Breaking the chemical addiction in agriculture
As a result of how I was raised and what I've seen in my lifetime, I am strong supporter of organic agriculture. We need to break the chemical addiction in agriculture. We farmed for thousands of years without toxic and poisonous chemicals. With more support, research and more training, we can maintain productivity while weaning ourselves off the chemicals that are killing us and destroying our ecosystem.
The organic farmers of Iowa and the United States will have no more zealous advocate in the United States Senate than me.
Raised on a farm
I was raised on a farm. My Dad did his best to improve every farm we tilled, from putting in terraces and grass waterways, to ridge tilling in the 1960s, to minimizing our use of chemicals. Soil tilth, organic matter and microbial activity in the soil were important to my Dad. My Dad was proudest of his stewardship when all of a big rain soaked into our farm and did not run off, carrying soil and nutrients with it. While not certified organic, we used a wetting agent to reduce the amount of chemical we applied to our land and used chemicals only in isolated cases. My Dad was very proud of the fact that many times he used 1/10th of the recommended amount of chemical and still killed the weeds.
From all corners of Iowa - the same growing worry
Since starting this campaign, I have been to all 99 counties and put over 100,000 miles on my truck. I have already been back to 33 of the 99 counties for at least a second time. In my travels, I have heard story after story from Iowans who were near death, until they eliminated all conventionally raised food from their diet. I have been moved by the powerful testimony of people who believe they are alive today because they switched to organic food. It has caused me to try to make better choices with my own diet.
Rising cancer rates and political denial
Another eye opening factor is the annual cancer report of the Iowa College of Public Health. They have been keeping detailed records of cancer in Iowa since 1973, by type and county. Their annual reports are available online: (http://bit.ly/1S4IViR) Go back and compare the 1975 numbers to 2015. Look at the Top 10 cancers by new cases and deaths in 2015.
The need to expand organic agriculture and locally grown crops has never been greater
Three of the Top 10 cancers are related to ag chemicals, nitrates and Roundup herbicide. They are: thyroid and ovarian cancer and non Hodgkins lymphoma. In 2015, we added 17,000 Iowans who heard the chilling words, “You have cancer.” They joined 130,000 Iowans already battling cancer. And we lost over 1,100 more Iowans to cancer in 2015 than we did in 1975, despite 40 years of amazing advances in cancer treatment. The connection between chemical agriculture and cancer is getting clearer and clearer. Look around your own community. How many retired farmers can you count? The answer: not very many. A lot of them died of cancer and their widow moved to town. Many farm wives, including my own Mom have battled cancer. For Mom it started with thyroid cancer in 1998 and went from there. Thankfully, Mom is a tough cookie and is still alive and vital today.
Iowa belongs to all of us - not just a handful of big ag interests
This election cycle gives us all a chance to historically shift the control of our government out of the hands of big money interests. Please share this message with your friends and supporters. My campaign is proudly grassroots and not funded by super-PAC's or big ag contributions.
Tom Fiegen Candidate for US Senate, Iowa
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