Blog Posts & Stories

Seeing Center for Rural Affairs staff members in action at events around her community and around the state motivated Jessica Cabán to learn more about the organization. The Center’s mission and values inspired her to join the team.

For two years, processors and producers across rural Nebraska have fought hard to get a program to improve and expand Nebraska’s meat processing capabilities approved and established.

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for grants through the Independent Processor Assistance Program.

El amor de Ricardo Pascual por los autos comenzó cuando era un niño. Ver a su padre arreglar y cambiar diferentes automóviles a lo largo de su infancia despertó la pasión por perseguir el sueño de tener su propio negocio de venta de automóviles.

Ricardo Pascual’s love of cars started when he was a young boy. Watching his father fix up and trade different automobiles throughout his childhood sparked a passion to pursue the dream of having his own auto sales business.

Communities in every corner of the country now struggle with a lack of affordable homes, an ailment long associated with fast-growing urban areas.

​​​​​​​Summer is in full swing and with that comes cookouts and gatherings where food is featured. As you plan your menu, keep local farmers in mind.

From touring central Europe as a high school exchange student to doing contract farm work throughout parts of the Midwest, Casey O’Brien loves trying new things and seeing new places. His most recent...

Malloree Barnes knows a little can go a long way. Milking just four cows per day, she’s supplying raw milk to 30 customers each week. With support from a Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG), she’s...

Mariza Pacheco nunca imaginó tener su propio negocio, pero cuando su empleador decidió vender su empresa, Gary's Cleaning and Restoration, pensó que era el momento adecuado y consideró comprarle el negocio.

Mariza Pacheco never imagined having her own business, but when her employer decided to sell his company, Gary’s Cleaning and Restoration, she figured the timimg was right, and looked into purchasing the company from him.

As inflation pinches pocketbooks across the state, Nebraskans are looking for ways to save money.

On June 10, the Center and Iowa Interfaith Power and Light (IPL) hosted a Rural Energy Field Day at the Griffieon Family Farm in rural Polk County, Iowa. Focused on solar energy, field day...

Rural residents often visit the nearest major city to access services. The Guatemalan consulate is turning the tables by taking their services directly to the rural areas closer to their citizens residing in the United States.

Lucky Joe’s Liquor Store, LLC, in Neligh, Nebraska, has lived up to its name for owner Joe Lichty from staying open during the COVID-19 pandemic to narrowly missing having his building hit by a semi truck full of cattle.

Due to the rising prices in supermarkets and global supply chain interruptions, many consumers are seeking local food outlets. While this is great news for producers who rely on these markets and wish to see them grow, producing local food is not an easy job.

During their 2022 sessions, the Nebraska and Iowa legislatures continued to show their support for small meat processors, following up on legislation passed in 2021 with the passage of bills that create new programs and provide funding to increase capacity and address workforce issues. Meanwhile, South Dakota lawmakers approved bills addressing solar energy facilities, rural broadband, and the state’s home-processed foods law.

Higher mortgage rates and skyrocketing rents have fueled the nation's housing crisis. In states like Iowa, rural communities deal with the same market issues, but they point to existing efforts as a blueprint to increase access.

Implementing new conservation practices has many benefits for farms and ranches, but can sometimes be cost prohibitive for beginning, veteran, and socially disadvantaged producers. However, there are conservation programs that can help with those costs, even upfront.

With Nebraska farmers facing runaway costs for herbicides and fertilizers this year, a new Center for Rural Affairs report suggested adopting simple conservation practices can help restore soil and improve bottom lines.