Advertise on podcast: Talk of Iowa

The house that may have been just right for you and your family at one point in time might not meet your needs as you age. It's another Home Improvement Day, and expert Bill McAnally talks about what to look for in a home when it's time to downsize and you're planning to age in place. Then, Bill answers a wide range of listeners' home improvement questions.

Protest movements have been a part of American history since before the United States was founded. In this episode, we hear from three historians about three different and powerful protest movements in U.S. history — the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement during the Vietnam War and the anti-abortion movement. We’ll also talk about the strengths, weaknesses, successes and failures of these movements. (This episode was originally produced on Feb. 5, 2026)

In 1883, the U.S. Department of the Interior created a Code of Indian Offenses — it made Native dancing and ceremonies illegal and gave Indian Agents authority to punish anyone who violated the code. This was part of a systematic effort to erase individual tribal cultures and to force all indigenous people to assimilate. The documentary 'Why We Dance' takes viewers into the heart of Indigenous communities around North America in Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, Hawaii and Mexico. We talk with the film's director and Meskwaki member Oogie Push and producer and director of photography Ryan Stopera. Then, Iowa historian and former teacher Michael Zahs has a collection of original works by iconic Iowa artist Grant Wood that is the focus of a pop-up museum at the Washington Public Library on Saturday, November 7.

On this Horticulture Day episode, we talk with Iowa State University extension horticulture specialist Aaron Steil and professor of horticulture Cindy Haynes. We learn how to grow and care for pumpkins, and what to do with them after Halloween. Then, Aaron and Cindy answer listener questions.

On this episode, we learn about some of Iowa's early conservationists — Theodore Parvin, Thomas MacBride, Bohumil Shimek, Louis Pammel and Ada Hayden. We discuss their important contributions with University of Northern Iowa historian Kevin Mason and Mary Skopec, director of Lakeside Laboratory. We also talk with Alexa DiNicola, curator at the Ada Hayden Herbarium.

The drone of cicadas has always been one of the sounds of summer in Iowa. Annual cicada populations are holding their own, but periodical cicadas are in trouble. On this episode, we talk with University of Iowa biologist Andrew Forbes about a study that uses GIS technology to show how habitat loss has impacted cicada populations. We also hear from GIS experts Susan Meerdink and Adam Skibbe and discuss what the future holds for these cicadas.

Sports betting can elevate a sports fan's connection to the game, but can lead to corruption and decimate savings. Des Moines resident Caleb Tessmer shares his positive experience casually sports betting. Then, Justin Balthrop joins the program. He gambles in the low seven figures each year, but his research reveals the harmful nature of online sports betting. Later in the hour, Dave Bluder, author of The Great Gamble, dove into the world of sports betting corruption for his novel and shares how the gambling industry continues to alter his view on sports. (This episode was originally produced March 27, 2025.)

On this episode, we listen back to a 2023 conversation with Iowa Playwrights Workshop alum Samuel Hunter about his play-turned-film 'The Whale.' Then a 2025 conversation with Emili Johnson who created a blog and podcast about the Black experience in Iowa. (Portions of this episode were originally produced in Feb. 2023 and Aug. 2025.)

Thousands of monarch butterflies are finishing their annual migration to Mexico. On this episode, Samantha McIntosh sits in for Charity Nebbe. We talk with Mykayla Hagaman of the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, who gives us an update on Iowa's monarch population. Then, Laura Iles of Iowa State University Integrated Pest Management and Extension Horticulturist Aaron Steil join us to answer your questions.

On this episode, we listen back to a 2025 conversation with Dawson resident and Air Force veteran Justin Wolfe, who received bronze at the 10th annual Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada. Adaptive sports have helped Wolfe push past limitations from his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Troy Peterson, a fellow veteran and Winterset resident, helped Justin turn to sports through his non-profit ValorFit. Later in the hour, research from ecologists Steven Dinsmore and Victoria Fasbender at Iowa State University demonstrates that humans can tweak their behavior in relatively small ways that could make a positive impact for the pectoral sandpiper, a migratory shore bird that often stops in Iowa on the way from breeding grounds in the Arctic to where they winter in South America. (This episode was originally produced Feb. 25, 2025.)

The Americans with Disabilities Act has done a lot to improve accessibility in public spaces, but people with physical disabilities still encounter barriers every day. Host Charity Nebbe interviews Iowans who are trying to make our state more accessible. (This episode was originally produced Jan. 23, 2025.)

On this episode, we talk with author Yiyun Li about her Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir is 'Things in Nature Merely Grow,' and her new novel 'Music Against the Night.' Then, we listen back to a 2022 conversation with baker and Food Network regular Andrew Fuller.

Sixty years ago, the National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law, establishing a partnership and preservation ethic on historic properties between the federal government and state, tribal, and local governments. The U.S. Senate is now looking to change that framework in a permitting reform bill that was introduced on September 30 and is scheduled for a vote on November 9. Proponents of the bill say it’s designed to expedite projects, but stakeholders say it infringes on tribal and state rights and could lead to litigation and other roadblocks.

Now that it feels like fall, it's time to grapple with reality. On this Horticulture Day episode, Iowa State University horticulture professor Jeff Iles tells us how to prepare our woody landscape plants for cold weather and hungry critters. Then extension horticulture specialist Aaron Steil joins us, and he and Jeff answer listener questions.

On this episode, we explore the tools needed to tackle political discussions with loved ones, first by hearing the skills Greg and Jennifer Brost have developed since 2016. Then, human resources professional Jason Glass joins the conversation to share how skills in the workplace translate into personal relationships. Also, we hear from longtime friends Bob Leonard and Kevin Kincaid on how they have healthy discourse from different sides of the political spectrum and even enjoy it.