Back in April, we hosted food and agriculture writer Tom Philpott to talk about the impact of COVID-19 on our food supply.

Today, he returns to the show to discuss his new book, Perilous Bounty, and the effects of climate change and farming practices on two major growing regions in the U.S.: California and the Corn Belt of the Midwest, especially Iowa.

He and Patty discuss topics like California’s growing practices and water shortages, the northward shift of the Corn Belt, soil erosion in the Midwest, corporate farming, and the importance of “voting with your fork” and getting involved in climate activism to support food and agriculture.

Tom Philpott is the food and agriculture correspondent for Mother Jones. He is the author of Perilous Bounty: The Looming Collapse of American Farming and How We Can Prevent It (Bloomsbury, 2020).