‘Batch and build’ conservation progress and national policy analysis | The Spokesman Speaks Podcast, Episode 206

Welcome to Episode 206 of The Spokesman Speaks podcast. In this episode, Heartland Co-op Conservation Manager and agronomist Ruth McCabe shares the “batch and build” process that’s helping Iowa farmers quickly install edge-of-field practices to filter nitrates from water. And ag policy expert Mary Kay Thatcher offers her outlook on farm policy in 2026.

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Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• Learn more about Heartland Co-op’s conservation offerings and contact Conservation Manager Ruth McCabe at ConservationAgronomy.com. 
• Learn more about Iowa’s conservation progress at ConservationCountsIowa.com. 
• Contact your county Farm Bureau. 

About The Spokesman Speaks Podcast

Since 1934, The Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman has been Iowa’s leading agriculture news source, and today it has the largest readership of any ag newspaper in Iowa. While The Spokesman newspaper is available exclusively to Iowa Farm Bureau members, The Spokesman Speaks podcast is available publicly, providing the ag news and farmer education that matter most. You can find episodes of the podcast here or subscribe and listen in your favorite podcast app, such as Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Audible, TuneIn Radio, Audacy, YouTube or AgriAmerica.com.