Blog Posts & Stories

The effects of climate change, such as droughts and destructive storms, have been visible across Iowa in recent years. That's prompted calls for state lawmakers to hold more direct talks about solutions. The Iowa Legislature reconvenes in January. Before that happens, groups like the Center for Rural Affairs want recommendations to address climate change around the state.

On Aug. 4, Center for Rural Affairs staff were on hand for a solar tour near Ramsey, Minnesota focused on examining the benefits of combining agriculture and solar energy, a practice referred to as “agrivoltaics.” The day-long tour included stops at three sites, where participants saw first-hand how beneficial practices such as grazing, beekeeping, and the use of native vegetation and pollinator habitat are being implemented in combination with solar energy production.

With the age of Nebraska's farmers and beekeepers on the rise, bee enthusiasts are encouraging more young people to check out the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program. The program spans across the Midwest, with sites in Grand Island, Lincoln, Omaha and Scott's Bluff.

A program incentivizing microentrepreneurship by encouraging business investment is seeing renewed interest after updates made last year.

The Center for Rural Affairs represents all rural citizens—specifically with state and federal policy on farm bill programs, clean energy, water quality, small businesses, health care access, and broadband.

I recently attended a memorial for Ashleigh Wabasha. Ashleigh was 19 years old and a member of the Santee Sioux Nation in Nebraska. She was a close friend of an employee of the Center for Rural Affairs.

Across the country, thousands of farmers grow small grains such as wheat, oats, barley, and rye. Some choose to do so for conservation benefits, while others aim to diversify their income streams, to take advantage of local markets, or meet the requirements of organic certification.

Over the past few decades, Native and non-Native people in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Twin Cities area have reaped benefits from the efforts of Dream of Wild Health.

The elements are one of the greatest adversaries for farmers. Changing temperatures and precipitation levels can limit growing seasons and affect the success of crops.

This summer, headlines suggested that rolling blackouts across the country may be possible because of predicted above-average temperatures.

Eric Hill knows good soil. The Iowa producer, who manages his family’s 3,000-acre farming operation near Nevada, has spent more than 20 years caring for the soil that surrounds the plot of land purchased by his parents in the 1970s.

Hace unos años, si alguien le hubiera preguntado a Yasser Toruño y su esposa, Nancy Segura, si alguna vez soñaron con abrir su propio negocio, habrían dicho que no.

A few years ago, if someone asked Yasser Toruño and his wife, Nancy Segura, if they ever dreamed of opening their own business they would have said no.

Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning declared that “Norfolk is now home to the largest solar facility in Nebraska” at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new community solar development.

Iowa is seen as a leader in renewable energy for sources like wind power, but tension is building in how to site such projects.

​​​​​​​The Center for Rural Affairs applauds the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) board for unanimously approving the Tranche 1 transmission expansion plan at its July 25 board meeting. This approval is a critical step in relieving grid congestion and enabling renewable energy expansion in southwest Minnesota’s wind belt.

La inflación puede ser catastrófica para los pequeños negocios, y muchos propietarios están preocupados. Sin embargo, los pequeños negocios pueden ser más flexibles y receptivos a los cambios en los mercados y en la demanda que sus contrapartes más grandes. Son capaces de satisfacer las demandas locales más fácilmente.

At Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, located on the Pine Ridge Reservation, renewable energy plays an important role in a vision to build resilient communities while reducing environmental impact.

Inflation can be catastrophic for small businesses, and many owners are worried. However, small businesses can be more flexible and responsive to shifts in markets and in demand than their larger counterparts.

​​​​​​​According to a recent study released by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the economic potential for distributed wind generation in the U.S. is enough to account for half of the current electricity consumption nationwide.