As newspapers struggle across the country, one small town in Northwestern Iowa is bucking the trend. Not only are they're seeing subscriber and advertiser growth through a new podcast. Erin Sommers, editor of The Record Democrat in Pocahontas, Iowa explains why she launched their new podcast, "On The Record," before their first website!

Links:💡 Find this show on every app: iowapodcast.com/pocahontas-on-the-record-podcast 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq 🩺 Sign up for Hy-Vee Health Exemplar Care: exemplar.care 🌾 Watch The World Food Prize Podcast: https://www.worldfoodprize.org/en/newsroom/world_food_prize_podcast/ ⚖️ Hurt on the job? Get Nate Boulton's help workerslawyers.com

In this interview Sommers explains how On The Record has not only led to new readers, but has revived interest from advertisers! She explains why viral reach isn't the goal, and how they think about content serving Pocahontas, and Northwest Iowa.

Chapters:00:00 - Podcasts Beat Radio 01:21 - Why Print Still Matters 10:01 - Launching a Local News Podcast 19:25 - Podcasting Takes Work 23:55 - Print Plus Podcast Strategy 28:52 - AI Newsroom Future

Zach Lahn is running for Governor in Iowa and he happens to be the very first candidate to be endorsed by RFK JR's MAHA Action organization. In this discussion, Lahn explains his intent to stop subsidies and veto incentives for big ag, even if it means losing party backing entirely.

Links:

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Lahn gives his perspective on President Trump's executive order protecting Glyphosate. Is this the end of the end of the MAHA, MAGA, and GOP alignment on health? Are new battle lines being formed in Iowa and US Politics? Can he convince Iowa to lead the country in regenerative agriculture?

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro and MAHA Endorsement 04:03 - Glyphosate Immunity Fight 10:51 - Iowa First Farm Reforms 16:57 - Break Up Big Ag 19:44 - Regenerative Farming Shift 26:49 - Incentives MAHA Wrap Up

Back in 2012, downtown Burlington was a beautiful, albeit quiet. But today it's thriving and active, at times with four shows performing simultaneously in the downtown area. Jeff Poulter, Director of The Capitol Theater complex discusses the historic theater and the thriving Downtown area.

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Poulter isn't sure if the Theater's historic renovation set off the growth in Dubuque but the timing is notable. Oftentimes historic renovations and artistic pursuit are the catalyst to new growth. Poulter explains all the activity at the theater, the new speakeasy and gives a first-hand account of what traveling acts say about Dubuque when they stop by.

Chapters:00:00 - Welcome to Burlington's Arts Hub 01:21 - Inside the Capitol Complex and Nightcap 07:58 - Renovation History and Riverfront Revival 15:16 - Local Music Partners 16:19 - Why Acts Return 22:25 - River Cruises And Events

Have you heard Iowans are "risk averse" creatures? Research from Iowa State University not only suggests this may be true, but its origin may be tied to farmer trauma, passed down to our children and grandchildren. Chris Morris, PhD research shows stress from farming has a compounding effect over time and becomes mentally destructive. The resulting trauma not only results in risk averse behavior and higher than average suicide rates, but is passed down.

Dr. Morris has spoken with farmers across the entire state, and his stories are heartbreaking and shocking. The immense pressure farmer's face of "feeding the world" and protecting their ancestors legacy are heavy burdens result in low-grade stress that builds. Making things more difficult, farmers rarely share these social pressures, and therefore lack the mental tools to reverse the trend.

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Chapters: 00:00 - Why Iowans Play It Safe 02:06 - Farm Trauma Explained 06:38 - Risk Aversion and Ripple Effects 16:52 - Stigma and Isolation 24:03 - Trauma Stories and Policy 29:32 - What Helps Farmers Heal

If you've seen a national media story featuring Iowa, visited the Des Moines airport, picked up an Iowa magazine, checked out the Iowa Road Trip Facebook page, or have seen any Iowa tourism website, you've likely appreciated his work. His name is Brian Abeling and he explains the stories behind Iowa's most iconic shots.

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Born in New York, Abeling lives in central Iowa and although it may seem like taking breathtaking Iowa photo is his full time job, he explains it's just a hobby, but his organizational skill and dedication to finding the most perfect Iowa shots are 2nd to none. He explains his favorite Iowa moments, how far Iowa nice goes, and his incredibly detailed system that grew his Iowa Road Trip Facebook page to over 330,000 followers.

Chapters:

00:00 - Welcome And Introduction

01:15 - Career Highlights And Features

03:15 - Day Job Vs Night Job

03:39 - Automating Iowa Road Trip

04:38 - Food Photos And Fan Encounters

07:45 - Iowa Safety And Iowa Nice

11:00 - Favorite Hidden Iowa Spots

12:48 - Page Growth And Content Strategy

14:48 - Iowa Pride And Social Media

16:24 - Ignore the Comments

16:51 - Quiet Iowa Moments

18:23 - When Fans Don't Believe

19:48 - Photos That Boost Business

21:27 - Iowa Food Obsessions

22:54 - Iowa Isn't Flat

24:03 - From New York to Iowa

25:35 - Photography Origin Story

27:05 - Planning Road Trip Shoots

29:31 Years of Dedication

30:28 - Where to Find Brian

30:54 - Wrap up and Closing

The Des Moines Symphony is 1 of 4 symphonies in the USA with a young musician academy, which is the focus of their final 3 Masterworks performances. Get 20% off using code: IOWAPODCAST to see this unique experience right here in Iowa!

Maestro Joseph Giunta breaks down their final three Masterworks concerts featuring the Heartland Youth Choir singing the well known Shaker Hymn "Tis a Gift to be Simple" and 17-year old child prodigy Amaryn Olmeda for Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto and a whole lot more.

Chapters: 00:50 - Orchestra Size and Hall Acoustics 02:05 - Masterworks 5: Reflection featuring Stella Chen 09:44 - Masterworks 6: Hope featuring Heartland Youth Choir 14:13 - Masterworks 7: Courage featuring Amaryn Olmeda 15:32 - Alpine Symphony And Hall Sound

🎻 Get Masterworks tickets https://dmsymphony.org/about/news/des-moines-symphony-masterworks-2025-2026/

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As the Iowa Legislature navigates the accelerating reality of autonomous vehicles, State Representative Megan Jones (R-Sioux Rapids) is seeking a delicate balance between technological innovation and public safety. But the current state of the bill may create a regulatory framework that inadvertently bans them entirely.

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Jones chairs the House Transportation Subcommittee. She addresses the evolution of bills like HF 2375, HSB 598, HF 2673, which aim to define the "rules of the road" for driverless technology in the Hawkeye State.

Chapters: 01:00 - Bills and Safety Fears 07:51 - Hazmat Trucks and Future Proofing 14:41 - Public Input and Liability Questions 16:30 - Liability and Tort Reform 19:24 - Insurance and Road Safety 22:10 - Bill Language and Labor Concerns 29:50 - State Rules and Closing Thoughts

Americana and Django, two iconic Des Moines restaurants, are gone for good and they're not alone. 600 restaurants in Iowa will be closing in 2026 and it's because the challenges are too many to count. Scott Carlson, owner of The Craft Beer Tent, and Gilroy's opens up about Americana's closing.

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Increasing taxes, work from home, zero-proof, changing food preferences, homeless population, increasing food and labor costs, regulatory burdens, food delivery, and rising insurance rates are just a few challenges most restaurateurs have to deal with. But Iowa eateries are dealing with all of them simultaneously. Carlson breaks down what happened and what needs to change.

Chapters:

00:00 - Welcome - Meet Scott Carlson

01:18 - Why Americana Is Closing: 'Death by a Thousand Cuts'

02:21 - Downtown Des Moines After COVID: Lost Office Crowds & Corporate Spending

04:54 - Western Gateway Headwinds: Homelessness, Street Closures, Construction & Plumbing

06:29 - The Bigger Picture

08:44 - New Pressures on Margins

11:56 - What Can Government Do? Small Business Blind Spots & the 'Slow Exit from COVID' Warning

15:20 - Regulation, Liquor Liability, Insurance & Credit Card Fees Squeezing Restaurants

18:59 - Changing Food Preferences

20:07 - Food cost spikes & the limits of raising menu prices

22:07 - Adapting without alienating customers

23:47 - Seed oils vs beef tallow: how health rules reshaped frying

26:11 - Food vs fuel

27:17 - Why it's called Gilroy's: the ginger-themed origin story

27:56 - Survival strategy: Des Moines' "Golden Circle"

31:04 - Construction & downtown events: the hidden cost to restaurants

33:38 - The downtown dining experience

35:57 - Wrap-up

The Florida surgeon general has labeled glyphosate a "contaminant" and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) considers it carcinogenic. So, why is it used on over 70% of Iowa fields? Dr. Richard Deming of MercyOne explains why Iowa is #2 in cancer rates and what can be done. 💡 Find this show on your favorite player: https://iowapodcast.com/iowa-cancer-r... 🗞️ Be first to get new interviews: https://iowapodcast.com/subscribe/ 🐖 Get a free $30 gift card from Jethro's BBQ: https://iowapodcast.com/jethrosbbq Deming is an oncologist and director of the Richard Deming Cancer Center at MercyOne. He explains why almost 50% of cancer causes are preventable, but rates climb anyway. He goes into vivid detail on what causes cancer, including some of the very treatments that are supposed to fight it. He also explains why eating healthy food, lowering obesity, and perhaps even some yoga are stronger cancer fighters than we initially thought. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction and Topic Overview 00:44 - Guest Introduction: Dr. Richard Deming 00:51 - The Complexity of Cancer Causes 02:32 - Government Actions on Glyphosate 03:12 - Public Policy and Cancer Prevention 04:35 - Environmental Factors and Cancer 15:15 - Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Cancer Risk 20:16 - Unique Cancer Risks in Iowa 24:08 - The Impact of Obesity on Cancer 24:30 - Organic Food and Cancer Rates 25:10 - Modern Agriculture and Food Distribution 26:04 - The Role of Mutations in Cancer 30:17 - Cancer Screening and Prevention 37:35 - Above and Beyond Cancer: A Public Charity 41:56 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Want to see bald eagles snatching fish out of the water? Would you like to have a front row seat seeing eagles fight over a fresh meal? Professional photographer Ron Maggard explains how to find the best Iowa locations and what times are ideal.

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Maggard is an Iowa-based wildlife photographer and he's a big fan of bald eagles. He explains why below zero temperatures in February are great for bald eagle photography and how to find the best eagle locations across the state. He also discusses some breathtaking experiences and what time of day gets the best photographs.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:10 Eagle Watching in Iowa: An Overview

00:25 Expert Insights: Ron Maggard on Eagle Watching

01:16 Best Locations for Eagle Watching

02:00 Why Winter is Ideal for Eagle Watching

07:24 Photography Tips for Capturing Eagles

10:51 Eagle Behavior and Interactions

13:28 Respecting Eagle Nests: Legal Distances and Common Mistakes

14:27 The Size and Construction of Eagle Nests

16:28 Eagle Watching in Iowa: A New Phenomenon

17:20 Photography Tips for Capturing Eagles

19:21 Eagle Behavior and Hunting Techniques

21:24 The Impact of Removing Roller Dams on Eagle Populations

22:29 Exploring Iowa's Hidden Gems Through Photography

24:40 Final Thoughts and Photography Advice