We are committed to keeping the issues facing rural America in the news media. Here you'll find news on the work we do on public policy, farming and ranching, small businesses, and rural communities.
Food leaders and community members in the Malvern area who are curious about the sustainability of local foods are invited to join a listening session hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs and Golden Hills RC&D.
- Small Towns
- Farm and Food
NEBRASKA - Independent, locally owned stores stand as cornerstones of health, economic, and social wellbeing in rural communities across Nebraska. However, rural grocery stores have been closing at an...
- Small Towns
- Policy
Minnesota has potential to take advantage of the steady growth of the solar industry. However, the state must first address how to improve and expand its transmission system to ensure adequate capacity for connecting new solar energy projects, according to the Center for Rural Affairs.
- Policy
LYONS, NEBRASKA – South Dakota farmers and ranchers interested in enrolling in two popular conservation programs have until Nov. 1 to submit their initial paperwork. The Conservation Stewardship...
- Farm and Food
- Policy
The Center for Rural Affairs is seeking participants for its Conservation Mentorship Network, a program designed to foster peer-to-peer learning among farmers and ranchers and increase the number of conservation practices adopted across Nebraska.
- Farm and Food
- Policy
To support creative ideas that address the ongoing market challenges facing local communities, the Iowa Economic Development Authority is now accepting applications for its Rural Innovation Grant Program. Applications are due by Oct. 25.
- Small Towns
- Policy
MALVERN, IOWA—Southwest Iowans who support local foods and local farms are invited to attend a one-day summit featuring educational sessions, exhibitors, and an indoor farmers market. The summit held...
- Small Towns
- Farm and Food
MALVERN, IOWA—Se invita a los habitantes del suroeste de Iowa que apoyan los alimentos y las granjas locales a asistir a una cumbre de un día que contará con sesiones educativas, expositores y un...
- Small Towns
- Farm and Food
Registration is now open for the fourth annual Latina Women in Business Conference: Creando un Legado (Creating a Legacy), hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs. The event is in Spanish only.
- Lending
Ya está abierta la inscripción para la cuarta conferencia anual de mujeres latinas en los negocios: Creando un Legado, organizada por el Center for Rural Affairs. El evento se realizará únicamente en español.
- Lending
The potential for economic growth, job creation, and additional tax revenue for rural communities continues to drive interest in renewable energy development across the country. But, as some decision makers are learning, there are other ways such projects can positively impact a community.
- Small Towns
- Policy
Jessica Cabán was recently hired to serve northeast Nebraska as a loan specialist with the Center for Rural Affairs. Cabán’s role includes working with new and existing small business owners to help them develop business plans, get funding, and receive training. The one-on-one business counseling is provided at no cost.
- Lending
Una nueva capacitación para ayudar a los productores a explorar la transición y la economía de la producción orgánica certificada está programada para el 2 y 3 de agosto en el área de Lincoln, organizada por el Center for Rural Affairs, Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society, el Programa de Asociación de Transición a lo Orgánico y el Centro Nacional para la Tecnología Apropiada.
- Farm and Food
A new training to help producers explore the transition and economics of certified organic production is set for Aug. 2 and 3 in the Lincoln area, hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs, Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society, Transition to Organic Partnership Program, and the National Center for Appropriate Technology.
- Farm and Food
Iowa farmers interested in planting cover crops this fall may be eligible to receive a higher cost share for their efforts. Applications are now open for an incentive offered through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Water Quality Initiative.
- Policy
Bobbi Howard has been hired to serve Nebraska and southwest Iowa as Farm and Community director with the Center for Rural Affairs. Howard comes from a background in workforce development. She supervised field offices across the state as an administrator at the Nebraska Department of Labor and has experience working with nonprofit organizations.
- Farm and Food
Advances in technology and lower installation costs continue to contribute to the growth of wind electricity generation in the U.S., especially in rural areas. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Energy and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the cost of installing wind turbines has fallen more than 40% since its peak in 2010.
- Small Towns
- Policy
Rural leaders looking to identify grant opportunities to better their communities are invited to attend a free webinar hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs and Heartland Environmental Justice Center.
- Small Towns
- Policy
Andi McClintic has been hired to serve Nebraska as Lending Services assistant director with the Center for Rural Affairs. In this role, McClintic collaborates closely with the Center’s loan specialists, assisting them as they work with small business and mortgage clients. The Center provides training, free one-on-one business counseling, and loan products.
- Lending
- Small Towns
As renewable energy development grows in rural areas, so do concerns about protecting agricultural land, especially from utility-scale solar projects. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that by 2050 solar will occupy 10.3 million acres of land nationally, 90% of which will be in rural areas. To address concerns about utility-scale solar systems occupying a large amount of prime farmland, some local and state officials have proposed and even placed restrictions prohibiting it.
- Policy
