Farm families are struggling to grow their businesses in child care deserts – the US farm bill may finally offer some help

Access to affordable child care affects farm productivity, safety and ultimately the nation’s food supply. Farm families across the U.S. are struggling without it.

Florence Becot, Associate Research Scientist in Rural Sociology, Adjunct Faculty - National Farm Medicine Center, The Ohio State University • conversation
May 17, 2023 ~9 min

These four challenges will shape the next farm bill – and how the US eats

Even if you don’t live near farm country, you’ve got a stake in the upcoming farm bill – including what kind of farms your tax dollars support.

Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director, Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, Arizona State University • conversation
May 8, 2023 ~10 min


Arctic sea ice loss and fierce storms leave Kivalina Search and Rescue fighting to protect their island from climate disasters

Ten years after Kivalina’s lawsuit against Exxon over climate change damage was dismissed, the Indigenous community’s volunteer search and rescue team is facing frequent crises.

P. Joshua Griffin, Assistant Professor of Marine and Environmental Affairs and American Indian Studies, University of Washington • conversation
April 26, 2023 ~13 min

Gas prices made inflation worse for rural households

Inflation hit rural household budgets harder throughout much of 2022, but the rural-urban gap evened out by the end of the year, a report shows.

Dave Roepke-Iowa State • futurity
March 24, 2023 ~6 min

What small towns need for aging in place

To understand what makes a location good for aging in place, researchers compared small towns in Iowa.

Rachel Cramer-Iowa State • futurity
March 9, 2023 ~7 min

In rural America, right-to-repair laws are the leading edge of a pushback against growing corporate power

Corporations restrict what farmers can do with their own seeds, as well as their farm equipment when it breaks down.

Leland Glenna, Professor of Rural Sociology and Science, Technology, and Society, Penn State • conversation
Feb. 22, 2023 ~10 min

The EV transition isn't just about cars – the broader goal should be access to clean mobility for everyone

If the EV transition focuses exclusively on drivers in privately owned cars, it won’t meet many Americans’ mobility needs, particularly in underserved communities.

Sita M. Syal, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan • conversation
Feb. 1, 2023 ~10 min

Dollar stores are the fastest growing food stores in the US

More Americans are buying groceries at dollar stores, which often means getting food that's low in nutrition and high in calories.

Tufts University • futurity
Jan. 23, 2023 ~7 min


‘Bystander’ hospitals feel the pinch when rural ones close

When rural hospitals close, bystander emergency rooms elsewhere see an increase in visits, new research finds.

Zachary Sweger-Penn State • futurity
Dec. 14, 2022 ~5 min

The national broadband rollout has a blind spot: Lack of accurate, transparent data about internet access speeds

Ensuring that billions of dollars of federal funding for broadband service are well spent – and that consumers get what they pay for – comes down to knowing the actual speeds internet users experience.

Sascha Meinrath, Director of X-Lab and Palmer Chair in Telecommunications, Penn State • conversation
Sept. 15, 2022 ~9 min

/

12