Reports & Publications

Noticias sobre Pequeñas Empresas del Center for Rural Affairs, incluyen historias seleccionadas de éxito de empresarios de Nebraska asistidos por nuestros programas e información que puede necesitar para iniciar o expandir su negocio.

The Center for Rural Affairs' Small Business News includes select success stories on Nebraska entrepreneurs assisted by our programs and information that you may need to start or grow your business.

Si estás interesado/a en tener autosostenibilidad y mejorar la economía de tu negocio agrícola, esta serie de 12 partes es para ti.

Across the U.S., the solar industry is booming. Solar project sites often occupy several acres of land and are projected to cover 2 million acres by 2030. To produce 1 megawatt of electricity (enough to power approximately 130 homes in Nebraska), utility-scale solar plants may require five to 10...

El programa de Beneficio del Crédito Tributario para Microempresas de Nebraska está diseñado solo y para propietarios de pequeñas empresas en Nebraska. Es un crédito tributario reembolsable para el 20% de las inversiones comerciales elegibles hasta $20,000 durante toda la vida. ¿ERES ELEGIBLE? Todos...

During the last couple of months, I have assisted our staff with creating soil health videos. These videos will soon be available on our YouTube channel. On one particular farm visit, we taped Sharon Oamek, owner of Honey Creek Creamery near Crescent, Iowa. She raises goats and brings a lot of folks to her operation with agritourism—goat yoga and goat hikes. In addition, she runs a restaurant during the summer months featuring gelato and cheeses she makes.

Some farmers opt to grow small grains, such as barley, oats, rye, and wheat, as part of their operations. Their reasons range from conservation benefits to the requirements of organic certification to local or specialty markets they have identified.

Wind farm development brings numerous economic benefits to the counties and local communities where the farms are located. Among the perks are direct payments to landowners who host turbines and employment opportunities in the area during the construction and operation of a project. In some cases...

Solar energy development brings numerous economic benefits to the counties and local communities in which it occurs. This includes direct payments to landowners who host solar arrays and new employment opportunities during the construction and operation of a project. In addition, installations...

Renewable energy continues to be a growing industry in the U.S., especially in states like Iowa and Nebraska where wind energy accounted for 57% and 24%, respectively, of the total electricity generation in 2020. The share of renewable energy in the U.S. electricity generation mix is projected to...

Iowa’s 27 Watershed Management Authorities (WMAs) cover 40% of the state, putting local leaders in the driver’s seat to address water concerns such as flooding and water quality. Together, they have made demonstrable progress, working with landowners to install more than 1,900 voluntary conservation...

Falling equipment costs coupled with increased demand for clean energy have led to a rapid rise in solar development over the past decade, a trend expected to continue. Although solar accounted for 3% of U.S. electricity in 2020, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that number will...

Broadband access is essential in allowing rural communities to thrive. It ensures schools and health care services can function effectively, allows businesses to expand and remain competitive, and enables farm and ranch owners to take advantage of emerging technologies. Yet, an estimated 42 million...

Every once in a while, I get to take a field trip. Or, what some of my coworkers call “Road Trip with Rhea.” One recent adventure took me to Piñon Market owned by Veronica Piñon, in Kearney, Nebraska. This grocery store is right on Highway 30, easy to find. I walked in the door and heard “Buenos Dias” from the back. I wandered back there and was greeted by Veronica. Immediately, I felt like I was a part of her community, a part of her family.

Noticias sobre Pequeñas Empresas del Center for Rural Affairs, incluyen historias seleccionadas de éxito de empresarios de Nebraska asistidos por nuestros programas e información que puede necesitar para iniciar o expandir su negocio.

The Center for Rural Affairs' Small Business News includes select success stories on Nebraska entrepreneurs assisted by our programs and information that you may need to start or grow your business.

Each year, the Center for Rural Affairs advocates for the continuation of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs that benefit agriculture producers and small businesses. Click through this interactive map to see how these programs have influenced farms, ranches, and rural main streets...

Due to recent glaciation, the midwestern U.S. has some of the most productive soils in the world. These rich soils contain a layer of organic matter, called the O horizon, atop a layer of topsoil, called the A horizon. Both of these soil layers contain nutrients necessary for plant growth...

The U.S. is facing an impending shortage in doctors, nurses, and other health care providers, with some models showing demand outpacing supply by as early as 2025, with a shortfall of hundreds of thousands of workers across professions and specialties, including physicians, nurses, health aides, and lab technicians.

​​​​​​​Noticias sobre Pequeñas Empresas del Center for Rural Affairs, incluyen historias seleccionadas de éxito de empresarios de Nebraska asistidos por nuestros programas e información que puede necesitar para iniciar o expandir su negocio.