Blog Posts & Stories

Mark Tjelmeland can trace his interest in conservation back to his childhood. When he was a young boy, Mark’s mother peaked his curiosity in natural resources by taking him to a field that was being tiled. She showed him the topsoil, subsoil, and explained why topsoil depth differed between locations on their farm.

With U.S. wind and solar capacity expected to grow by 6 percent and 14 percent, respectively, in 2019, a new report says it would be cheaper for many electric cooperatives to retire their existing coal plants in favor of renewable energy generation. The report, authored by the Center for Rural Affairs, CURE, and We Own It, was released in June.

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...

Registration is open for the Food + Art Conference: Growing Rural Businesses and Communities, hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs. The event will be held on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p...

On a July morning, the sky shone blue with puffy white clouds. Sand hills rushed past the windows, and a dust cloud collected behind our car as we made our way through central Nebraska. We found the...

There’s no place like home, especially when home is rural America. Just ask Justin Carter. Though his travels have taken him all around the world, Justin recently found his way back to his home state...

​​​​​​​As more renewable energy is developed across the nation, regulators and policymakers must prepare for the changing electric power landscape.

The 102nd meridian and 41st parallel separate Colorado and Nebraska. When crossing this artificial barrier, you will not see a big change in the landscape, people, or towns. However arbitrary these borders may be, your place on either side can greatly change your access to one important service: Medicaid.

​​​​​​​Access to reliable transportation is essential for rural residents, especially for those who must travel significant distances for work, school, or medical services.

Farmers and ranchers have one thing in common: the need to manage risk, from weather, markets, or other forces. Crop insurance can be a useful tool for farmers and ranchers in managing risk. But...

Rural America—once a part of your life, always a part of your life. While many people can relate to this idea, Jack Dill knows this to be true from personal experience. Growing up on a family farm in...

Antes de las inundaciones de la primavera en Fremont, Nebraska, la pequeña empresa agrícola de Hilda Moreno estaba prosperando.

Community organizing associate for the Center for Rural Affairs, Gladys Godinez, spends her days working toward inclusion in rural communities. She carefully prepares for and hosts events to bring communities together. But, on Aug. 8, 2018, she found herself in the middle of a community torn apart.

¿Ha querido reunirse con otros para una gran causa? ¿Que tal creando oportunidades para promover un negocio? ¿O, un centro de recursos donde la gente puede compartir información?

Before this spring’s flooding in Fremont, Nebraska, Hilda Moreno’s small family farm business was thriving.

When picturing the states in the middle of America, one might conjure up images of rolling, green prairie; vast, tidy rows of corn, soybeans, and alfalfa; or cattle grazing in pastures, standing near...

In July, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced more than $400 million available for farmers and rural business owners under the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

Yomara Hernández ha tenido una historia de amor de toda la vida con todo lo floral. Desde temprana edad, ayudó a su madre a hacer flores de tela para ramos de novia y decoraciones para bodas con flores naturales y artificiales. Su madre solía venderlos como juegos completos, y ahora Yomara también se dedica a los arreglos florales.

Have you ever wanted to gather people for a great cause? What about creating opportunities to promote a business? Or, a resource hub where people can share knowledge?

A series of four short vignettes using the real-life experiences of immigrants from Laos, Mexico, Sudan, and the Netherlands, “Vang” tells the story of how immigrants in the Des Moines, Iowa, region are using their agricultural skills to create better lives for themselves and their families.