Blog Posts & Stories

Passed approximately every five years by Congress, the farm bill is a package of legislation covering many topics that affect rural communities. From conservation programs for farmers to healthy food...

Rural small businesses and agricultural producers looking to save money by reducing energy costs may be eligible for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). With a boost in funding from the...

Deborah’s love for agriculture and desire for rural community preservation has brought her to the Center.

To advocate for programs that benefit rural communities, the Center for Rural Affairs recently shared funding recommendations with members of Congress for select U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)...

Three years ago while working for a large corporation, Megan Vaith learned that finding crop insurance agents who specialize in organic operations was not easy. Looking to help two of her clients...

Un plan de negocios solido es la fundación para un negocio exitoso. ¿Has revisado tu plan recientemente?

A solid business plan is the foundation for a thriving business. Have you reviewed yours lately?

Last week, full-day floor debate began, with some proceedings going late into the evening. A rule change was passed to limit how many motions could be filed a day in an attempt to slow filibuster tactics. With only 33 days left in the session and action needed to pass a state budget, the number of bills passed could be limited.

Nebraska's small and medium-sized meat processors may be improving and/or expanding their businesses thanks to a new lower-interest loan program designed specifically for them.

The 2023 Minnesota legislative session has been described as historic, hectic, and unprecedented. There’s an historically high number of new legislators and lawmakers are working with a $17.6 billion budget surplus. The fact that a budget framework agreement came out in March rather than the typical May timeframe is a prime example of the pace of the 2023 session.

We’re nearly three months into the Iowa legislative session. Last Friday, March 31, was the second funnel deadline, the date by which most bills needed to pass through committees in the opposite chamber from where they originated to remain viable.

Rural Nebraska’s health care facilities are facing a nursing shortage and projections show the trend will continue if it is not adequately addressed. According to the Nebraska Center for Nursing, by...

Kristine Flyinghawk has been selected to participate in the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands annual Nonprofit Executive Institute because of her excellence in leadership skills in the nonprofit world and commitment and service to the nonprofit community.

Myron Dorn never expected he’d end up at the Nebraska State Capitol representing his family, friends, and community as a senator. “If you would have asked me when I was 20-something or 30-something, it would have been the farthest thing from my mind,” he said.

Lincoln, Nebraska, es el hogar de muchas organizaciones sin fines de lucro que trabajan para ayudar a mejorar su comunidad. Uno de ellos, ECHO Collective (Colectiva ECHO), está dando grandes pasos para hacer que Lincoln sea aún más inclusivo y acogedor.

Lincoln, Nebraska, is home to many nonprofit organizations that work to help better their community. One of them, ECHO Collective, is taking huge steps to make Lincoln even more inclusive and welcoming.

This is the last week of committee hearings in the Nebraska Legislature and full day floor debate on bills will begin March 28. Due to the continued filibuster, Speaker John Arch announced that evening debate will also begin that day, instead of April 11, to give more time for priority bills.

It’s the 11th week of the Iowa state session. The first funnel deadline passed earlier this month, and we are looking ahead to another deadline on March 31. By then, most bills must pass out of committees in the opposite chamber from where they originated to remain viable.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced application deadlines for a new federal grant program that offers funding to rural communities to make investments in reliable clean energy. The...

Farmers, ranchers and livestock producers are working with solar companies in Iowa to find multiple uses for land once used only to plant corn and soybeans. Some are investing in what's known as "dual-use solar" or agrivoltaics. They are cultivating profitable crops, grazing livestock, even raising healthier honeybees, all in the shadows of solar panels.