Center Weekly Column
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06/29/2009Farm and ranch operators, like many self-employed Americans, cannot afford the cost of health insurance according to a report by The Access Project.
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06/29/2009Angel Mae Romero-Kiester, a restaurateur from Lyons, Nebraska, recently spent several days in Washington, DC with health care reform advocates from all 50 states. They rallied on Capitol Hill for health care reform. They attended an ABC News moderated conversation with President Obama about the future of America's health care system. And Angel lobbied our Senators and Representatives on the importance of reform, including a public health insurance option, to rural Nebraskans - farmers, ranchers and rural small business owners in particular.
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06/29/2009Sustainable agriculture is described as incorporating more ecologically-sound practices that preserve and renew the nation's soil, water, plant and animal resources through the elimination or reduction of dependence on energy, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Yet often when farmers consider using sustainable practices or modifying their farming practices to make them more sustainable, they are met with discouragement from certain institutions.
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06/22/2009What does it mean to a community to lose a business like a car dealership? Sadly more rural communities are coming to grips with the loss of cornerstone, mainstreet businesses thanks to the disproportionate closure of rural dealerships.
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06/22/2009Rural Montanans are 70 percent more likely to be underinsured than Americans in urban centers. As health insurance costs continue to skyrocket, more ranchers, farmers and small business owners as well as their employees will face the loss or further erosion of their health care coverage.
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06/15/2009Farmers and ranchers across the country who are wondering if there are any farm bill programs available to aid in their operation, assistance is just a phone call or email away.
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06/01/2009Ever wonder why it's so easy for kids to gain weight instead of lose it? I have and for that reason, I've come up with a list of three reasons why kids gain weight.
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06/01/2009A critical decision being made within USDA will determine whether farm programs work to improve the income of farmers and keep family farming alive.
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06/01/2009Nebraska senators should revisit the state's deep, disproportionate cuts in rural and small business development - 66% from recent years - when the budget improves.
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05/22/2009The United States Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for $18 million in Value Added Producer Grants to develop value-added agricultural business ventures. July 6, 2009 is the deadline to apply for a Value-Added Producer Grant. Farmers, ranchers or groups of producers with an idea that would add value to products raised on their farms or ranches are eligible. A special reserve is set aside for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. The deadline to apply for reserved funds is June 22.
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05/18/2009Greater numbers of rural people are self employed or work for small business than in urban areas. Small businesses also create most of the new jobs in rural America, and during an economic downturn our economies rely even more heavily on the ingenuity of rural people as they start new businesses that rebuild our economic prospects.
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05/11/2009The USDA recently announced that $50 million of EQIP funds will be set aside for a special three-week sign-up for farms converting to organic production or expanding their organic production. Those with existing organic farms who desire to reach even higher levels of environmental performance are also eligible.
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05/04/2009Recent estimates show that about 47 million Americans lack health insurance, millions more are underinsured and health care costs continue to spiral. But for rural Americans the situation is even more critical.
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04/27/2009May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. However, over half of the counties in the United States have no mental health professionals, a situation that has changed little in 45 years. Mental health and behavioral health issues take from 20 to 25 percent of primary care physician's workload, taxing an already stressed rural health care system. Research has shown that patients who receive specialized mental health care are much more likely to receive adequate treatment than those receiving general medical care. Unfortunately, the conclusion that rural individuals receive poorer quality mental health care is unavoidable.
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04/20/2009Organic farming has been growing by leaps and bounds, and that's terrific for farmers, consumers, and the planet. But as any farmer or rancher who has gone through the USDA's organic program knows, "Certified Organic" carries some upfront costs while the certification process is underway.
