I farm with my husband in north central Iowa. This issue/ situation is also a travesty to farmers. One hundred percent of Iowans—— and a whole lotta people downstream———suffer from from poor water quality and poor leadership.
My cross-post comment on FB: GQP legislators are so petty and protect their personal business interests over Iowa citizens having clean water that they defunded the program that measures water quality. Clean water. A basic human right. Defunded. Vote like your health and safety rely upon it.
And here’s the big picture, showing how this crisis is ominously combining with global warming to become the most dangerous environmental danger that humans have ever faced (link below). One of the links in this essay covers Iowa and other Midwest states dealing with increasing and potentially deadly toxic algae blooms in ponds and lakes.
"Nature Is Giving Humanity Our Final Extinction Crisis Warning"
Great piece, Chris! Keep kicking it! (Just a nit: I cannot help being a copyeditor, and suggest that "(often one in the same)" should be "(often one and the same)" - as it was in the Register. And maybe "fund the sensor network at lower level" should be "fund the sensor network at a lower level" - though the Register apparently did not catch that or do not agree.)
Chris, I sent an email to Steve (steve@icecubepress.com) but have not received a copy of your book. Was I to send my info to you? 2929 Tama St. SE, CR 52403
My understanding is that EPA can talk over enforcement. EPA could work with the Iowa NRCS offices to assist in monitoring and data collection. At the same time, EPA can be asked to critique our matrix system. The concept of EPA playing a greater role in Iowa ag, will general greater attention and ideas on moving forward, such as EPA's review of Iowa's matrix system. DNR has already handed over one environmental crisis -- Marengo, which does have EPA involved now
The whole presentation is very helpful - - I learn something new each time I watch it. The dialogue between you and an audience member who at times was pushing back on topics related to Iowa's climate capacity to raise alternative crops (he mentions oats) and farmer's investments in conventional equipment to produce corn and soybeans was particularly helpful.
Your response is a good one. We need a grass-roots movement advocating for a shift in agricultural policy valuing "human nutrition" and "environmental outcomes." I am assuming you are referring to federal policy and the Farm Bill.
I have a sister who lives in Wisconsin. She reminded me of Wisconsin's crop diversity. You also make this point in your presentation. Which makes me wonder is Iowa's climate that different from Wisconsin"s. Perhaps there is a need for both federal and state advocacy?
You say Iowans have a right to a better natural system then we have. Then you challenge all Iowans - - urban and rural - - with these questions, "What kind of Iowa do we want to live in?" and "How do we want Iowa to look?"
Thank you for all you are doing on so many levels.
How do I receive a free copy of the book as a paid subscriber? After listening to your interview & reading a previous blog, must make two comments. Water quality has changed in my lifetime. As a young person in the early/mid-'60s, I went fishing on the Upper Iowa with my grandfather and later my uncle. We drank from springs near "Horseshoe Bend". During the '70s on canoe trips with college friends in the same areas I was warned by my uncle to NOT drink from the same springs because of high nitrates! Second, you wrote about the Driftless Area as having been glaciated at one time. As a young person I picked many glacial erratics (igneous rocks) from fields on family farms in the Driftless Area -- those were not "native" since that is limestone country!
Thank you for all your work to trying to inform the public. Right now in Congress they are writing the massive farm bill. Has there ever been an attempt to tie federal agricultural subsidies to best practices in soil and water conservation? There are requirements for so many federal programs, why not for agriculture?
First open question to you and all your supporters: What stops EPA or Iowans from asking EPA, to withdraw DNR authority to administer federal water quality laws, which includes CAFO permitting? A second question: will ISU's recent support of sensors be a cause for retaliation, as well?
Thank You soooo much for the information
I farm with my husband in north central Iowa. This issue/ situation is also a travesty to farmers. One hundred percent of Iowans—— and a whole lotta people downstream———suffer from from poor water quality and poor leadership.
My cross-post comment on FB: GQP legislators are so petty and protect their personal business interests over Iowa citizens having clean water that they defunded the program that measures water quality. Clean water. A basic human right. Defunded. Vote like your health and safety rely upon it.
And here’s the big picture, showing how this crisis is ominously combining with global warming to become the most dangerous environmental danger that humans have ever faced (link below). One of the links in this essay covers Iowa and other Midwest states dealing with increasing and potentially deadly toxic algae blooms in ponds and lakes.
"Nature Is Giving Humanity Our Final Extinction Crisis Warning"
https://ericbrooks.substack.com/p/nature-is-giving-humanity-our-final
Chris, may I cross post?
Great piece, Chris! Keep kicking it! (Just a nit: I cannot help being a copyeditor, and suggest that "(often one in the same)" should be "(often one and the same)" - as it was in the Register. And maybe "fund the sensor network at lower level" should be "fund the sensor network at a lower level" - though the Register apparently did not catch that or do not agree.)
Chris, I sent an email to Steve (steve@icecubepress.com) but have not received a copy of your book. Was I to send my info to you? 2929 Tama St. SE, CR 52403
My understanding is that EPA can talk over enforcement. EPA could work with the Iowa NRCS offices to assist in monitoring and data collection. At the same time, EPA can be asked to critique our matrix system. The concept of EPA playing a greater role in Iowa ag, will general greater attention and ideas on moving forward, such as EPA's review of Iowa's matrix system. DNR has already handed over one environmental crisis -- Marengo, which does have EPA involved now
Chris,
I watched your May 16, 2023 presentation to the Jefferson County Farmers and Neighbors, Inc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QShuYfzxntk&t=26s
The whole presentation is very helpful - - I learn something new each time I watch it. The dialogue between you and an audience member who at times was pushing back on topics related to Iowa's climate capacity to raise alternative crops (he mentions oats) and farmer's investments in conventional equipment to produce corn and soybeans was particularly helpful.
Your response is a good one. We need a grass-roots movement advocating for a shift in agricultural policy valuing "human nutrition" and "environmental outcomes." I am assuming you are referring to federal policy and the Farm Bill.
I have a sister who lives in Wisconsin. She reminded me of Wisconsin's crop diversity. You also make this point in your presentation. Which makes me wonder is Iowa's climate that different from Wisconsin"s. Perhaps there is a need for both federal and state advocacy?
2022 Wisconsin Agricultural Review https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/Ag_Overview/stateOverview.php?state=wisconsin
Crop Harvested Acres Value of Production
Potatoes 66,500 $463,638,000.
Sweet Corn 57,600 $71,272,000.
Snap Beans 52,200 $59,548,000.
Cabbage 3,800 $29,564,000.
Cucumbers 6,700 $20,755,000.
Peas 25,100 $18,983,000.
Carrots 3,200 $8,771,000.
Tart Cherries 1,700 $2,625,000.
Cranberries 20,000 $186,593,000.
Winter Wheat 240,000 $139,464.000.
As I look at all of Iowa's neighboring states on this USDA website, https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/, all of their crops seem to be a little more diverse than ours.
You say Iowans have a right to a better natural system then we have. Then you challenge all Iowans - - urban and rural - - with these questions, "What kind of Iowa do we want to live in?" and "How do we want Iowa to look?"
Thank you for all you are doing on so many levels.
How do I receive a free copy of the book as a paid subscriber? After listening to your interview & reading a previous blog, must make two comments. Water quality has changed in my lifetime. As a young person in the early/mid-'60s, I went fishing on the Upper Iowa with my grandfather and later my uncle. We drank from springs near "Horseshoe Bend". During the '70s on canoe trips with college friends in the same areas I was warned by my uncle to NOT drink from the same springs because of high nitrates! Second, you wrote about the Driftless Area as having been glaciated at one time. As a young person I picked many glacial erratics (igneous rocks) from fields on family farms in the Driftless Area -- those were not "native" since that is limestone country!
Thank you for all your work to trying to inform the public. Right now in Congress they are writing the massive farm bill. Has there ever been an attempt to tie federal agricultural subsidies to best practices in soil and water conservation? There are requirements for so many federal programs, why not for agriculture?
First open question to you and all your supporters: What stops EPA or Iowans from asking EPA, to withdraw DNR authority to administer federal water quality laws, which includes CAFO permitting? A second question: will ISU's recent support of sensors be a cause for retaliation, as well?
Thank you.