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

Do we have a moral obligation to "feed the world"?

Arlyn Kauffman, a row crop and egg farmer from southern Iowa, took a group of high school students to one of the nation’s largest agricultural shows, where major seed and chemical companies were showcasing their products. What he learned there changed his life. This episode is the beginning of an occasional series Beth Hoffman will produce in partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa [https://practicalfarmers.org/] (PFI). PFI is a farmer-led nonprofit with more than 9,000 members that equips farmers to build resilient farms and communities. Through farmer-led education, on-farm research, financial support, technical assistance, business development and solutions-oriented policy work, PFI helps farmers try new ideas, solve problems together and build successful farm businesses. Every January, at the PFI annual conference in Des Moines, a “Conversation Coop” is set up where attendees tell stories about food and farming. These stories are stored with StoryCorps [https://archive.storycorps.org/user/practicalfarmers/], a national story-collection organization, and at the Library of Congress. Arlyn Kauffman recorded his story at the Conversation Coop in 2026. 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. Please like and share this podcast if you enjoy it! Thanks for listening to At the Iowa Farm Table Podcast! This post is public so feel free to share it. 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]

Farmers and Land

More than 70% of farms in the U.S. have been lost over the past 125 years. Today less than 2% of Americans call farming their profession. Yet, in a world with a changing climate and uncertain job market, many are looking to farming as a way to get back to the land, grow healthy food for their community, and discover a life full of meaning. But finding land and becoming a full fledged member of the family farm are essential first steps in the plan. Beth Hoffman explores how securing land for beginning farmers isn’t just about creating business opportunity. It’s about revitalizing rural communities by giving the next generation the opportunity to farm again. Thanks for listening to the At the Iowa Farm Table Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts to your email inbox. Voices Carly McAndrews—Trowel and Error Farm [https://trowelanderrorfarm.com/] Kristiana Coutu—Beginning Farmer Center [https://beginningfarmer.iastate.edu/], Iowa State University Jada Fife—Fife’s Fine Foods and Land Acquisition and Management Coordinator at SILT [https://silt.org/about/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6uWyBhD1ARIsAIMcADqGMlaIJmAbtE-V4tFBOLpZwHsuwZcs8NkchEgJ-oDi9QlcOwmLIH8aAm1tEALw_wcB] Hannah Breckbill—Humble Hands Harvest [https://humblehandsharvest.com/], creator of Farmers Land Investment Cooperative [https://farmersland.coop/], and Land Navigator [https://www.renewingthecountryside.org/farmlandaccess]. Resources New Census of Agriculture reveals more farms, more farmers in Iowa [https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/articles/edwards/EdwMar24.html] 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. Please like and share this podcast if you enjoy it! 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]

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]