Blog Posts & Stories

Joe and Carol Schmieding’s property included a waterway and a driveway running along its east side. Land east of the parcel sold in 2001. The exact location of the property line was not determined, so the couple and their new neighbors agreed to share the driveway.

​​​​​​​Water quality management, flood prevention, beginning farmer resources, and sustainable agriculture research are on the chopping block at the Iowa legislature!

May 5 is an important upcoming deadline for farmers and ranchers who are enrolled in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). CSP is a national voluntary stewardship incentives program administered...

Rural voters had a moment following last fall’s election. The national media showed up in force seeking to understand them. Enough rural voters had switched party allegiance to account for Trump’s...

​​​​​​​Amid growing public awareness, rural residents are becoming more well-versed on water quality challenges. Nutrients, bacteria and sediment levels in surface waters endanger human health, wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation.

​​​​​​​Rural America has once again taken its place in the national health care debate. Across America, analysis shows that rural counties would have shouldered much of the cost shift of the proposed and now dead American Health Care Act.

In 1997, the National Commission on Small Farms issued a call for a number of livestock market reforms that were included in the proposed 2010 rules. Chuck Hassebrook, then director of the Center for Rural Affairs, was named by Secretary Dan Glickman as a member of the National Commission on Small Farms and we vociferously supported the livestock market reforms called for in the final report of the Commission, entitled “A Time to Act.”

Rural Nebraska has taken its place in the national health care debate. In the weeks leading up to the anticipated vote on the American Health Care Act, rural Nebraska personified the millions of older rural adults who shouldered much of the cost shift of the proposed plan.

Five years ago, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was signed into law. This policy protects foreign born individuals who came to this country as children from deportation and allows them to apply for employment authorization.

As the Nebraska Legislature continues with its session, there have been many tax reform bills introduced by senators and our governor. At the Center for Rural Affairs, we believe in a more balanced tax system for Nebraska taxpayers.

The most effective and desirable economic development strategy for many rural communities is small entrepreneurship. Small businesses are especially important today, as opportunities to attract large employers to remote rural areas diminish.

The deadline to sign up for Whole Farm Revenue Protection is March 15. Contact your crop insurance agent today. The Center for Rural Affairs held several workshops this winter to answer farmers’...

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) published three long-awaited rules in December that would level the playing field for poultry and livestock producers. Officials will accept comments...

The faces of rural Nebraska have changed during the past 20 years as immigrants from many countries seek to live, work and raise families in the Midwest’s small towns and wide-open spaces.

Affordable workforce housing is an important need in Nebraska. LB 518, the proposed Rural Workforce Housing Investment Act, lays out challenges of limited and aging housing in rural communities; cost and contractor barriers to construction in rural communities; and the negative impact of low housing availability on the ability of employers to bring in and keep the workers they need.

There's been a lot of focus on ensuring safe, affordable drinking water from public systems in Iowa’s urban centers. But some groups believe just as much attention is needed in rural communities.

In the face of a budget shortfall, some political leaders in Lincoln are clamoring to cut income taxes for the wealthiest Nebraskans. The move would compound our real challenge. It’s property taxes...

Usted ha decidido ser un agricultor, y el siguiente paso es de encontrar terreno. Como un nuevo agricultor, usted quisiera identificar al principio cuando los terratenientes están pensando de hacer un...

Remember that social media is a dialogue and conversation. Small businesses can leverage platforms to expand visibility, increase sales, or inform their audience.

​​​​​​​Renewable wind energy has seen fantastic growth, generating cheap and clean energy across Midwestern states. The power of the wind is no secret to Iowans, as they’ve already worked to become leaders in the wind industry.