What's happening with the Center for Rural Affairs? Find the latest on rural America and our work here.
11.29.2017
Iowa residents who care about water quality place a lot of pressure on their state legislators to make a difference for the long-term. In 2017, Iowa’s state budget delivered just $10.6 million dollars toward the Iowa Water Quality Initiative, an increase of $975,000 in a tight budget year.
- Policy
11.28.2017
Six years ago, three members of our staff started meeting with representatives of the Santee Sioux Nation in Northeast Nebraska. The conversation centered on building food security for tribal members...
- Small Towns
11.27.2017
Loop Brewing Company in McCook, Nebraska, is another craft brewery that has spurred economic development in its city. The company was established in 2011 with 10 employees and now has 30 employees. To...
- Lending
11.27.2017
Brewing beer is big business in the U.S. In 2016, this centuries-old practice generated $64 million in annual tax revenue and accounted for nearly 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product. Today, the beer industry employs more than 64,000 individuals nationwide.
- Lending
- Small Towns
11.22.2017
Prior to European colonization efforts, the Santee Sioux people in northeast Nebraska were a “food sovereign” nation – they existed in a closed loop system in which they provided for themselves, by their own efforts, from their own land, and without dependence on outside governments and systems.
- Small Towns
11.21.2017
The Senate’s tax reform bill is complex, and its impact unclear. That is especially true for rural America, where entrepreneurship dominates the landscape, and federal-state programs provide needed support to low-income and the elderly.
- Farm and Food
- Small Towns
11.20.2017
Small towns can be places of art and culture showcased in unique and exciting ways. Folks assume that only cities have such opportunities, but our project shows that assumption is not correct.
- Small Towns
11.17.2017
Iowa plays a large role in the process of creating a farm bill and, with less than one year remaining before the current bill expires, work is underway to draft legislation that will support farmers in the state.
- Farm and Food
11.16.2017
The challenges that try rural communities in nearly all aspects of health care – greater travel distances, fewer providers, heightened health concerns, lower incomes – also stand in the way of the delivery of behavioral and mental health care services.
- Policy
11.15.2017
Organic farming in Iowa is on the rise, and proving to be an important economic opportunity for small to mid-size farmers. This growing industry is significant for our state because it gives farmers an important and often untapped avenue to continue farming and make money.
- Farm and Food
11.14.2017
Latino-owned businesses will number 4.37 million this year, as projected by a Geoscape study. This represents a growth of 31.6 percent since 2012, more than double the growth rate of all businesses in the U.S. (13.8 percent).
- Lending
11.13.2017
The Center for Rural Affairs was among several national organizations urging Congress to include a directive in appropriation legislation for Fiscal Year 2018. Section 755 of the Senate Agriculture...
- Farm and Food
- Small Towns
11.13.2017
From September 2016 through August 2017, Women’s Business Center specialists and contracted technical assistance providers delivered 4,559 hours of business counseling (including preparation hours) to 653 clients.
- Lending
11.11.2017
Growing up, I would earn a quarter per chore – a quarter each for washing dishes, dusting, sweeping, and more. I pocketed the quarters, hopped on my bike, and rode four blocks to the main thoroughfare...
- Lending
- Small Towns
11.10.2017
When it comes to wind energy potential, Nebraska is in a prime position. The state is fourth in the U.S. – in fact, the state could produce enough energy from wind to meet its energy needs 118 times over, or enough to power 511,000 average homes.
- Policy
11.10.2017
This week, a bill supporting beginning and aspiring farmers and ranchers – the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act (BFROA) – was introduced in Congress by Reps. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE).
- Farm and Food
11.08.2017
The unexpected passing of Jeff Reynolds, long-time small business lending program director, made 2017 a year of change and transition for our small business development work.
- Lending
11.07.2017
Iowa’s 2017 legislative session ended without a bill to create a long-term, stable funding source for water quality. Hard feelings amassed all around, between the House and Senate, and between the legislature and the public at large.
- Policy
11.06.2017
Note: This is the second in a series highlighting lending activities from Sept. 1, 2016, to Aug. 31, 2017. Our staff placed 124 loans totaling $2,541,952 in that time period. To apply for a microloan...
- Lending
11.04.2017
Note: This is the first in a series highlighting lending activities from Sept. 1, 2016, to Aug. 31, 2017. The below features a select number of businesses, our staff placed 124 loans totaling $2,541...
- Lending
