Rural Affairs
‘Highway to Hemp’: Building, Making and Dreaming Big with Hemp Fiber
Manufacturers are finding new ways to make sustainable products using hemp fiber.
Hunger Pains Hitting Hard in Rural America
Rural counties account for 87% of the counties with the highest rates of food insecurity in the nation. About 2.2 million rural households face hunger.
Highway to Hemp: ‘Wild West’ of the CBD Market
Prices for CBD plummeted in 2019 as producers flooded the market, but those who stayed in the game are hopeful that FDA approval will blossom the industry.
Fertilizer Washes off Midwest Farm Fields and Taints Communities’ Drinking Water, Poisons Gulf of Mexico
As rainfall events become more intense and frequent, fertilizers applied to Midwestern farmland wash away, contaminating waterways near and far.
‘Highway to Hemp’: Waves of Fiber and Grain
South Bend Industrial Hemp, located at the outskirts of Great Bend, Kansas, is at the cutting edge of the emerging industrial hemp economy.
Locally Sourced Turkeys Flying Off the Shelves for Thanksgiving, Despite Higher Prices
Demand for turkeys, particularly smaller birds, is strong this Thanksgiving season, even thought prices are up about 20% over last year.
Great Pumpkins Keep Family Traditions Alive, Even Through A Pandemic
More than 80% of Americans plan to buy at least one pumpkin each fall. Like turkey on Thanksgiving or singing at Christmas, the pumpkin patch has become a family tradition for many.
Mind, Body and Crime in the Country
Drug addiction and untreated mental health issues are leading contributors to higher violent crime rates in rural America.
Preventing the Next Dust Bowl
Farmers in Kansas, which has the most no-till farm acreage in the nation, are embracing cover crops to support sustainability.
Rural Suicide Rates Are Rising In Kansas And Solutions Won’t Come Easy
Sparsely populated communities face unique challenges, such as isolation and cultural stigmas about mental health, that call for tailored suicide prevention approaches.