Rural Life and Agriculture News from the Center For Rural Affairs

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Rural Life and Agriculture News from the Center For Rural Affairs

A post from Rural America
American Public Media | September 16, 2011 | Chuck Hassebrook
Some 25 million Americans are unemployed or involuntarily underemployed, juggling budgets just to get by. But help may be on the way. The day before the President presented his jobs bill to the nation, bipartisan legislation was proposed to create rural jobs with a tax credit for microentrepreneurs. Read more here. Access the bill here.

An ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure
Litchfield (MN) Independent Review | August 30, 2011
Health-care reform should have an especially positive impact in the small towns and on farms across America, according to new research by the Center for Rural Affairs. That’s because the Affordable Care Act succeeds in putting a greater focus on prevention, says report author John Baily.  Read more here and see the report here.

Energy: Connecting the Dots: Transmission and Rural Communities
The Messenger (Fort Dodge, IA) | August 8, 2011
Row crops are normally all that populate Don Sandell’s field in rural Iowa. But for the last year a meteorological tower has measured the wind speeds on Sandell’s farm in order to develop the site into a wind farm. One hurdle in developing wind capacity is the lack of adequate transmission lines, according to Johnathan Hladik. Read more here, and access the report by Johnathan here.

Broadband Comes to the Heartland….Slowly
Marketplace from American Public Media | August 22, 2011
Only 60 percent of rural Americans have access to broadband. Recently the Department of Agriculture announced millions of dollars for small communities throughout the country to change that. Listen to Center staff member Steph Larsen in an interview with Jennifer Collins from Marketplace.

Report examines population data
The Farmer | August 26, 2011
A new Center for Rural Affairs report examines data from the 2010 Census showing that rural areas in the Great Plains and Midwest continue to lose population, while smaller cities and metropolitan areas continue to expand. While this trend is not new, it is striking in its scope and demonstrates the challenges facing many rural communities Read more here, and see the report here.

Bias Against Sustainable Agriculture?
Public News Service | September 15, 2011 
Sustainable agriculture practices often face an uphill battle. A new report surveyed bankers, insurers and producers on the question of discrimination against those who try sustainable operations and shows a knowledge gap contributes to the challenges of sustainable agriculture financing. Read more here, and see the report here.