Cancer, Prairie Strips and a Man's Soul

Jon Bakehouse is a corn and soybean farmer in southwest Iowa. He and his family were working to improve the sustainability of the farm over the years. But an unexpected health scare changed Bakehouse’s perspective of farming, andAbout this podcastThis episode is part of a partnership with the Practical Farmers of Iowa, a farmer-led nonprofit with more than 9,000 members that equips farmers to build resilient farms and communities. Through farmer-led education, on-farm research, financial support, technical assistance, business development and solutions-oriented policy work, PFI helps farmers try new ideas, solve problems together and build successful farm businesses.Every January, at the PFI annual conference in Des Moines, a ‘Conversation Coop’ (a room really) is set up, where attendees tell stories about food and farming. These stories are then stored with StoryCorp–a national story collection site–and at the Library of Congress. I got to thinking–there have to be great stories in that collection, stories that more people should hear. And so, with PFI and the story-teller’s permission, we have edited down the interviews and are sharing them with you here.To learn more about prairie strips, go to:https://www.iaagwater.org/prairie-strips-a-beautiful-tool-for-soil-preservation/https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/2025/prairie-strips-can-rapidly-improve-soil-health This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit attheiowafarmtable.substack.com