Blog Posts & Stories

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.

The internet is now considered a basic human right; it is how people find employment, handle their finances, attend college, work and receive medical care. However, not everyone is able to use the internet to its full potential, due primarily to slow speeds. Rural areas are at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing broadband.

Nebraska has a bright future in renewable energy. This cheap and clean energy can serve as a new driver for our local rural economies.

The opinions of 587 business owners, resource providers and lenders will help shape the future of our lending program. Responses are compiled in “Their needs and thoughts: Results of the fifth...

The Center for Rural Affairs believes that energy efficiency and renewable energy development can offer significant benefits to our state. Energy efficiency in particular provides Nebraskans with an affordable option to decrease their power consumption and electric bills.

​​​​​​​With legislative sessions in full swing, it is vital for rural constituents to contact legislators regarding issues that affect our communities. Here are some simple tips for calling your legislators.

​​​​​​​We all discriminate. It does not matter if you are a person of color or not, female or male, young or old, gay or straight. We all discriminate.

The New Year’s resolution is a common tradition around the world. In the new year, many of us look to our past experiences and strive to better ourselves.

The Center for Rural Affairs agrees that property taxes are too high and local schools and government entities are too reliant on property taxes.

The sale and closure of a midsize manufacturing plant in a nearby small town got me thinking. The business was home-grown, but no one in the next generation was interested in taking the helm. The...

Nebraska businesses and those who serve them have once again provided vital information about their operations. The results are included in “Their needs and thoughts: Results of the fifth biennial Small Business Needs Assessment,” a report by Dena Beck.

The Center has long advocated for national legislation that benefits rural Iowans. Now we have relocated our Iowa office and we have become more involved with Iowa state policy advocacy. Check out the information below to learn more about our legislative priorities for the 2017 session.

Farmers Joe and Carol Schmieding purchased land in Seward County in 1987, land that included a driveway and waterway that spanned forty acres. However, the boundary line was not clearly marked, and neighbors used this driveway for farming purposes disputing ownership of this parcel.