Niobrara Nebraska from nearby hill

Blog Posts & Stories

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Growing up on my family’s 60-cow dairy farm in northeast Iowa shaped me into the person I am today. As a high school girl, my interest to stay invested in dairy was probably a bit out of the ordinary, but also complementary to my life experiences.
  • Small Towns
  • Policy
From singing in U.S. Air Force choirs to owning businesses together, Theo and Bonnie Ramsey have come a long way since they met.
  • Small Towns
  • Farm and Food
Abbie and Bob Kauffman have lived in Plattsmouth for a year and a half. They have a dream to one day buy land and establish their own farm operation. To learn more about farming, Abbie decided to attend “A Year in the Life,” a workshop hosted for the past three years by the Center.
  • Small Towns
  • Farm and Food
For beginning farmers and ranchers to be successful, they must be able to manage risk. One of the tools available to them is crop insurance, a series of federal programs that protect in the case of crop, livestock, or revenue loss.
  • Farm and Food
  • Policy
Here's an update on how state legislatures addressed carbon pipeline bills, and what that means going forward.
  • Policy
Farmers markets have always focused on selling fresh produce, meats, and baked goods. Over the years, vendor types have expanded to include food trucks, children's activities, student-led businesses, artists, and musicians.
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  • Farm and Food
The Minnesota Legislature further confirmed the state's commitment to addressing climate issues with the passage of two climate and energy-related bills.
  • Policy
For the past decade, the media has been obsessed with the idea of a growing divide between rural and urban areas, often portraying it as a deep chasm separating the nation's citizens. The Center's Executive Director, Brian Depew takes a look at the rural-urban divide.
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While there is debate about when the next farm bill will be finalized, one thing is certain—farm bill discussions are in full swing in Washington, D.C. Earlier this month, lawmakers reached an agreement to suspend the debt ceiling, allowing them to refocus their efforts on writing the next farm bill.
  • Farm and Food
  • Policy
Many people would agree with Candi Benge that there’s just something better about fresh foods when people can buy them locally, straight from the farmer. Candi also firmly believes everyone should...
  • Small Towns
Wind, solar, and other renewable energy projects offer a significant opportunity to revitalize rural communities and diversify the local economy. Increased tax revenue from renewable energy projects enables school districts, cities, and other entities to address local emergency services and infrastructure improvement needs while reducing the local tax burden.
  • Policy
In 2013, Iowa leaders, experts, and stakeholders came together to create a plan to prioritize water quality with the goal of reducing harmful nutrients in water from various sources. A decade later, we can celebrate the work that has been accomplished with the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS) but also acknowledge there is more work to do.
  • Policy
As a child, I wanted to be a veterinarian or zoologist when I grew up. However, after taking a few particularly complex science and math courses, I realized it would be difficult to make that happen...
  • Policy
Tyler Bartley and his business partner, Jeremy Davis, began their farming journey with the simple idea of bringing the best food they could to the people they love most: their families, friends, and local community.
  • Small Towns
  • Farm and Food
Nadie parte con el objetivo de quedarse pequeño cuando inicia su negocio. De hecho, el crecimiento es la motivación impulsora detrás de la mayoría de las decisiones que se toman en un negocio. Es fácil pensar en ideas sobre cómo crecer, pero ¿qué debe hacer una vez que sus esfuerzos comienzan a dar sus frutos?
  • Lending
Nobody sets out with the goal of staying small when they start their business. In fact, growth is the driving motivation behind most of the decisions that are made in a business. It’s easy to come up with ideas about how to grow, but what should you do once your efforts begin to pay off?
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From a college internship to a full-time career, Garrett Seagren has become very familiar with the Center for Rural Affairs. Although he had a variety of options to fulfill his internship requirement...
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  • Small Towns
After serving and commanding at a variety of levels during his Army career, Martin was ready for a new adventure for him and his family. In 2020, he started Neal Family Farms, farming 130 acres—95 of those in corn/soybean rotation and 20 acres is pasture.
  • Farm and Food
Froylan C. Roustand encontró su pasión instalando de encimeras de granito. Se mudo a Nebraska para perseguir su sueño de abrir su propio negocio.
  • Lending
  • Small Towns
Froylan C. Roustand found his passion installing granite countertops. He move to Nebraska to pursue his dream of opening his own business.
  • Lending
  • Small Towns