This week in Iowa organizing…
Iowa lost two of its giants in the organizing world recently.
On September 13, organic farmer and self described farmer-philosopher Fred Kirschenmann passed away at age 90. He was an inspiration to all who care about how we farm, what we eat, and our relationship to the land.
Not long after, on September 17 Tucker Cassidy passed. If you met Tucker for only a minute, you'd never forget him. His passion and advocacy for disability rights and social justice issues was hard to match. It was, perhaps, only surpassed by his sense of humor.
Fred and Tucker leave a noticeable void in the work to make Iowa and this country more sustainable, more accessible, and more democratic. A void we are called to step into and continue this important work.
Rest in power Fred and Tucker,
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
Take action
Beginning today - Mitchell County pipeline meetings
Mitchell County CCI members and residents continue to push back against Bruce Rastetter's proposed CO2 pipeline and call for commonsense protections from their County Supervisors.
As we build momentum for local policy to protect the land and places we love, we'll be hosting meetings to get up to speed on the issue and discuss options on the table for our next steps.
St. Ansgar: September 22 at 6pm, RSVP here
Osage: September 29 at 6pm, RSVP here
Riceville: October 6 at 6pm, RSVP here
Tomorrow - September 23: Organizing 101
Have you ever seen a problem in your community and wished you could do something about it? Maybe talked to a neighbor or two about their thoughts on it, but didn't know what to do next?
Join us for an interactive workshop to learn about community organizing - the practice CCI uses to build power with and for everyday Iowans to tackle the issues we face. Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 6pm over Zoom - RSVP here.
We know the solutions we need to the issues we face. And we know that by working together, change is possible - that's community organizing!
Wednesday - September 24: UnityPoint nurses rally
Des Moines area nurses with UnityPoint are organizing for better working conditions and respect from their employer. That's why they're working with Teamsters Local 90 to form a union.
Leading up to the vote, they're asking folks in the Des Moines metro to rally in support with them Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 1pm at the UnityPoint HQ in West Des Moines (1776 W Lakes Pkwy, Suite 400).
October 2: Cancer Gag Act postcard party
Come join us for a postcard writing party at our Des Moines office! We'll be writing to folks across the state urging them to contact their Representatives and to take action against Bayer and the Cancer Gag Act. These multinational chemical companies think if they can silence us, let's show them what people power can do!
WHEN: 10/02 @ 1PM
WHERE: 2001 Forest Ave, Des Moines
October 7: meeting with Des Moines Police Chief
Has policing changed in Des Moines for the Black community? What steps can the police and community take to create better relations with one another?
Join Iowa CCI and community members for a meeting to hear updates and share your questions and concerns with Des Moines Chief of Police Michael McTaggart. October 7 at 6pm in Des Moines, more info and RSVP to join here.
CCI's fall book club & author events
We're back with another installment of Iowa CCI's book club! This time we picked Dodge County, Incorporated: Big Ag and the Undoing of Rural America, by Sonja Trom Eayrs, winner of the 2025 Midwest Book Award and a finalist for the 2025 Minnesota Book award.
It's a well-timed read for anyone concerned with Iowa's escalating corporate ag-fueled water crisis and lack of action from elected leaders. And, it's a fitting read for our 50th anniversary, as Sonja's powerful personal account of fighting a hog factory in southern Minnesota mirrors that of CCI members' organizing to stop factory farms for the past three decades.
Click here to learn more about the book, then plan to join us for one of three opportunities to be in conversation with the author and fellow Iowans concerned about our land, water, and communities.
Water Talk
Learn from the Iowa Environmental Council this Thursday
Join our monthly meeting on Zoom September 25 at 5pm to hear from Michael Schmidt - General Counsel for the Iowa Environmental Council. He has worked on a number of the issues the Iowa DNR is discussing at their public hearings and will help provide information about what they're doing along with ideas of how to be effective in commenting.
The next DNR public hearing is Sept 23 at 2:30pm. Zoom links to join found here. The agenda includes a presentation with questions and public comments at the end.
Iowa DNR will also take public comments via email through Oct 20.
Whether you're able to attend the DNR hearing or not - join us to talk about it! We'll get folks up to speed on what we heard, and we can strategize together about how to take advantage of the public comment period.
Articles of interest
Triennial Iowa water quality review addresses toxic substances, nitrates, E. coli
Iowa is at risk of losing most of its water quality sensors. Here's why that matters
Campbell Soup admits to dumping waste into Maumee River, violating Clean Water Act 5,400 times
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
Zach Nunn swings and misses on Social Security [Bleeding Heartland]
Before there was Jimmy Kimmel, there was Jean Muir [Politico]
Environmental groups raise alarm on AI data center use of energy, water [Wisconsin Examiner]
Social media is shattering America's understanding of Charlie Kirk's death [NPR]
Wisconsin notches a win against Big Ag - for now [Barn Raiser]