Garden Variety

BONUS: Weeding out the competition

By Charity Nebbe,

Published August 19, 2026 at 4:37 PM CDT

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It’s state fair season and the Iowa State Fair has a competition for everything from biggest boar to longest beard to the best pie. But one contest puts people’s knowledge of backyard weeds to the test. IPR’s Rachel Cramer spoke to participants at the Iowa State Fair Weed Identification Contest.

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Charity Nebbe

Charity Nebbe is the host of 'Talk of Iowa'. She also hosts IPR's podcasts 'Garden Variety' and 'Unsettled'. Since 2010, Nebbe has interviewed, conversed with, and shared ideas from guests of all backgrounds and locations, and has helped listeners better understand, appreciate, and explore their state and the world around them. Nebbe has a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University.

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Rachel Cramer

Rachel Cramer is IPR's Harvest Public Media Reporter, with expertise in agriculture, environmental issues and rural communities. She's covered water management, food security, nutrition and sustainability efforts among other topics for Yellowstone Public Radio, The Guardian, WGBH and currently for IPR. Cramer is a graduate of the University of Montana and Iowa State University.

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Natalie Dunlap

Natalie Dunlap is an award-winning digital producer and writer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa. Since 2024, Dunlap has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's digital audience.

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