Blog Posts & Stories

While Iowa leads the Midwest in wind energy production, limiting the environmental impacts of wind farms is important to the long-term health of our landscape. MidAmerican Energy is in the process of applying for a 30-year incidental take permit to cover endangered and threatened species in Iowa.

Nebraska podría estar en riesgo de retrasarse respecto a sus estados vecinos, en asegurar que todos los residentes tengan acceso al internet de banda ancha, que se considera esencial para el cuidado de la salud, la educación y el desarrollo económico.

On Sept. 13, in York and Albion, Nebraska, dozens joined community conversations about Medicaid expansion and how it could positively impact their communities. Local residents, hospital CEOs, doctors, and legislative candidates engaged with staff from the Center for Rural Affairs to ask questions and learn more about expansion. Initiative 427, the ballot initiative to expand Medicaid, will be put before Nebraska voters in November’s election.

In Nebraska, just 5 percent of residents in 18 of the state's 93 counties have access to broadband Internet, according to a new report from the Center for Rural Affairs.

Selfless. Dedicated. Motivated. There are few people in this world who possess not one, but all three qualities listed above. Luckily for small business owners, Griselda Rendon is one of those people.

Connectivity is the defining aspect of our 21st-century economy. Access to broadband internet offers the best in education, health care and economic development. Whether we’re learning a new language, taking care of a loved one or managing a farm, Nebraskans have a clear demand for connectivity.

Iowa's water quality is at risk due to runoff from farmland, primarily caused by storms and crop tilling. Those activities send nitrates and other chemicals into Iowa's waterways, which cause downstream problems and a host of health concerns, including potential birth defects, cancers and thyroid problems.

At their most recent meeting, the Board of Directors of the Center for Rural Affairs adopted a new five-year strategic plan. Before adopting the new plan, the board reviewed Center accomplishments and changes over the last 15 years. The new strategic plan builds on past wins, leverages the growing reach of the Center, and provides guidance for the next five years.

The farm bill is the primary method in which our government invests in rural communities across the nation – without it, our farmers would be uncertain and our communities without access to food and other crucial resources. Congress’ failure to pass a new bill, or an extension of the existing legislation, has left young people in rural areas with anxiety for the future.

Nebraska is set to be the fourth state in the nation where Medicaid expansion will appear on the November ballot. This comes following months of signature collection and validation, and the dismissal of a lawsuit against the initiative. The state joins Idaho, Utah, and Montana (where expansion will sunset) in allowing voters to decide on the future of health care coverage access for thousands of their neighbors. If passed in all four states, an estimated half-million low income residents would gain coverage.

Engaged communities and connections with farmers are helping make school lunches even better in rural communities. Across the country, kids are reaping the benefits and heading back to school with...

Since June, I have had the honor of helping the Center for Rural Affairs educate and interact with members of Congress and farmers from Kansas on the 2018 farm bill. Most of my work has consisted of phone calls and visits in and around Kansas. But, recently, I had the chance to head to the heart of the farm bill policy discussion, Washington, D.C., to visit with the Kansas delegation on Capitol Hill.

Engaged communities and connections with farmers are helping make school lunches even better in rural communities. Our kids are reaping the benefits and heading back to school with local foods on their plates through a new initiative from the Center for Rural Affairs and Nebraska Department of Education-Nutrition Services.

The 2014 farm bill expires on Sept. 30, 2018. What happens if Congress does not pass a new farm bill in time. Congress can either vote to extend the 2014 farm bill, or they can allow the farm bill to lapse.

Ten organizations, including the Center for Rural Affairs, joined together to sign and send a letter to Sens. Brown and Ernst on Sept. 4, 2018. The letter thanks the two lawmakers for introducing the Give our Resources the Opportunity to Work Act of 2018, or GROW Act, and for securing important conservation wins in the Senate version of the farm bill.

Not only is Francis Thicke’s organic farm nestled in an idyllic valley, he also describes it as an ecologically-sound cropping system. In his view, this system prioritizes regenerating soil over caring for the crop.

America’s farmers and ranchers are struggling. With steep input costs, low commodity prices, corporate competition and weather extremes, it’s a tough time to be a farmer in America. As if that weren’t enough, some lawmakers are using producers as political pawns.

The daily work grind for many people consists of doing the same thing over and over. Jordan Feyerherm, however, spends his days doing everything from teaching cooking classes to writing grants. No day is the same for him, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

The farm bill is set to expire on Sept. 30, 2018. Without it, millions of rural Americans will lose access to programs they depend on for security and stability. A host of farm bill programs have a large impact on daily life in rural areas.

​​​​​​​The steady hum of engines, the smell of diesel fuel in the air – the 2018 Farm Progress Show was in full swing.