#rural-america

#rural-america

'They are small stakes, but, of course, everything that is quintessentially American—property, the right to violence, the right to protect land—are all intensely operative in this space.'

More than a third of the nation's local newspapers have folded in the last 20 years, with the Western U.S. being especially hard-hit, including significant losses in Utah and New Mexico.

Nearly 90% of the land in the United States is rural and about one in five people, or some 60 million, live throughout it according to the U.S. Census.

Milton is a picturesque location along the west side of the Hudson River, halfway between Albany and New York City, known for its pretty parks and river views.

"You have this kind of alienation between the two generations. The younger ones are trying to get closer to nature, but in a way we might roll our eyes at."

The study frames each of the models as 'emerging strategies' that can either complement or serve as alternatives to well-known sustainability certification schemes such as Organic, Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance.

When you grow up in a place where everyone's known you since you were in nappies, you carry around hundreds of versions of yourself. Each person you meet has frozen you at a particular moment - the time you threw up at the school dance, your awkward phase when your voice was breaking, that summer you tried to reinvent yourself and failed spectacularly.

Escaping to a farm where life is, in many ways, simpler, seems like a total blast right about now. Whether you're looking for a luxurious stay, or one that helps you get back to the land, these farm stays will certainly help you reset and get back to nature.

Poplar Bluff, Missouri. The study found that the annual cost of living in this small town, also known as the "Gateway to the Ozarks," is $32,941, while the median household income is $42,035. Poplar Bluff's violent crime rate is 0.372, and its property crime rate is 2.111 per 1,000 residents. According to Redfin, the median home price here is just under $142,000, which is about $281,000 below the national median.

The expense, return on investment, and volume of investors needed to make it a reality did not make sense. I thought, 'maybe it's time to do something new.' The amount of money you need to run a restaurant in Brooklyn or Manhattan at this point is so crazy. If you fail, the loss is massive. Here, we were able to do a major renovation, we have a 100 bottle wine list, and we can use the ingredients we want and serve them at a decent price point because our overhead is not as bad.

Amazon has sought a tax abatement that would see its datacenter exempt from paying property taxes for 30 years in exchange for the funding of local schools and infrastructure projects. The people up on city council are, for the most part, good people. They care about the community, [but] they have been taken advantage of by these companies.

While remote work has expanded opportunity and demand for high-amenity, walkable communities, it has also intensified housing shortages in desirable regions. Zoning reform alone will not solve the housing crisis, warning that regulatory changes must be paired with coordinated public-private investment to deliver meaningful supply.

Vermont actually resembles California - not because of its beaches but due to its distinct regions. For example, Burlington correlates to the Bay Area. And in the Northeast Kingdom, where I grew up, we classified everything below White River Junction as 'Southern Vermont.' Down there, half the towns seem to channel Boston or New York City, kind of like Santa Barbara to L.A., which makes the Kingdom something like Humboldt County - rural and spectacular, with a recalcitrant outlaw streak.

Long before they became destination stops, farm shops were practical lifelines in Cornwall; places where farming families sold what they reared, grew or made, and where local communities stocked their pantries. In a county shaped by smallholdings, dairy herds and mixed farms, the connection between land and table has always been close - and still, today, hyper-local food is something Cornwall does exceptionally well.

STATEWIDE - NEW YORK FARMERS ARE UNDER INCREASING ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL PRESSURE because of federal policy changes, including higher tariffs, cuts to certain agricultural programs and stricter immigration enforcement policies, according to a report that state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released on Tuesday, Jan. 27. DiNapoli warns these challenges could diminish farm production, squeeze profits and lead to higher prices for consumers.

Independent and family-owned ski areas tend to come with their own unique charm, whether it be a crowd of locals where everyone knows each others names, owners or CEOs that are frequently seen around the mountain, or just a general welcoming vibe.

Mount Airy isn't trying to be everywhere else-and that's exactly why it stands out. It offers a true sense of place, rooted in tradition but evolving with purpose, where the pace slows down just enough to remind you what travel is supposed to feel like.

I think that you just got to do it and you've got to do it because nobody else is lined up to do it for you. Working hard has its rewards... and also to give back to the community because the farming community just does that.

The Rural Cut places vintage fashion in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, among vineyards, open fields, and the animals that inhabit the land. As a Beirut-based stylist, I worked with a fully Lebanese team to create a shoot that feels authentic, where each garment and every frame reflects the textures, history, and rhythm of the rural landscape. Photography by Angele Basile / Instagram: @angelebasile Styling by Rinad Saad / Instagram: @rinaaaaddd

"I saw the announcement that one of America's most enduring publications was set to close," Konrad said, "and it felt wrong to stand by while an irreplaceable piece of our national heritage disappeared."

For decades, he's lived in Homer City, a southwestern Pennsylvania town that was once home to the largest coal-fired power plant in the state. The plant, which shares its name with the town, closed nearly three years ago after years of financial distress. Dudash, 89, has lived in the shadow of its smokestacks-said to be the tallest in the country before they were demolished-for much of his life.

He began by characterizing what I had written as "fascinating," which could have meant a multitude of things coming from a teenager. He then explained that his eighth-grade English class included recent discussions about immigrant pursuits of the American dream. Accordingly, one major takeaway from those conversations with his teacher and peers was that many people come to the U.S. because it is perceived as a land of opportunity.

My older brother has worked with pigs his entire adult life, managing about 70,000 of them across five counties, Faaborg says. But we got to a point where he went from laughing at me to saying: well, I guess maybe I'll quit my job and help you out. Now he's the most dedicated, says Katherine Jernigan, director of the Transfarmation Project at Mercy for Animals, a non-profit that helped the Faaborgs make the switch and set up their new business, 1100 Farm.

Based on years of post-transition reviews, MNP has identified seven traits common to successful farm families, MacLean says. First, they start early. Early planning allows flexibility and time to work through the tough stuff. Clear, respectful communication is the second trait - and it's essential. Families who talk openly and establish expectations avoid the dangerous territory of unspoken assumptions. Farms that navigate the process well have a shared vision.

When you think of farming, what ingredients do you generally associate with a successful harvest? The basics certainly come to mind: fertile soil, plenty of sunlight and lots of water. But there are other variables that can also mean the difference between a crop of healthy fruits and vegetables and a large heap of organic waste. And it turns out that one of those variables is a very small hawk.

A group of Illinois small farmers are meeting with members of Congress on Thursday in Washington to discuss their hopes for "transformational investments" in the next farm bill, which governs policy in the agricultural sector. As they see it, the new law could provide significant financial investment and protections that reduce economic inequality and racial injustice; build crop and human resilience to climate change and unpredictable weather; and improve access to nutritious food and sustainable, local systems.