Blog Posts & Stories

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...

Bev and Dwight Rutter describe their prairie farm as a hobby gone nuts. Surrounded by 600 acres of restored and native prairie grass (and hundreds of pheasants), rests Bev and Dwight’s native seed and plant nursery, The Prairie Flower, near Spencer, Iowa.

Congress’s compromise farm bill secures several victories for conservation, beginning farmers, and rural communities, while failing to cap payments to the largest farms or secure long-term funding for...

An important deadline is coming up quickly for certain contract holders with the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Farmers and ranchers who started their first CSP contract in 2014 are eligible...

People who use and value farming-conservation practices are applauding parts of the U.S. Senate's newly passed Farm Bill. They think the legislation will benefit beginning farmers and help sustain the vitality of rural communities.

With the 2019 legislative session just around the corner, champions of Nebraska's Beginning Farmer Tax Credit are hoping to leverage the program's success to open more land to military veterans.

How do we increase healthy, fresh foods in rural America? One way is to identify new opportunities for people to access food. Here are five suggestions for your community. 1. Mobile grocery stores or...

For more than two decades, Ruth Chantry has been gaining farming experience, and she’s not planning to stop any time soon.

Rural America holds a special place in Anthony Gurrola’s heart – his story began there and continues there today. Anthony says his upbringing is the perfect example of a rural environment being...

An immigration raid in very rural north central Nebraska put a spotlight on the immigration debate in rural America. The raid targeted alleged labor practice exploitation by a local employment agency...

This summer, huge green peppers were picked out of Joette Novak’s garden – the most she’s ever seen. She attributes this success to the bees placed on her land. Joette, a landowner near Brainard...

Bringing small towns to life, or giving them a new shot at life, is how Kathie Starkweather spends her days, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Director of the Farm and Community program at the...

The way we use and generate electricity continues to change at a rapid pace. Just as we have more devices that rely on ready access to energy, we’ve also shifted to cleaner and renewable resources to deliver that energy.

Congress has only a few days left in 2018 to pass legislation. Adopting a strong, new farm bill should be at the top of their list. Lawmakers should approve a farm bill that includes closing loopholes...