Blog Posts & Stories

Earlier this year, in the midst of a trade war with China, President Donald Trump announced a $16 billion agriculture bailout, telling Americans, via Twitter, the biggest beneficiaries would be “our great Patriot Farmers.”

This week marks one year until the 2020 general election, in which Americans will select their next president. For Iowans, this comes as no surprise.

The holiday season is just around the corner, and small businesses across Nebraska are stocking up and making the case that shopping locally pays important dividends for communities.

Kristi Eggers was raised rural, and has always loved helping others. Little did she know those two aspects of her life would forge a lifelong career and passion for rural health care. Born and raised...

Clear Creek Organic Farm, in Spalding, Nebraska, hosts more than crops and livestock. The Bernt family has run the operation for more than 125 years and in that time, it has grown to not only include the traditional elements of a farm, but now also hosts recreational events, such as a recent concert benefiting Nebraska flood victims, and a tanking business along the Cedar River.

Let’s celebrate our rural communities with intention. The Center for Rural Affairs helps communities learn and engage in an intentional way to make long lasting connections across cultures.

When Kayleen Johnson started her garden to incorporate more fresh foods into her family’s meals, she didn’t realize growing food together would also help them grow closer as a family. Santee, Nebraska...

With the average age of a U.S. farmer at nearly 60 years, and millions of acres expected to change hands over the next few years, military veterans have a key role to play as the nation looks for the...

October is Women’s Small Business Month, making it a great time to highlight the work and accomplishments of Women’s Business Centers across the country. Nationally, there are about 115 centers that service more than 146,000 women.

In many ways, Jack Spence and Thomas Sauer are normal sixth grade students. Jack enjoys playing sports, Thomas’ favorite school subject is social studies, and the two boys have been friends since their elementary years.

Though Del Ficke had an established career in the health care industry, his heart was always back home on the family farm.

Thirty-one organizations signed a letter on Oct. 17 requesting members of the House and Senate appropriations committees and agriculture appropriations committees to fund the Rural Microentrepreneur...

Growing up, there was always something going on in my neighborhood. Whether it was school or family events or everyday activities, life was never boring. The children in our neighborhood made sure of...

​​​​​​​The U.S. wind industry is booming—expanding from 1.5 gigawatts of cumulative installed capacity in 1998 to 96.4 gigawatts of installed capacity in 2018.

​​​​​​​On Oct. 29, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will begin hosting public hearings across the state to receive comments on the implementation of Medicaid expansion and the proposed 1115 waiver.

Asked about the plight of dairy farmers in Wisconsin, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said, “[The] big get bigger and small go out and that’s kind of what we’ve seen here... Everyone will...

​​​​​​​Wind energy developed across the U.S. has brought significant opportunity to rural communities, with new projects generating clean energy, in addition to economic benefits for nearby towns and rural areas.

​​​​​​​A recent survey indicates a majority of Iowans want presidential candidates to address science-related issues, specifically climate change and energy.

​​​​​​​Across the country, kids are reaping the benefits and heading back to school with local foods on their plates.

Each year, Midwest Energy News acknowledges leaders who are based in the Midwest. These men and women are innovators from all sectors, including industry, government, regulatory, business, academia...