Blog Posts & Stories

Nebraskans - your help is needed to advance two bills that will benefit rural Nebraska. Sen. Carol Blood has reintroduced the Beginning Veteran Farmer Tax Credit bill (LB 5), and Sen. Mark Kolterman has introduced LB 28 to address issues with adverse possession.

Some people are lucky enough to know exactly what they want to do with their lives. Ben Schole is one of those fortunate few. For him, farming has always been his calling.

Not everyone can say their hobby became a successful business venture, but for Tonya and Chad Ottemann, that’s exactly what happened.

On Election Day, voters in Idaho, Nebraska, and Utah, approved the expansion of Medicaid. This expansion will extend health insurance coverage to more than 300,000 low-income residents.

As we look forward to 2019, I am amazed what you—our staff, our board, and our supporters—have achieved. The past year marked the Center’s 45th anniversary. I am proud that the Center remains vibrant...

Lizzie Swalley believes in living a healthy life. As a leader in her Native community of Santee, Nebraska, and a community foods associate for the Center for Rural Affairs, she lives each day...

Across rural America, communities are increasingly depending on high-speed internet to complete an education, talk to their doctors, or adopt the latest farm technology. Meanwhile, access to broadband internet speeds has become a necessity in today’s digital economy.

In 2017, we developed an active presence on Iowa state policy, which continues today. Our priority issues include clean energy and water quality. We collaborate with coalition partners, develop relationships with key legislators, and engage Iowa supporters.

Elected representatives in Nebraska will debate a host of contentious issues during the 2019 legislative session, including economic development, budget and tax, health care, energy and environment, and food and agriculture.

For many years, the Center for Rural Affairs has advocated for support of common-sense and effective policy reform to close loopholes in the farm safety net and curtail further abuse of taxpayer dollars.

It's official! The first day of 2019 is here. What better way to kick it off than with a look at our most viewed post in 2018, authored by Anna Johnson, our policy manager. This piece takes a look at...

In our second highest viewed post of 2018, we feature a small business in Tekamah, Nebraska. Chatterbox Brews, a bar, restaurant, and event space, successfully worked with our small business loan specialists for financing. The owners have excited the community and, today, more development can be seen along Tekamah's main street. This blog is authored by Liz Daehnke, our communications consultant.

Today, we share number three in our top five posts countdown, a blog asking for your help. Last spring, the U.S. House of Representatives planned a vote on their version of the farm bill. This...

The year in review countdown continues with a blog we wrote on the farm bill – a topic that dominated 2018. Coming in at number four is a breakdown of the House Agriculture Committee's version of the farm bill, written by Anna Johnson, our policy manager, in April.

Countdown time! With less than one week remaining in 2018, a recap is in order. So, here's a review of the five best Center stories of the year, chosen by the most views on our website. Number five features a piece authored by Executive Director Brian Depew. He takes a look at banking in rural communities and talks about our lending work at the Center.

Wind energy projects in North Dakota have generated millions of dollars in tax revenue for rural communities over the last several years. In 2015, the projects generated $1,126,934 in electric generation tax revenue, and, in 2016, they generated $7.7 million dollars in property tax revenue.

Many people wonder what their community will get out of wind development, and in South Dakota, wind projects have generated more than energy. Important tax revenue for local schools, roads, and more have come from these projects.

Wind energy projects have proven to be an important economic development tool for counties across rural America. In Nebraska, these projects generated nearly $3 million in tax revenue for local schools – accumulating a total of $3,065,623 in 2017.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a joint letter to state and tribal regulators encouraging market-based, collaborative approaches to reduce excess nutrients in waterways.

As another growing season comes to a close, residents of the small Native community of Santee are prepared to continue utilizing the knowledge they’ve gained over the summer. Through assistance from...