Blog Posts & Stories

Spending time with family is a top priority for Marina Gomez and her daughters, Wendy Alfaro and Marta Gomez. The three women have always cherished their time baking together as a family. Their love of creating confectionery treats is so strong that it led to them opening their own business.

Today is Day 26 of South Dakota’s 37-day legislative session. This Thursday, Feb. 26, is considered “Crossover Day,” the last day to pass bills out of their house of origin. The last date for bills to pass both houses is March 8.

The Iowa Legislature just wrapped up week six of its 2021 session, and some key deadlines are approaching quickly. The first funnel, the deadline for a bill to get out of a committee, is March 5.

Mid-February saw a continued flurry of hearings to complement our snowstorms and cold weather. The Center has been following the progress of those bills that relate to rural life. Staff testified in four hearings over this period–in support of rural broadband, food assistance for working families, a better tax structure for agricultural land within city limits, and a more effective income tax credit for property tax relief.

The coronavirus pandemic has swept through the U.S., leaving devastation in its wake. In less than a year, our country has suffered the loss of nearly 500,000 souls due to COVID-19. For the first time...

Before Father Bryce Lungren was a priest, he was a cowboy. Today, he gets to be both. In the early 2000s, while working on a ranch in Montana, Bryce spent his days rounding up cattle, and was engaged to the rancher’s daughter.

Earlier this week, extreme weather caused power outages for much of the central United States. Bitter cold led to increased demand for electricity while also forcing significant portions of electric generation offline, leaving millions of people across the Midwest, Great Plains, and Texas in particular without electricity.

After several years assisting the Center for Rural Affairs with its Tribal programs, Kristine Flyinghawk is bringing her community development talents to the Center full time. Recently hired as Native...

State regulators ordered an ethanol plant in Mead, Nebraska, to stop producing ethanol from seed corn treated with insecticides and fungicides. The plant had been thrust into the spotlight after local...

​​​​​​​“The Salvation of the State is the Watchfulness of the Citizen,” reads an inscription over the main entrance to the Nebraska state Capitol in Lincoln.

For Ryan Collins of Harpers Ferry, Iowa, working on the family farm connects him to both past and future generations. He and his spouse, Samantha, have three children under the age of six and one on the way. Their operation has been in the Collins family since 1851, and Ryan sees conservation as a tool to ensure its vitality for generations to come.

As if small towns aren’t already sweet enough, Double Dips Ice Creamery in North Platte, Nebraska makes it even sweeter.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind, with 10 or 11 hearings a day at the state Legislature. A number of these hearings focused on bills that are priorities for the Center for Rural Affairs, and featured testimony from our staff.

The Iowa Legislature just wrapped up the fourth week of its 2021 legislative session. Bills are moving at a record pace, and we’re doing our best to deliver comments, share resources, and work with legislators to achieve policy solutions that improve the quality of life across rural Iowa.

Today is Day 19 of South Dakota’s 37-day legislative session. The last day for unlimited bill introduction was Thursday, Feb. 2, but it is possible we will see some additional legislation added after this date.

When asked why she supports the Center for Rural Affairs, Barbara Dilly responded with a simple, but powerful thought. “The Center is the only rural advocacy resource we have,” she said. “It works on multiple issues at local, regional, state, and national levels.”

While entrepreneurship may not be for everyone, it is something anyone can take on.

Across rural Iowa, farmers, small businesses, and homeowners are leveraging solar energy to lower their costs and invest in the communities they live and work in.

While South Dakota’s solar industry is still in its infancy, the Public Utility Commission’s recent approval of the 128 megawatt (MW) Wild Springs Solar Project demonstrates the largely untapped potential of solar energy production in the state.

Many people embrace the new year through resolutions. Perhaps on the top of your list is establishing healthier eating habits or learning a new skill each month. For business owners, this is a timely season to enhance processes and strategies by reviewing business plans, which act as roadmaps.