Blog Posts & Stories

Clear Creek Organic Farm, in Spalding, Nebraska, hosts more than crops and livestock. The Bernt family has run the operation for more than 125 years and in that time, it has grown to not only include the traditional elements of a farm, but now also hosts recreational events, such as a recent concert benefiting Nebraska flood victims, and a tanking business along the Cedar River.

Let’s celebrate our rural communities with intention. The Center for Rural Affairs helps communities learn and engage in an intentional way to make long lasting connections across cultures.

When Kayleen Johnson started her garden to incorporate more fresh foods into her family’s meals, she didn’t realize growing food together would also help them grow closer as a family. Santee, Nebraska...

With the average age of a U.S. farmer at nearly 60 years, and millions of acres expected to change hands over the next few years, military veterans have a key role to play as the nation looks for the next generation of producers.

October is Women’s Small Business Month, making it a great time to highlight the work and accomplishments of Women’s Business Centers across the country. Nationally, there are about 115 centers that service more than 146,000 women.

In many ways, Jack Spence and Thomas Sauer are normal sixth grade students. Jack enjoys playing sports, Thomas’ favorite school subject is social studies, and the two boys have been friends since their elementary years.

Though Del Ficke had an established career in the health care industry, his heart was always back home on the family farm.

Thirty-one organizations signed a letter on Oct. 17 requesting members of the House and Senate appropriations committees and agriculture appropriations committees to fund the Rural Microentrepreneur...

​​​​​​​The U.S. wind industry is booming—expanding from 1.5 gigawatts of cumulative installed capacity in 1998 to 96.4 gigawatts of installed capacity in 2018.

​​​​​​​On Oct. 29, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will begin hosting public hearings across the state to receive comments on the implementation of Medicaid expansion and the proposed 1115 waiver.

Asked about the plight of dairy farmers in Wisconsin, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said, “[The] big get bigger and small go out and that’s kind of what we’ve seen here... Everyone will...

​​​​​​​Wind energy developed across the U.S. has brought significant opportunity to rural communities, with new projects generating clean energy, in addition to economic benefits for nearby towns and rural areas.

​​​​​​​A recent survey indicates a majority of Iowans want presidential candidates to address science-related issues, specifically climate change and energy.

​​​​​​​Across the country, kids are reaping the benefits and heading back to school with local foods on their plates.

Each year, Midwest Energy News acknowledges leaders who are based in the Midwest. These men and women are innovators from all sectors, including industry, government, regulatory, business, academia...

Gene Albers joined his family’s tradition of farming in south central Kansas in the 1970s. After working the land with their father, Gene and his two brothers became farmers. Now, with years of experience behind him, Gene is beginning to retire from his 1,200 acre cattle, wheat, and soybean operation.

Demonstrating best practices for improving soil health and water quality has been front and center for many Iowa farmers this summer.

Ask any beginning farmer or rancher about the greatest challenge to starting an operation, and the most common answer is access to land and operational assets.

​​​​​​​Across the country, kids are reaping the benefits and heading back to school with local foods on their plates.

Local food and the arts are emerging market opportunities for rural communities, and the Center for Rural Affairs is hosting a one-day conference on October 10 in Pender, Nebraska, designed to offer aspiring entrepreneurs a leg up.