Why Iowa Widow Still Believes in Pesticides: Jolene Riessen

Jolene Riessen lost her husband of 32 years, David, to cancer in 2019, so she understands the concerns about the state’s rising rate of cancer. But she doesn’t believe that people should speculate that pesticides family farmers like her use are the reason that people are getting ill.

“When you called out pesticide use as one of the problems,” Riessen told American Farmland Owner from her farm in Ida Grove, “…to be honest with you, it pissed me off. Because having gone through what I did with my husband, I’m like, no, you can’t pin it on that.”

Jolene Riessen bio

• Northwest Iowa farmer in Ida and Sac counties

• Corn, soybean, alfalfa, custom cattle feeding, cow/calf

• Iowa Corn Growers Association Chair

• ICGA Exports and Grain Trade Committee

  
  

Riessen emphasized that she worked side-by-side with her husband, both directly handling pesticides with proper protective equipment—gloves, goggles, and more. “If you’re wanting to put it on that (pesticide exposure), then why did he end up getting sick, and I did not?” she asked. “I have a brother who’s a research scientist, and a sister-in-law who’s a pediatric oncologist. I asked them why, and they can’t come up with answers either.”

Riessen recently wrote an op-ed in The Des Moines Register to defend pesticide use, an opinion informed by decades of firsthand experience on the farm and a painful chapter in her personal life: the loss of her husband to cancer.

RELATED: This Midwest farmer stood with politicians in Nebraska to explain why producers need access to pesticides.

To Riessen, the issue isn’t as black-and-white as some advocates portray. She believes cancer and many other health issues often stem from a “multitude of things,” from genetics to lifestyle to environmental factors. Pointing the finger solely at pesticides, she argues, oversimplifies a complex problem.

The Science and Regulations Around Pesticide Use

Moreover, she stressed that pesticides are among the most studied and regulated substances in agriculture. “Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides—those are probably more studied and more tested than some pharmaceutical products,” Riessen said. “I have to go with the science. That’s what the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is for. That’s what the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) is for. They set the standards, not me.”

Her commitment to using pesticides within strict regulatory guidelines is rooted in both practicality and principle. “Am I going to put an extra little glug in there? No,” she said. “Pesticides are not cheap. And as soon as you go off-label, things don’t go well.”

Riessen also sees pesticides as essential tools for sustainable farming practices. She explained that using products like atrazine and glyphosate allows her to reduce tillage, keeping soil on her land, and protecting water quality. “I hate sharing my soil with anybody,” she said with a smile. “It’s part of my farm, part of my productivity. I like to keep it on my ground.”

She continued, “If you’re going to pull pesticides from us, then I would say to the consumer: You need to find a really good job…because the price of food is going to go up, and food will probably be scarce.”

A Call for Balance in the Pesticide Conversation

For Riessen, the pesticide debate is not about denial or defensiveness; it’s about acknowledging the role these tools play in feeding a growing world, especially in the face of mounting challenges.

“We just came through a tremendous drought (in northwest Iowa),” she said. “Yet we were still able to produce corn and beans at levels that surprised me. That’s thanks to GMO technology and traits like drought tolerance. Without that, we’d have been in a world of hurt.”

She acknowledges the need for balanced and open conversation, and she’s willing to listen when science says something new. But until then, she stands firm: “I truly am a believer in the science. I’m not a scientist, but I believe in what they do. I believe they are out there working in the best interest of people like me, the people who grow and consume food.”

Riessen closed with this, “Farmers don’t want to harm anyone. We produce safe, wholesome, nutritious food for the world to consume. That’s the farmer way.”

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