Locally sourced, collaborative reporting from and for rural America.
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Illustration by Mark Harris
Food and Environment Reporting Network
Zach Lahn Is MAHA’s Great Farm Country Hope. Is He the Populist Hero He Claims to Be?
He’s running for Iowa governor on promises to bust up Big Ag. But some farmers are questioning his authenticity.
LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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They wanted to restore wild oyster reefs to the Maine coast. Could it be done?
A team in Phippsburg has been working for nearly a decade to get wild oysters to regenerate in Maine’s cold, turbulent waters.
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School districts struggle to sell bond measures
Failed votes raise questions about 60% supermajority and voting rules.
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The Hollowing of the Appalachian Press, from Pittsburgh to Birmingham
What happens when newspapers shutter in the most isolated communities in the country?
RNN Highlights
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Rachel Livinal for The Merced FOCUS
Young Brains, Huge Stakes: How transitional kindergarten is shaping San Joaquin Valley’s youth
As California expands transitional kindergarten statewide, this four-part series examines whether San Joaquin Valley schools can meet the needs of young learners.
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Courtesy of U.S. Senate
Cardinal News 250: Virginia’s stories. A nation’s birth.
The project spotlights Virginia’s overlooked contributions to America’s march to independence ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary, or semiquincentennial.
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Gordon Hodges for Door County Knock
Locked Out: Door County’s affordable housing shortage
An in-depth series on Door County’s affordable housing shortage, examining its causes, shrinking availability and the roadblocks to building more.
MORE NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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It’s a make-or-break year for Hood River’s pear farmers
August 18, 2026
After a dismal 2025 season, the pears being picked right now could mean the difference between solvency and bankruptcy.
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The Secret Documents: Attorneys Unveil Insurance Scheme
August 17, 2026
Newly uncovered documents shed light on how insurers and their attorneys worked to limit payouts to people seeking help after devastating injuries.
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Automated license plate readers Flock to western Massachusetts
August 17, 2026
At least 15 police departments in the Connecticut River Valley have used the company Flock Safety’s controversial surveillance tech, records show. But it’s not the only company selling them to local police.
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Early voting in Wyoming’s primary election trails historic 2022 contest, clerks say
August 17, 2026
Some officials reported voters frustrated by election rule changes. Monday marks the last day for early voting before Wyoming’s primary, when voters will decide on a slew of high-profile open seats.
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Slow math: Kids may learn more when AI makes them review mistakes
August 17, 2026
A randomized experiment involved more than 6,000 Tennessee middle school students learning fractions.
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Colorado Was Threatened with Federal Agency Budget Cuts If Peters Wasn’t Freed
August 15, 2026
White House summoned agencies to Colorado-focused meeting amid demands for Tina Peters’ release.
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Halting the loss of farmland in Western NC
August 14, 2026
Henderson is largest farming county in Western NC, but like other areas has been rapidly losing farmland. Some hope to reverse that.
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Does your dog make you safer in bear country?
August 13, 2026
What new analysis of more than 300 bear encounters shows about the notion of dogs as early bear alarms or deterrents.
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Why Orange has Virginia’s shortest mayoral term — and why that may change
August 13, 2026
Residents of the Town of Orange will have the opportunity to weigh in on whether the term lengths of mayor and vice mayor should be changed to two years, which was their duration prior to 2010.