Blog Posts & Stories

Shopping at a locally-owned and operated business is truly a unique experience. The atmosphere surrounds you as soon as you step out of your car. Sometimes, holiday music flows through the main...

For Alex McKiernan and Chloe Diegel, farming is about more than making a living—it’s caring about good food for healthy people and a healthy environment.

In the summer of 2017, Lizzie Swalley joined the Center for Rural Affairs for the season to work in our garden program. Little did she know that her summer job would lead to a full-time passion and...

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, home is in Nebraska to more than 2,980 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.

​​​​​​​Producers looking to improve, update, or modernize their livestock operation infrastructure or equipment in 2020 or early 2021 may be eligible for grant funding through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Changes are coming to the nation’s largest conservation program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking public comments on a new rule.

For Matt and Emely Hendl, conservation is more than important, it’s a way of life. Owners of Anchor Meadow Farm, in Milford, Nebraska, the Hendls consider the big picture when it comes to sustainable agriculture.

Since 1973, the Center for Rural Affairs has advocated for conservation as a valuable tool for farmers and ranchers to establish and grow their operations, including supporting programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).

As policy manager with the Center for Rural Affairs, advocating on behalf of rural families hits close to home for Jordan Rasmussen. “To many people, policy work may seem wonky and distanced from...

Earlier this year, in the midst of a trade war with China, President Donald Trump announced a $16 billion agriculture bailout, telling Americans, via Twitter, the biggest beneficiaries would be “our great Patriot Farmers.”

This week marks one year until the 2020 general election, in which Americans will select their next president. For Iowans, this comes as no surprise.

The holiday season is just around the corner, and small businesses across Nebraska are stocking up and making the case that shopping locally pays important dividends for communities.

Kristi Eggers was raised rural, and has always loved helping others. Little did she know those two aspects of her life would forge a lifelong career and passion for rural health care. Born and raised...

Clear Creek Organic Farm, in Spalding, Nebraska, hosts more than crops and livestock. The Bernt family has run the operation for more than 125 years and in that time, it has grown to not only include the traditional elements of a farm, but now also hosts recreational events, such as a recent concert benefiting Nebraska flood victims, and a tanking business along the Cedar River.

Let’s celebrate our rural communities with intention. The Center for Rural Affairs helps communities learn and engage in an intentional way to make long lasting connections across cultures.

When Kayleen Johnson started her garden to incorporate more fresh foods into her family’s meals, she didn’t realize growing food together would also help them grow closer as a family. Santee, Nebraska...

With the average age of a U.S. farmer at nearly 60 years, and millions of acres expected to change hands over the next few years, military veterans have a key role to play as the nation looks for the...

October is Women’s Small Business Month, making it a great time to highlight the work and accomplishments of Women’s Business Centers across the country. Nationally, there are about 115 centers that service more than 146,000 women.

In many ways, Jack Spence and Thomas Sauer are normal sixth grade students. Jack enjoys playing sports, Thomas’ favorite school subject is social studies, and the two boys have been friends since their elementary years.

Though Del Ficke had an established career in the health care industry, his heart was always back home on the family farm.