Mid-Americana: Stories from a Changing Midwest explores the history and identity of the Greater Midwest through the lives and stories of individual people.

The Gospel of Seed and Soil: Liz Garst

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Season One

Homecoming

Our debut season, Homecoming, features eight native Iowans who left the Midwest then came back to stay. We ask what pulled them away, what drew them back, and what they contribute now to a changing Midwest.

Season 1: Homecoming

Gateway to the Midwest: Mike Draper

As a kid, Mike heard his Connecticut relatives speak about Iowa as if it needed defending. His college friends saw him as a mystery: a guy from a blank spot on the map.

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Season 1: Homecoming

Divided by Difference: Dawn Martinez Oropeza

Dawn is an artist and educator who grew up in Des Moines, in a Mexican Jewish family. Ever since, she has navigated a world of blended identities and cultural divides.

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Season 1: Homecoming

Grain, Water, and Yeast: Megan McKay

After four years in the Bay Area, where she worked as a nanny and part-time auto mechanic, Megan left the family insurance business to start a brewery in her hometown.

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Season 1: Homecoming

Couscous Royale: Brian Bruening

Brian Bruening lives in Elkader, where he is the owner and head chef at Schera’s Algerian American Restaurant, which he established together with his French-Algerian husband.

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Season 1: Homecoming

Punk Rock, Home Birth, and Indian Corn: Shelley Buffalo

Shelley Buffalo is Food Sovereignty Coordinator for the Meskwaki Settlement near Tama, Iowa. Her journey has led her away and back more than a dozen times.

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Season 1: Homecoming

People would call me Iowa: Adam Hammes

In his 20s, Adam traveled the world. When people called him Iowa, mocking his home as uncool, he laughed along, then moved home to prove them wrong.

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Season 1: Homecoming

Flip the Sky: Bob Leonard

Bob Leonard has lived many lives as a wrestler, football player, anthropology professor, cab driver, author, and journalist.

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Season 1: Homecoming

The Gospel of Seed and Soil: Liz Garst

Liz Garst comes from a family of agricultural evangelists. Her grandfather Roswell helped sell the world on fertilizer, hybrid seed, and global trade. She’s using the family’s land and legacy to preach conservation.

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Thanks to our Sponsors

This program is supported by Central College, Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The views and opinions expressed by this program do not necessarily reflect those of Central College, Humanities Iowa or the National Endowment for the Humanities.