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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Debate: Is the American Farm Bureau Federation on the side of small farmers?

Opinion: The strongest argument for openness in government: Facts quell rumors

Shopping rural helps small communities -- and it's a romp through one-of-a-kind gifts, practical gear and artful whimsy

Shopping rural helps small communities -- and it's a romp through one-of-a-kind gifts, practical gear and artful whimsy

Ex-FDIC chair worries bank 'bailouts' could drive deposits out of community banks; they'd have less money to lend

Dollar stores are fastest-growing food retailers, doubling their rural share; N.C. fines biggest chain for overcharging

Holiday roundup: Blizzard creates a temporary community of travelers; an enchanted garden also cultivates people

Photo essay: A bypassed town tries to keep going

N.M. group pushes for a state public bank, citing N.D. example and touting benefits for small communities, farmers

Rural communities lost 10% of their retail pharmacies in the last 20 years, and most were independents', not chains'

USDA to invest $770 million to help rural businesses in 36 states with job training, technical assistance and more

Pandemic roundup: nearly 500 law enforcement officers have died from Covid-19; 'Long Covid' affects more than half of virus survivors; hospital vaccine mandates working

'Sign war,' all in good fun, breaks out in Kentucky town as local businesses try to bring in more customers

Feds create portal to forgive PPP loans after banks drag feet; top banks opt out, leaving businesses at their mercy

Small Business Administration offers pandemic-recovery grants up to $5 million to local governments, businesses

What's in the House relief-and-stimulus bill

Small Business Saturday, an opportunity to support and promote local businesses, is Nov. 28

Study shows how rural small businesses' proximity to each other in town helps them weather the pandemic

Poynter offers primer for covering accelerating business bankruptcies during the pandemic

80 groups plan economic transition for coal communities