STOP THE CAFOS! How the Buffalo River Did It (And how Iowa could do better) -JFAN Annual Meeting

JFAN ANNUAL MEETING
Gordon Watkins, co-founder and president of the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance, shares the remarkable story of how the Arkansas community shut down a 6500-head hog confinement in the watershed of the country's first national river and achieved a permanent moratorium.

Turning to Iowa, water quality advocate Dr. Chris Jones outlines his visionary progressive food and agriculture platform that could help to heal Iowa's water quality and protect public health. An audience Q&A follows. Moderated by JFAN Executive Director Diane Rosenberg.

Find all the links mentioned in the recording below.

Intro
Gordon Watkins 07:22
Dr. Chris Jones 34:49
Audience Questions and Answers 1:08:13

Iowa Environmental Council Water Quality Standards Recommendations to the Iowa DNR
https://www.iaenvironment.org/webres/File/Joint%20Environmental%20Comments%20on%202025%20Triennial%20Review.pdf

Iowa Environmental Council Webinar: Iowa Water Quality Standards: Your Role in the Process
Watch this video to help you craft your comments for the Iowa DNR Triennial Review.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vCs4XZZv04&t=419s

ASPCA Call-in Day on EATS/Save the Bacon Act on Monday, October 20
Find your US Representative and get a short script here to tell your legislator to oppose the EATS/Save the Bacon Act that would nullify California Proposition 12 and threaten the nation’s food safety and security. (The call in day is over, but your legislators still need to hear from you)
https://www.jfaniowa.org/eats-act-action-alert

Environmental Working Group Action Alert on Farm Bill Pesticide Riders
Send a letter to your US legislators telling them to oppose Farm Bill language that would block states and local governments from having pesticide regulations stronger than federal regulations.
https://act.ewg.org/derad1llp0eUm_tppFSBbA2?sourceid=1021902

PERMIT Act Action Alert
Send a message to your US legislators telling them to safeguard Clean Water Act protections by opposing the PERMIT Act. This legislation would severely weaken the Clean Water Act.
https://secure.everyaction.com/liBsedc1ZUS1egK2g3P-eA2

The Swine Republic: Struggles with the Truth about Agriculture and Water Quality
Chris Jones’ book on Iowa’s failure to properly regulate agriculture.
https://www.amazon.com/Swine-Republic-Struggles-Agriculture-Quality/dp/1948509407

The Swine Republic – Substack Column
Chris Jones’s popular Substack column where he writes commentary on food and agriculture issues in Iowa.
https://riverraccoon.substack.com

A Progressive Platform for Iowa Food and Agriculture
All 28 recommendations in Chris Jones’ progressive platform for a healthier Iowa food and agriculture policy published in his August 6, 2025 Substack column.
https://riverraccoon.substack.com/p/a-progressive-platform-for-iowa-food

JFAN Donation Page
If you like the work we do, here’s where you can help keeping us going strong.
https://www.jfaniowa.org/donate-today