CUMMING, Iowa — A community conversation just outside the Des Moines metro brought together two industries that rarely interact.

On Monday night, medical doctors, agriculture experts, and Iowa farmers were on hand for a ‘Harvest to Health’ dinner. The evening at Wilson’s Orchard and Farm in Cumming started with a round table discussion that centered on soil health and its impact on human health.

“The health of the soil has been deteriorating, and so has the plant health, and we’re using more and more fungicides, insecticides as crop protection,” said Michael McNeill. “These are all toxins. And these toxins are getting into our bodies, and our human health has been degrading.”

McNeill is the chair of the board for Triada, a Midwest-based grassroots non-profit, which hosted the event.

He said he has been working to change farming techniques to organic methods in Algona, where he lives, and emphasized the importance of rethinking conventional farming practices.

McNeill and others at the event stressed the role that toxic chemicals in conventional farming can play in deteriorating both ecosystems and public health.

Among the panelists was Dr. Daniel Stein, an endocrinologist, who drew a strong connection between environmental toxins and a rise in chronic illnesses and developmental disorders.

“Sixty percent of the population has one or more chronic illnesses,” he told WHO 13’s Katie Kaplan. “Our young people are equally as affected with obesity and neurodevelopmental disorders.”

Dr. Stein pointed to a rise in Autism rates, as an example.

“It’s 1 in 31 in California, and among boys- it’s one-in-12, and while that certainly is, in part, a genetic problem, it’s the combination of genetics on the background of all the adverse toxic exposures that we have in the environment,” he said.

Dr. Stein pointed to food, water, and air quality as key environmental contributors. He explained that poor nutrition reduces the body’s ability to handle toxins, further exacerbating chronic health conditions.

While acknowledging that it may not be possible to eliminate all toxins from our environment, Dr. Stein encouraged the public to make small but impactful changes.

He recommended installing a water filter at home and buying organic foods as simple steps toward reducing toxic exposure and improving health outcomes.

Triada hopes events like this will spur more collaboration between health professionals and agricultural experts, while promoting a transition toward organic and sustainable farming in the Midwest and beyond.

“We’re not going to wait for the grants and for the other allocations,” said Triada President and CEO Carla Heiser. “We’re getting started and we’re going to keep on going.”