iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

In March 2024, NEW Cooperative spilled 265,000 gallons of nitrogen fertilizer into the Nishnabotna River. The previous year, the Iowa legislature defunded the statewide water monitoring network. So, neighbors started monitoring the water themselves. Watch the full doc: buff.ly/1DdLand

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 30/09/2026

We wanted to know what the state with the most factory farms and agricultural waste really thinks about the large-scale, industrial animal agriculture operations that have come to define Iowa. So we asked. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/ZEpU3mC

The Core: We Surveyed 1,000 Iowans on Factory Farming

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 30/09/2026

Last week, Sentient released a new GIS map of all 10,830 factory farms in Iowa. This Friday, join Sentient’s Julian Nowogrodzki, John McCracken and Jenny Splitter as they explain how residents and journalists can use the map to understand the flow of manure through the state. RSVP: buff.ly/u7PM4Yt

Graphic for a Food and Farming Journalism Network event titled Mapping Factory Farms in Iowa: A New Tool for Investigative Reporting on October 2, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET, featuring John McCracken, Julian Nowogrodzki and Jenny Splitter of Sentient

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 30/09/2026

Iowans want to see more regulations for industrial agriculture in the state, according to 2026 polling. A pivotal swing state this cycle, the issue could be a deciding factor as Iowans go to the polls in November.

A chart reads: 79% of Iowa voters think industrial agriculture should be forced to cut pollution. Bars represent individual political parties' thoughts on the same.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 29/09/2026

Iowa resident Nick Schutt has witnessed the state’s cancer crisis firsthand. Now, he wonders if he’s next. Watch the full doc: buff.ly/1DdLand

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 25/09/2026

We built an interactive map that allows Iowans to find factory farms in their own backyards. Here's what we learned: buff.ly/SDVzwZd

The Core: We Mapped All 11,000 Factory Farms in Iowa. Here Are Five Things We Learned.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 24/09/2026

When the factory farming model came to Iowa, there was wide public pushback. But today, researcher @austinfrerick.bsky.social says the worst actors continue to thrive. As water pollution in the state grows, so do Iowa’s cancer rates. Watch the full doc: buff.ly/3sdOSmL

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 23/09/2026

Concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, are central to Iowa’s rise as an agricultural powerhouse. As the number of CAFOs skyrocketed, the state’s cancer rates, which have been linked to nitrate pollution from these farm sites, also climbed.

Infographic showing how the number of CAFOs in Iowa have grown since 1990. Text reads
The number of large CAFOs in Iowa has grown more than fivefold since 1990.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 22/09/2026

In Iowa, there are more concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) than grocery stores. Yet for most of the public, the location of nearby CAFOs and the amount of manure they may be producing is inaccessible. Until now.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 21/09/2026

Iowa has a cancer problem. With the most consequential election cycle in recent memory around the corner, water and cancer are on the ballot in a way they’ve never been before. Stay tuned for the full doc on Thursday, September 24.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 18/09/2026

Big news! 🚨 @ninaelkadi.com’s Sentient feature, “In the Arizona Desert, Where Your Neighbor Is an Alfalfa Farm,” is the recipient of the Food and Agriculture Multimedia Journalism Award from @coveringclimatenow.org.

A man stands in the Arizona desert. Text reads:
2026 CCNow Journalism Awards
In the Arizona Desert, Where Your Neighbor Is an Alfalfa Farm

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 17/09/2026

Iowa is in the midst of a cancer crisis. Nationally, cancer death rates have fallen for three decades. Iowa is one of only three states where new diagnoses are rising and it has the fastest-rising rate in the nation according to federal data.

A chart showing new cancer cases per 100,000 people, highlighting New Mexico, California, Texas, New York, Iowa and Kentucky. Text reads:
Iowa has the second highest cancer rate in the country. It is one of only three states where rates are rising.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 17/09/2026

Brazilians will soon head to the polls to elect their next president, and the two leading candidates’ environmental policies couldn’t be more different. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/58uMVr4

Deforestation Is on the Ballot in Brazil

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 15/09/2026

AI is coming to factory farms. Will the animals benefit, or just the industry?

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 11/09/2026

Nearly all livestock in the United States are raised on factory farms — and most Americans disapprove, according to a survey by @faunalytics.bsky.social.

Text reads:
Battery cages, gestation crates, routine mutilations.
71% of Americans oppose common factory farming practices.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 10/09/2026

Fast food giants are silent on whether they’re still pursuing antibiotic reduction targets set a decade ago. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/PwPnM2k

McDonald's and Other Fast Food Giants Fail to Meet Antibiotic Commitments

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 08/09/2026

Remember when eggs were $6 a dozen? Egg companies blamed bird flu, but a federal investigation points to price-fixing.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 07/09/2026

Want to help us grow the media ecosystem around factory farming? Sentient is hiring a Program Manager to lead our new Food and Farming Storytelling Fund. This two-year pilot will support journalists, creators and independent communicators tackle one of the most underreported beats: factory farming.

Now Hiring

Program Manager, Food and Farming Storytelling Fund

Remote
Full-time, 2-Year Term
Open to U.S.-based candidates

Apply at the link below.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 05/09/2026

A new framework estimates the economic value of animal welfare for policymakers across the globe. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/C7lZSYs

What Is Animal Welfare Worth? Economists Have a New Way to Calculate It

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 04/09/2026

Exciting news! 📢 Sentient is thrilled to announce the Food and Farming Storytelling Fund. To support storytellers covering food and agriculture, we will distribute $360,000 in direct grants over the next two years. Learn more ➡️ buff.ly/ouzaPdk

Introducing

Food and Farming Storytelling Fund

Investing $360,000 into the storytellers tackling factory farming

Learn more at sentientmedia.org

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 01/09/2026

Iron, zinc, healthy fats, no feed required. Oysters and mussels are quietly the most efficient protein in the ocean.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 25/08/2026

A blood-sucking critter causing human hosts to become allergic to their favorite foods? This isn’t the plot to a sci-fi movie. It’s alpha-gal syndrome.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 18/08/2026

Is your local meat market genuinely local? If it’s anything like Wild Fork Foods, it could be owned by the largest meatpacker in the world.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 12/08/2026

In the United States, livestock produce an estimated 885 billion pounds of manure annually, according to @foodandwater.bsky.social. And it’s not uncommon for that manure to leak into nearby waterways.

Text reads:
Livestock in the United States produce an estimated 885 billion pounds of manure every year.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 11/08/2026

Yes, sardines are an affordable and low-emissions protein. But sardine girl summer might not be as sustainable as you think.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 05/08/2026

The World Bank and other large international development banks say they want to provide sustainable food systems, support biodiversity, reduce poverty and fight climate change. But they're funneling billions of dollars into factory farms. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/j19v2Wb

The World Bank Is Pouring Billions of Dollars into Large-scale Factory Farms

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 04/08/2026

Iowa voters want their next governor to tackle the state's cancer crisis, but Big Ag has other plans.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 30/07/2026

New technology can detect pain in farm animals, but critics say it may do more to bolster the system than improve it. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/JucgFkt

AI Is Coming to Factory Farms. Will It Help the Animals or Just the Industry?

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 22/07/2026

People usually associate livestock feed with soy and grains like wheat and corn. But farmers also feed pigs and chickens fishmeal. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/uMk3wS2

How Fishmeal Made Its Way Into Factory Farms

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 21/07/2026

Virtually all farm animals in the United States live on factory farms, according to the Sentience Institute.

Text reads:
99% of all farm animals in the United States live on factory farms.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 16/07/2026

Egg companies that received hundreds of millions of dollars in bird flu payments are ordered to settle for a fraction of the price. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/Ovg2LWQ

The Nation’s ‘Egg Mafia’ Made Billions. Their Fines Over Price Fixing Are a Drop in the Bucket.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 14/07/2026

California is the only state with robust regulations for zoonotic diseases, like bird flu. Yet farmworker advocates say many of the state’s dairy employers fail to provide the required safeguards to protect workers.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 07/07/2026

In Denmark, animal welfare was a defining issue in what became known as the “pig election.” Read more in The Core: buff.ly/7IPsFBh

How Denmark's Pig Election Could Rewrite American Politics

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 07/07/2026

A coalition of organic farmers is suing the federal government, alleging that the milk-pricing system in place since the 1930s unfairly advantages industrial dairy producers.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 01/07/2026

Biogas proponents — a broad coalition of industries, including agriculture, fossil fuels, utilities and waste management — are pushing renewable natural gas, sourced in part by manure digesters, as a sustainable way forward. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/roPjtbM

Cow Manure Could Be the Next Data Center Fuel

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 30/06/2026

Plenty of people care about reducing their climate impact, but how much of a difference are they really making?

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 24/06/2026

Are insect burgers the next big thing? In recent years, insects have gained increased attention as an underutilized protein source, but the industry faces many challenges in becoming mainstream. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/TrYW759

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 23/06/2026

We could grow enough crops to feed the world, but instead many people go hungry. What are we doing wrong?

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 18/06/2026

Critics tell Sentient that directing animals’ minds through neuromodulation raises serious questions about regulation and animal welfare. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/H17ANJq

Neurotech Company Says Its Brain Chips Could Make Cows Produce More Milk

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 16/06/2026

At the JBS Swift & Co slaughterhouse in Louisville, Kentucky, 10,000 pigs are slaughtered and processed every day. Now, a former employee has taken to social media to expose the working conditions at the pork plant.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 10/06/2026

Sometimes, meat studies are carried out not by independent parties, but by researchers who have connections to, or funding from, the meat industry itself. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/RtNboP9

The Meat Industry Funds These Nutrition Studies

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 09/06/2026

Bird populations have been on the decline for decades. Are factory farms part of the problem?

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 02/06/2026

Sentient’s @jesslsr.bsky.social speaks with @lpm.org about how the alleged conditions at a JBS Swift pork facility mirror other large scale food processing systems.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 28/05/2026

Big news! 🚨 @greymoran.bsky.social's Sentient feature, “In Vermont, Residents Are Fighting to Free Their Dairy Farmworker Neighbors,” has been named one of the Best American Food and Travel Writing pieces of 2026 by HarperCollins.

An illustration of advocates watching a court hearing. Text reads
Best American Food and Travel Writing 2026
In Vermont, Residents Are Fighting to Free Their Dairy Farmworker Neighbors

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 27/05/2026

A staggering 37 million pounds of frozen chicken and pork products, much of it ready-to-eat, is no longer considered safe for consumption, after being shipped to retailers. Read more in The Core: buff.ly/ZGTHvYk

The Meats Behind 40% of USDA Food Warnings

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 27/05/2026

Sentient exists to address a glaring blind spot throughout mainstream media coverage: reporting on factory farms. It’s the kind of journalism you won’t find anywhere else — and why Aparna Mukherjee, executive director of @sejorg.bsky.social, called Sentient the future of environmental journalism.

A quote from Aparna Mukherjee, executive director of the Society of Environmental Journalists, that reads:
I believe Sentient is the future of environmental journalism.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 26/05/2026

Have you heard of the gelatin trick? Like collagen and tallow, it’s the latest “natural” wellness craze, but the ingredient’s origins are from wholesome.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 21/05/2026

A former employee at a JBS Swift pork plant describes the conditions as “basically navigating in guts.” Sentient's Jessica Scott-Reid discusses the grim reality of slaughterhouse labor with Louisville Public Media.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 19/05/2026

Thanks to your generous support we were able to meet our fundraising goal for the month of May...in 2 weeks. Because of the momentum, we have been able to raise the matching campaign amount. Help us reach our new goal of $6K and see every dollar you give doubled: buff.ly/uab5mkW

A thermometer going up to $12K and currently just under $9K. Text reads:
Celebrating 8 Years of Sentient
$4K Target Reached!
All donations will be matched to help your gift go further.

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Sentient @sentientmedia.org · 19/05/2026

When a former employee went public on Instagram, it pulled back the curtain on one of Louisville's largest pork plants. In this segment of "Digging In," Sentient's @jesslsr.bsky.social joins @lpm.org to break down the allegations against the JBS Swift facility.

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