Rural Economy
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‘Radical’ Republican proposals threaten bipartisan farm bill, USDA Secretary says
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack says far-right Republicans’ proposed crop subsidy cuts and slashing of land stewardship programs make a bipartisan farm bill solution harder to reach.
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Where to buy farm-fresh eggs in western Wisconsin
Farm-fresh eggs taste better, last longer, and help local farmers. Here’s where you can buy them year-round.
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Wisconsin towns will turn old motels, schools into affordable housing
Several Wisconsin communities — including Ladysmith, Rhinelander, and Elkhart Lake — are addressing their workforce housing needs with new revitalization projects.
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The Farm Bill is big, bold, and behind schedule. Here’s how that affects you.
Congress can’t agree on a federal budget and their disagreements could hurt farmers, consumers, global trade, and the environment.
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3 ways Wisconsin is tackling its kids’ mental health crisis
The results from the Wisconsin DPI’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey are, in a single word, alarming. In addition to the COVID pandemic, today’s students say extreme political division, heavy use of social media, fear of mass shootings, and economic uncertainty are the main factors hurting their mental health. Now, the state’s smallest schools are stepping…
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2 hospitals and 19 clinics will close in western Wisconsin, worrying residents and local officials
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) — Two hospitals and nearly 20 clinics will close within months in western Wisconsin, leaving residents and local officials worried about how the closures will impact local health care services.
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Wisconsin’s Office of Rural Prosperity aims to spread opportunity across the state
Beth Haskovec, director of Wisconsin’s Office on Rural Prosperity, says that the office’s goal is to “be a clearinghouse for rural communities”; in her role, she focuses on being a resource for rural Wisconsinites, letting them know the state-level supports that are available to them.
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3 things Wisconsin farmers are concerned about going into 2024
Wisconsin’s farmers say that farmland consolidation, immigration reform, and the Farm Bill are top of mind for an industry that is in crucial need of reform and support.
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By punting the Farm Bill to 2024, Congress misses a chance to help farmers and consumers squeezed by middlemen
Far-right conservatives have already forced several spending bills into another possible government shutdown over the winter, making it necessary for the Farm Bill to go unaddressed until next fall.
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Rural Advocates Want to Take on Monopoly Power and Help Family Farmers
Participants of the 2023 Rural Policy Action Summit spoke about how to expand resources for those in rural communities, among other topics.

























