“Our reporters investigate the power, influence and practices of Big Ag and expose how those decisions affect communities, farmers and workers, consumers, and the environment. We do this work because people across all communities deserve access to independent, data-driven reporting that helps them understand the forces shaping their lives.”
— Erin Orr, executive director
I know these communities because I come from one
I’ve lived in a community where the drinking water made people sick (including myself). I know what it means to worry about industrial air pollution that makes it hard to breathe. And, I also know how special it can be to grow up a rural kid, working family-owned cherry orchards in the summer.
Such experiences helped shape how I see the world and reinforced a belief I've carried throughout my life: knowledge and understanding equal power.
Agriculture is one of the most powerful industries in the United States, with its influence keenly felt in the Midwest. Decisions made in corporate boardrooms, state legislatures and Washington, D.C., affect our food, our water, our environment and our health. Yet many of those decisions happen far from public view.
That's why Investigate Midwest was founded. And that’s why leading this newsroom is more than a job for me. It’s personal.
Our reporters investigate the power, influence and practices of Big Ag and expose how those decisions affect communities, farmers and workers, consumers, and the environment. We do this work because people across all communities deserve access to independent, data-driven reporting that helps them understand the forces shaping their lives.
And we know this reporting matters. Earlier this year, for example, we heard from a former USDA economist, who spent more than 30 years with the agency and noted, “Enjoy your work. Investigate Midwest is performing a critical role in shedding a light on agriculture.”
If you believe communities deserve independent watchdog news that holds powerful interests accountable, I hope you'll support Investigate Midwest today.
Your personal investment helps sustain the reporting we all need to make informed decisions, ask difficult questions and advocate for our communities.
Knowledge is power. Together, let’s make sure our communities have access to both.
— Erin Orr,
executive director
Investigate Midwest
