Editor’s note
As I write this, it’s county fair time in Nebraska. I don’t know about you, but almost everyone goes to the fair around here.
Growing up in Burt County (the home county of the Center), Sunday’s parade and Tuesday’s demolition derby were the highlights. I would participate in the parade, first on a float with my Girl Scout Troop, then with the marching band in junior high and high school.
After the parade, I would run from the end point across the park to the Methodist Fair Kitchen. As a pre-teen, I would help clear tables. As I got older, I chopped up cucumbers for salad, until finally getting to scoop beans and corn onto trays.
The fair is also full of other activities. I’ve taken photos of 4-H shows for the newspaper; my favorite shots are of the tiny 6-year-olds presenting their big pigs or wrangling their sheep. And, taken part in the community events of bingo, admiring students’ artwork, and riding some of the amusement rides (not all).
The fair is near the end of the summer, and provides a gathering place for the last hurrah of the season. I greet cousins, neighbors, and classmates. It’s a great tradition.
What’s your favorite fair memory or your favorite part of the fair? Let us know by tagging us on social media.
-Rhea Landholm
Inside this issue
- Nebraska educator and city council member strives for inclusivity and community involvement: Education, representation, and conversation all mean a great deal to Cynthia Alarcón, and she strives to offer opportunities to explore each of them to her fellow residents of Columbus, Nebraska.
- Intercultural leadership is a mindset and commitment to building a brighter, more inclusive future: Growth and progress, especially in small communities, hinge on reliable leadership. As rural America becomes increasingly diverse, leaders should consider how to effectively lead and manage groups as they work toward a goal. This is where intercultural leadership comes in.
- Community, culture, and collaboration create a path toward Tribal food sovereignty: Much of the Center for Rural Affairs’ work with Native communities focuses on developing and nurturing food systems. To move forward in these efforts, staff work alongside the Santee Sioux Nation, the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, the Umóⁿhoⁿ Nation, the Winnebago Tribe, Little Priest Tribal College, and Nebraska Indian Community College (NICC). Together, they support food sovereignty and business development in the communities of Santee, Niobrara, Macy, Walthill, and Winnebago, Nebraska.
- The Heartland Environmental Justice Center: empowering rural communities like Walthill: Nestled within UMÓⁿHOⁿ Nation lies Walthill, a small village with a big story of community resilience and progress. In 2017, Walthill opened its new public library, marking the culmination of years of hard work, determination, and collaboration.
- Nebraska goat farmer shares experience and operation with aspiring agriculturalists: John Wallace has always had a preference for small ruminants (sheep and goats). He was reared around agriculture, and, although he stepped away for a few years while he was in the military, farming has been his long-term plan.
- Center report: Solar development has minimal impact on ag land use: As renewable energy development grows in rural areas, so do concerns about protecting agricultural land, especially from utility-scale solar projects.
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