Blog Posts & Stories

We are returning to provide legislative updates from a rural perspective. The Nebraska Legislature convened its 2023 session today, Wednesday, Jan. 4. This will be a “long” session—legally mandated to be 90 working days—it is tentatively scheduled to adjourn on June 9.

Just off the campus of Maharishi University in Fairfield, Iowa, sits a 1.1 megawatt (MW) solar farm. Beneath the panels, a flock of sheep and their newborn lambs are grazing, while beginning rancher...

Lawmakers in Iowa will debate a host of issues during the 2023 legislative session, including energy and water quality. Relevant developments concerning priority legislation will be shared via email. Visit cfra.org/signup or email [email protected] for updates.

Elected representatives in Nebraska will debate a host of issues during the 2023 legislative session, including appropriations, budget and tax, economic development, energy and environment, and family economic security.

It's official! The first day of 2023 is here. We present our most viewed blog post of 2022, where author Nick Summers answers questions on three proposed carbon dioxide pipelines in the Midwest. This...

In our second highest viewed post of 2022, we feature our second business of our countdown. River Mill Coffee in Neligh, Nebraska, is run by two women who focus on creating an atmosphere in this rural...

Today, we share number three in our top five blog posts countdown, an informative piece for those who are looking to relocate to a rural area. Molly Malone writes about incentives available in...

The year in review countdown continues with a blog featuring a small meat processor who has helped advance our public policy. Coming in at number four is a blog on Kent Wiese, owner of Amend's Packing...

Welcome to the end-of-year countdown. To celebrate the end of 2022 and the new year, we are taking a look at the top blogs of the year. Starting today through Jan. 1, we'll review the five best Center...

With the booming popularity of food trucks, the people who own and operate them need a standard set of operating rules. That's the point of some legislation soon to be introduced in Nebraska. The Center for Rural Affairs has found a "mishmash" of regulations for food trucks in Nebraska cities, counties and Department of Agriculture inspection areas.

Accurate data is a must if Nebraska is going to improve broadband access in rural areas. Due to recent federal legislation, accuracy is also the key to ensuring states receive their full share of federal grant funding. Soon the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will determine the amount of money each state is allocated through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program.

The desire to become more self-sustainable led Jazz to explore agriculture. In an effort to continue their agricultural education, Jazz applied to the 2022 Center for Rural Affairs Beginning Farmer Conservation Fellowship Program.

Cuando se presentó la oportunidad de cambiar su trayectoria profesional de una manera que le permitiera a Olga ver más a su familia, además de trabajar con ellos todos los días, supo que había encontrado el negocio adecuado.

When the opportunity to change her career path presented itself in a way that would allow Olga to see her family more, as well as work with them every day, she knew she found the right business.

Robert Blake clearly has a passion for solar energy. A Tribal citizen of the Red Lake Nation, Robert's enthusiasm is fueled by what he sees as an immense opportunity for Native communities to reap...

A study released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates between 2018 and 2020, close to 120,000 households in Nebraska faced food insecurity, which the agency defines as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active and healthy life.

Federal working lands conservation programs play a significant role in a producer’s efforts to care for natural resources. Both the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) are designed to target specific priority resource concerns, ensuring the conservation work done by farmers and ranchers has an impact where it’s needed most.

Dennis Demmel, presidente de la junta para el Centro piensa que el trabajo en zonas rurales de Estados Unidos como una inversión en un futuro sostenible con una fuerte economía rural.

Dennis Demmel, board president of the Center thinks of the Center's work in rural America as an investment in a sustainable future with a resilient rural economy.

Since getting into farming, Tricey Chea has developed a special interest in growing flowers and herbs. Her interest and growing knowledge of farming led her to apply to the 2022 Center for Rural Affairs Beginning Farmer Conservation Fellowship Program.