Blog Posts & Stories

Lucky Joe’s Liquor Store, LLC, in Neligh, Nebraska, has lived up to its name for owner Joe Lichty from staying open during the COVID-19 pandemic to narrowly missing having his building hit by a semi truck full of cattle.

Due to the rising prices in supermarkets and global supply chain interruptions, many consumers are seeking local food outlets. While this is great news for producers who rely on these markets and wish to see them grow, producing local food is not an easy job.

During their 2022 sessions, the Nebraska and Iowa legislatures continued to show their support for small meat processors, following up on legislation passed in 2021 with the passage of bills that create new programs and provide funding to increase capacity and address workforce issues. Meanwhile, South Dakota lawmakers approved bills addressing solar energy facilities, rural broadband, and the state’s home-processed foods law.

Higher mortgage rates and skyrocketing rents have fueled the nation's housing crisis. In states like Iowa, rural communities deal with the same market issues, but they point to existing efforts as a blueprint to increase access.

Implementing new conservation practices has many benefits for farms and ranches, but can sometimes be cost prohibitive for beginning, veteran, and socially disadvantaged producers. However, there are conservation programs that can help with those costs, even upfront.

With Nebraska farmers facing runaway costs for herbicides and fertilizers this year, a new Center for Rural Affairs report suggested adopting simple conservation practices can help restore soil and improve bottom lines.

During the past several years, one person has been the driving force behind most of the graphic design elements and photographs seen throughout the Center for Rural Affairs’ published work: Kylie Kai.

Ciro Cortez ha trabajado en la industria restaurantera desde que era un lavaplatos de 16 años en California. Cuatro meses más tarde, fue ascendido a ayudante de cocina, luego a cocinero, y siguió ascendiendo en los rangos culinarios hasta convertirse en chef a cargo de una cocina completa.

Ciro Cortez has worked in the restaurant industry since he was a 16-year-old dishwasher in California. Four months later, he was promoted to kitchen assistant, then to cook, and he kept rising through the culinary ranks until he was a chef in charge of an entire kitchen.

It’s official—this year’s Iowa legislative session has come to a close. Legislators wrapped up just after midnight last Wednesday, May 25, after two marathon days of passing bills. Two Center priorities in particular fared well in the final days of the session.

Investments in renewable energy and efficiency provide opportunities for business owners to reduce costs and improve their bottom line. Additionally, when commercial energy users cut usage and invest in efficiency, emissions reductions can be achieved.

Las fincas y ranchos rurales tienen una relación recíproca con su medio ambiente. La salud del suelo, el agua suficiente y las temperaturas adecuadas tienen un papel en el desarrollo de cultivos o animales.

Rural farms and ranches have a reciprocal relationship with their environment. Soil health, sufficient water, and proper temperatures all have a part in bringing crops or animals to fruition.

A recent report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reaffirms the importance of climate action in rural communities, calling on those communities to adapt to and mitigate climate impacts to preserve their own prosperity and protect food and energy security globally.

Conservation efforts can be rewarding for farmers and lead to healthier soil and increased yields. Many of these efforts are supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

Desde un trabajo de verano en la escuela secundaria en Idaho hasta una carrera de toda la vida en Iowa, el entusiasmo y la experiencia que Randall Cass tiene en todo lo relacionado con las abejas lo ha ayudado a darse cuenta de lo afortunado que es de haber encontrado un puesto en la Universidad Estatal de Iowa (ISU),

From a high school summer job in Idaho to a lifelong career in Iowa, the enthusiasm and experience Randall Cass has in all things bee-related has helped him realize how fortunate he is to have found a position at Iowa State University (ISU), where his job as a bee extension specialist lets him to do both research and extension.

Desde su comunidad hasta su carrera, su familia y más allá, Brissa Borjas Esparza se esfuerza por retribuir y tratar a los demás con amabilidad y con un corazón abierto.

From her community to her career to her family and beyond, Brissa Borjas Esparza strives to give back and treat others with kindness and an open heart.

With the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law last November—a $1.3 trillion investment in our nation’s infrastructure—major funding is now available to rural communities.