Blog Posts & Stories

Since 2015, Suzi French has been a valuable member of the Center for Rural Affairs team, and, recently, she just became even more of an asset to the Center’s work. As a community foods associate...

Nebraska’s 2019 legislative session closed with the last day of May, adjourning five days early. This early adjournment was met with contention as a substantive solution to the state’s reliance on property tax to fund K-12 education was again left unresolved.

Anyone who has invested in a distributed generation system will freely admit that the sun does not always shine and the wind does not always blow. This atmospheric reality can make it difficult for producers to rely exclusively on distributed energy. To overcome intermittency, system owners can choose to ration their energy use, invest in battery storage, or remain connected to the electric grid.

Economic opportunity is vital to rural communities. Although poultry and livestock production is integral to rural economies, decades-long shifts in the poultry and livestock industry have pushed many...

Connecting rural Nebraskans to new economic development opportunities is a key piece of the long-term health of our small towns and communities. The Center is opposed to LB 373 because it would remove local control from Nebraskans and limit economic opportunities for rural communities.

In a win for both farmers and conservation efforts, this year’s cover crops final harvest date has been shifted to Sept. 1. This new date applies to silage, haylage, and baleage in addition to haying and grazing.

Last month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced the formation of the Task Force for Reviewing Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States. Agricultural producers of various backgrounds and operation sizes and types are encouraged to apply. Applications are also being sought from individuals involved in providing rural internet services.

Rural America could power a clean economy — but first we need to solve the coal debt crisis. As the price of renewable energy declines, new wind and solar projects are being built across the country. These projects create jobs, reduce pollution, and help keep electricity rates stable, facilitating a significant return on investment for communities hosting projects. And, most of the time, new renewable energy projects are built in rural America, tapping into abundant wind and solar resources.

Home ownership increases family and community stability. When residents live in a community, they shop at local businesses, take part in community organizations, and send their children to local...

Sandra Renner has spent nearly five years focusing on a variety of work, all with one thing in common—assisting rural Nebraskans. Newly appointed as the Farm and Community Program director for the...

Rural electric cooperatives serve more than 40 million people, including 650,000 in Iowa, and a new report says many co-ops could save their customers money by retiring existing coal plants in favor of renewable-energy sources.

With less than eight months from the Iowa caucuses, voters are beginning to think about the issues their candidate must support to gain their vote.

Megan Gewecke’s desire to understand the inner workings of the human brain began well before she opened her own business as a Licensed Psychologist. As a young child, science was always her favorite...

Residents of the Great Plains are no strangers to windy conditions, or to the potential to use this resource to generate clean energy. While solar has boomed, wind energy continues to be the leading renewable energy industry in the region.

The Center for Rural Affairs strives to help landowners utilize their property to its best potential—how to care for the land so it is fruitful for generations to come. Landowners today are faced with...

The U.S. is coming off the wettest year on record, seen most dramatically in this spring's massive flooding. And Nebraska farmers are looking to age-old conservation practices to help them adapt.

At the Center for Rural Affairs, we have done a lot of research over the years on the economic benefits of renewable energy development for rural communities. The facts and figures on tax revenues, leases, and job creation tell some of the story on how wind and solar development has impacted the Midwest. But, it only tells one part of the story.

At the Barreras Family Farm, just a few miles south of Blair, Nebraska, co-owners and co-operators Lt. Col. Anthony and Mariel Barreras work hard alongside their children. The couple’s love of farming...

A community garden is a way to grow delicious, fresh produce and to bring together neighbors and community members. A community garden also requires buy-in from the community, proactive planning, and ongoing maintenance.

The Midwest has experienced a renewable energy boom. Renewables have provided the region with clean, low-cost energy and created new economic development opportunities for communities.