What to say, but Holy Shit!! This writing is a expose of a millennium of frustrating bad Ag policies wrapped around self indulgent myths of the American Farmer. Hard to blame the landowner who is fighting to hang onto land and needs enemies to blame for the system that mandates larger and larger corporate “farms”.
When a “rural” state like Iowa is required to import 90% of its citizens food, while at the same time contributing over 50% of the dead zone in the gulf, things are maybe not aligned. Water is taken for granted, due to our seemingly profuse but polluted streams, and is handled like an inexhaustible commodity by our political leaders.
Hopefully someday citizens will once again cry out against corporate Ag and develop meaningful legislation that provides for and protects the family farm. We may be too late!
Thankyou Chris for so clearing exposing the wizards behind the curtain. I had to read this twice because it's mind-boggling. Pillen's story alone but the the historic backstory and the heartbreaking fact that rural America is voting for the very people that are polluting thier wells and sickening thier loved ones.
Thankyou, thankyou for writing this. Knowledge is powerful and healing.
Was just hit with the reality of nitrate laden well water. Recently closed on an acreage and well (sandpoint) popped 7 ppm for nitrogen. Drilled a new well deeper, crossing my fingers it's deep enough. Keep on fighting and writing the good fight Chris.
- I applaud this article for the glimmer of hope revealed in "that distant shore". Good on you.
-You're on to something when speaking of the "Rurals". They definitely hold the key to the kingdom making any material changes for the common good. Not sure what it takes for them to see how badly they are being taken advantage of. Hoping you might be able to expand on that in the future.
-I believe if you keep things stirred up perhaps a few more of your fellow saboteurs will summon the courage and take the risk(s) as you have.
PS: if ya ever run for office, keep me in the loop!
We had a chance a decade ago when a progressive organic dairy farmer ran for state secretary of agriculture at the same time the federal farm bill was being negotiated. But he tried to win by appealing to farmers when he should have lazer focused on urbanites. Almost all farmers and by extension rural residents do well enough under the status quo, what with bailouts and farm subsidies, that I no longer consider them victims of the system. They are the system.
Big selects for big. Big tech. Big capital. Big energy. Big ag. Big mono-culture. Big seed. Big pesticide. Big CAFOs. Big food. Big plenty. Big men. Big business. Big monopolies. Big influence. Big top down.
Big regulatory and big policy capture. Big pollution. Big problems. Big "solutions". Big costs. Big propaganda. Big myths. Big lies. Big rise. Big fall.
Big mal-adaptation. Less diverse and less sustainable. The trap of big, a really bad way of living, for long, on earth. But we did get the big reward, bigger.
Too bad Iowa doesn't have robust political opposition articulators who are savvy at portraying what's happening to our state (particularly outstate) and offering an alternative governing agenda. . .
Clearly a short version of your book! It gives essentials and proof positive of what all that CO2 is really going to be used for! Your comments on that age old storyof what our "Revolution" was really all about, and not the fairy tale that most have been lead to believe was well done. If the truth were really known, there are many more similarities between the Russian ruling class and our own wealthy ruling class than any true democracy would be accepting of. Keep sticking it to those who would destroy Iowa as a place to live and work!
Greed really is the root of all evil. People have got to stop gobbling up so much red meat. Corn, corn, corn, meat, meat, meat. The USDA pushes the meat machine to the whole world, "a sign of prosperity is shoveling in buckets of meat." The Western diet has never been healthy, whether to individuals or the whole planet. I wonder how much water 25 million hogs require each day. Our water is threatened. We're poisoning ourselves so other countries can stuff their faces with pork tenderloins. Sickening and indeed evil.
You tackle some big issues here and cut through the bs. Did you mean 1200 sq. miles here: "struggling ISU assistant professors trying to come up with a down payment on that 1200 square foot ranch in north Ames"
What to say, but Holy Shit!! This writing is a expose of a millennium of frustrating bad Ag policies wrapped around self indulgent myths of the American Farmer. Hard to blame the landowner who is fighting to hang onto land and needs enemies to blame for the system that mandates larger and larger corporate “farms”.
When a “rural” state like Iowa is required to import 90% of its citizens food, while at the same time contributing over 50% of the dead zone in the gulf, things are maybe not aligned. Water is taken for granted, due to our seemingly profuse but polluted streams, and is handled like an inexhaustible commodity by our political leaders.
Hopefully someday citizens will once again cry out against corporate Ag and develop meaningful legislation that provides for and protects the family farm. We may be too late!
Thankyou Chris for so clearing exposing the wizards behind the curtain. I had to read this twice because it's mind-boggling. Pillen's story alone but the the historic backstory and the heartbreaking fact that rural America is voting for the very people that are polluting thier wells and sickening thier loved ones.
Thankyou, thankyou for writing this. Knowledge is powerful and healing.
Thanks, Chris. We need to be reminded daily of what these richies have done to our state.
Your voice is so important. May it really be heard by more and more people, and may you keep on going.
Was just hit with the reality of nitrate laden well water. Recently closed on an acreage and well (sandpoint) popped 7 ppm for nitrogen. Drilled a new well deeper, crossing my fingers it's deep enough. Keep on fighting and writing the good fight Chris.
Chris,
- I applaud this article for the glimmer of hope revealed in "that distant shore". Good on you.
-You're on to something when speaking of the "Rurals". They definitely hold the key to the kingdom making any material changes for the common good. Not sure what it takes for them to see how badly they are being taken advantage of. Hoping you might be able to expand on that in the future.
-I believe if you keep things stirred up perhaps a few more of your fellow saboteurs will summon the courage and take the risk(s) as you have.
PS: if ya ever run for office, keep me in the loop!
We had a chance a decade ago when a progressive organic dairy farmer ran for state secretary of agriculture at the same time the federal farm bill was being negotiated. But he tried to win by appealing to farmers when he should have lazer focused on urbanites. Almost all farmers and by extension rural residents do well enough under the status quo, what with bailouts and farm subsidies, that I no longer consider them victims of the system. They are the system.
Big selects for big. Big tech. Big capital. Big energy. Big ag. Big mono-culture. Big seed. Big pesticide. Big CAFOs. Big food. Big plenty. Big men. Big business. Big monopolies. Big influence. Big top down.
Big regulatory and big policy capture. Big pollution. Big problems. Big "solutions". Big costs. Big propaganda. Big myths. Big lies. Big rise. Big fall.
Big mal-adaptation. Less diverse and less sustainable. The trap of big, a really bad way of living, for long, on earth. But we did get the big reward, bigger.
Too bad Iowa doesn't have robust political opposition articulators who are savvy at portraying what's happening to our state (particularly outstate) and offering an alternative governing agenda. . .
Clearly a short version of your book! It gives essentials and proof positive of what all that CO2 is really going to be used for! Your comments on that age old storyof what our "Revolution" was really all about, and not the fairy tale that most have been lead to believe was well done. If the truth were really known, there are many more similarities between the Russian ruling class and our own wealthy ruling class than any true democracy would be accepting of. Keep sticking it to those who would destroy Iowa as a place to live and work!
My eyes get wide every time I read one of your articles. Rastetter is a busy boy. He's pillaging the whole planet. https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/climate-emergency-may-channel-millions-in-resources-toward-corn-based-ethanol-in-the-amazon/
Greed really is the root of all evil. People have got to stop gobbling up so much red meat. Corn, corn, corn, meat, meat, meat. The USDA pushes the meat machine to the whole world, "a sign of prosperity is shoveling in buckets of meat." The Western diet has never been healthy, whether to individuals or the whole planet. I wonder how much water 25 million hogs require each day. Our water is threatened. We're poisoning ourselves so other countries can stuff their faces with pork tenderloins. Sickening and indeed evil.
You tackle some big issues here and cut through the bs. Did you mean 1200 sq. miles here: "struggling ISU assistant professors trying to come up with a down payment on that 1200 square foot ranch in north Ames"