Is organic farming possible for large agricultural operations? In Iowa, it has been successful, and the trend is growing.

Jack Fehr harvesting organically grown soybeans.
(Photo by Keith Schneider, The New Lede)

Midwestern agriculture has its fair share of industrial farms that use chemicals to enrich soils, kill bugs and prevent weeds to increase crop yields. But amid the region's miles of traditionally grown crops, Clear Creek Acres farm is growing 50,000 acres of corn, soybeans, oats and other crops "without the use of synthetic chemicals," reports Keith Schneider of The New Lede. Clear Creek Acres "farmers fertilize the land with chicken litter and hog manure and weed much of the land by hand, or with non-chemical tools, such as new laser weeders."

Located in the rural northern Iowa town of West Bend, the farm's unconventional farming practices began in 1998 when "Barry Fehr experimented with raising chemical-free soybeans on 45 acres," only to produce, "the most expansive and profitable area of organic grain production in Iowa, and possibly the United States," Schneider writes. "Fehr family farms are nearly matching the yields of crops grown conventionally."

Meanwhile, agriculture chemical companies such as Monsanto-owner Bayer and Syngenta maintain that "weed killers, insecticides and other pesticides are essential to robust food production, and that a growing global population requires use of the chemicals in agriculture," Schneider reports. "But 71-year-old Dan Fehr, who has been farming more than 50 years, says 'that is debatable.'”

Organic farming isn't the most common practice in Iowa, but its popularity is growing. "Clear Creek is part of a wave of growth in chemical-free agriculture in and around Iowa," Schneider adds. "The number of organic farms in Iowa increased from 467 to 799 from 2011 to 2021, and ranks sixth in the nation for the number of chemical-free farms. The state is first in organic corn and soybean production."

Despite the sector's growth, many farmers still fear the investment involved in switching. Schneider explains, "Jack Fehr, 28, said his family is setting an example for other farmers who fear converting to organic farming takes too long, costs too much, yields too little, and can’t be done successfully except on small farms." 

The practice is "a high wire act balancing the lower cost for supplies [such as fertilizer and pesticides] against the higher costs for labor," Schneider writes. 

Still, many farmers see the benefit of avoiding farm chemicals. Schneider adds, "Iowa, in particular, suffers from extensive farm-related water pollution, and cancer is prevalent. Indeed, Iowa has the second-highest and fastest-rising cancer incidence among all U.S. states, according to a 2024 report issued by the Iowa Cancer Registry."

Better known as Roundup, glyphosate is found in pregnant women who live near farms, study finds

Herbicide drift is one possible explanation for the
study's findings. (Photo by Eric Brehm, Unsplash)

Considered the world's most commonly sprayed weedkiller, glyphosate, sometimes sold under the name brand "Roundup," is a suspected cause of  serious health concerns. New research found pregnant women "living near farm fields show 'significantly' increased concentrations of glyphosate weedkiller in their urine during periods when farmers spray their fields with the herbicide," reports Carey Gillam of The Guardian. "The research team said the findings were concerning, given recent studies that have found gestational exposure to glyphosate is associated with reduced fetal growth and other fetal problems."

The study yielded some surprising results, Gilliam writes, "because none of the women studied worked with glyphosate or other herbicides or had a household member who worked with weedkillers, said Cynthia Curl, associate professor at Boise State and lead author on the paper. Curl couldn't account for how the women were exposed and questioned whether herbicide drift, soil particle adhesion, house dust or drinking water were to blame. She told Gilliam: "Until we figure that out, we can't suggest the right interventions."

For the study, researchers from the University of California, the University of Washington, Boise State University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention included 40 pregnant women in southern Idaho and took into account their proximity to farms using glyphosate. "In those living near the fields, glyphosate was detected both more frequently and at much higher concentrations during the months when farmers were spraying glyphosate than during the periods when they were not spraying," Gilliam reports. "Those participants living farther away still showed glyphosate in their urine, but the frequency and concentrations stayed relatively unchanged throughout the year."

Philip Landrigan, director of the Program for Global Public Health at Boston College, told Gilliam, “Sadly, I am not surprised that pregnant women who live near fields sprayed with glyphosate have elevated levels of glyphosate in their bodies during the spraying season. This situation is analogous to the elevated exposures to benzene, 1,3-butadiene and other toxic plastics chemicals that have been documented in women who live in ‘fenceline’ communities.”

Gilliam adds, "Though glyphosate has been on the market for more than 50 years, it is only within the last few years that researchers have started to document the extent of human exposure."

Flora and fauna: Bird turned artist; land auctions; a fruit's 'ugly duckling phase;' animal days; can you 'migrate' trees?

Ferrisburgh with his first painting. (Courtesy photo 
 by Anna Morris via The Washington Post)

It's hard to keep a good bird down, and in the case of Ferrisburgh, an American kestrel with an injured wing, you also can't keep him from his dream of being an artist. "Ferrisburgh is headlining art classes in Vermont and drawing crowds with his talented talons," reports Cathy Free of The Washington Post. "A couple of his paintings are now being auctioned at a fundraiser online, and the raptor recently showed off his skills at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science."

Farmland sales hit their peak in the fall and even with today's high interest rates, business is brisk. Jim Rothermich from Iowa Appraisal is "keeping a close eye on this month's land auctions because, as he says, November is the busiest month for land auctions," reports Margy Eckelkamp of Farm Journal. Rothermich told Eckelkamp, "We're getting strong results. High interest rates and sub-$5 per bushel corn is not affecting land market conditions." Read two examples of recent Iowa land sales here. Read about big land auction sales in South Dakota here.

Even ripe quince is rock-hard and must be cooked to
be enjoyed. (Photo by Ralph Walden, The Seattle Times)

Neither apple nor pear, the quince is an exquisite fruit that takes patience and an open mind. "The bewitchingly fragrant fruit. . . does go through an ugly duckling phase, Orchardist Edith Walden acknowledges. The fruits are misshapen and fuzzy," reports Rebekah Dunn for The Seattle Times. "But at the last minute, the color matures to yellow. The fuzz retreats." Walden adds, "And then they start emitting this fragrance; people walk along the road, and they just want to know what that smell is. It's just entrancing."

What do free-range chickens munch on throughout winter? While there are few bugs, "they do like to scratch under a light snow and pick up seeds, and nibble on refuse from the fall garden," reports Jodi Henke of Successful Farming. Here are tips for keeping your chickens fed and safe during cold weather.

When things don't work out in one place -- be it a job, a school, or a region -- humans often move, but what about trees? Specifically, giant sequoias only grow in groves with unique climates and that climate is changing. "The largest trees on the planet can't easily 'migrate' — but in a warming world, some humans are helping them try to find new homes," reports Moises Velasquez-Manoff of The New York Times. "Millions of years ago, redwoods — or their close relatives — grew across the Pacific Northwest. By moving them, [tree ambassador] Philip Stielstra reasoned, he was helping the magnificent trees regain lost territory."

Days dedicated to animals are peppered throughout the year. This illustration features animals with their
own days. Can you find the sea monkey? (Illustration by Armando Veve, National Geographic)

If you love hedgehogs, bears or badgers (oh, my!), you're in luck because there's a day to celebrate almost any creature. Go online and "pick a random day, week, or month, and you'll find an almost disturbing number of observances. . .days referencing animals specifically are plentiful, even crowded," reports Oliver Whang of National Geographic. "The observances' intents are a mixture: altruistic, commercial, historical, fantastical, serious, funny. . . . National Sea Monkey Day exists to celebrate 'the tiny brine shrimp that swim around mail-order aquariums' -- and from little more than that, the holiday not only went viral, it appeared in Newsweek."