Blog Posts & Stories

Happy Statehood Day! It was on March 1, 1867, that President Andrew Johnson signed the proclamation to admit Nebraska as the 37th state in the Union. Since our last update, hearings for legislative bills introduced this session have wrapped up, and the Legislature will begin full-day floor debate next week. Much of the focus before the session’s adjournment—tentatively set for April 18—will be on priority bills.

Growing up, I spent most of my time outdoors, whether at my grandparents’ small farm, camping, participating in Girl Scouts, or at various other conservation advocacy activities. From a young age, I had a strong passion for environmental stewardship and working to mitigate climate change.

The path of a small business owner is full of ups and downs, but few things are as satisfying as being able to look back and see how far your business has come and what you’ve built. Making the decision to retire is not easy for most, and it comes with many questions that need to be answered. Namely, what will happen to the business?

El camino del propietario de una pequeña empresa está lleno de altibajos, pero pocas cosas son tan satisfactorias como poder mirar hacia atrás y ver hasta dónde ha llegado su negocio y lo que ha construido. Tomar la decisión de jubilarse no es fácil para la mayoría y conlleva muchas preguntas que deben responderse. Es decir, ¿qué pasará con el negocio?

Farm bill negotiations that began in 2023 are now on Congress’ to-do list for 2024, and an unclear path toward passage remains. However, even as lawmakers will be required to divide their attention among a number of issues in the coming months, the Center will continue to focus on advocacy for its farm bill priorities—specifically, protecting conservation program funding.

Erin Schoenberg is no stranger to the Center for Rural Affairs. With a history that goes back to fall 2012, Erin has taken on roles ranging from working with Latino farmers to establishing community...

Nebraska's public power districts provide some of the most reliable and cost-effective energy in the country. Our state’s residential utility electricity rate is nearly 30% lower than the national average, and Nebraska was recently named the top state in the country for power grid reliability by the U.S. News and World Report.

We are in the seventh week of the 2024 Iowa legislative session, and the first funnel deadline is now behind us. Bills that did not pass out of their respective full committee last week are now...

It has been a busy few weeks at the Capitol. Tomorrow is Crossover Day, which is the last date for bills to be passed through their house of origin. All bills must pass both houses by March 4, with...

We are at the midpoint of the busy 2024 legislative session. Mornings have been dedicated to full floor debate with hearings scheduled in the afternoons. Contention from last year’s session has thus...

Dirigir un negocio es más que un trabajo para Alberto Castillo; Es un estilo de vida. Poco después de establecerse en Nebraska en el año 2006, Alberto tuvo una experiencia desagradable al preparar sus impuestos. Decidió aprender a preparar sus propios impuestos para evitar los mismos problemas en el futuro.

Running a business is more than a job for Alberto Castillo; it’s a way of life. Not long after settling in Nebraska in 2006, Alberto had an unpleasant experience getting his taxes prepared. He decided to learn how to prepare his own taxes to avoid the same issues in the future.

Approximately 150,000 school-aged children throughout Nebraska face food insecurity. While Nebraska leaders have tried to address the issue in recent years by expanding eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to hundreds of additional families, further steps are necessary to ensure children in our state stay fed.

When Lori Liggett stumbled across the Center for Rural Affairs online, she was intrigued by the organization's work and purpose. She saw that the Center was hiring and knew she wanted to become part of the team.

Elle Worley returned to her mother's hometown of Dunning, Nebraska, and began working at her family’s operation, WM. Zutavern Cattle Co. Last year, she wanted to grow her agricultural skills beyond her backyard garden, so she expanded her garden into a small farm.

Today is Day 19 of South Dakota’s 38-day legislative session, which will conclude March 25. The last day for bill introductions was Feb. 1. Bills must pass out of their house of origin by Feb. 21...

We are four weeks into the 2024 Iowa legislative session. Bill introductions and committee and subcommittee meetings continue to keep lawmakers busy. In our last Field Notes, we introduced you to...

On Tuesday, Jan. 30, a hearing for Legislative Bill (LB) 1116 was held before the Agriculture Committee. This Center for Rural Affairs legislation, introduced by Sen. Teresa Ibach, would create a...

Significant snow, wind, and brutally cold temperatures impacted Nebraska in January. Given the frequency of extreme weather events experienced across the U.S. during the past several years, preparing for emergencies is an important consideration for utilities and regulators. Extreme weather events have an outsized impact on the electric grid and show the necessity of protecting its integrity and resiliency.

Crop insurance provides a safety net for farmers, protecting their operations from loss due to natural perils such as drought, frost, excess moisture, pest infestations, or disease.