Michelle and Scott Herbolsheimer dreamed of reviving a once-bustling community hub when they bought the old derelict gas station at the edge of Oakland. Buying a gas station was more than a business opportunity for Michelle and Scott. The purchase offered them the chance to revive a piece of Michelle’s history ..read more

Michelle y Scott Herbolsheimer soñaban con revivir un centro comunitario que alguna vez fue ruidoso cuando compraron la antigua estación de servicio abandonada en las afueras de Oakland. Comprar una gasolinera fue más que una oportunidad de negocio para Michelle y Scott. La compra les ofreció la oportunidad de revivir un pedazo de la historia de Michelle ..read more

Renewable energy development, energy conservation, and energy efficiency improvements offer an opportunity for rural communities to save money, become more energy-resilient, and increase the reliability of the electric grid. While many Nebraska communities are interested in such improvements, the upfront costs associated with energy-related projects have often been initially prohibitive—until now ..read more

The end of the 2024 Iowa legislative session is near. Today, April 16, marks the 100th day of legislative work and is the last day legislators will receive per diem stipends for their time spent in ..read more

For many entrepreneurs, the dream of small business ownership centers on building something from the ground up. While that certainly is one route, it often comes with risk, uncertainty, and untold hours of hard work. In part 3 of our three-part series on business transition, we’re taking a look at how to go about buying a business ..read more

Para muchos emprendedores, el sueño de ser propietario de una pequeña empresa se centra en construir algo desde cero. Si bien ese es ciertamente un camino, a menudo conlleva riesgos, incertidumbre e incontables horas de arduo trabajo. En la tercera parte de nuestra serie de tres partes sobre transición empresarial, analizamos cómo proceder para comprar una empresa ..read more

With attention now turned to the state budget, the Center for Rural Affairs needs your help urging legislators to pass House File (HF) 2599, which would establish the Iowa Grocer Reinvestment Fund and Program and the Local Produce Processing Fund and Program ..read more

Here in rural America, many of us see the benefits of supporting our local farmers and gardeners. It’s hard to top fresh food, and spending our hard-earned money locally contributes to the betterment of our communities as a whole. Unfortunately, as abundant as fresh food may be within our communities, it isn’t always within reach for some families ..read more

We are pleased to share an update on our priority legislation this session, Legislative Bill (LB) 1116, which would have created a grant or loan program for grocery and convenience stores in areas with limited grocery access to expand or improve fresh food options. While the bill did not advance out of the Agriculture Committee, last Monday Sen. Teresa Ibach introduced Legislative Resolution (LR) 374 to propose a related interim study ..read more

While many Center for Rural Affairs' old-timers may not recognize the name Chris Roberts, she played a critical role in changing the direction of the Center in the late 1970s. Most of the work in the early 1970s focused on policy advocacy and muck-raking journalism. But Chris changed this—at least for me ..read more