rural economy

July 2021 marks 20 straight years of Idaho Beef Month, which industry insiders say highlights the valuable role beef plays both in the state’s economy and in individual diets. Idaho Cattle Association executive vice president, Cameron Mulrony, said a majority of the cattle operation are locally owned and operated. ...

For the seventh month in a row, the Creighton University Rural Mainstreet Index stayed above growth neutral. The overall index is still strong at 70, falling almost nine points from May’s record high (78.8). The index ranges from zero to 100, with 50 being growth neutral. That ...

One of the sectors of the Ag community hit especially hard during the spread of COVID-19 last year was meatpacking plants nationwide. But, according to UC Davis, the impact was much more severe than initially thought. Researchers say an estimated 334,000 cases of COVID-19 are attributable to meatpacking plants, resulting in $11 ...

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue remains optimistic about the farm economy, despite the impact of the spreading coronavirus on the world economy. Perdue is trying to put the best face forward on the grim news about coronavirus. Despite the spread of the disease and economic impacts, the Secretary said he’s hopeful about the demand prospects for U.S. Ag ...

We in the Ag community love living in our small communities, and all the charm that goes with it.  But a new report out by the USDA’s Economic Research Service, says rural portions of America are dealing with some very real problems.   P...

CoBank says the world’s economy is continuing to slow down, and the ongoing U.S.-China trade dispute is one of the reasons.  While there are hopes that the two countries will continue talks, CoBank says optimism for the trade dispute ending in 2019 is fading.  In addit...

With the United States in a trade war with China, and others potentially coming down the road, what does this mean for American producers.  Vince Peterson, President of U.S. Wheat Associates said growers were feeling the pinch well before tariffs on American products were enacted.  ...

The Washington State Department of Commerce announced that 22 cities and counties will receive a total of more than $10 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for 2016.   The 22 projects were selected from 28 grant applications requesting over $14 million. The...

The USDA has approved another investment opportunity that they will bring in private money to help boost the rural economy.   Secretary Tom Vilsack said, “The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund is going to help create $100 million of equity financing for things like precision agriculture and data management.”   Vilsa...