Niobrara Nebraska from nearby hill

Blog Posts & Stories

What's happening with the Center for Rural Affairs? Find the latest on rural America and our work here.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed a continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown. In addition to funding the U.S. government, the legislation includes a significant measure for rural communities—an extension of the 2018 farm bill.
  • Policy
Throughout my last essay I wrote about why access to capital—who can get money and what they are able to do with it—is central to rural communities and central to the Center’s work. Close followers of...
  • Small Towns
Rural communities in Nebraska and across the Midwest have a new resource for assistance in addressing environmental challenges: the Heartland Environmental Justice Center (HEJC), a Thriving...
  • Small Towns
With support from the Center for Rural Affairs, two Nebraska communities are on the path to reviving a once proud tradition of growing their own food, and, in turn, improving their local businesses and offering residents a place closer to home to purchase groceries and other necessities.
  • Farm and Food
​​​​​​​In recent weeks, farm bill progress was limited as other developments in Congress took priority. Lawmakers elected a new Speaker of the House, and now face a Nov. 17 deadline to reach an agreement on spending or shut down the government.
  • Policy
Cuando se trata de determinación, disciplina y un compromiso inquebrantable con la excelencia, pocos grupos ejemplifican estas cualidades, como los veteranos de nuestra nación. A medida que pasa del servicio militar a la vida civil, puede embarcarse en una nueva misión: el espíritu empresarial. Iniciar y administrar una pequeña empresa es un viaje que requiere dedicación, ingenio y una caja de herramientas bien equipada.
  • Lending
When it comes to determination, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, few groups exemplify these qualities like our nation's veterans.
  • Lending
There’s a strong belief in honoring the sun in the Lakota culture. “If you don’t have the sun shining, you can’t have plants and flowers and photosynthesis,” said John Red Cloud, a member of the...
  • Small Towns
  • Policy
When the Center for Rural Affairs was founded in 1973, its focus was on federal policy. Today, the organization’s work includes capital access, community development, and small business and clean energy policy, in addition to rural federal policy.
  • Small Towns
Luis Franco has a passion for encouraging entrepreneurs and supporting rural economies. He began his career in the retail industry, working in accounting, payroll, and financial planning. That experience led him to the Nebraska Business Development Center, where he served three years as a business consultant supporting entrepreneurs.
  • Lending
  • Small Towns
When Katie Jantzen left her home state of Nebraska to attend college in Virginia, she had no idea she’d return several years later to start her own farming operation on her family’s land. On this small, diversified, family farm, Katie operates a CSA and raises vegetables, melons, herbs, berries, and honeybees.
  • Small Towns
  • Farm and Food
Coming from a fourth-generation farm family, one of Jenna Sutterfield’s top priorities is finding ways to help maintain strong small communities, to sustain the rural lifestyle she knows and loves. Recently, Jenna brought her love for rural America to the Center for Rural Affairs, where she was hired as a local foods associate.
  • Small Towns
  • Farm and Food
Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš used to catch fish for a living. Now, she dedicates her life to saving them and the ocean they live in. She started California-based Azul, a grassroots organization working to conserve marine resources and to bring Latinx perspectives and participation to ocean conservation.
  • Farm and Food
If you are a farmer or rancher, there has never been a better time to apply for popular conservation programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In Iowa and South Dakota, the deadline to submit initial paperwork for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is Nov. 3. The deadline in Nebraska is Nov. 17.
  • Policy
Kjersten Hyberger grew up admiring nature, living next to a fourth-generation Nebraska farm surrounded by corn and soybean fields was an experience that shaped Kjersten’s perspective on how she viewed rural America.
  • Small Towns
  • Farm and Food
Mientras Minnesota trabaja para lograr una electricidad 100% libre de carbono para el año 2040, una organización sin fines de lucro del sureste de Minnesota está aprovechando las iniciativas amplias de financiación de energía limpia para apoyar su misión.
  • Policy
As Minnesota works toward 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040, one southeastern Minnesota nonprofit organization is taking advantage of expanded clean energy funding initiatives to support its mission.
  • Policy
Durante años, René Márquez soñó con tener su propio gimnasio. Entonces, cuando el menos lo esperaba, la oportunidad de comprar un espacio se le presentó la opción perfecta. Pudieron tomar posesión de Warehouse Fitness & Training Center en noviembre de 2022, gracias a la ayuda de un préstamo por parte del Programa de Asistencia a Microempresarios Rurales del Departamento de Agricultura de EE.UU.
  • Lending
  • Small Towns
  • Policy
For years, Rene Marquez dreamed of owning his own gym. Then, when he was least expecting it, the opportunity to buy a space presented itself as the perfect option. They were able to take ownership of Warehouse Fitness & Training Center in November 2022, thanks to the help of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program loan.
  • Lending
  • Small Towns
  • Policy
Joe Benson got involved in food sovereignty after he started farming on his own, sparking his interest in conservation. His hope is to move the land toward healing by bringing it back to its natural state.
  • Farm and Food