The Gist Art Cullen on Iowa's Corn Gospel, Cancer, and Capture
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Oct 31, 2025 Art Cullen, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editor from the Storm Lake Times and author of "Dear Marty: We Crapped in Our Nest," dives deep into Iowa's agriculture crisis. He reveals how industrial farming practices have devastated the environment and contributed to rising cancer rates. Cullen argues for a shift in political strategy, urging Democrats to focus on economic issues rather than cultural ones. The discussion also touches on the power of agribusiness in shaping policy and the challenges faced by local farmers amidst federal favoritism towards corporations.
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Corn's Industrial Trap
- Art Cullen argues Iowa's corn-centric industrial agriculture is choking the state economically and environmentally.
- He links petrochemical fertilizers and monoculture corn to falling prices, pollution, and farmer distress.
Fertilizer Leap And Downstream Damage
- Cullen traces the shift to synthetic fertilizers like anhydrous ammonia as a turning point for soil and water health.
- He connects fertilizer and manure runoff to toxic rivers and a Gulf of Mexico dead zone harming fisheries.
Agribusiness Controls The Strings
- Cullen says agribusiness, not independent farmers, holds political and economic power in Iowa.
- He contends corporations shape policy to prioritize chemical sales and livestock processing over sustainable practices.
