Nina Elkadi

Iowa City, Washington, D.C., United States

Contributor at Freelance

Iowan writing about ag & water. find me in @CivilEats @insideclimate @Barn_Raising @NatGeo and more.

Articles

Manure Contributes to Toxic Byproducts in Drinking Water

1 week ago | sentientmedia.org | Nina Elkadi

Approximately 122 million people are exposed to potentially toxic byproducts in their drinking water. The possibly toxic mix is the result of organic material, like manure, interacting with disinfectants in the treatment process.
Iowa Dairy Manure Spill Kills Over 100,000 Fish in 10-Mile Stretch of Dry Run Creek

2 weeks ago | sentientmedia.org | Nina Elkadi

On March 10, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources received two phone calls. One caller phoned to complain that manure runoff was entering a tributary of Dry Run Creek, a waterway that provides vital habitat for fish and other wildlife in Winneshiek County, Iowa. The other caller described dead fish downstream. A few days later on March 13, the DNR reported the manure spill but did not name its source.
As Trump Stands Firm on Tariffs, USDA Signals Possible Relief for Farmers

2 weeks ago | sentientmedia.org | Nina Elkadi

News During Iowa visit, Secretary Brooke Rollins signaled the administration would consider financial relief for farmers. News • Policy • Trump 2.0 In announcing his tariff plan on March 2, President Donald J. Trump had few words for farmers: “Have fun!” he wrote on the social media platform he owns, Truth Social.
The Beef Industry Knew Its Climate Impact as Early as 1989 - and Worked to Obfuscate the Science

1 month ago | sentientmedia.org | Nina Elkadi

In a new paper, University of Miami Professor Jennifer Jacquet and a team of researchers argue that the industry-funded National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) knew about the harms of beef production on climate change as early as 1989 and worked to obfuscate the science. In a subsequent paper, Jacquet and post-doctoral associate Loredana Loy trace how trade groups worked to incite doubt that consumers could make a difference, by choosing to eat less meat, on global climate emissions.
Venison donated to food banks may contain lead

1 month ago | nonpareilonline.com | Nina Elkadi

Over twenty years ago, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Food Bank of Iowa and the Department of Corrections forged a plan. The idea was simple: hunters would hunt overpopulating deer, and the public would receive processed venison through food banks and prisons. And it worked. In 2007, more than 8,000 deer were donated to the program, feeding tens of thousands of people in the process. In 2008, however, the program hit a bit of a road bump.
Trump’s Department of Justice Investigates the Price of Eggs

1 month ago | sentientmedia.org | Nina Elkadi

News The agency has opened an investigation into high egg prices and corporate price-gouging. News • Policy • Trump 2.0 The cost to feed a family in the United States has increased by 50 percent since the early days of the pandemic in 2020. Wages have not increased at the same rate, causing many families to feel burdened by the struggle to make ends meet.
Iowa Farmers Push Back on Agriculture Checkoff Cuts

1 month ago | m.farms.com | Nina Elkadi |Investigate Midwest

By Nina B. ElkadiThe “Got Milk?” campaign is one of the most infamous advertisements campaigns funded by the food industry. Though the images of people sporting milk mustaches were once practically ubiquitous, consumers may have difficulty pinpointing who exactly funded the project.
Importing Eggs Won’t Lower Prices, Experts Say

1 month ago | sentientmedia.org | Nina Elkadi

Egg prices have never been this high. To address this, newly appointed United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins recently outlined a five-pronged plan to address high egg prices for American consumers: including potentially importing eggs. Importing eggs is not the norm in the United States, especially considering this country is the second-largest egg exporter in the world. We produce over 100 billion eggs per year, millions of which go to Canada and Mexico.
Nebraska meatpackers call on feds to deregulate industry

1 month ago | norfolkneradio.com | Nina Elkadi

The Clean Water Act, salmonella inspections and equity in the Packers and Stockyards Act are just a few of the regulations that the industry lobbying group the Meat Institute, formerly known as the North American Meat Institute, is calling for the Trump administration to pull back. On Jan.
Nebraska meatpackers call on feds to deregulate industry

1 month ago | kiowacountypress.net | Nina Elkadi

Click play to listen to an abbreviated version of this article. The Clean Water Act, salmonella inspections and equity in the Packers and Stockyards Act are just a few of the regulations that the industry lobbying group the Meat Institute, formerly known as the North American Meat Institute, is calling for the Trump administration to pull back.