Blog Articles & Stories

For the English version, click here. Lincoln, Nebraska, es el hogar de muchas organizaciones sin fines de lucro que trabajan para ayudar a mejorar su comunidad. Uno de ellos, ECHO Collective...

Para la versión en español, oprima aquí. Lincoln, Nebraska, is home to many nonprofit organizations that work to help better their community. One of them, ECHO Collective, is taking huge steps to make...

This is the last week of committee hearings in the Nebraska Legislature and full day floor debate on bills will begin March 28. Due to the continued filibuster, Speaker John Arch announced that evening debate will also begin that day, instead of April 11, to give more time for priority bills.

It’s the 11th week of the Iowa state session. The first funnel deadline passed earlier this month, and we are looking ahead to another deadline on March 31. By then, most bills must pass out of...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced application deadlines for a new federal grant program that offers funding to rural communities to make investments in reliable clean energy. The...

Farmers, ranchers and livestock producers are working with solar companies in Iowa to find multiple uses for land once used only to plant corn and soybeans. Some are investing in what's known as "dual-use solar" or agrivoltaics. They are cultivating profitable crops, grazing livestock, even raising healthier honeybees, all in the shadows of solar panels.

Tres mujeres en South Sioux City han demostrado su espíritu emprendedor en Nebraska rural, satisfaciendo la necesidad de servicios de cuidado infantil, por eso ellas son las ganadoras del Premio al Empresario 2022 del Centro.

Three women in South Sioux City have exemplified their entrepreneurial spirit in rural Nebraska, filling a need for child care services, and are this year's Center's 2022 Entrepreneur Award recipients.

Since the Center’s founding, we mark decades of working with rural communities taking note of their resiliency. Sandra Renner, Farm & Community director, speaks to our past work, present endeavors, and what’s in store for the future.

Every property owner knows Nebraska relies too heavily on property taxes to fund our public schools. This has been true for more than a decade and remains so today, even after legislators created...

The 2023 South Dakota legislative session is coming to a close. Yesterday was the last day for bills to pass both houses. The 38-day legislative session will officially conclude March 27, which is reserved for gubernatorial vetoes.

We’re around the halfway mark of the 2023 Iowa legislative session, but plenty of work remains for state lawmakers. The projected last day is April 28. Last Friday, March 3, was the first funnel...

The Nebraska Legislature will be wrapping up committee hearings by March 24. The past two weeks, the Center for Rural Affairs provided in-person testimony during committee hearings on Legislative Bills (LB) 62, 84, and 566.

Travis Scheffler, a beginning farmer in Lonsdale, Minnesota, routinely finds himself in a quandary. He has to choose between planting in the way he knows is best for his operation and his crop...

For her contributions to the betterment of West Point, Nebraska, through service in a variety of capacities—giving her time, talent, and resources to the community—Kylie Kai has received the 2023 West...

Community leaders come in all forms—from young go-getters to seasoned professionals, and everything in between. The one thing they all have in common is their dedication and passion for making their...

Carbon pipelines have become a contentious issue in the Midwest in recent years as multiple projects have been proposed. One part of the debate focuses on the potential use of eminent domain to...

A study released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates close to 120,000 households in Nebraska faced food insecurity between 2018 and 2020. The agency defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active and healthy life.

El Programa de Asociación de Negocios y Cuidado Infantil está abierto a nuevos y existentes proveedores de cuidado infantil quienes desean expandir la capacidad de su licencia para abrir más espacios en su negocio.

The Business and Childcare Partnership Program is open to new and existing child care providers who will expand their licensing capacity to open more spots in their business.