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Just seven?! As I plan for going “hardcore” local in the Dakota Local Food Challenge, that’s the first seemingly insurmountable task. How can I narrow down the exceptions to the local food rule to just seven? Here’s what I have so far. You’ll notice I’m stretching the definition of an “item” a bit already. Coffee. Non-negotiable. Salt and spices. I ... Read More »

Calling it an “accident” makes it too easy to ignore the problems that led to a young woman’s death. Read More »

You'll now find a new way to read Dakotafire's magazine stories: On any digital device you choose, whether computer, tablet or smart phone. Read More »

SDSU Extension launches Backyard Biodiversity in South Dakota for 2014 this month. Read More »

Picket Fence Creamery in Woodward, Iowa, has figured out how to do local dairy right. Neighbors, someone take the model and bring it to the Dakotas. Read More »

Economic development is a crucial part of sustaining our rural communities. Communities and volunteers are both needed to work together to keep the local economy vibrant and growing. Read More »

On a topic such as genetically modified organisms, with vast interconnections into so many locations and areas of study, it’s impossible for any one person to see the whole picture. More voices—including some rural ones—can help us get better information and make better decisions. Read More »

The stories we tell ourselves are based in reality—but they are not reality. They are one interpretation of events, one way to look at what has happened to us and who we are. It’s not about “fact” versus “fiction”—facts themselves have little power over us. What shapes our lives are the stories we tell about those facts. Read More »

I was walking along a gravel road near my home recently, thinking about a phone call I had received the evening before. A representative for a power company had asked if my sister and I had thought more about the proposal he had showed us. I didn’t really know what to tell him. The Big Stone South to Ellendale transmission ... Read More »

Just when I think the urban-rural divide isn’t as wide as it once was—the UPS truck can deliver Amazon packages to skyscrapers or machine sheds, and we all have way too many channels on TV—I see something that points out we’re still not always understanding one another. So, in the interest of bridge-building, here’s a little translation. Jim Romanesko, a ... Read More »