#290 Zach Lahn - Inside America’s Cancer-Causing Chemical Problem

March 23, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Zach Lahn, a sixth-generation Iowa farmer and independent gubernatorial candidate, joins Shawn Ryan to dissect the erosion of family farms, agribusiness exploitation, and the health crisis from agrochemicals like glyphosate. Drawing from his restoration of his family's homestead and personal ties to cancer, Lahn exposes how lobbying and regulatory capture prioritize profits over people, urging a focus on local stewardship and sovereignty.

Family Farm Collapse and Agribusiness Control

Iowa's farming faces deliberate consolidation. Producers under 35 make up just 9% nationally, with aging farmers averaging 58 years old amid razor-thin margins. Over 20 years, Iowa lost 10,000 family farms and the state 100,000 total, while top ag companies lobbied $1.5 billion in D.C. and pocketed $150 billion in profits. Three firms now control 85% of inputs, charging U.S. farmers more than foreign ones despite stable commodity prices. Syngenta, fully Chinese-owned, received $7.5 million in Iowa tax credits. Out-of-state investors own 25% of Iowa farmland, pricing young farmers out and echoing Blackstone's home-buying tactics. Only 0.03% of Iowa's 24 million acres grow food directly for plates; 95% of state food is imported, mostly as animal feed shipped abroad. Farmers feel extorted financially but are gaslit on product safety, trapping them in dependency.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:36) **Farming Crisis and Right to Repair** - Host shares stats on aging farmers; guest confirms using legacy equipment to avoid restrictions
2 (02:05) **Big Ag Lobbying and Farm Consolidation** - Guest exposes $1.5B lobbying, $150B profits amid 100K farm losses
3 (05:37) **Iowa Food Production Paradox** - Only 0.03% of Iowa acres grow direct human food; 95% imported despite prime farmland
4 (08:21) **Family Heritage and Reclaiming the Farm** - Guest recounts 6th-gen Iowa roots, Civil War service, buying back 2005-sold family farm in 2014
5 (13:58) **Running for Iowa Governor** - Motivated to protect heritage, prosperity from agribusiness threats; focuses on positive vision over attacks
6 (18:05) **Distrust in Politicians and MAHA Betrayal** - Host vents frustration with lies, glyphosate immunity executive order despite health promises
7 (32:11) **Faith, Stewardship, and Community Focus** - Guest's pastor dad taught land care; prioritizes neighborly duty over profit

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Zach Lahn is a first-time political candidate running in the 2026 Republican primary for Governor of Iowa. Never having held elected office, he launched his campaign from his family farm, positioning himself as a self-funded outsider independent of party leadership and corporate donors. His candidacy is rooted in a belief that Iowa needs leadership grounded in rural life rather than professional politics.

Lahn’s platform is socially conservative and economically populist, with a strong focus on agriculture and land ownership. He opposes foreign and corporate control of Iowa farmland and advocates for family farms over large agribusiness monopolies. Economically, he is critical of corporate consolidation and globalism, supporting antitrust action and policies that favor small businesses.

On social issues, Lahn is anti-abortion, opposes gender-affirming medical procedures for minors, and emphasizes traditional family structures and parental control in education. He also runs on a tough-on-crime platform, with a focus on fentanyl trafficking and strong support for law enforcement.

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Zach Lahn Links:

Web - https://zachlahn.com

FB - https://www.facebook.com/ZachLahn

X - https://x.com/ZachLahn

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