Rural advocates honored by Center for Rural Affairs

Policy
Farm and Food
Lending
Small Towns
Contact(s)

Rhea Landholm, communications manager, rheal@cfra.org, 402.687.2100 ext. 1025; or Teresa Hoffman, senior communications associate, teresah@cfra.org, 402.687.2100, ext. 1012

LYONS, NEBRASKA – The Center for Rural Affairs, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, has announced recognition of outstanding people and entities in three states.

Awards include:

Seventh Generation Award: Jim and Lisa French, Partridge, Kansas, for lifetime service in making major contributions in improving rural life and protecting our land and water.

Citizenship Award: Megan Vaith, Scotland, South Dakota, for working closely with the Center to advance public policies that strengthen family farms, ranches, and rural communities.

George Norris Policy Award: Sen. Myron Dorn, Adams, Nebraska, for employing bipartisanship, compromise, and consensus to improve policy outcomes for family farms and rural communities.

Rural Community Champion Award: LaVonne Snake, Winnebago, Nebraska, for making extraordinary contributions in building community engagement within her own communities around nutrition education and food sovereignty.

Entrepreneur Award: Reyna Sibrian, Blanca González, and Joaquina Rojas, owners of Bambino’s Daycare in South Sioux City, Nebraska, for utilizing the Center's services and successfully operating and growing their business.

Entrepreneur Partner Award: Echo Collective, Lincoln, Nebraska, for demonstrating outstanding support for the Center and exceptional dedication to small business development through technical assistance, business training, lending, and networking across rural Nebraska.

Ceremonies are being held in each community.

The Center for Rural Affairs works to strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches, and rural communities through action oriented programs addressing social, economic, and environmental issues.