Niobrara Nebraska from nearby hill

Blog Posts & Stories

What's happening with the Center for Rural Affairs? Find the latest on rural America and our work here.

Esta primavera, aquellos que están considerando comenzar un negocio de camiones o aquellos que tienen un negocio de camiones y necesitan más orientación están invitados a la academia de camiones (Trucking Academy).
  • Lending
This spring, those considering starting a trucking business or those who have a trucking business and need more guidance are invited to Trucking Academy.
  • Lending
Nearly every Nebraskan is now served by an electric utility committed to supplying clean, sustainable energy. In December, the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) board of directors voted 9-2 to...
  • Policy
What do we think of when we say cooperative? Is it the farmers’ co-op down the road, combining grains to sell? Is it a nearby co-op grocer with customer members? Is it a large company, maybe Land O’Lakes or Ocean Spray?
  • Farm and Food
Rural communities often face challenges in accessing fresh, healthy, and affordable foods. Reducing food deserts, connecting farmers to consumers, and building local supply chains provides resilience our rural communities need to protect their future.
  • Small Towns
  • Farm and Food
  • Policy
Owners of microbusinesses, sole proprietors, and farmers spend many hours developing plans and attending training sessions to educate themselves on operating a business and what to do in the face of adversity.
  • Policy
Aquí hay una guía para construir el negocio de tus sueños. Este es un buen punto de partida. En Nebraska, el personal del Center for Rural Affairs puede llevarlo aún más lejos. Llámenos al 402.687.2100 o envíe un correo electrónico a loans@cfra.org.
  • Lending
Want to start the business of your dreams and don’t know where to begin? Take a look at these steps, then let the Center for Rural Affairs staff guide you through this process. Give us a call at 402.687.2100 or email loans@cfra.org.
  • Lending
Tomorrow will be Day 30 of the Nebraska legislative session, which marks the halfway point. Committee hearings will continue in the afternoon until March 3. Starting on March 8 the Legislature will move to all-day debate with late-evening business expected to start sometime in mid-March.
  • Small Towns
  • Farm and Food
  • Policy
The Iowa Legislature's 2022 session is now in its seventh week. Lawmakers have been busy with quick-moving committee and subcommittee work ahead of the first funnel deadline. If a bill did not pass out of its committee in the chamber it originated in by last Friday, it is effectively dead, with some exceptions, such as tax and spending bills.
  • Small Towns
  • Policy
Today is Day 26 of South Dakota’s 38-day legislative session. The Center continues to monitor bills that impact the rural quality of life. We recently offered supportive testimony on bills related to...
  • Small Towns
  • Farm and Food
  • Policy
Most farmers have interesting stories about how they made the journey to farming. Kelsey Jones, Lyle Marotz, and their baby, Phoenix, are no different. They are in their third year of marketing...
  • Farm and Food
Solar energy projects are becoming more common across Iowa, and they present an undeniable opportunity for rural communities. Solar energy generates increased tax revenue for the county and reliable lease payments to landowners.
  • Policy
Nebraska’s agricultural economy relies on soil and water, so when the quality of those natural resources are in jeopardy, so too is the health of our state at large. Since the beginning of modern agriculture, Nebraska has lost nearly one-third of its topsoil.
  • Policy
  • Farm and Food
A little-known Iowa program continues to pave the way for local coordination for flood-prevention strategies, and backers of the initiative are emphasizing there is an opportunity this year to enhance funding.
  • Policy
Small grain producers were the focus of two roundtable discussions hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs in November. Thanks to funding from a U.S. Department of Agriculture Extension Risk Management...
  • Farm and Food
Shawn Fernau began working in the construction industry long before he knew he’d make a career out of it and become a business owner.
  • Lending
When a parking lot in front of a small business was in desperate need of improvement, the Center for Rural Affairs was able to assist. However, due to the amount needed, the funds were split from two separate sources.
  • Lending
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Justice (DOJ) recently launched an online tool designed to help farmers and ranchers submit anonymous comments about anticompetitive behavior in the meat and poultry industries.
  • Farm and Food
Nebraska lawmakers are set to hear a measure Friday which would tap unspent federal COVID relief dollars to help address what some are calling a health-professional staffing crisis.
  • Small Towns