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Recent posts by Brian Depew

From the desk of the executive director: the little program that could

By Brian Depew on September 5, 2019 - 9:00am

Let me tell you a story. It’s a story of a little program called RMAP. Sounds wonky, right?

It’s the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, which is part of the larger farm bill. The story started a long time ago.

A Center study in the late 1980s showed a high rate of self-employment in rural areas, but few economic development strategies to help this sector. The more rural the area, the higher the rate of self-employment, the report documented. This research led us to expand our programs to serve small businesses.

From the desk of the executive director: Connecting capital and small town home ownership

By Brian Depew on July 9, 2019 - 1:30pm

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 schools. Home ownership is also a key strategy to help low and middle income families build assets.

In many regions, rural residents benefit from more affordable housing stock. In 20 rural counties in our home state of Nebraska, more than 60 percent of houses sell for under $70,000, for instance.

From the desk of the executive director: Is industrial hemp an opportunity?

By Brian Depew on May 6, 2019 - 4:59pm

The most recent farm bill establishes a roadmap for the cultivation of industrial hemp. Congress was right to loosen the restriction on growing this crop, a non-psychoactive relative of marijuana.

Each state now has the opportunity to establish a regulatory framework under which industrial hemp may be cultivated. If a state does not act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will develop a uniform framework that will be applied in the state. The Center for Rural Affairs supports a bill working its way through the Nebraska Legislature to establish the framework in our home state.

From the desk of the executive director: entrepreneurship lifts families and sustains communities

By Brian Depew on April 5, 2019 - 2:30pm

The Center for Rural Affairs is a small business lender, but we are different than a bank. In the last year, we made loans to support 126 small businesses in rural Nebraska, investing a total of $2.4 million. For us, that is just the start of our work.

We know that capital alone cannot ensure success. Education, training, and mentoring are essential to establishing any new business. That is why our business specialists work with business owners on planning, projections, and helping navigate the details that come along with running a small business.

From the desk of the executive director: looking forward to the new year

By Brian Depew on January 15, 2019 - 1:04pm

As we look forward to 2019, I am amazed what you—our staff, our board, and our supporters—have achieved. 

The past year marked the Center’s 45th anniversary. I am proud that the Center remains vibrant and relevant. That was true in 1973 at our founding, and it is true today. 

Challenges—and we saw a few the last year—can test our patience and resolve. We persevere because we are guided by our pragmatic commitment to change and our clear and consistent values. 

Consider a few highlights from the last year.

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