The Center for Rural Affairs has an exciting update to share on our efforts to support rural grocers in Nebraska. On Nov. 1, the Agriculture Committee of the Nebraska Legislature held an interim hearing on Legislative Resolution (LR) 374, a formal effort to explore ways Nebraska can support independent grocers and improve food access in its rural communities. The Center contributed to the legislature’s interim study and presented findings from our recently published report to the committee.
Grocery stores are an important component of strong rural communities. If you’re a rural grocer or live in a community that has benefited from or been impacted by the loss of these essential businesses, we want to hear from you as we prepare for the next legislative session. We collected community input as part of LR 374, but if you didn't get a chance to participate, you still can provide valuable information by taking this brief survey.
We have been working closely with Sen. Teresa Ibach, who sponsored LR 374, and the next step is crafting bill language before the Legislative Session begins on Jan. 8, 2025. While details are still being determined, we plan to pursue a state-funded grant program to support independent rural grocers. Potential targets for the grant funding could include helping small grocers access federal funding, supporting business transitions to new ownership formats, funding the adoption of new technology, and/or developing community buying power to address wholesale order requirements.
In Nebraska’s unique unicameral system, the people of our state are the “second house” and play a crucial role in the policymaking process. Stories and experiences shared by people provide legislators with a fuller picture that research and statistics can’t provide. This was apparent during the hearing for LR 374 when David Barnes, manager at Valley Foods Cooperative in Lynch, Nebraska, shared his experience with their community-operated grocery store. David’s testimony received the most engagement from the committee by far.
At the Center, we value your stories and experiences. Voices from Nebraskans are the most important in this conversation, and we’d like the opportunity to hear from you. If you have any questions, ideas, or opinions about the potential legislation and how you can advocate for your local store, please do not hesitate to reach out to me by email at [email protected] or by phone at 402.687.2100 ext. 1032.
