While every farm-dependent county in the state has lost population in the past decade, counties tied to meatpacking and food processing are holding on thanks to foreign-born workers — a trend that could be upended by Trump’s deportation plans.
Iowa’s farmlands are hotbeds for greenhouse gases, with nitrous oxide accounting for 59% of agricultural emissions in 2022.
These emissions are primarily driven by nitrogen fertilizer applications and animal
Iowa passed its first “ag gag” law back in 2012. First Amendment concerns have been addressed in the courts. Lawmakers came up with more versions. "It's a disgrace Big Pork would rather count on Iowa lawmakers to cover up their potential lawbreaking than clean up their slaughter houses and act legal
The pork industry shifted dramatically over the past three decades. A USDA report tracks how the industry moved away from small operations to CAFOs, production contracts nd specialization.
