This week in Iowa organizing…
Let’s talk about hogwash.
Before you reach for your dictionary, just take a look here. Wow.
CCI member and author Austin Frerick and our book talks have struck a nerve. The Barons are feeling the heat from articles like this one here, here, here, or here (and there’s a lot more).
Together, we have provoked a reaction. Jeff and Deb Hansen, the ‘Hog Barons’, have resorted to image-building, propaganda, and other tricks to ‘hogwash’ their hollowing out of our communities.
Handing out food to people in times of need and other charitable endeavors are certainly welcome. But it rings more than a little hollow when it comes at the expense of our land, water, animals and economy.
They don’t see our empty beaches or less-frequented parks, or the damage done to our natural wonders. They see it from the road above, from their gated community in West Des Moines.
The Hansens’ view is from the corporate boardroom, our view (and sense of smell) is from the back porch. But we’re going to call out their hogwash and take action for our communities and future generations.
Alright, let’s get on to it, read on for our last stops on Austin’s book tour, ways to take action for our people and planet, what we’re reading and more (for example spring is here and so are the nitrates),
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
At the Statehouse
Crunch time
8 days left until the scheduled adjournment of the legislative session. Given the corporate handouts, attacks on AEAs, even more restrictions on local control and more, April 16 can't come soon enough.
But they're not done yet, here's a handful of issues still in limbo lawmakers may bring up (reminder you can find your legislators and their contact information here):
Senate File 2412: shielding Bayer (the makers of Roundup) from lawsuits if their products are found to contribute to cancer and other health effects. Passed the Senate, still alive for consideration in the House.
House File 2664: providing some protections to landowners from CO2 pipelines seeking to use eminent domain. Passed the House, just like previous years is languishing in the Senate.
Senate File 2370: billed as "an Act concerning the executive branch rulemaking process and other agency functions and related matters." BUT buried in there is a provision to codify Executive Order Number 10 which would prohibit the DNR from strengthening rules to oversee factory farms. Read more on this from the Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture here.
Senate File 2398, Senate Study Bill 3141, and House Study Bill 720: tax cut giveaways to the wealthy. Read more from our allies at Common Good Iowa here.
Take action
Tomorrow: April 9 - Public School Strong!
Iowa CCI is thrilled to be part of the Honest Education Action and Leadership (HEAL) Together network. HEAL launched Public School Strong, a movement made up of parents, educators, students, and community members around the country who are organizing to strengthen our public schools so that all children can thrive.
Join public school parents, family members and supporters from across the country to learn: - How to show your support for well-resourced and inclusive public schools - What to look for when you observe your school district's school board meeting - How to form a Public School Strong team in your school district - Ways to join a national movement to protect and transform public schools that serve all children.
The next online info session will be tomorrow, April 9 at 5:30pm CDT - sign up to join here!
Book talks w/ Austin Frerick - Mason City and Iowa Falls!
Two stops remain for our series of talks and Q & A with Austin Frerick and his new book "Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry"
Austin's book dives into seven barons in the food industry, their rise to power, and the consequences for farmers, workers, eaters, and democracy itself. It prominently features Iowa and the stories of CCI members fighting in the trenches against Big Ag.
Check out our website for details on our Mason City and Iowa Falls stops!
Barons paints a stark portrait of corporate consolidation, but Austin also shows that a fair, healthy, and prosperous food industry is possible - if we take back power from the barons who have robbed us of it.
April 16 - time for DNR and EPC to crack down on factory farms
Later this month the DNR's Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) will vote on rules to regulate factory farms. Join us on April 16 in Des Moines to stand up for our right to clean water!
In February, hundreds of you weighed in on the rules for factory farms by submitting comments and testifying at public hearings.
We know we deserve an Iowa where:
The DNR does their job to create tougher rules and regulations for factory farms;
We have fully funded water quality monitoring sensors to help dig our way out of this mess; and
Factory farms are held to higher standards, including creating track records for repeat polluters with Clean Water Act Permits!
And on April 16 we're going to tell the EPC just that. We'll begin our day at the CCI office (2001 Forest Avenue Des Moines, Iowa) at 9am and carpool to the meeting being held at 10am. Register to join us here!
April 17 - Farm Bill advocacy training
We know we need a better food and farm system. And that a better food and farm system is possible. Our friends at The Young Farmers Coalition think so too!
That's why we're working together on a story telling and advocacy training on April 17 from 7pm-8:30pm on Zoom.
The Farm Bill continues to be drafted and debated. Now is the time for our congresspeople to hear from you!
During this call we will: get to learn more about the Farm Bill and a few key policies that will help reform our food and farm system.
Learn more about the Farm Bill process and timeline;
Dig in on two key policies The Increasing Land Access, Security, and Opportunities Act and Country of Origin Labeling; and
Practice telling our stories for effective lobbying together
Summit Carbon Solutions - our water is not for sale
Our water is not infinite and we can't afford to let corporations like Summit extract billions of gallons of it so they can line their pockets.
We’re fired up and ready to take action! And we need your help to keep the pressure on the Department of Natural Resources to deny water permits for Summit's CO2 pipeline project.
That’s why we’re organizing a sign on letter demanding the DNR deny water permits for Summit.
Any organizations, officials, or groups that you can think of are good candidates to sign on! Tell them about the issue and ask them to add their support here.
Our water is one of our most valuable resources. It belongs to the people, not the highest bidder or corporate profiteers like Bruce Rastetter. Together, let’s tell the DNR just that.
April 24: Help us make some calls and get some CCI sock swag!
We are looking for volunteers to help us make phone calls for our April Sustainer campaign on Wednesday, April 24!
We're holding two phone banks at our office in Des Moines from 10AM-1PM and 3PM-6PM to ask our members to become Monthly Sustainers. We will provide training and support, some light snacks, and all our volunteers will get a pair of exclusive “Sock it to ‘em, CCI!” socks. Whether you are a current Sustainer who wants to help us expand our reach, or you aren’t able to give monthly but you want to support us in other ways, this is a great way to get involved!
CCI’s Monthly Sustainers are amazing because they give us monthly revenue we can count on, flexibility to take on emerging issues, and show a powerful commitment to our work. Member contributions give us vital resources to fight for people and planet, and our Sustainers are an important part of that.
To RSVP, or if you have any questions, please give us a call at (515)255-0800 or email kim@iowacci.org or toby@iowacci.org. (This helps make sure we have enough snacks for everyone.) Can’t make it in to the office - reach out about remote options!
Updates
Sustainers rock our socks!
April is our monthly sustainer drive!
Here’s why CCI Sustainers make such a difference:
It’s revenue we can count on. We know these donations will come in each month.
It gives us flexibility. We can take on emerging organizing issues like public education, the CO2 pipeline, and housing. More importantly, it also allows us to plan, to be forward-looking, and to be strategic.
It builds our strength. Member contributions, especially monthly pledges, mean we have so much more control over our organization. And it allows us take powerful positions, backed by our members, that foundations may not support.
And, literally - CCI Sustainers rock our socks!
That's because any new or upgrading Sustainers in our April campaign will receive a pair of our fabulous "Sock it to 'em, CCI!" socks.
This group of supporters is so important, we've set a goal to bring in 20 new Sustainers during our April campaign. We're at 7 new or returning Sustainers in the first week!
Become a Sustainer today! Click here to start your monthly pledge of $10, $15, $25 or whatever amount works for you.
CCI Action plant sale fundraiser!
Our tenth (and final*) year! As always, the (Friday &) Saturday of Mother's Day Weekend. Organic veggie starts from several local growers, mostly heirloom varieties. Also, herbs, prairie plants, Iowa wildflowers, and other hearty yard perennial plant divisions.
Plant inventory and order form will be posted later in April!
This much-loved community event was started in 2014 by long-time CCI member Ben Zachrich after realizing that he could turn his passion for gardening into a way to help his community. "With the plant sale, there's a shared enthusiasm between everyone who supports the sale. Whether it's getting healthy veggies or beautifying their yard, we're bringing people together to address systemic failures and support CCI, and one another."
Since 2014, the sale has netted $17,723. In this final year, we're hoping to get that total over $20,000!!
Invite your friends and plan to join us for this great fundraiser sale. If you have veggie starts, yard or house plant divisions, or one-gallon pots to donate, please let us know by replying to this email or calling Katie at Iowa CCI 515-255-0800.
*If you're interested in continuing the plant sale fundraiser tradition, reach out to ben_zachrich@yahoo.com.
Water Talk
Let's talk about water! Below we have a selection of some stories that caught our eye relating to water quality and ways to take action for our water.
Articles of interest:
Manure overflowed from hog confinement into SE Iowa creek [Iowa Capital Dispatch]
Central Iowa river's water levels are up, but it's not all good news [KCCI]
Iowans can't accept more delays on water [Cedar Rapids Gazette]
The NITRATES! Spring is the time for testing!
Big thanks to members in Polk City for testing! The site they tested is a tile drainage north of Ankeny which drains into the Rock Creek which eventually drains into the Des Moines River. They recorded a 17.5ppm! As a reminder - drinking water with nitrate levels above 10ppm is unsafe.
Spring is an incredibly important time to be testing for nitrates in Iowa’s rivers and streams. Higher concentrations of nitrates in our water are more common with spring rain and runoff. The time to get testing is now! Make a plan, take some tests, consistency is key! And don't forget to add your data and photos on the CCI page of the Clean Water Hub.
Information about the water testing program and how to order a test kit can be found by clicking this link.
Nitrate Watch has a great worksheet you can use to create a water monitoring plan. Consistency is important!
Mark your calendar for Thursday April 25 when this water testing group meets again on Zoom.
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
Meet the secretive rich funding efforts to keep others poor [Common Dreams]
Roundup is safe, but hemp drinks are 'nefarious', in the Iowa Senate [Cedar Rapids Gazette]
"Take time to read this bill": House Dem flagged AEA funding "oversight" [Bleeding Heartland]
What does a DEI ban mean on a college campus? Here's how it's affecting Texas students [USA Today]
Iowa's proposed immigration bill stirs anxiety and questions in some communities [KTVO]
Exxon/Denbury CO2 pipeline leaks in Louisiana, triggering shelter in place order [Pipeline Fighters Hub]