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If we bypass community concerns in the search for self-fulfillment, we aren't likely to get there at all. Read More »

The name of Trevor Samson was misspelled in the “Ask an Ag Banker” section of the summer issue of Dakotafire. In the “Disappearing Middle” story, the names of Diane Bell Mayerfeld and Dean MacCannell were misspelled, and Mayerfeld’s title is Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator with University of Wisconsin Extension. The graphic in that story should have said “Number of farms (in ... Read More »

The size of a water or wastewater project can sometimes dwarf the entire budget for the town. There are a variety of sources out there for funding for rural water and wastewater projects, but the rewards to go to the swift, the persistent, and those tolerant of paperwork. Here’s an overview.   FEDERAL HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Community Development Block ... Read More »

From muzzle-loading, to weaving, to old-time fiddle, to traditional cooking, the sights, smells and sounds of yesteryear can be experienced this Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Granary Rural Cultural Center in rural Groton, S.D. Read More »

Mitt Romney is running behind in many of the major polls making headlines in the latter part of September, but one demographic is providing good news for the Romney campaign: rural voters in battleground states. Read More »

Antibiotics are considered the crown jewels of modern medicine. But many scientists say that their effectiveness is being eroded by indiscriminate use, both to treat infections in people and to encourage growth in chickens, turkeys, cows and pigs. Read More »

With the revived interest in poultry come new ideas about how to keep them, including innovative designs for chicken tractors—mobile cages that get chickens outside and scratching on grass and dirt (or in unused corners of your garden, where they fertilize as they go) but that keep them safe from predators. Read More »

An advertisement in my mailbox prompts some thinking about payday lending. "It's like borrowing from family, but without the guilt." Or maybe, without the accountability. Read More »

Hay prices have jumped dramatically as drought in many of the nation's key hay-producing areas has decimated the supply. Read More »

The learning experiences that 4-H provides have been given a boost through the reorganization of SDSU Extension. Read More »