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Eugene Jacquez’s family has grown beans and raised sheep at the base of the Culebra peaks in San Luis, Colo., for generations. He belongs to the Rio Culebra Cooperative and says without federal funding, many of his neighbors will be reluctant to sell to the co-op. (Luke Runyon/Harvest Public Media)
Broader competition for USDA's 'rural' dollars

As lawmakers debate the Farm Bill in Washington, millions of dollars in rural development grants and loans are at stake for small businesses across the country. With budget cuts likely, the USDA is adjusting how these funds are used. But there’s concern that a tighter belt means farmers and ranchers in small towns will be left behind.

Staunton, Ill., Mayor Craig Neuhaus, left, checks out the town’s new water plant with Hank Fey, a public works director. (Bill Wheelhouse/Harvest Public Media).
Federal funds flow to rural communities

The USDA's Rural Development Program doesn't get a lot of attention in the farm bill debate. But supporters say it is a difference-maker for job creation in small rural communities,and provides a boost those towns need.

Zach Weakland is a co-founder of High Hops Brewery in Windsor, Colo., which takes the farm to glass mantra seriously. (Luke Runyon/Harvest Public Media)
Growing a local beer, farm to glass

With craft breweries sprouting up all over and local foodies looking for a beverage equivalent, "farm to glass" beer makers are starting to take root.

Welcome to Rocky Ford, Colo., “Sweet Melon Capital.” Struck by a listeria outbreak in 2011, many growers in this famed melon region are re-vamping their food safety practices. (Luke Runyon/Harvest Public Media)
Rocky Ford cantaloupe growers come cleaner

After several deadly foodborne illness outbreaks tied to cantaloupe, melon growers in the Colorado growing region have been trying to repair their image and keep an outbreak from happening again.

Kendra Short (center) works with students on a dance number at her studio in Belleville, Kan. Short and her husband Shannon have applied for the Rural Opportunity Zone program in Republic County, and are building a house. (Photo courtesy Rebecca Brown)
Kansas seeks turning point for rural communities

With rural populations declining, the state of Kansas wants people to know that it pays to move to rural Kansas — literally. In 2011, the state launched a one-of-a-kind program offering financial incentives for settling in one of 50 designated counties.And despite cuts across the state budget, these Rural Opportunity Zones have lots of support.

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Welcome to Harvest Public Media

Broader competition for USDA's 'rural' dollars

As lawmakers debate the Farm Bill in Washington, millions of dollars in rural development grants and loans are at stake for small businesses across the country. With budget cuts likely, the USDA is adjusting how these funds are used. But there’s concern that a tighter belt means farmers and ranchers in small towns will be left behind.

Federal funds flow to rural communities

The USDA's Rural Development Program doesn't get a lot of attention in the farm bill debate. But supporters say it is a difference-maker for job creation in small rural communities,and provides a boost those towns need.

Growing a local beer, farm to glass

With craft breweries sprouting up all over and local foodies looking for a beverage equivalent, "farm to glass" beer makers are starting to take root.

Rural Latino workers say they face discrimination, isolation

Across rural America, one in two new neighbors is Latino, according to a recent study. Many work in the dairy industry, including west central Wisconsin.

Rocky Ford cantaloupe growers come cleaner

After several deadly foodborne illness outbreaks tied to cantaloupe, melon growers in the Colorado growing region have been trying to repair their image and keep an outbreak from happening again.

Conservation acres harder to come by

For 27 years, the popular federal Conservation Reserve Program has been transforming small parcels of land, contributing to cleaner water, more habitat for migrating birds and less soil erosion. But the program has been enrolling fewer acres in recent years and it’s not just budget cuts that could make it smaller still.

Dairy farmers anticipate immigration reform

Many dairy farmers, some of whom depend on immigrant farm labor, are looking warily at Washington as lawmakers continue to debate immigration policy.

Report questions crop insurance structure

Taxpayers are contributing billions more than necessary for farmers’ crop insurance, according to a new report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The report raises questions as Congress debates safety net policy in the farm bill.

Missouri River home to endangered pallid sturgeon

More than 20 years after joining the endangered species list, the pallid sturgeon is treading water. Any effort to rebuild the population in the Missouri River, though, can’t come at the expense of the vital agriculture industry.

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