Opinion: Iowa’s agricultural future is on the ballot
Tommy Hexter
October 26, 2026
Tommy Hexter `21 asks voters to consider their vision for Iowa agriculture. Contributed by Tommy Hexter
We are less than one month away from the 2026 Election Day, and differing visions for the future of agriculture are very much on the ballot in Iowa.
America's Agricultural Roots
America was founded as an agrarian nation, and Iowa was founded as an agricultural state. In 1860, 53 percent of the U.S. workforce worked in agriculture.
By 1950, the number of family farms in Iowa had peaked at more than 200,000.
A Shifting Philosophy
But over the past 70 years, one philosophy has increasingly shaped American agriculture: "get big or get out." Earl Butz, Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, famously summarized this philosophy: farmers should expand their operations, increase production, and become more efficient through economies of scale – or risk being pushed out of farming altogether.
The Impact in Iowa
Since 1950, Iowa has lost more than 120,000 family farms.
Consider these statistics:
- The average Iowa farm was 170 acres in 1950; today, it is roughly 340 acres.
- The average Iowa farm in 1950 grew four crops — corn, oats, alfalfa, and hay — and raised at least two varieties of livestock; today, the average farm raises two crops, primarily corn and soybeans, or one type of livestock.
- Iowa farms nearly 30 million acres, yet approximately 95 percent of the food consumed in Iowa is imported.
- Since 2000, the number of public schools in Iowa has declined by 14 percent, a reduction of 217 schools.
- Since 2000, at least 41 Iowa hospitals have closed their labor and delivery units.
- Iowa farm income has fallen 53 percent over the past three years.
- Iowa ranks second nationally in cancer rates and is one of only three states where the cancer rate is increasing.
- Four companies — Syngenta Group, Bayer, Corteva, and BASF — controlled roughly 70 percent of the global pesticide market in 2018, compared with 29 percent among the top four companies 25 years earlier.
- The two largest U.S. fertilizer companies, CF Industries and Nutrien, which together control 55 percent of the market, made more than $4 billion in profits last year — an 88 percent increase from the previous year.
These trends raise serious questions about the direction of Iowa agriculture. As farms consolidate and fewer people make a living from the land, rural communities are struggling.
A Call to Action
Voters have an opportunity to shape the future of Iowa agriculture. When you cast your ballot, consider:
- What kind of future do you want for Iowa’s family farms?
- How can we support a more diverse and resilient agricultural system?
- Who do you think will best represent your interests in shaping agricultural policy?
The future of Iowa agriculture is in your hands.