Rural Affairs
Meet Jessica Piper: Missouri’s ‘Dirt Road Democrat’
Jessica Piper, a self-described “Dirt Road Democrat,” is running an uphill political campaign for the state House of Representatives in a heavily Republican district of northwest Missouri.
Precision Mazes Offer More Than ‘Simply a Walk In the Corn’
How one Kansas City family uses farm science to create meaningful corn mazes and crop art across North America.
Sound, Smoke and Fury: The Enduring Allure of the American Tractor Pull
The loud, showy sport of tractor pulling remains a popular pastime in rural Missouri.
Foreign Investment in US Cropland Nearly Triples in Past Decade, USDA Data Shows
Foreign investment in U.S. cropland has nearly tripled in the past decade, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
How Kansas Could Lose Billions in Land Values as its Underground Water Runs Dry
The water in the Ogallala aquifer is worth billions of dollars to western Kansas, but it’s rapidly disappearing. And it’s been a challenge to find ways to slow the depletion.
Cleared for Takeoff: How Small Town Airports Elevate Communities
Small general aviation airports can drastically improve the growth and development of rural communities.
As Fertilizer Pollutes Tap Water in Small Towns, Rural Kansans Pay the Price
For towns with only a few hundred residents, keeping tap water clean and safe can pose a crippling expense. The predicament is likely to become more common in western Kansas as farm chemicals seep into dwindling water supplies.
Room to Roam with No Money Down
Rural development loans from the USDA allow folks to pay 0% down on a properties out of the city.
‘Dial Up Was Faster’: Rural Folks Still Struggle for Reliable Internet
Government funding means rural broadband is expanding, but many still struggling for decent connectivity.
American Farm Bureau Federation Claims it’s the ‘Voice of Agriculture.’ Others Beg to Differ
While the best-known, best-funded “voice” of farmers, the American Farm Bureau is far from the only one.