Under The Covers
Under the Covers is a farmer-led agriculture podcast hosted by Bill Frederick and James Holz, Iowa farmers and founders of Iowa Cover Crop.
Each episode is recorded during a game of cribbage. When the game ends, the episode ends.
We’re working Midwest farmers who built an independent seed business rooted in practical farming and sustainable agriculture. The unfiltered conversations we’ve had for years, in the seed shed, at the farm gate, and over a few pond beers, are now on the record.
This show is about modern agriculture, the real decisions, tradeoffs, and debates shaping farming today.
We talk about:
Midwest farming and row crop agriculture
Regenerative agriculture and soil health
Cover crops
Water quality and land stewardship
Small grains, forages, alfalfa, turf, and native seeding
Cattle, grazing systems, and pasture management
Farm profitability and business strategy
Rural economics and agricultural policy
Some episodes are light.
Some will tackle harder issues.
All of them are grounded in the reality of actual working Iowa farms.
We don’t script it.
We won’t always agree.
We sort it out as we go.
It’s honest farm talk, all our cards on the table.
Follow us on social media @iowacovercrop
Under The Covers
Nitrates in Iowa’s Waterways: Context, History, and What It Means for Farmers
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If you live in Iowa, you’ve probably heard the headlines.
When Central Iowa Water Works turned on its nitrate removal system in January, it caught attention across the state. Winter operation is rare. Nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers were elevated. And once again, Iowa water quality and agriculture were in the news.
In this episode of Under the Covers, we slow the conversation down.
We talk about:
- The history and context behind Des Moines Water Works and Iowa farmers
- What actually happened during the 2015 Des Moines Water Works lawsuit
- How that moment intersected with the early days of Iowa Cover Crop
- What the nitrate removal system sounds like when it’s running
- How we felt about the lawsuit then and how we think about Iowa’s water quality progress now
- Practical ideas for improving water quality moving forward
This isn’t outrage radio.
And we won’t pretend this is simple.
It’s a farmer-to-farmer conversation about Iowa water quality, nitrogen management, responsibility, and the realities of modern agriculture.
We don’t solve it.
We don’t dodge it.
We talk through it.
And yes, we’re still playing cribbage while we do.
If you care about:
Iowa farming
Water quality
Nitrogen management
Regenerative agriculture
Cover crops
Ag policy
Tile drainage
Rural economics
Or how farmers are actually thinking about these issues
You’re in the right place.
When the game ends, the episode ends.
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Find us on social media in between episodes on:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/iowacovercrop
Instagram: @iowacovercrop
X: @iacovercrop
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iowacovercrop
Learn more about Iowa Cover Crop at www.iowacovercrop.com