Blog Posts & Stories

​​​​​​​Things have been moving quickly in Des Moines. We have continued to track dozens of bills through subcommittee meetings, committee votes, and floor action in both the House and the Senate.

Last week, LB 996, which will create the Broadband Data Improvement Program, was advanced to enrollment and review and final reading. This program will make sure the state is able to fully access federal broadband grant programs by complying with data verification requirements set forth by the Federal Communications Commission. The legislation seeks to ensure the accuracy of broadband service mapping to improve opportunities for investment and deployment.

A quality learning experience came from a winter night at the movies with a room full of new friends. Together with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Bee Lab, the Center for Rural Affairs was honored...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released a long-promised rule that has the potential to bring greater fairness to livestock and poultry production. As part of the release, public...

In December 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a new rule for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). This rule acts as the blueprint for how the program will...

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is trying to build support for a 1-cent sales-tax increase that would help fund conservation programs. It's a tough sell in the Legislature, but some groups are throwing their support behind the plan.

We all want to be better stewards of the land. A great place to start is by forming new relationships with local farmers and partners at gatherings and conferences. Annually, the Center for Rural...

Farmers and ranchers interested in expanding conservation on their operations should be aware of two quickly approaching deadlines. New applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and renewals for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) are due soon. See below for your state’s deadlines.

Local citizens deserve a chance to be fully informed and weigh in on proposed development in their communities. Senate Bill 157, brought at the request of Gov. Noem and advanced in the Senate, erodes...

​​​​​​​Last week was the first funnel deadline in the Legislature, which means bills must have moved from House and Senate committees to the full floor for debate or they cannot move forward this session.

Today is Day 26 (of 37) of South Dakota’s Legislative Session. The Legislative session is heating up as “crossover” day is this week, meaning bills must pass out of their house of origin. All bills...

Details on President Trump’s 2021 budget plan were released recently and, as it has in the past, this administration continues to put forth proposals that undercut rural communities. Among the...

Today is day 30 of the Nebraska Legislative session. We have hit the half-way mark in the “short,” 60 day session. The Legislature is tentatively scheduled to adjourn on April 23, 2020. Hearings for 482 new bills introduced during the second year of the biennium will wrap up later this week.

Driving two hours for routine health care check-ups may seem absurd to most people, but for those living in small, rural communities throughout the U.S., this is their reality. With the nearest...

​​​​​​​According to a 2019 survey conducted by the Center for Rural Affairs in Iowa, 91 percent of rural Iowans are “very or extremely concerned” by climate change affecting their lives.

For farmers and ranchers interested in expanding conservation on their operations, two of the nation’s largest working lands programs—the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)—are open for applications.

You don’t know what you don’t know. If we want to grow and improve ourselves, we have to know where we need to focus our energy and attention. If our goal is to be more capable and effective engaging with difference and diversity, we must first explore our own differences.

​​​​​​​Agricultural producers interested in diversifying and taking on a new element to their operation are encouraged to apply for a Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

With strong support from the Nebraska Legislature’s Transportation and Telecommunications Committee and State Sen. Tom Brandt of Plymouth, a bill to improve broadband access in our state is scheduled to be debated on Tuesday.

Young farmers excited about promoting their voices, and collectively working on land access, policy, and cooperative farming, are forming a new chapter of the National Young Farmers Coalition, serving...