluegatefarmfresh.com/], Chariton, Iowa. Austin Frerick [https://www.austinfrerick.com/], Author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry [https://www.austinfrerick.com/barons]. At the Iowa Farm Table is brought to you by the Iowa Food System Coalition. Edited by John Hogeland and Tommy Hexter [https://open.substack.com/users/42399856-tommy-hexter?utm_source=mentions]. Brian Doubek and Ian Post created the music used in the show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit attheiowafarmtable.substack.com [https://attheiowafarmtable.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]