At a historic century farm nestled between Marshalltown and Albion, Iowa, U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson recently gathered a coalition of local farmers and industry leaders to spotlight the “Save Our Bacon Act.” The event, which drew a passionate crowd of agricultural advocates, served as a rallying cry against California’s Proposition 12. For the Iowa farming community, the issue isn’t just about regulatory compliance; it’s about their survival. Speakers like Tom Mead, the host of the gathering, emphasized that small-scale, multi-generational family farms are being pushed to the brink by mandates written by individuals often thousands of miles removed from the…

In the latest installment of Behind the Lens, host Carolyne Heldman sits down with investigative environmental reporter Delaney Nolan to unpack a story that, while local to Iberia Parish, serves as a poignant microcosm of a much larger national struggle. At the heart of the discussion is a proposed solar farm project that was initially hailed as a golden opportunity for Louisiana’s economic and environmental landscape. With the promise of millions of dollars in tax revenue—funds that could have bolstered public schools, infrastructure, and local services—the project was envisioned as a cornerstone of the state’s transition toward renewable energy. Yet,…