Rural Affairs
Shivered Timbers: Cold Season Brings Surging Demand for Firewood and Real Christmas Trees
Christmas tree and firewood demand is up, as the pandemic forces people to celebrate the season from their own homes.
Booming Business: Guns Are a Hot Gift Item This Holiday Season
Guns sales are booming in 2020, and firearms are expected to be a popular gift this holiday season.
Goodbye Big Bird: Pandemic Thanksgiving Drives Demand for Small Turkeys
The COVID-19 pandemic is prompting families to downsize Thanksgiving feasts, which is driving demand for smaller turkeys.
Big Mood Swings Down on the Farm
A Purdue University study finds farmers are optimistic about 2020 harvest, thanks to a big crop, higher prices and government checks. But a Biden Presidency could change things.
Not a Luxury: Pandemic Highlights Digital Divide in Rural Areas
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the broadband digital divide in rural Kansas and Missouri.
Farm-to-Tablet: TikTok Farmers Shine a Light on Rural Life
While the United States and China fight over the fate of TikTok, farmers are embracing the social media platform to share their lives.
Nukes in the Heartland: Remnants of Cold War Missile Sites Remain
A Kansas-based artist has created a photo series documenting former sites of nuclear warhead silos in the Midwest.
Art House Extra | ‘The Disrupted’ Explores Working Life in America
“The Disrupted,” a new film by Sarah Colt Productions, shares the stories of three hardworking Americans struggling to make it economically.
Pandemic Silver Lining: Internet Speeds Have Spiked
A new study by WhistleOut found that internet speeds have largely increased across the nation since March — and that speeds in Kansas and Missouri have increased more than 30%.
What You Know About Rural America May Be Wrong
Younger Americans are considering rural life as an option, spurring what some observers are calling “brain gain” in seemingly unlikely places.