What's happening with the Center for Rural Affairs? Find the latest on rural America and our work here.
Farmers interested in implementing conservation in their operations can get valuable technical and financial support from programs like the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). In Iowa, an application deadline has been set for Oct. 1.
- Farm and Food
Because the Center’s not a bank, I occasionally get asked: “Why did you get into lending?” Or “Why would you risk lending to people that banks won’t lend to?”
- Lending
With school back in session, many Nebraska students will be fueled by fresh beef, fruits and vegetables sourced from local farms.
- Farm and Food
A degree in general agriculture and a desire to explore his options brought Charles Shapiro from New York to Nebraska in 1975. His passion for the practice kept him here to further his education, and...
- Small Towns
This May, the Nebraska Legislature passed Legislative Bill 324 (LB 324), making it easier for local livestock producers to sell directly to the consumer. The legislation was a huge win for producers...
- Farm and Food
We need your support to develop coalitions of people who understand the challenges and realities of building a business, raising a family, and creating resilient communities in rural America. The...
- Small Towns
For decades, the Center for Rural Affairs has reported on higher rates of poverty in rural areas. Landmark reports from the Center, including “Half a Glass of Water” and “Trampled Dreams” drew...
- Small Towns
For Margaret Hogan of Earlville, Iowa, prioritizing conservation means sharing it with the next generation. A farmer and landowner who implements conservation practices, Margaret is also a science teacher who gets her seventh-, eighth-, and ninth-grade students involved as much as she can.
- Farm and Food
Last week, the Small Business Administration (SBA) announced major enhancements to the COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, a federal disaster relief loan designed to support small...
- Lending
Incoming sophomore student Donovon Hastings at UMÓⁿHOⁿ (Omaha) Nation Public School, in Macy, Nebraska, has come to love working in his cabbage patch. He keeps it well manicured with not a weed in sight. One of his goals is to grow the biggest cabbage possible.
- Small Towns
Angelina Magerl approaches her work with a level of compassion for others and an appreciation for past generations that is both rare and refreshing in this time of ever-evolving technology and fast...
- Small Towns
Lindsay Mouw
In recent years, the cost of solar energy has plummeted and demand has escalated due to consumer support for clean energy and the value it adds to a property owner’s land and rural communities...
- Policy
While working as a software engineer, Gary Fehr took an interest in learning where his food comes from, why it matters, what methods are used, and how they affect the environment and local economies...
- Farm and Food
- Policy
On Aug. 30, the Center for Rural Affairs joined Landon and Anne Plagge, and Practical Farmers of Iowa in hosting an on-farm visit and discussion about agriculture and conservation with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst.
- Farm and Food
- Policy
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) takes a holistic approach to implementing environmentally beneficial practices on a farm or ranch while still allowing the...
- Policy
- Farm and Food
On Aug. 24, the U.S. House of Representatives moved forward the $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which includes investments in roads, bridges, other major public infrastructure projects, and broadband.
- Small Towns
- Policy
Iowa landowner Lee Tesdell would like to see more landowners begin to think seriously about conservation and for many, like him, that means working collaboratively with those who rent their land.
- Policy
La población cubana en Columbus, Nebraska, está creciendo. Como asistente legal de inmigración, Ana Villegas ha visto crecer a esta comunidad de primera mano, y ella y su esposo, Jesús Ramos, decidieron que querían encontrar una manera de ayudar a estos recién llegados a sentirse como en casa.
- Lending
The Cuban population in Columbus, Nebraska, is booming. As an immigration paralegal, Ana Villegas has seen this community grow firsthand, and she and her husband, Jesus Ramos, decided they wanted to find a way to help these newcomers feel at home.
- Lending
On July 1, Burt County lost its only hospital. Most recently operated by MercyOne, it served the county and surrounding towns for more than 70 years. Now, residents will have to drive to a neighboring county for emergency and other essential services.
- Policy
