At the Iowa Farm Table Podcast

There’s a word that explains a lot about modern agriculture, even if Merriam-Webster hasn’t caught up yet: chickenization. It’s what happens when animals become “widgets,” farms become factories, and power quietly shifts from thousands of farmers to a handful of corporations.In this season finale of At the Iowa Farm Table, Beth Hoffman digs into how chicken went from luxury to dollar-menu staple,...

This week on At the Iowa Farm Table, learn more about how and where your food is raised!Beth Hoffman and Amanda Severson chat about their cattle businesses and how they raise meat differently than what you typically buy in the supermarket. They discuss current political trends and how the nutrition of the meat they raise differs from cattle raised on corn.You can learn more about Amanda Severson...

What’s going on in farm country?China, which normally buys half of America’s soybean crop, hasn’t bought a bean. Corn prices are dragging below the cost of production. Wheat and hogs? Also in the tank.Across the Midwest, people are whispering—and in some cases shouting—that we might be headed for another farm crisis, the likes of which Iowa last saw in the 1980s.To get perspective, I turned to...

In recognition of Indigenous Peoples Day (October 13th in Iowa), we hear from two Indigenous women residing in Iowa and learn how shifting our perspective can help bring us back into balance with the natural world. Featured Voices* Marianna G. M. Cota, MPH — Ecologist, dreamweaver, heartist, disruptor, folklorist, and public health scholar with Yoeme/Yaqui, Kapampangan/Filipino, and Mexican...

Iowa schools spend millions feeding kids — in effect, they’re the largest restaurants in the state. But here’s the catch: most of those tax dollars don’t stay in Iowa. When food is trucked in from across the country and contracts go only to national corporations, local farms and rural communities lose out.In this replay of our very first episode, we dig into the real economics of school lunch....

Iowa’s food system has been engineered into sameness. This episode explores how diversification—of crops, markets, and farmers—could reshape the Corn Belt and prove that Food Grows Iowa. 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

Iowa’s nitrate levels have hit historic highs, forcing lawn watering bans, swim advisories, and costly cleanups. A new report — the Central Iowa Source Water Research Assessment (CISWRA) — confirms what many Iowans already know: agriculture is driving the problem, and solutions can’t wait.So what can you do about a challenge this big?In this episode, host Beth Hoffman sits down with Dr. Adam...

Cheese curds. Goat cheese. Ice Cream. Beverages.At the Iowa State Fair, the Iowa Quality Dairy Products Competition showcases the best dairy products in the state, from small family creameries to large-scale brands that are investing in Iowa.In this episode, we follow Heather Moore of Moore Family Farms in Maquoketa as she enters her cheese curds in one of the fair’s most competitive categories....

It starts showing up in parking lots and roadside stands around July. People rearrange their schedules to get it while it’s fresh. They stand in line, drive miles out of their way, and plan weekend gatherings around it. Some boil. Some grill. Some freeze a dozen bags for winter. Everyone has their way.It’s inconvenient. More labor-intensive than most foods we buy. And still, Iowans go out of...

In 2024, Governor Kim Reynolds made headlines when she declined $29 million in federal funding for Summer EBT (also known as SUN Bucks)—a proven program that helped feed nearly 250,000 Iowa kids each summer. Instead, the state applied for a waiver to pilot its own approach: Healthy Kids Iowa. While that waiver was denied under the previous administration, it gained approval this year under USDA...