Sustainability

Writing in a journal is usually a personal and private act, but there are published diaries that have changed the world. There are scholars who study diaries and family members who treasure them. And if you have a diary, there just might be an archive that would like to collect it when you’re gone. Betsy Rubiner, a journalist, author and a life-long diarist discusses her book, 'Our Diaries, Ourselves: How Diarists Chronicle Their Lives and Document our World.' Later in the hour, we hear from Beth Hoffman, a farmer and journalist who is now the host of a new podcast called 'At the Iowa Farm Table.' The podcast focuses on sustainable agriculture, local food production and consumption, land and water conservation and some of the many challenges facing Iowa right now. (Portions of this episode were originally produced Feb. 24, 2026 and July 4, 2025)

In our consumer culture, it’s easy to buy low-cost goods that will ultimately end up in a landfill. The true cost of living that way is one we’ll all end up paying. On this encore edition of Talk of Iowa, different ways to reduce, reuse, repair, recycle and compost. Host Charity Nebbe spoke with Jane Wilch, the recycling coordinator for the City of Iowa City; Joe Bolick, the director of the Iowa Waste Reduction Center; Laura Crosett, communications lead for the Iowa City Repair Cafe, and Jamie Nicolino, owner of The Collective, a sustainable 'general store' in Des Moines. (This show was originally produced on July 15, 2025)

There are a number of nonprofits operating in Iowa that are focused on giving beginning farmers access to land, education and equipment. On this episode, we hear about four of these organizations, and how they've been impacted by the sudden termination of a grant program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

We look at how Iowa’s organic movement began, how it’s evolved and what the future holds for the next generation of farmers.

When buying a home, a mortgage isn’t the only thing that can weigh down your finances. From repairs to maintenance, the true costs of owning a home can surprise you.

The 2025 World Food Prize Laureate Mariangela Hungria talks about how soil science is shaping a more sustainable future.