What's happening with the Center for Rural Affairs? Find the latest on rural America and our work here.
11.29.2016
Sydney, a 200-pound Newfoundland, and Beatrixx, an American Staghound, get the royal treatment. Their owner, Rachel, is a dog groomer. Rachel Pittner, owner of the Groomin’ Room in Minden, Neb., has...
- Lending
11.28.2016
The Sandhills of Nebraska is the largest sand dune formation in the Western Hemisphere, spanning almost 20,000 square miles. In addition to its geological importance, the region also serves as home to a significant community of birds and various species at risk, and provides grazing habitat for cattle.
- Policy
- Farm and Food
11.23.2016
The annual Walthill Christmas Bazaar will be held on Dec. 1 at the Walthill Fire Hall, located on the main street of Walthill, Neb. The Bazaar offers unique, handmade jewelry, shawls and bead-work made by members of the Omaha Tribe, and a wide array of other gift ideas.
- Small Towns
11.22.2016
We are not working hard enough to make dreams come true in Nebraska. As a result, we complain about taxes. I want to write about legislators in Nebraska and surrounding states who have started to talk about drastically cutting or eliminating income taxes during the next legislative session.
- Farm and Food
- Small Towns
11.21.2016
Small Business Saturday is this week, on Nov. 26. The benefits of buying local and shopping small are truly endless. Where we shop, where we eat and have fun – all of it makes our community home.
- Lending
11.17.2016
When a room fills with 30 people, many driving more than an hour to be there on a beautiful fall evening in the midst of football playoffs, one can assume there is an important matter at hand. This was the case during a recent community energy conversation hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs in Valentine, Neb.
- Policy
11.15.2016
Meet Blair Nelson. She recently went to the doctor for a physical and was forced to pay out of pocket, which took away money she had already allocated for other household bills. Blair is a student...
- Policy
11.15.2016
As a Rural Enterprise Assistance Project (REAP) loan specialist, I’ve had the opportunity to serve many hardworking entrepreneurs. So I know firsthand the importance of supporting small businesses whenever possible.
- Lending
11.14.2016
State governments across the nation are looking to cut income tax rates. We are paying close attention to legislators in Nebraska who are publicly discussing their plans for cutting income tax rates.
- Farm and Food
- Small Towns
11.11.2016
Tuesday’s election has distracted most of us from, well, just about everything. We have a lot to do in working with the transition team of the new administration, and getting to know new members of the House and Senate.
- Farm and Food
11.10.2016
Mark your calendars: Giving Tuesday is Tuesday, Nov. 29, and the money you give to the Center for Rural Affairs will be matched by Newman’s Own Foundation, dollar for dollar. Giving Tuesday hasn’t...
- Small Towns
11.09.2016
Traveling to conferences seems to be the perfect way to get away, stop working, and get to know new places you haven’t visited yet.
- Small Towns
11.08.2016
Iowa farmers are in the midst of harvest season, but many are pausing to share the fruits of their labor with local kids. October is Farm to School Month, and activities and events around the state are educating students about eating healthy foods.
- Small Towns
11.07.2016
A lot of you want to see more family farms and ranches and more businesses in our rural communities. You also care about healthy food and clean water. But if you’re not a farmer, and I say the words...
- Farm and Food
11.04.2016
From September 2015 through May 2016, Women’s Business Center specialists and contracted technical assistance providers delivered 2,592 hours of business counseling to 733 clients.
- Small Towns
11.04.2016
Fall is the best time to plant alliums, a plant genus which includes garlic, shallots, chives, leeks and onions. These are some of my favorite vegetables, and are not only incredibly healthy, but impart flavor to any recipe.
- Small Towns
11.03.2016
No party has a monopoly on good ideas. However, the dominant party in any partisan legislative body tends to seek to impose a monopoly on the ideas that can even be considered. Partisanship encourages legislators and citizens alike to partake in both lazy thinking and lazy voting.
- Small Towns
11.03.2016
Has the political center become the most radical place to work? In this time of piqued partisan rhetoric, it may be. Working at the radical center does not mean that each of us should become a...
- Small Towns
11.01.2016
Located near the headwaters of the Elkhorn River, the Stewart Hereford Ranch sits on 13,000 acres in the Sandhills outside of Newport, Neb. The ranch is owned by Roy and June Stewart and their son and daughter-in-law, Jay and Kaye Stewart, who also manage the operation.
- Farm and Food
10.26.2016
Kristy and Greg Parr recently moved Custom Sports to Norfolk with the help of a Center loan. The business offers custom embroidery and screen printing, and has nine employees including family members.
- Small Towns
