The Rural Blog

A digest of events, trends, issues, ideas and journalism from and about rural America, by the Institute for Rural Journalism, based at the University of Kentucky. Links may expire, require subscription or go behind pay walls. Please send news and knowledge you think would be useful to benjy.hamm@uky.edu.

The Rural Blog

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Opinion: On the West Texas High Plains, a farm recession from closing cotton gins eats away at rural economies

Is the U.S. inching toward recession? Ag economists weigh in on warning signs

Are we in a recession? PolitiFact has primer with rural angle

Cropland values hit record highs, but skyrocketing prices for equipment and other inflation boost production costs

USDA nutrition spending hit all-time high in fiscal 2020; hunger at pandemic low; webinar on food insecurity Sept. 8

Farming gets an influx of millennials, with fresh perspective

Surveyed rural bankers still optimistic about economy but worry about drought, inflation and federal bank regulations

In Nomadland, about a homeless rural migrant worker, 'a ghost of a Western' and maybe 'The Grapes of Wrath'

Rising grain prices usher in surprising farm recovery, but could lead to higher prices in the grocery store

Rural Midwest banker survey sees rising economic confidence amid concerns about inflation and interest rates

Poverty grows despite stimulus package; many fall through the cracks and are ineligible for such aid

Friday webinar to discuss USDA's Rural America at a Glance report, which will be released Thursday

Policy paper shows how local strategies are helping revitalize three small cities: Wheeling, Emporia and Laramie

Quick hits: New books explore Dolly Parton's music; new podcast series examines the 1980s farm crisis

Most rural counties lost jobs from Sept. 2019 to Sept. 2020, but metro counties did worse; see county-level data

Over 1/3 of rural bankers in 10 mid-America states report recession conditions, but overall economic confidence rising

Farm Aid to host 35th anniversary virtual festival on Sept. 26

Aug. survey of rural bankers shows slight improvements, but sixth straight month of recession-level readings

Los Alamos to lose local newspaper and radio station Sun.

In second day of RNC, Trump tries to strengthen rural ties; religion writer sees a blend of economic, religious themes