Carey Gillam, The New Lede:

“A controversial Iowa water safety report has confirmed what many people in the state have long feared to be true: Dangerously high levels of farm chemicals, including nitrates and pesticides are polluting waterways with potentially dire health consequences for hundreds of thousands of residents. As Iowans’ seek answers for rising cancer rates and other health problems, the report provides a host of recommendations for how to reduce the contamination and protect public health. The question is: Will the state’s powerful agricultural interests listen?

Iowa has the second-highest rate of cancer in the nation, and is only one of two US states where cancer is increasing. Leukemia, as well as cancers of the pancreas, breast, stomach, kidney, thyroid and uterus, are among the different cancer types on the rise across the state, according to the National Cancer Institute.



Pesticide use in the state has increased over the last few decades, with glyphosate herbicide ranking as Iowa’s most widely used pesticide applied through traditional spraying, followed by acetochlor and atrazine, according to the report. Neonicotinoid pesticides are also prevalent in Iowa, used as seed coatings on most corn and soybean seeds planted in the state, the report said. Each of the pesticides is linked in scientific research to human and/or environmental harms.”


The New Lede breaks down the report and what lies ahead

TAKE ACTION: Tell Your State to Ban Glyphosate, Not Bail Out Bayer!

TAKE ACTION: Ask Your State Legislator To Support a Ban on Bee-Killing Neonicotinoids!

Dr. André Leu, Regeneration International Director:

Toxic synthetic pesticides and soluble chemical fertilizers are damaging our health and harming the environment. They significantly contribute to the rise of chronic diseases, the decline of insects, birds, and other species, as well as widespread pollution, algae blooms in our streams and rivers, and dead zones in the oceans. This is justified on the notion that without poisoning our food and environment, we would starve.

This is a mythology created through ongoing misinformation campaigns by the poison cartels, their captive media, researchers, academics, and regulators. This article clearly shows that we can produce more food that is healthier without these toxic, degenerative inputs.

Regeneration International is an international network of more than 680 partner organizations in 80 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Oceania, North America, and Europe. Our mission: To promote, facilitate, and accelerate the global transition to regenerative food, farming, and land management for the purpose of restoring climate stability, ending world hunger, and rebuilding deteriorated social, ecological, and economic systems.

Read this article and learn why we use the term “Regenerative and Organic Agriculture based on the science of Agroecology” to describe nature-based farming systems, and much more 

For more insight, watch this video of a Regenerative Agriculture workshop given by our Regeneration International Director, Prof. Dr. André Leu

On October 16, World Food Day, Regeneration International in collaboration with the Organic Consumers Association will put on its 5th annual People’s Food Summit.

This totally FREE event unites farmers, researchers, activists, and communities from every continent for a 24-hour virtual journey into the heart of regenerative agriculture.

This year’s theme, Sowing Peace, Harvesting Solidarity: The Power of Farmers and Food Systems in Regenerating Our Planet, will spotlight farmer-led solutions, indigenous knowledge, and innovative research driving food system transformation worldwide. Through regional panels, cross-continental dialogues, and participatory research showcases, we’ll explore how soil, water, biodiversity, and community resilience can be restored, one field, one farm, and one network at a time.

From climate-resilient grazing in drylands to agroforestry in temperate and tropical regions, from urban gardens to vast rangelands, the People’s Food Summit celebrates small-scale producers who grow 70% of the world’s food, and charts a regenerative path forward for all.

This October 16: Join us. Learn. Share. Regenerate.

Save the date and learn more about the People’s Food Summit

by Colleen Hagerty, NYT, Wirecutter:

“In my 13 years of covering extreme-weather events across the United States, I’ve heard incredible stories from survivors of storms, wildfires, and roof-ripping winds. At times, their accounts have included the challenges of accessing food and potable water.

Disasters are unpredictable by nature, and it’s difficult to anticipate exactly what you’ll want or need to get by in the chaos and confusion following such an event. But no matter what risks you face, food and water are the two crucial things you should plan to have on hand.

Ultimately, help came for each of the survivors I spoke with — in the form of a government agency, a nonprofit organization, or, as is often the case, a neighbor. Just before a predicted disaster, the fear of not having access to basic necessities often leads to panic buying. But it’s usually not a great idea for everyone to empty the shelves of the local supermarket all at once.”

Read how the right approach involves maintaining supplies based on your household’s needs before disaster strikes

Food Tank:

“On the evening of Friday, September 26, Food Tank will host “A Night Honoring Our Farmers: Food and Agriculture Storytelling” during Climate Week NYC, in partnership with Niman Ranch, Now Partners, and the Broadway Green Alliance. The invitation-only event will feature 10 extraordinary farmers sharing experiences of land, legacy, hope, and resilience through theater-inspired storytelling and unscripted narratives.

‘As a theater-maker, I’m sold on the power of storytelling, but to be hearing from voices we never hear from—farmers doing vital work to ensure we’ll be able to feed our grandchildren—well, that’s going to make for storytelling flavored with a special sauce of compelling importance and captivating entertainment,’ says Anika Larsen, Tony Award Nominee and Broadway Green Alliance Board Member. ‘And at the Broadway Green Alliance, we know that when stories like these are lifted up, they don’t just entertain—they inspire action for a more sustainable future.’

Ron Mardesen, a third-generation hog farmer from Elliott, Iowa, who has raised pigs for specialty meat company Niman Ranch for over 20 years, emphasizes the weight of each farmer’s story—and why it’s important to listen.”

Learn more

This summit will be streamed live on FoodTank.com: GET FREE TICKETS!

Kate Yoder, Grist:

“Once upon a time, the English language was full of stories with ‘blossoms,’ ‘rivers,’ and ‘moss.’ But these words are disappearing from our vocabularies — and along with them, our connection to the natural world they describe. 

A study published in the journal Earth earlier this summer found that the use of nature-related words declined more than 60 percent between 1800 and 2019. The study’s author, Miles Richardson, a psychology professor at the University of Derby in the United Kingdom, looked at 28 everyday terms related to nature, including ‘bud,’ ‘meadow,’ and ‘beak,’ using a Google database that tracked the frequency of words in English-language books over time. 

Experts have been raising the alarm over our growing disconnect to nature for decades, often by pointing to how our language has changed. In its 2007 edition, the Oxford Junior Dictionary, widely used in classrooms in the United Kingdom, removed dozens of entries related to the natural world, including ‘acorn,’ ‘bluebell,’ and ‘magpie,’ to make room among its 10,000 entries for modern inventions like ‘blog,’ ‘chatroom,’ and ‘MP3 player.’

More than 200,000 people went on to sign a petition for the dictionary to reinstate the nature words that had gone missing.”



Read about how the editors didn’t budge, and more

Organic & Natural Health Association, GlobeNewswire:

“On Sept. 10, more than 50 citizen lobbyists representing a consortium of 15 national nonprofits and organizations gathered on Capitol Hill for the first My Health Alliance Lobby Day, organized by the Organic & Natural Health Association (Organic & Natural Health).

The My Health Alliance, announced in January 2024 at Organic & Natural Health’s annual conference, unites organizations across the health and wellness spectrum to amplify their collective voice in Washington. The network, which reaches millions of people, includes founding members: Alliance for Natural Health, American Grassfed Association, Moms Across America, Organic Consumers Association, Natural Grocers, and SENPA.

‘This Lobby Day represents a landmark event in the natural products industry,’ said Karen Howard, CEO and executive director of Organic & Natural Health. ‘For the first time, so many groups are walking into Congress together with one purpose: To push for policies that improve the health of families and strengthen the wellness of future generations.’”

Learn more about this first-of-its-kind collective effort

UNESCO, Body & Mind Wellness Club:

“The International Day of Peace, or also known as the World Peace Day, is observed yearly on the 21st of September. It is a shared date meant specifically for strengthening world peace. The day was originally established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, but was set as a period of non-violence and ceasefire in 2001. It was first practiced in 1982, and has since been observed by nations worldwide.

Importance of the Day
Every day, violence, abuse, discrimination, sexism, and racism run rampant in the world. Furthermore, poverty, mass displacement, forced labor, and trafficking are horrible issues negatively impacting millions of people. With a society filled with terror, fear, and uncertainty, peace can no longer be a romanticized fantasy out of reach, but an ideal we actively strive for.

Theme for 2025
The theme for 2025’s International Day of Peace is “Act Now for a Peaceful World”. The theme approaches the fact that everyone in society has a role to play. We can all come together to speak out against issues like hate-fueled-violence, racial/gender-based discrimination, and more.”

Learn how we can volunteer in our communities, read books or watch movies that show perspectives different from our own, donate to sustainable organizations/humanitarian organizations, etc.

Stacy Malkan, U.S. Right to Know (USRTK):

“The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says it is the world’s largest organization of nutrition and dietetics practitioners. This fact sheet examines the Academy’s relationship with ultra-processed food, beverage, pesticide and pharmaceutical corporations, which includes accepting contributions from these companies, and even investing in them. Evidence from the Academy’s own internal documents suggest the group serves up favors for their corporate sponsors at the expense of public health.

The Academy and its website eatright.org promote themselves as ‘your source for science-based food and nutrition information.’ The group is seen as an authority in food policy-making and influences the development of the US dietary guidelines.

The Academy is not fully transparent about its corporate financial contributors. It does not disclose the size of contributions received from companies or industry groups.”



Find out who, in 2025, the Academy’s sponsors include

Sky Chadde, Investigate Midwest:

“In Vicksburg, Mississippi, the south end of town near the municipal airport has no grocery stores, no food pantries. Mired in a federally recognized food desert, nearby families struggled to obtain healthy food. Then, in 2019, in a once-empty lot, a community garden sprouted. Families could pick their own blueberries, peas and okra.

The nonprofit behind the garden, Shape Up Mississippi, aimed not only to address food insecurity in the predominantly Black neighborhood but also to promote the agriculture profession to children through an annual event. Farmers gathered at the garden to showcase their equipment, and local U.S. Department of Agriculture employees taught kids about soil health.

But Shape Up had to cancel the event this year, and for the past several months, it’s limited the number of days residents can harvest. Last year, it received $10,000 through the USDA, but the grant was unexpectedly axed in February. Shape Up was forced to curtail services.”

Read how the effort to eliminate DEI funding could impair one of Rollins’ goals: recruiting more farmers

The chemically laden degenerative practices our country uses to grow food are creating a water crisis that demands our attention. Farm chemicals, including nitrates and pesticides, are polluting waterways, putting hundreds of thousands of residents at risk of dire health consequences.

The high cancer rates, particularly leukemia, pancreatic, breast, stomach, kidney, thyroid, and uterine cancer, are alarming and continue to be ever-expanding problem. 

Join us in demanding action! Tell your state legislator to ban glyphosate, not bail out Bayer and to support a ban on bee-killing neonicotinoids!

And please donate now to support OCA’s mission to promote organic and regenerative agriculture, end toxic chemical use, support local farmers, consumers and communities, and build healthy soil. As well as give people an opportunity to take action and educate people about their role in supporting the organic farming practices that will give us clean water and a healthy environment for all.

Together, we can create a healthier food system more biodiverse future for farm country and beyond.

Make a tax-deductible donation to Organic Consumers Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Make a tax-deductible donation to Regeneration International, our international sister organization

Have you considered making a grant request from your Donor-Advised Fund?

Mitchell Peters, Billboard:

“‘Farm Aid is grateful that the University of Minnesota and Teamsters Local 320 have reached an agreement,’ organizers wrote on Instagram. ‘We are thrilled to confirm that Farm Aid 40 will go forward in Minneapolis as planned.’

They continued, ‘For four decades, Farm Aid has stood with farmers and workers. Today’s agreement is a reminder of what can be achieved when people come together in the spirit of fairness and solidarity.’

The 2025 edition of Farm Aid — marking the festival’s 40th anniversary — will feature headliners Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Kenny Chesney, Margo Price and Billy Strings, among others. The event is expected to draw a crowd of approximately 50,000 fans.

‘We look forward to celebrating that spirit on September 20 — alongside farmers, workers, advocates, artists and fans — in a day of music and community that honors this shared history,’ the statement concluded.

The labor dispute had cast uncertainty over the event in recent weeks.”

Read how organizers said “the world is watching, and together we can make sure this anniversary is remembered for unity, not division.”

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Adding More Green Space to a Campus Is a Simple, Cheap and Healthy Way To Help Millions of Stressed and Depressed College Students

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Heartbreaking: Watch Long Queues for Bread Highlight Growing Food Crisis in Gaza

Is There Such a Thing as Immune-Boosting Foods?

Glyphosate and Cancer: A Textbook Case of “Manufacturing Doubt”

A Farmer’s Fight: Cancer, Chemicals and a Return to Organic Living

New Study Links 174 Companies to Deadly Heat Waves

Banned Pesticides Found in Clouds, Sparking New Health Concerns

Outraged Farmers Blame Ag Monopolies as Catastrophic Collapse Looms

Online Learning Session for Practitioners, as Part of the Co-Creation With the More Than Human: Knowing Place – a Key to Survival

Soil Carbon Potential of Every Field in UK Revealed in Boost for Net Zero Goals in Agriculture

What Native-Held Lands in California Can Teach About Resilience and the Future of Wildfire

Millions Face Skyrocketing Health Insurance Costs Unless Congress Extends Subsidies