Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community
Sorted by date Results 130 - 154 of 178
A large number of America's military veterans have returned home to civilian careers and often want to continue the service mission they committed to in the armed forces. Many veterans from rural areas have found that mission through farming and ranching. These farmer-veterans provide food, protect natural resources, and contribute to the vitality of their local communities while running their own businesses. With the average age of a U.S. farmer at nearly 60 years, and millions of acres...
Turkey basics If this is your first time preparing a turkey, here are a few pointers to keep in mind. These safety tips and recommendations come from the United States Department of Agriculture. Before you start cooking: Thaw the turkey, if frozen. If you haven't yet taken it out of the freezer, do it soon. Thaw it in its original package on a tray. Allow almost 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. A 12- to 16-pound turkey will take 3 to 4 days to thaw in the refrigerator. If you forget to tha...
Creating a safe environment in response to the COVID-19 pandemic often means additional expenses for farmers, farmers markets, food processors and distributors. A new U.S. Department of Agriculture program may be able to help. The Pandemic Response and Safety Grants program provides funding to help small-scale specialty crop producers and processors, other select producers, meat and other processors, distributors and farmers markets recover some of the costs incurred, including for measures to...
Farmers and ranchers struggle to recover financially from recent panhandle wildfires that damaged their crops and infrastructure along with forcing a relocation of cows and calves. Two wildfires burned more than 8,200 acres of pasture and cropland in Scottsbluff and Gering. The Panhandle of Nebraska is an open, dryland where fires easily start in canyons from wind and brush. More than 11,000 acres burned from wildfires this past year due to severe drought and heavy winds that caused brush to ignite. Wildfires often result in financial peril...
Rural Americans with an eye for renewable energy recently received promising news-the U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing $464 million in solar, wind and other renewable energy projects benefiting small businesses and farming operations. Of the total investment, more than $128 million will be distributed through the Rural Energy for America Program. Designed specifically for agricultural producers and rural small businesses, REAP provides loan and grant funding for these entities to...
Any farmer or rancher who is interested in conservation programs through the Natural Resources Conservation Service is required to have a farm number for the application process. Farm numbers are issued for free and allow access to key U.S. Department of Agriculture programs including working lands conservation, farm loans and others that require farm records to be shared as part of the application process. There is no minimum acreage requirement to register as a farm. Having a farm number also...
I don't know about you, but every year when back-to-school time rolls around, I look back and wonder just what happened to summer. It seems like Memorial Day was last week and the Fourth of July was yesterday, but yet here it is: The first day of school is looming right around the corner. And with school starting soon, it's time to think about what all those hungry kids are going to eat when they get home from school. "Healthy snacks can help children get the nutrients they need after a long day...
Small business development is important in rural areas of our nation, where access to employment opportunities are limited and where jobs pay less. Microbusinesses (businesses with 10 or fewer employees) provide all or most of the income for many rural households. In our home state of Nebraska, self-employment provides up to 90% of all jobs in most rural counties. For others, it is part of a patching strategy to make ends meet. However, access to capital is a challenge for many rural business...
Effective for 2021-22 school year, Summerland Public School will serve meals at no charge to enrolled students. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved use of the Seamless Summer Option, which allows local school districts to provide no-cost meals to all enrolled students, for the duration of the 2021-22 school year. The new school year requires a new meal application. Although school meals will be provided at no cost to all children, school funding depends on completed meal applications. It is important to submit a complete SY2021- 22...
This summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has begun accepting applications for two important programs for rural development. The first is the Rural Placemaking Innovation Challenge, which has seen a $2 million increase in funding after its initial set of grants met with a great deal of enthusiasm. This program is available to tribal entities, non-profits, local governments, universities and small businesses for the purpose of rural placemaking, which is a collaborative process to...
JOHNATHAN HLADIK Policy director Center for Rural Affairs Small business entrepreneurship is a key source of job creation for rural counties. These businesses generate economic activity that can multiply throughout the community. But, they also face many challenges, including difficulty in accessing capital and acquiring training for business planning and financial management. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program aims to address these challenges. R...
SPECIAL MEETING PROCEEDINGS VILLAGE OF CLEARWATER BOARD OF TRUSTEES March 23, 2021 The Board of Trustees of the Village of Clearwater met in special session, Tuesday, March 23, 2021, at 7 p.m., in the fire hall meeting room. Meeting was opened at 7:01 p.m. Notice of meeting was given in advance by publication in Summerland Advocate-Messenger and notice was given prior to meeting. Public was informed of location of Open Meeting Act poster. Present: Kevin Filsinger, Steve Stearns, Mike Klabenes, Kelly Kerkman, Steve Hankla. Others present: Tyler...
It’s application time for one of the biggest youth agriculture outreach events in the state—the Nebraska Agricultural Youth Institute. This year, NAYI is celebrating 50 years of bringing together high school students to learn more about Nebraska agriculture, network with agriculture leaders and discover careers available in agriculture. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture sponsors and assists with coordinating NAYI every year. The institute will be held July 12 through 16, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus and will follow a...
In late December, Congress passed the Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020. A lot has happened in the time since, but we believe this legislation deserves a second look. As a joint COVID-19 relief and fiscal year 2021 appropriations bill, funded at $2.3 trillion, this act has strong implications in rural America. Within the spending package, several U.S. Department of Agriculture programs advocated for by the Center for Rural Affairs were included and funded at requested levels. The Rural...
A farm cooperative that serves customers in a 30-county region of northeast Nebraska has pledged its support to improvements in agriculture facilities currently underway at Northeast Community College in Norfolk. Farmers Pride, headquartered in Battle Creek, has pledged $50,000 to the Nexus project at Northeast to build a new veterinary technology clinic and classroom building and other facilities on the Acklie Family College Farm. "Many of our employees and customers have graduated from...
North Central District Health Department reported 38 new cases in the district Jan. 4, including: seven, Antelope; 0, Boyd; 0, Brown; one, Cherry; six, Holt; 0, Keya Paha; 15, Knox; nine, Pierce and 0, Rock. NCDHD has received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and is proceeding to disperse vaccine to Phase 1A partners, as outlined in the Nebraska COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. As of Dec. 31, 784 north central Nebraska residents received the first dose of the vaccine. NCDHD will notify the public as the district transitions to each phase. The speed of...
JOHNATHAN HLADIK Policy director Center for Rural Affairs As they continue to face challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic, rural small businesses and communities with loans through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program find themselves on the outside once again. Provisions of the Rural Equal Aid Act, a measure with bipartisan support in the House and Senate, were left out of the latest round of stimulus funding approved Monday by Congress. Our elected officials have again let these rural entrepreneurs down and h...
For almost 50 years, the Center for Rural Affairs has been a leading force in standing up for the family farmer and rancher, small business owner and rural communities. We look forward to working with former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack; President-Elect Joe Biden; and the new USDA leadership as they listen to and work with rural Americans. On Dec. 10, Vilsack was officially nominated for the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. All Cabinet appointees, including Secretary of...
Who deserves farm payments? Farm payments should be reserved for family farms facing difficult times, but the government and taxpayers should not support checks without limit to the largest operations. While enacting limits on farm payments, Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have failed to close loopholes that enable the largest farms to maneuver around them. Most farm payment programs are subject to a maximum payment, and generally farms with an adjusted gross income of more than...
For those who have served in the military, agriculture can be a rewarding next move. Veterans who have gotten involved with farming after retiring from the military have found possibilities they hadn't previously imagined. Caring for plants, animals and the land can be an antidote to PTSD, an avenue to channel a strong work ethic and skill set and a chance to reach new horizons and connect with new and supportive networks. But, how does one get started? Many resources exist for veterans...
While the apprenticeship model has been instrumental for decades, the current system applies to more than the typical occupations that often come to mind - plumbers, electricians and linemen, among others. Apprenticeships have greatly expanded in the last decade to include more non-traditional occupations in areas that include healthcare, information technology (IT), advanced manufacturing, and engineering. The United States Department of Labor currently has 1,349 approved occupations that...
Antelope County may need to weed out candidates depending on how many applications it receives from people wanting to replace a longtime employee. The board of commissioners received a letter of resignation from county weed superintendent Bruce Ofe during its meeting Tuesday, Oct. 13, in Neligh. The Oakdale man plans to retire from the full-time position Dec. 31 after more than 40 years of working for the county. "I'd be willing to stay that long so that if you get somebody hired, I could help...
I remember a story my mom used to tell about her coworker, Opal, and Opal's two little boys. One night, Opal asked the boys what they wanted for supper. One of the boys, about 4 or 5 years old, scrunched up his face and said, "Let's have ... let's have ... let's have ... POP TORN!" That answer became a joke in my family for years because I never met anyone who liked popcorn more than my mom. Popcorn was often her choice for supper. But it wasn't just popcorn my mom liked - she liked the butter...
Despite bipartisan support, rural small businesses and communities with loans through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program will not be included in the latest stimulus package for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The updated Heroes Act, introduced Monday in the U.S. House of Representatives, does not include provisions outlined in the Rural Equal Aid Act. “Rural small businesses continue to feel the effects of the pandemic and, while they are doing their best to keep the doors open, they are hurting,” said...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture opened applications on Sept. 21 for the new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2. This program will offer payments to farmers and ranchers who may have suffered economic impacts caused by the coronavirus. Many farmers and ranchers are eligible to apply for CFAP 2. This includes row crop and livestock producers, as well as those who produce newly-eligible commodities such as broilers and eggs, additional specialty crops and specialty livestock. Those who...
