Publicaciones e historias de blog

As a farmer in southeastern Nebraska and president of the Milford Public Schools Board of Education, I am deeply familiar with Nebraska’s property tax problem. Twenty years on a school board and even more in the field have allowed me to advocate for solutions to our senators.

Across Nebraska and Iowa, farmers, ranchers, and rural communities have been standing strong in the face of rising floodwaters. As producers rush to rescue livestock, property, equipment, and more, many may find themselves asking what resources are available after this historic natural disaster.

As renewable energy continues to bring prosperity to states with supportive policies, rural communities are in the spotlight. Solar and wind energy projects create new jobs and tax revenue in communities that host them—providing needed cash flow to many rural areas, helping them become more independent and resilient.

El año pasado, los votantes de Nebraska aprobaron una medida para ampliar Medicaid, pero los funcionarios estatales están teniendo dificultades para implementar el plan.

​​​​​​​As renewable energy continues to bring prosperity to states with supportive policies, rural communities are in the spotlight. Solar and wind energy projects create new jobs and tax revenue in communities that host them, helping them become more independent and resilient.

Hace nueve años, los votantes aprobaron un referéndum estatal para enmendar la Constitución de Iowa y crear el Fondo Fiduciario para los Recursos Naturales y la Recreación al Aire Libre. Sigue existiendo un fuerte apoyo para financiar dicho fondo mediante un aumento del impuesto sobre las ventas.

Rural Nebraskans have finally got the attention of the Legislature in regard to broadband access. Legislative Bill 549, introduced by Sen. Tom Brandt of District 32, represents an important first step in expanding broadband to all areas of Nebraska. The bill aims to provide resources for an accurate mapping of current broadband service across the state, mapping that is long overdue.

La ley agrícola de 2018 contiene varios cambios importantes para los programas del Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA) administrados por la Agencia de Servicios Agrícolas (FSA), la Agencia de Gestión de Riesgos (RMA) y el Servicio de Conservación de Recursos Naturales (NRCS), y agradecemos al Secretario Bill Northey por brindar esta oportunidad para hacer comentarios públicos sobre estos cambios.

Over the last 83 years, much has changed in Iowa. The state has weathered a Great Recession, undergone significant demographic shifts, and grappled with a changing agricultural economy. However, one discussion has remained a hot topic for what is now the better part of a century—water quality.

Marilee Polacek and her daughter, Katie, didn’t plan on getting into agriculture, but now that they are, they want to treat their land right. Their farm, located outside Bruno, Nebraska, on Skull...

Iowa's largest investor-owned utility wants to make owners of private solar power systems pay more for generating their own electricity, while opponents warn that could cause Iowa to lose its standing as a leader in promoting renewables.

There are few people in this world with the drive and energy to work full-time while also building their dream business from the ground up.

En las comunidades rurales, encontrar nuevas oportunidades de crecimiento puede resultar difícil. Impulsar el desarrollo económico es fundamental para la vitalidad de los pueblos pequeños, permitiendo que las economías locales prosperen y generando empleo en las zonas rurales.

En cada pueblo encontrarás personas que se esfuerzan por contribuir a sus comunidades, brindando apoyo a la próxima generación y sirviendo de ejemplo para que otros puedan tener éxito en el futuro. Estas son las personas que nuestras comunidades necesitan para prosperar y que son fundamentales para el bienestar continuo de las zonas rurales de Estados Unidos. Jerry Fixemer es una de esas personas.

The Great Plains is an area that has a bright future in renewable energy, especially in rural areas with great access to natural resources. States with wind energy potential, like North Dakota, have a chance to develop these resources and reap the benefits of being a renewable energy leader.

Across the nation, farmers, ranchers, and rural communities are finding that a key component to building a brighter future for rural America lies beneath our feet. Investments in soil health are creating more resilient food systems in the face of frequent extreme weather while reducing pollution in rivers and streams, and providing a long-term anchor for many rural economies.

After working 17 years in a hospital environment, Nancy Haberstitch wanted to transition from controlling infections in health care to helping people avoid hospitalization for infection. So, she...

Stephanie O'Keefe always wanted to own land, but felt she didn’t have what it took to make that happen. “I did not have enough knowledge or muscle for the task,” she said. “However, it became apparent...

Last week, state lawmakers allied with Iowa’s biggest investor-owned utility to introduce House Study Bill 185. This bill would limit the ability of farms and individuals to produce their own electricity.

We are concerned about a bill in the Legislature regarding the proposal of zoning restrictions on new wind farms in Nebraska. Legislative Bill 373 proposes that all new wind farms will need to comply with zoning standards outlined by the Legislature instead of local county zoning boards.