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  31. <title>Big Ideas in Small-Town Makerspaces</title>
  32. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/big-ideas-in-small-town-makerspaces/2025/10/27/</link>
  33. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/big-ideas-in-small-town-makerspaces/2025/10/27/#respond</comments>
  35. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Caroline Tremblay]]></dc:creator>
  36. <pubDate>Mon, 27 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  37. <category><![CDATA[Community & Economic Development]]></category>
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  40. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C570&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C972&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1500&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250821_101722-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  41. <p>Once considered the domain of urban tech hubs and university labs, makerspaces have quietly found fertile ground in rural communities. These collaborative spaces are reshaping how rural residents learn, create, and even launch businesses. The idea itself isn’t new. The first recorded makerspace dedicated to sharing resources and education with everyday people dates back to [&#8230;]</p>
  42. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/big-ideas-in-small-town-makerspaces/2025/10/27/">Big Ideas in Small-Town Makerspaces</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
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  45. <p>Once considered the domain of urban tech hubs and university labs, makerspaces have quietly found fertile ground in rural communities. These collaborative spaces are reshaping how rural residents learn, create, and even launch businesses.</p>
  46.  
  47.  
  48.  
  49. <p>The idea itself isn’t new. The first recorded makerspace dedicated to sharing resources and education with everyday people dates back to 1821 at the Mechanics Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland. Since then, universities, businesses, and community organizations have experimented with ways to make tools, knowledge, and skills more widely accessible.&nbsp;</p>
  50.  
  51.  
  52.  
  53. <p>In 2011, the concept entered U.S. public libraries when the Fayetteville Free Library in New York became the first to offer a makerspace. Libraries, always evolving to meet local needs, have proven natural incubators for the movement. Beyond borrowing books, today’s rural patrons often check out hiking poles or fishing gear, attend after-school programs, or learn new skills in community workshops.&nbsp;</p>
  54.  
  55.  
  56.  
  57. <p>In Ignacio, Colorado, it all started with a modest experiment called “Maker Mondays.” The gatherings brought neighbors together around simple craft projects, which drew the attention of Ron Schermacher, a new staff member with a lifelong love of tinkering. “I’ve had a shop since 7th grade, and as I like to joke, half my name is ‘maker,’” he said. His research into makerspaces sparked an idea: Why not bring one to Ignacio? Soon, the Ignacio Community Library became the first in the region to offer a 3D printer to the public.</p>
  58.  
  59.  
  60.  
  61. <p>“As Ignacio is a small, ethnically diverse community, we wanted our citizens to have the same opportunities available to people in larger towns and cities,” Schermacher said. Curiosity and opportunity fueled growth, and the library committed to a permanent makerspace known as the IdeaLab.</p>
  62.  
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  64.  
  65. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="585" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812.jpg?resize=780%2C585&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233517" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C972&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C570&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1500&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20230824_165812-1296x972.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Patrons at the Ignacio Community Library in Colorado explore the IDEA LAB makerspace, where they can access free tools to pursue personal projects and learn new skills. (Photo courtesy of Ignacio Community Library)</figcaption></figure>
  66.  
  67.  
  68.  
  69. <p>Today, the <a href="https://www.ignaciolibrary.org/the-idea-lab/">IdeaLab</a> serves both experimenters and entrepreneurs. Adults often test out equipment before investing in their own tools, while youth take on team projects. One recent highlight included makers ages 9 to 13 building a working pumped-storage hydro model. Their public demonstration sparked serious conversations about how alternative energy might power the local community.</p>
  70.  
  71.  
  72.  
  73. <p>Schermacher also shared how one young man, a regular visitor in the makerspace’s earliest days, returned last summer to announce his acceptance into Texas A&amp;M’s engineering program. The student credited the library’s influence for helping set him on that path.</p>
  74.  
  75.  
  76.  
  77. <p>“The benefits of coming together around shared tools and knowledge for the youth who attend makerspace classes includes finding people with similar interests and forming friendships,” Schermacher said.&nbsp;</p>
  78.  
  79.  
  80.  
  81. <p>And for adults, the benefits are similar—building community, sharing skills that have taken years to acquire, and finding new hobbies they may not have had time or resources to pursue when they were younger.&nbsp;</p>
  82.  
  83.  
  84.  
  85. <p>“Everyone becomes more confident in navigating the complexities of this modern world knowing there are places where people meet to create, share experiences, and make positive outcomes,” Schermacher said.</p>
  86.  
  87.  
  88.  
  89. <p>Alongside the IdeaLab, Ignacio now hosts an internationally connected Repair Café, where neighbors fix and reuse items rather than discarding them. Schermacher hopes even more residents will take advantage of what he calls “a remarkable makerspace for a community this size.”</p>
  90.  
  91.  
  92.  
  93. <p>What’s happening in Ignacio reflects a larger rural trend. Hundreds of miles away in Nebraska, a makerspace supported by the <a href="https://www.cfra.org/">Center for Rural Affairs</a> is making its mark. Angelina Magerl, a Native Communities Associate with the Center, oversees the space in Walthill, near the heart of the Omaha Reservation.&nbsp;</p>
  94.  
  95.  
  96.  
  97. <p>“We have a lot of talented people in our community. I would love to see them not just using the makerspace but growing from it,” she said.</p>
  98.  
  99.  
  100.  
  101. <p>The space wasn’t always so accessible. Originally housed at Nebraska Indian Community College in Macy, the equipment was stored in a closet and had to be hauled out for each use. Everything changed when an old counseling office became available in Walthill, 12 miles away. “In our area, space is very, very limited,” Magerl explained. So gaining this new one has been a game-changer.</p>
  102.  
  103.  
  104.  
  105. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="587" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1.jpg?resize=780%2C587&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233518" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C976&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C572&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C578&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1157&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1542&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C301&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C904&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C771&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1506&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C587&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C532&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/PXL_20250708_233152348-1-1296x976.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Located on the Omaha Reservation, the Walthill Makerspace offers free access to equipment and training that honor traditional skills while embracing innovation. (Photo courtesy of the Center for Rural Affairs)</figcaption></figure>
  106.  
  107.  
  108.  
  109. <p>The facility now boasts eight sewing machines, from embroidery to quilting setups, along with a glow forge, 3D and sublimation printers, and even a freeze dryer for locals to process their harvests. It has room for workshops, meetings, and nutrition demonstrations, making it a true community hub.</p>
  110.  
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  112. <div class="wp-block-image">
  113. <figure class="alignleft size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="1040" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061.jpg?resize=780%2C1040&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233521" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=972%2C1296&amp;ssl=1 972w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=570%2C760&amp;ssl=1 570w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C2667&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C1040&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C533&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C941&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250917_181554061-972x1296.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Located on the Omaha Reservation, the Walthill Makerspace offers free access to equipment and training that honor traditional skills while embracing innovation. (Photo courtesy of the Center for Rural Affairs)</figcaption></figure></div>
  114.  
  115.  
  116. <p>That matters in a region where housing is tight and families often live in shared, multi-generational homes. For most people, it’s uncommon to have room for crafts, hobbies, or even the beginnings of a small business within their residence. “Having space for people to come and work on things like marketing tools or new products makes a big difference,” Magerl said.</p>
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  118.  
  119.  
  120. <p>Workshops at the makerspace often center on Native traditions. In preparation for the annual Sun Dance Ceremony, classes have included making dresses, shawls, and bandolier bags, while upcoming sessions will turn to bone beads, shells, and leatherwork. Local business owners and artisans frequently serve as instructors, which not only strengthens trust but also highlights the expertise already present within the community.</p>
  121.  
  122.  
  123.  
  124. <p>However, navigating tribal differences can be delicate. The makerspace sits on Omaha land, while Magerl herself is Winnebago. Some participants hesitate to learn designs or colors tied to another tribe’s traditions. But increasingly, young people have mixed heritage, and inviting a diverse roster of teachers helps bridge divides.</p>
  125.  
  126.  
  127.  
  128. <p>Magerl also sees potential for economic ripple effects in a county where poverty looms large. “We can help with a business plan and even lending services,” she said. “It’s about getting people to see the value in their own ideas and how they can benefit the community.”</p>
  129.  
  130.  
  131.  
  132. <p>From Colorado to Nebraska, makerspaces are proving how adaptive rural communities are and the many ways sharing skills and resources fit local needs. These spaces serve as launchpads for creativity and stand as reminders of abundance: ideas, insights, and neighbors ready to share them.</p>
  133.  
  134.  
  135.  
  136. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  137. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/big-ideas-in-small-town-makerspaces/2025/10/27/">Big Ideas in Small-Town Makerspaces</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  138. ]]></content:encoded>
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  145. <item>
  146. <title>Commentary: America’s Public Lands Are the Common Ground Where We Come Together</title>
  147. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/commentary-americas-public-lands-are-the-common-ground-where-we-come-together/2025/10/24/</link>
  148. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/commentary-americas-public-lands-are-the-common-ground-where-we-come-together/2025/10/24/#respond</comments>
  150. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Anne Vilen]]></dc:creator>
  151. <pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  152. <category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
  153. <category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category>
  154. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233499</guid>
  155.  
  156. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C570&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C972&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1500&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  157. <p>I drove more than 7000 miles this summer, from North Carolina to Montana and back, through vast swathes of rural America, tent camping most nights in state or national parks.&#160; This is what I learned: Americans from every zipcode, walk of life, and political persuasion love their public lands.&#160; We don’t want to sell them, [&#8230;]</p>
  158. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/commentary-americas-public-lands-are-the-common-ground-where-we-come-together/2025/10/24/">Commentary: America’s Public Lands Are the Common Ground Where We Come Together</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  159. ]]></description>
  160. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C570&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C972&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1500&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sentinel-Meadows-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  161. <p>I drove more than 7000 miles this summer, from North Carolina to Montana and back, through vast swathes of rural America, tent camping most nights in state or national parks.&nbsp;</p>
  162.  
  163.  
  164.  
  165. <p>This is what I learned: Americans from every zipcode, walk of life, and political persuasion love their public lands.&nbsp;</p>
  166.  
  167.  
  168.  
  169. <p><a href="https://www.tpl.org/media-room/vast-majority-of-americans-oppose-selling-or-closing-public-lands-new-poll-and-report-reveal">We don’t want to sell them</a>, develop them, or monetize them. In fact, spending time in these co-owned spaces—literally, our common ground—is a great way to build a shared understanding of America’s diversity, strength, and resilience.</p>
  170.  
  171.  
  172.  
  173. <p>Early in my journey, I spent two nights at <a href="https://www.mostateparks.com/park/cuivre-river-state-park">Cuivre River State Park</a>, a wild tract of woods and water outside of St. Louis, Missouri. It was hot as a frog in a frying pan that afternoon, but the four twenty-somethings who pulled into the campsite next to mine were undeterred. They leapt out of their old Camry, lit up some weed, swore loudly and casually at their janky tent, and started scouring the campground for firewood.&nbsp;</p>
  174.  
  175.  
  176.  
  177. <p>So much for tranquility, I thought.&nbsp;</p>
  178.  
  179.  
  180.  
  181. <p>Then I remembered how my Dad always reached out to make good neighbors across rising fences—even in a campground. I walked over and offered the boys all of my remaining firewood.&nbsp;</p>
  182.  
  183.  
  184.  
  185. <p>Surprised by the gesture of goodwill from a solo woman easily the age of their grandmothers, they ma’amed me multiple times, explained that they were celebrating someone’s 21st birthday, and apologized for being rowdy. We parted as the katydids started sawing loudly in the dark trees overhead. The next morning, as I poured my first cup of coffee, one of the boys came over and gave me a box of energy bars. “We gotta head into work,” he said. “But thanks for the wood.” It was a peaceful outing after all – for all of us.</p>
  186.  
  187.  
  188.  
  189. <p>A thousand miles and five states later, I ventured into Sentinel Meadows, on the edge of Yellowstone National Park’s famous geyser basin. Alone, I followed the winding trail beside a rippling creek and then through oatgrass and sedges into a broad expanse of field powdered with the white silica-rich deposits of active steam vents. Far away, near what looked like smoke circles rising from the earth, I was surprised and curious to see an army of little green men!</p>
  190.  
  191.  
  192.  
  193. <p>When I got closer, I learned that the people in neon vests were a group of biochemists from Arizona State University, permitted by the National Park Service to study what lives in the soils around geyser basins. “Why should we care about that?” I asked one young graduate student.&nbsp;</p>
  194.  
  195.  
  196.  
  197. <p>“We want to understand the relationships between the organisms and the water in what seems like an inhospitable ecosystem. Some bacteria thrive in hot water, others live without light. That can help us understand the conditions where life is possible even on other worlds.”</p>
  198.  
  199.  
  200.  
  201. <p>A trail’s turn after I left the scientists, a shaggy coyote burst out of the pines about 30 yards in front of me. We both lurched backward, jaws dropping. For a split second, before she bolted back into the trees, we stared at each other. And in the golden marbles of her eyes, I imagined another world–not human, but sentient and thriving.</p>
  202.  
  203.  
  204.  
  205. <p>At <a href="https://www.nps.gov/deto/index.htm">Devil’s Tower National Monument</a> in Wyoming, I had a different multicultural experience. I arrived nearly at daybreak and circumnavigated the tower on foot before other visitors arrived. Serenaded by bird song and the hush of wind through junipers, I photographed the stone edifice behind fluttering prayer flags, honoring an ancient sacred place.</p>
  206.  
  207.  
  208. <div class="wp-block-image">
  209. <figure class="alignleft size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="1040" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower.jpg?resize=780%2C1040&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233540" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=972%2C1296&amp;ssl=1 972w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=570%2C760&amp;ssl=1 570w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C2667&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C1040&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C533&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C941&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Prayer-flags-at-Devils-Tower-972x1296.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Prayer flags at Devil&#8217;s Tower National Monument in Wyoming. (Photo by Anne Vilen / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></div>
  210.  
  211.  
  212. <p>Back at the visitor’s center by mid-morning, hundreds of motorcycles were roaring into the parking lot, en route to the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Bearded, leathered, and lathered with sweat, they too were enjoying their public lands. To ensure that the bikers, as well as families, a bus load of French tourists, park staff, and other visitors stayed safe, a gang of Christian Cyclists was directing traffic.&nbsp; “This is our public service,” one burly tattooed woman told me. “Have a blessed day.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  213.  
  214.  
  215.  
  216. <p>Road weary in week four of my journey, I pulled into a public rest area outside of Chamberlain, South Dakota, where I was greeted by yet another sacred symbol on public lands. <a href="https://nativepartnership.org/dignity-of-earth-and-sky/#:~:text=Dignity%20of%20Earth%20and%20Sky%2C%20often%20called%20%E2%80%9CDignity%2C%E2%80%9D,captures%20this%20powerful%20moment%20beautifully.">The Dignity of Earth and Sky Statue</a> is a 50-foot-tall, stainless steel rendering of a Lakota woman wrapped in a traditional star quilt. The artist, Dale Cloude Lamphere, I read on the inscription, sculpted this tribute to native women in the hope that “Dignity will . . . encourage all of us to embrace our similarities and celebrate our differences.”</p>
  217.  
  218.  
  219.  
  220. <p>Just down the road, in a public park beside the Missouri River, I saw that hope in action.&nbsp; I shared a walking path with Donna Kocer, a Chamberlain retiree, who volunteers her mornings to pick up trash from the riverbank and beautify the park.&nbsp; “Aren’t there park staff whose job that is?” I asked her.&nbsp; “Maybe,” she said. “But it’s a public park, and I’m the public. I feel responsible for keeping it clean because it’s mine.”</p>
  221.  
  222.  
  223.  
  224. <p>We walked a while together, gabbing about how there’s a lovely surprise around every turn in South Dakota, a state most people prefer to fly over. And then we stopped to watch a group of Amish women in gingham bonnets, long skirts, and sneakers playing volleyball next to the pavilion, with the wide Missouri rolling along behind them.</p>
  225.  
  226.  
  227.  
  228. <p>After Minneapolis, Madison, and Chicago, I took a wrong turn and impulsively followed a sign to Indiana Dunes National Park–a tiny, vestigial spit of sand and marsh clinging to the edge of Lake Michigan between Gary and Michigan City. I walked out to the shore where a Spanish-speaking family was enjoying a picnic of empanadas and rootbeer on the sand. A few miles down the beach to my left, the massive smoke stacks of U.S. Steel’s midwestern plant belched gray clouds. To my right, the cooling tower of the city power plant rose behind hundreds of rail containers. <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/n6i9wr/portion_of_each_state_that_is_federal_land/#lightbox">Just two percent of Indiana lands are public</a>. If it’s up to <a href="https://www.lcv.org/attacks-on-public-lands-and-waters/">some in Congress, that fraction too will be privatized, industrialized, and monetized</a>.</p>
  229.  
  230.  
  231.  
  232. <p>The story of public lands in America is the story of opposing appetites. One hungers for beauty, solitude, and adventure. The other craves conquest, power, and progress. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mike-lee-preemptively-drops-big-beautiful-bill-provision-sell-federal-lands-riled-gop-colleagues">Republican senators</a> (and their constituents) objected loudly and successfully to remove a provision from the recently passed Big Beautiful Bill that would have mandated the sale of federal lands.&nbsp;</p>
  233.  
  234.  
  235.  
  236. <p>However, Trump&#8217;s<a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/06/11/nx-s1-5430270/justice-department-says-trump-can-cancel-national-monuments-that-protect-landscapes"> Justice Department</a>, going against previous legal determinations,&nbsp; believes the President has the right to abolish national monuments (like Devil’s Tower) without congressional approval.&nbsp;</p>
  237.  
  238.  
  239.  
  240. <p>Another recent action eliminates the <a href="https://wyofile.com/trumps-ag-boss-is-cutting-3-3m-roadless-acres-from-9-national-forests-in-wyoming/https://defenders.org/newsroom/usda-moves-repeal-roadless-rule-reigniting-fight-public-lands">Roadless Rule</a>, opening up millions of pristine acres where wildlife and endangered species thrive without habitat disruption from logging, mining, and other development.</p>
  241.  
  242.  
  243.  
  244. <p>And finally, a recent effort to revoke the <a href="https://www.npca.org/articles/10640-blm-moves-to-roll-back-public-lands-rule-threatening-national-parks-and">Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule </a>devalues the work of conservation scientists, like those I met in Sentinel Meadows, so that uses that monetize natural resources, like mining, logging, and recreation, take precedence on public lands.</p>
  245.  
  246.  
  247.  
  248. <p>In Kentucky, paddling up Clifty Creek through the Daniel Boone National Forest, I thought about what these incursions into public lands would bring. I watched a wood duck shyly hide itself against the riverbank, behind the veil of a lacy waterfall. Then, turning downriver to take in the sun-bright bluffs arching over cool green water, I spotted a fisherman in another kayak, the first human I’d seen that day. </p>
  249.  
  250.  
  251. <div class="wp-block-image">
  252. <figure class="alignright size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="1040" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky.jpg?resize=780%2C1040&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233539" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=972%2C1296&amp;ssl=1 972w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=570%2C760&amp;ssl=1 570w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C2667&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C1040&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C533&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C941&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-grotto-Kentucky-972x1296.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A grotto in the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky. (Photo by Anne Vilen / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></div>
  253.  
  254.  
  255. <p>“It&#8217;s a beautiful day out here,” I offered in greeting.</p>
  256.  
  257.  
  258.  
  259. <p>“Isn’t every day a beautiful day out here?” he responded, tipping his paddle at our surroundings.</p>
  260.  
  261.  
  262.  
  263. <p>Suddenly, we both startled as a bald eagle, a species <a href="https://www.fws.gov/species/bald-eagle-haliaeetus-leucocephalus">brought back from the brink of extinction</a> by 20th-century conservation efforts, strafed the river and soared into the tree above our heads. The fisherman and I watched in silent awe, and then I whispered the only answer that made sense. “Yes.”</p>
  264.  
  265.  
  266.  
  267. <p>The House Committee on Natural Resources recently convened at Jenny Lake, a popular lodge in Grand Tetons National Park, ostensibly to support park funding, while elsewhere, government officials are busy carving up the pie of public lands that belong to you and me.&nbsp;</p>
  268.  
  269.  
  270.  
  271. <p>The Persian poet Rumi wrote, “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I&#8217;ll meet you there.&#8221; That field – dense with wildflowers and native grasses and buzzing insects, alive with birds and mice and maybe a hunting fox – is where I’d like to take our government decision makers. Up the trail into the mountains, alongside ordinary Americans who’ve come to hike or investigate or pray or celebrate a birthday or fish or just ride their motorcycles through our extraordinary public lands, they too might be inspired to be curious about “the other” people and creatures that inhabit our wild spaces.&nbsp;</p>
  272.  
  273.  
  274.  
  275. <p>And that curiosity is the seed from which understanding and unity grow.</p>
  276.  
  277.  
  278.  
  279. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  280. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/commentary-americas-public-lands-are-the-common-ground-where-we-come-together/2025/10/24/">Commentary: America’s Public Lands Are the Common Ground Where We Come Together</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  281. ]]></content:encoded>
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  287. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">233499</post-id> </item>
  288. <item>
  289. <title>Q&#038;A: Fifty Years of Gay Rodeo</title>
  290. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/qa-fifty-years-of-gay-rodeo/2025/10/24/</link>
  291. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/qa-fifty-years-of-gay-rodeo/2025/10/24/#respond</comments>
  293. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Anya Petrone Slepyan]]></dc:creator>
  294. <pubDate>Fri, 24 Oct 2025 09:59:00 +0000</pubDate>
  295. <category><![CDATA[Arts & Culture]]></category>
  296. <category><![CDATA[Path Finders]]></category>
  297. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=234063</guid>
  298.  
  299. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="576" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?w=1795&amp;ssl=1 1795w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=760%2C428&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=1296%2C729&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=780%2C439&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=706%2C397&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  300. <p>Editor’s Note: This interview first appeared in Path Finders, an email newsletter from the Daily Yonder. Each week, Path Finders features a Q&#38;A with a rural thinker, creator, or doer. Like what you see here? You can join the mailing list at the bottom of this article and receive more conversations like this in your inbox each week. [&#8230;]</p>
  301. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/qa-fifty-years-of-gay-rodeo/2025/10/24/">Q&amp;A: Fifty Years of Gay Rodeo</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  302. ]]></description>
  303. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="576" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?w=1795&amp;ssl=1 1795w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=760%2C428&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=1296%2C729&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=780%2C439&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?resize=706%2C397&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-8.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  304. <p><em>Editor’s Note: This interview first appeared in <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/path-finders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Path Finders</a>, an email newsletter from the Daily Yonder. Each week, Path Finders features a Q&amp;A with a rural thinker, creator, or doer. Like what you see here? You can <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/qa-appalachian-potter-josh-copus-has-mud-in-the-blood/2025/06/20/#signup">join the mailing list at the bottom of this article</a> and receive more conversations like this in your inbox each week.</em></p>
  305.  
  306.  
  307.  
  308. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  309.  
  310.  
  311.  
  312. <p>In 1976, around 250 people attended the first gay rodeo in Reno, Nevada. Earlier this month, the <a href="https://ruralstrategies.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5948dd7450246f5ab572f8478&amp;id=befe8387d3&amp;e=8617222331" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Gay Rodeo Association</a> (IGRA) and thousands of spectators returned to Reno to celebrate 50 years of gay rodeo. To learn more about this history, I spoke with Dr. Nicholas Villanueva Jr., a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder and author of <a href="https://ruralstrategies.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5948dd7450246f5ab572f8478&amp;id=cbcf5698d3&amp;e=8617222331" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Rainbow Cattle Co.: Liberation, Inclusion, and the History of Gay Rodeo</em></a><em>.</em></p>
  313.  
  314.  
  315.  
  316. <p>Enjoy our conversation about gay rodeo’s historical and cultural significance, and the paradoxes it represents, below.</p>
  317.  
  318.  
  319.  
  320. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  321.  
  322.  
  323.  
  324. <p><strong>The Daily Yonder: Tell me a bit about gay rodeo. What events are there, and how is it different from mainstream rodeo?</strong></p>
  325.  
  326.  
  327.  
  328. <p><strong>Dr. Nicholas Villanueva Jr.: </strong>You have rough stock events, like bull riding and shoot dogging, where you wrestle a steer. You also have speed and rope events, like barrel racing and pole bending. And then the third identifiable category, which sets us apart somewhat from mainstream rodeo, is camp events. For example, we have one called Wild Drag race, and it’s a three-person event with a man, a woman, and a person dressed in drag. The man and the woman get the steer in position across the distance line, and then the person in drag has to ride the steer. And if you want to win All-around Cowboy or All-around Cowgirl, you have to compete [in a camp event].</p>
  329.  
  330.  
  331.  
  332. <p>The other thing that I would say really separates us from mainstream rodeo is that men and women compete in all of the same events, with the same rules. In mainstream rodeo, events like barrel racing are traditionally just for women, but in gay rodeo there’s nothing gendered about the competition other than separating men and women for individual awards. We all compete together.</p>
  333.  
  334.  
  335.  
  336. <p>We also have Rodeo Royalty. There’s Miss IGRA, who is a drag queen, and MsTer IGRA, who is a drag king, or a woman dressing as a man. There’s also Ms. IGRA who is a rodeo woman competing as a woman, and Mr. IGRA, who is a rodeo man competing as a man. And they’re asked questions like what they do for [charitable] fundraising and what they do for the betterment of Western culture.</p>
  337.  
  338.  
  339.  
  340. <p><strong>DY: Historically, what role has gay rodeo played in the queer community?</strong></p>
  341.  
  342.  
  343.  
  344. <p><strong>NV:</strong> Gay rodeo really initiated gay pride events for many LGBTQ+ organizations across the country. For example, in Little Rock, Arkansas, they had a rodeo – it’s called the Diamond State Gay Rodeo – years before there was an official Little Rock Gay Pride. And it also functions as the gay pride event of the American West. In big cities like New York these events were part of the gay liberation movement that came out of the Stonewall Riots in 1969. But in many parts of rural America, [gay rodeo] was the only type of pride festival.</p>
  345.  
  346.  
  347.  
  348. <p>The Rodeo Association took on another role in the 1980s, as the AIDS crisis really decimated gay male social communities. This is when the federal government turned its back on funding for research, when some gay men were losing their jobs or ostracized from their families or even had to leave their towns. There are stories of the Rodeo Royalty raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to support AIDS-related charities. For example, my friend Tony Valdez, who competes in royalty under the name Chili Pepper, used proceeds from royalty competitions to help start a place called the Revlon Apartments in Dallas, Texas, and paid for people impacted by AIDS to have a place to live.</p>
  349.  
  350.  
  351.  
  352. <p><strong>DY: In your book, you write about masculinity and a paradox that presents itself in gay rodeo. Can you tell me more about that?</strong></p>
  353.  
  354.  
  355.  
  356. <p><strong>NV: </strong>There’re several layers to this paradox. One of them is that [gay rodeo] is supposed to be liberation from the heteronormative rules of sports and rodeo culture. So this means the breaking of stereotypes, not just for gay men but also for women competing in some of these more aggressive, dangerous sports. The contradiction is that by breaking down those stereotypes [of gay men as effeminate], you also see gay men conforming to the ideals of what it means to be heterosexual, male, and masculine. And so my question is, does gay rodeo conform to these traditional rules? Or is it liberating from the rules that deny [LGBTQ+ people] entry to the social world of sport?</p>
  357.  
  358.  
  359. <div class="wp-block-image">
  360. <figure class="alignright size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="596" height="894" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-9.jpg?resize=596%2C894&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-234064" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-9.jpg?w=596&amp;ssl=1 596w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-9.jpg?resize=507%2C760&amp;ssl=1 507w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-9.jpg?resize=400%2C600&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/unnamed-9.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 596px) 100vw, 596px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Nicholas Villanueva’s latest book is ‘Rainbow Cattle Co.: Liberation, Inclusion, and the History of Gay Rodeo.’ It tells the story of the creation of the first gay rodeo, and the following half-century of queer rodeo culture. (Photo courtesy of Nicholas Villanueva Jr.)</figcaption></figure></div>
  361.  
  362.  
  363. <p><strong>DY: At the Daily Yonder, we talk a lot about the diversity of different queer identities across the country. Where does gay rodeo fit in?</strong></p>
  364.  
  365.  
  366.  
  367. <p><strong>NV: </strong>Many members of IGRA do identify with their rural American or Western American roots, as far as being Christian, growing up in conservative communities and identifying that way. Some of them may be seen by the far left or liberals as contradictory to a marginalized group’s efforts for inclusion, and I argue that you can&#8217;t satisfy everyone within the marginalized group. You know, there&#8217;s no way to have complete unity. Someone can identify with the LGBTQ+ community, like myself, but yet, I own guns, and I was in the army. Does that mean I can&#8217;t identify with the left or liberals? No, it just means that I don&#8217;t often fall into every category. And I think that&#8217;s sometimes what creates, within the larger LGBTQ+ community, an absence of gay rodeo history.</p>
  368.  
  369.  
  370.  
  371. <p><strong>DY: You and your husband both participate in gay rodeo. What has it meant to you over the years?</strong></p>
  372.  
  373.  
  374.  
  375. <p><strong>NV: </strong>My interest in gay rodeo has a long history. I grew up in rural Indiana, and I enjoyed rural country life, enjoyed horses and the outdoors in farm country. When I was 21 years old I was bartending at an LGBTQ+ establishment, and I saw a sign for the International Gay Rodeo Association in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a gay man who identifies with Western culture and rural life, I was really hooked from that point on. I’ve competed in every category except for horse events – not that I was good at any of those, but I attempted them.</p>
  376.  
  377.  
  378.  
  379. <p>For me, it’s meant a sense of community and really belonging to something later in life. These friends are all around North America, and we see each other during rodeo season at least once a month but we’re texting each other every day.</p>
  380.  
  381.  
  382.  
  383. <p>I didn&#8217;t need it for fulfilling any identity. When I first found gay rodeo I was already out of the closet. But I’ve also interviewed people who have said that it helps them come out to family and friends back in their smaller towns and communities. And so it has meant many different things for many different people.</p>
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  400. <p>This interview first appeared in <strong>Path Finders</strong>, a weekly email newsletter from the Daily Yonder. Each Monday, Path Finders features a Q&amp;A with a rural thinker, creator, or doer. Join the mailing list today, to have these illuminating conversations delivered straight to your inbox. </p>
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  438. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/qa-fifty-years-of-gay-rodeo/2025/10/24/">Q&amp;A: Fifty Years of Gay Rodeo</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  439. ]]></content:encoded>
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  445. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">234063</post-id> </item>
  446. <item>
  447. <title>Reclaiming Local Future Through the Trades</title>
  448. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/reclaiming-local-future-through-the-trades/2025/10/23/</link>
  449. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/reclaiming-local-future-through-the-trades/2025/10/23/#respond</comments>
  451. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Caroline Tremblay]]></dc:creator>
  452. <pubDate>Thu, 23 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  453. <category><![CDATA[Community & Economic Development]]></category>
  454. <category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
  455. <category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
  456. <category><![CDATA[Rural Life]]></category>
  457. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233506</guid>
  458.  
  459. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  460. <p>In rural communities across the country, stacked challenges like housing costs, childcare gaps, and limited transit keep people on the sidelines of employment. And the trades feel it deeply.&#160; Industry analysts estimate the U.S. construction sector alone faces a gap of roughly half a million workers. But Cassidy Riley of Coalfield Development in West Virginia [&#8230;]</p>
  461. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/reclaiming-local-future-through-the-trades/2025/10/23/">Reclaiming Local Future Through the Trades</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  462. ]]></description>
  463. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_4431-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  464. <p>In rural communities across the country, stacked challenges like housing costs, childcare gaps, and limited transit keep people on the sidelines of employment. And the trades feel it deeply.&nbsp;</p>
  465.  
  466.  
  467.  
  468. <p><a href="https://www.constructiondive.com/news/round-table-do-people-not-want-to-work-construction-anymore/636271/">Industry analysts</a> estimate the U.S. construction sector alone faces a gap of roughly half a million workers. But Cassidy Riley of <a href="https://coalfield-development.org/">Coalfield Development</a> in West Virginia said, “Compounding barriers do not mean that rural places need pity. We do need resources, effort, and solidarity.”</p>
  469.  
  470.  
  471.  
  472. <p>That requires developing programs and pipelines that help people see a future for themselves in vital industries. “When you empower people to overcome barriers, the sky becomes the limit,” Riley said. Her organization is “rebuilding the Appalachian economy from the ground up,” with initiatives ranging from real estate development to creative placemaking and advanced energy opportunities.&nbsp;</p>
  473.  
  474.  
  475.  
  476. <p>Coalfield’s efforts are layered, like the Highwall site in Mingo County, once a mining land that is now a hub for regenerative agriculture. “We are reclaiming a former mountaintop removal site, training people who have barriers to employment so they have the skills needed to be successful at any job, and addressing food access and insecurity in a rural community,” Riley said.&nbsp;</p>
  477.  
  478.  
  479.  
  480. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="522" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/August-22-2024_2023-Vanta-E.-Coda-III-6-1024x685-1.jpg?resize=780%2C522&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233508" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/August-22-2024_2023-Vanta-E.-Coda-III-6-1024x685-1.jpg?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/August-22-2024_2023-Vanta-E.-Coda-III-6-1024x685-1.jpg?resize=760%2C508&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/August-22-2024_2023-Vanta-E.-Coda-III-6-1024x685-1.jpg?resize=768%2C514&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/August-22-2024_2023-Vanta-E.-Coda-III-6-1024x685-1.jpg?resize=780%2C522&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/August-22-2024_2023-Vanta-E.-Coda-III-6-1024x685-1.jpg?resize=400%2C268&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/August-22-2024_2023-Vanta-E.-Coda-III-6-1024x685-1.jpg?resize=706%2C472&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/August-22-2024_2023-Vanta-E.-Coda-III-6-1024x685-1.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lavender grows on reclaimed mine land at Coalfield Development’s Ashford site in Boone County, West Virginia, where the organization is transforming former coal properties into spaces for sustainable agriculture. (Photo by Vanta E. Coda III)</figcaption></figure>
  481.  
  482.  
  483.  
  484. <p>Organizations around the country are building similarly multifaceted approaches to revitalize the trades and their communities at the same time. <a href="https://vtworksforwomen.org/">Vermont Works for Women</a> (VWW) operates in the northeast, promoting economic justice by advancing gender equity and supporting women and youth in their career journeys.&nbsp;</p>
  485.  
  486.  
  487.  
  488. <p>VWW has been around for decades, and Program Manager Robina Moyer said, “Even with that, our work still feels incredibly important.” It begins in middle school with Rosie’s Girls, which offers girls and gender expansive individuals the chance to explore STEAM and the trades. This continues up through high school tech centers and VWW’s program for adults, Trailblazers, with all programs grounded in hands-on learning in an empowering environment.&nbsp;</p>
  489.  
  490.  
  491.  
  492. <p>The Trailblazers program is intentionally embedded in place. Through a partnership with a workforce development non-profit called <a href="https://www.servelearnearn.org/">Serve Learn Earn</a>, trainees build picnic tables and shelving for Boys &amp; Girls Clubs or support projects with Habitat for Humanity. They can also opt into short paid internships with local employers who have completed inclusive workplace training. That lowers real barriers and creates a direct route to jobs that badly need people.</p>
  493.  
  494.  
  495.  
  496. <p>The thread through each of the nuanced programs at both VWW and Coalfield is community, from the experienced tradespeople who teach and mentor to area employers and partners who provide connections, resources, and funding.&nbsp;</p>
  497.  
  498.  
  499.  
  500. <p>While community engagement is key, it doesn’t look the same in every rural place. “When I show up in communities, I check my preconceived notions or ideas of what is possible at the door. Development is not sustainable if the community does not feel a sense of ownership,” Riley said. In her experience, if these efforts are successful, community members feel compelled to pick up the torch and keep things in motion.&nbsp;</p>
  501.  
  502.  
  503.  
  504. <p>One of the only ways for this to happen is with the buy-in and influence of young people. In rural regions where aging populations outpace replacements, the question becomes: Who will be the torchbearers?</p>
  505.  
  506.  
  507.  
  508. <p>“Our biggest export is our young people,” Riley said, referring to the state’s significant rate of youth out-migration. West Virginia isn’t alone in that, but the pattern is predictable: If a place doesn’t offer real chances to build a life, people go elsewhere.&nbsp;</p>
  509.  
  510.  
  511.  
  512. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233511" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Copy-of-IMG_7024-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Participants in Vermont Works for Women programs build hands-on skills and confidence using power tools. (Photo courtesy of Vermont Works for Women)</figcaption></figure>
  513.  
  514.  
  515.  
  516. <p>In response, the state is doubling down on attracting and retaining young people with initiatives like <a href="https://firstascentwv.com/">First Ascent</a>, which provides resources, stipends, and community-building opportunities for young people. “Redefining success by funding things like community, adventure, and amenities is a great place to start,” Riley said.&nbsp;</p>
  517.  
  518.  
  519.  
  520. <p>Vermont is making a similar case. State efforts like <a href="https://thinkvermont.com/">ThinkVermont</a> and a recent worker relocation grant have pulled in new residents, while VWW keeps the pathway visible and viable at home. “Often the change really happens when people see examples of people like them doing the work…or an employer or customer gets to see women in these roles. It lets them reimagine what&#8217;s possible,” Moyer said. Curiosity turns into confidence, and the results generate a lasting tide shift.&nbsp;</p>
  521.  
  522.  
  523.  
  524. <p>To scale that progress, Riley points to strategies like coalition-building, which leads to bigger funding and more coordinated efforts in areas like housing rehab, flood recovery, and clean-energy builds—work that relies on capacity from the trades.&nbsp;</p>
  525.  
  526.  
  527.  
  528. <p>You can see versions of these coalitions in both places: West Virginia’s <a href="https://actnowwv.org/">ACT Now Coalition</a> convenes non-profits, government, higher ed, businesses, and community leaders across 21 counties hit hard by coal’s decline, while the <a href="https://www.vtrural.org/">Vermont Council on Rural Development</a> plays a similar convening role, aligning partners so towns can move community-defined projects from idea to action.&nbsp;</p>
  529.  
  530.  
  531.  
  532. <p>Riley puts it simply: “Find people who are excited about making change in your area, and find an unexpected way to work together. You never know what opportunities will be unlocked with your collective power.” When the work is shared, the trades become more than a career track; they open up options for everyone.</p>
  533.  
  534.  
  535.  
  536. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  537. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/reclaiming-local-future-through-the-trades/2025/10/23/">Reclaiming Local Future Through the Trades</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  538. ]]></content:encoded>
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  541. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  544. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">233506</post-id> </item>
  545. <item>
  546. <title>The Alarming Depopulation of Appalachia&#8217;s Coalfields: A Quarter Century of Projected Decline</title>
  547. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/the-alarming-depopulation-of-appalachias-coalfields-a-quarter-century-of-projected-decline/2025/10/22/</link>
  548. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/the-alarming-depopulation-of-appalachias-coalfields-a-quarter-century-of-projected-decline/2025/10/22/#respond</comments>
  550. <dc:creator><![CDATA[James Branscome]]></dc:creator>
  551. <pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  552. <category><![CDATA[Community & Economic Development]]></category>
  553. <category><![CDATA[Rural Life]]></category>
  554. <category><![CDATA[Data]]></category>
  555. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233821</guid>
  556.  
  557. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="668" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C668&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C496&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C845&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C501&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1002&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1336&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C783&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C668&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1304&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C509&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C261&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C460&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C668&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  558. <p>By 2050, entire counties across Appalachia face the loss of nearly half their populations in what demographers describe as an accelerating demographic collapse unprecedented in American peacetime history. The demographic projections paint a devastating picture for the Appalachian coalfields. According to data from three major state universities, Central Appalachia faces population losses that rival the [&#8230;]</p>
  559. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/the-alarming-depopulation-of-appalachias-coalfields-a-quarter-century-of-projected-decline/2025/10/22/">The Alarming Depopulation of Appalachia&#8217;s Coalfields: A Quarter Century of Projected Decline</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  560. ]]></description>
  561. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="668" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C668&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C496&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C845&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C501&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1002&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1336&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C783&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C668&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1304&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C509&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C261&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C460&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/lede-art-_AP751812655410-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C668&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  562. <p>By 2050, entire counties across Appalachia face the loss of nearly half their populations in what demographers describe as an accelerating demographic collapse unprecedented in American peacetime history.</p>
  563.  
  564.  
  565.  
  566. <p>The demographic projections paint a devastating picture for the Appalachian coalfields. According to data from three major state universities, Central Appalachia faces population losses that rival the depopulation seen in war-torn regions or economic catastrophes abroad.</p>
  567.  
  568.  
  569.  
  570. <p>In Virginia&#8217;s coalfields, the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia projects staggering declines by 2050, according to Hamilton Lombard, the estimates program manager with the Cooper Center&#8217;s Demographics Research Group. Buchanan County, Virginia, once home to nearly 38,000 residents at its 1980 peak, is expected to lose 48% of its population over the next 25 years, according to<a href="https://cardinalnews.org/2025/08/12/some-localities-in-southwest-and-southside-will-lose-more-than-30-of-their-population-over-next-25-years/"> Cardinal News editor Dwayne Yancey</a>. Neighboring counties face similarly dire projections.&nbsp;</p>
  571.  
  572.  
  573.  
  574. <p>These aren’t just statistics—they mark the potential disappearance of entire communities within a single generation.</p>
  575.  
  576.  
  577.  
  578. <p>Kentucky&#8217;s coalfields tell an equally troubling story. Reports from the University of Kentucky show that Harlan County is projected to lose nearly 45% of its people by 2050. <a href="https://kybtn.ca.uky.edu/node/11">Breathitt County</a>, where Vice President JD Vance traces his roots, faces a 39% decline, meanwhile.&nbsp; The pattern extends across both coal and non-coal counties throughout Eastern Kentucky.&nbsp;</p>
  579.  
  580.  
  581.  
  582. <iframe title="Projected Population Decline by 2050 in Eastern Kentucky" aria-label="Column Chart" id="datawrapper-chart-HEiOm" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/HEiOm/3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="429" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script>
  583.  
  584.  
  585.  
  586. <p>West Virginia&#8217;s southern coalfields face equally severe losses. Projections from <a href="https://business.wvu.edu/files/d/73f29801-fb12-40d4-b8d0-5802a29742be/wvsummary_2022.pdf">West Virginia University&#8217;s Bureau of Business &amp; Economic Research</a> show McDowell County on track to nearly a third of its people by 2040.&nbsp; Even in Kanawha County, where Charleston is the county seat, population is expected to decline by 7% in 2040.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  587.  
  588.  
  589.  
  590. <iframe title="Projected Population Decline by 2040 in West Virginia's Coal Counties" aria-label="Column Chart" id="datawrapper-chart-rImrW" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/rImrW/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="456" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script>
  591.  
  592.  
  593.  
  594. <p>Demographic change in Tennessee contrasts the marked declines in the rest of central Appalachian coal country, however. Tennessee is no longer a coal-producing state—production peaked at 11 million tons of coal in 1972 and effectively ceased in 2021, according to the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=TN">U.S. Energy Information Administration</a>.&nbsp; In July 2025, the federal government approved an accelerated mining permit for a small operation in Claiborne County projected to produce 1.8 million tons over ten years, but this represents a fraction of historical production</p>
  595.  
  596.  
  597.  
  598. <p>Unlike the isolated coalfields of Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia, Tennessee&#8217;s coal counties of Campbell, Claiborne, Scott, and surrounding areas benefit from proximity to growing metropolitan centers like Knoxville, Oak Ridge, and Chattanooga. Population data from the <a href="https://tnsdc.utk.edu/estimates-and-projections/boyd-center-population-projections/">University of Tennessee&#8217;s Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research</a> show some of these counties are flat to modestly growing because of economic activity in nearby cities, while others remain flat or declining, as former mining communities have been absorbed into broader regional economies.&nbsp;</p>
  599.  
  600.  
  601.  
  602. <p>McDowell County, West Virginia, exemplifies the severity of the crisis. McDowell County’s population plunged from 98,887 residents in 1950 to 19,111 residents in 2020—a decline of more than 80%, the <a href="https://business.wvu.edu/files/d/73f29801-fb12-40d4-b8d0-5802a29742be/wvsummary_2022.pdf">West Virginia University report</a> shows. Between 2010 and 2020, McDowell County lost 13.6% of its population, dropping below 20,000 for the first time since 1900.</p>
  603.  
  604.  
  605.  
  606. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>A Crisis With Historical Echoes — and Key Differences</strong></h3>
  607.  
  608.  
  609.  
  610. <p>This is not the first time Appalachia has faced a population exodus. Between 1950 and 1970, more than three million people left Appalachia, according to research by myself and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), a federal economic development institution. This exodus was the largest internal migration of Americans in peacetime outside the Great Migration of Black Americans north in the 20th century. Much of that outflow came from coal counties, as mechanization replaced tens of thousands of mining jobs.&nbsp;</p>
  611.  
  612.  
  613.  
  614. <p>But there is a crucial difference in the current outmigration in Appalachian coalfields. Although residents were leaving the region In the 1950s and 1960s, birth rates and school enrollment in the region were still high. Even as outmigration reshaped the region, children were being born who might one day return or sustain local communities.</p>
  615.  
  616.  
  617.  
  618. <p>Today, however, outmigration continues, but it is compounded by natural decrease: when the number of deaths outpaces the number of births. In Buchanan County, Virginia, the median age has nearly doubled since 1980, from 26 years old to 47 years old. Across Virginia&#8217;s coalfields, deaths outnumbered births by over 1,100 in 2019, compared to just 321 a decade earlier, <a href="https://cardinalnews.org/2025/08/12/some-localities-in-southwest-and-southside-will-lose-more-than-30-of-their-population-over-next-25-years/">according to Cardinal News</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  619.  
  620.  
  621.  
  622. <p><a href="https://cardinalnews.org/2025/08/12/some-localities-in-southwest-and-southside-will-lose-more-than-30-of-their-population-over-next-25-years/">As the Weldon Center demographer Hamilton Lombard explained,</a> when young families leave the area, future births are exported somewhere else. This creates a compounding effect: fewer children being born today means fewer working-age adults tomorrow, which means even fewer births in the future. Virginia&#8217;s seven coalfield counties recorded 1,123 more deaths than births in 2019—a gap that was only 321 in 2008, Lombard said. Kentucky and West Virginia&#8217;s coalfields show identical patterns.</p>
  623.  
  624.  
  625.  
  626. <p>The historic pattern repeats across the region: the decline of coal triggered an exodus of younger workers seeking jobs in other states. Buchanan County, Virginia, <a href="https://cardinalnews.org/2025/09/08/buchanan-county-is-projected-to-lose-nearly-half-its-population-in-next-25-years-can-anything-be-done-to-change-that/">illustrates</a> the dramatic demographic shift. In 1980, its median resident was 26 years old—among the youngest in Virginia. Four decades later, the median age has nearly doubled, climbing to just over 47 and placing Buchanan among the state’s oldest counties.</p>
  627.  
  628.  
  629.  
  630. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Human Consequences</strong></h3>
  631.  
  632.  
  633.  
  634. <p>When a county loses a third or more of its residents, the tax base collapses and schools consolidate or close. Emergency services struggle to find <a href="http://kentuckylantern.com/2025/06/27/will-the-coalfields-get-over-losing-hospitals-miners-fought-to-create/">volunteers and funding</a>. Hospitals—the largest employers in many coalfield counties—are already at risk. Businesses see fewer customers and fewer employees. The counties that powered America&#8217;s factories and lit its cities now struggle to maintain a single grocery store or pharmacy.</p>
  635.  
  636.  
  637.  
  638. <p>The cultural loss is just as profound. A 45% decline in Harlan County, Kentucky, is not just a number—it represents the disappearance of families who carried on Appalachian music, foodways, and traditions that shaped the region&#8217;s identity. It is the slow erasure of a distinctive American culture.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  639.  
  640.  
  641.  
  642. <p>Mike Seeger, the folklorist who introduced the nation to mountain music, said my home county of Carroll in Virginia had best preserved Appalachian culture and folkways.&nbsp; Our projected population decline is 8% over the next quarter century, according to the University of Virginia projections.&nbsp;</p>
  643.  
  644.  
  645.  
  646. <p>Taken together, the projections reveal a regional catastrophe in slow motion. The ARC&#8217;s Central Appalachia region—60 mainly coalfield counties in four states—had a population of just over 1.8 million residents in the 2020 census. But the region could lose between 15% and 20% of its current population by 2050.</p>
  647.  
  648.  
  649.  
  650. <p>Although decline is the current trajectory, it is not destiny. The University of Virginia demographers included an important qualification in their projections: people could begin moving to the region. But reversing these trends would require economic transformation on a scale not seen since the original industrialization of the coalfields beginning in the late nineteenth century.</p>
  651.  
  652.  
  653.  
  654. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  655. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/the-alarming-depopulation-of-appalachias-coalfields-a-quarter-century-of-projected-decline/2025/10/22/">The Alarming Depopulation of Appalachia&#8217;s Coalfields: A Quarter Century of Projected Decline</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  656. ]]></content:encoded>
  658. <wfw:commentRss>https://dailyyonder.com/the-alarming-depopulation-of-appalachias-coalfields-a-quarter-century-of-projected-decline/2025/10/22/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
  659. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  662. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">233821</post-id> </item>
  663. <item>
  664. <title>Rural Minnesotans Join Nationwide ‘No Kings’ Protests</title>
  665. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/rural-minnesotans-join-nationwide-no-kings-protests/2025/10/22/</link>
  666. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/rural-minnesotans-join-nationwide-no-kings-protests/2025/10/22/#respond</comments>
  668. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Betsy Froiland]]></dc:creator>
  669. <pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:59:00 +0000</pubDate>
  670. <category><![CDATA[Rural Voters & Elections]]></category>
  671. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233968</guid>
  672.  
  673. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  674. <p>As massive crowds in the downtowns of large cities made national headlines for participating in ‘No Kings’ protests on Saturday, people also took to small town streets and county highways in rural southwestern Minnesota.&#160; Hundreds lined up outside a Kwik Trip in Cokato (population 2,782), along a Main Street in Hutchinson (population 14,599), and atop [&#8230;]</p>
  675. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/rural-minnesotans-join-nationwide-no-kings-protests/2025/10/22/">Rural Minnesotans Join Nationwide ‘No Kings’ Protests</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  676. ]]></description>
  677. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lede-Photo-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  678. <p>As massive crowds in the downtowns of large cities <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/10/19/nx-s1-5579042/no-kings-protests-takeaways">made national headlines for participating in ‘No Kings’ protests on Saturday</a>, people also took to small town streets and county highways in rural southwestern Minnesota.&nbsp;</p>
  679.  
  680.  
  681.  
  682. <p>Hundreds lined up outside a Kwik Trip in Cokato (population 2,782), along a Main Street in Hutchinson (population 14,599), and atop a county highway pass in Glencoe (population 5,744).&nbsp;</p>
  683.  
  684.  
  685.  
  686. <div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow alignwide" data-effect="slide" style="--aspect-ratio:calc(1296 / 864)"><div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper"><ul class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper"><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-233970" data-id="233970" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-Cokato-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Scenes from protests in Cokato, Hutchinson, and Glencoe. (Photos by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-233971" data-id="233971" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2-Cokato-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Scenes from protests in Cokato, Hutchinson, and Glencoe. (Photos by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-233973" data-id="233973" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3-Cokato-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Scenes from protests in Cokato, Hutchinson, and Glencoe. (Photos by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-233974" data-id="233974" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Scenes from protests in Cokato, Hutchinson, and Glencoe. (Photos by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-233975" data-id="233975" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Hutchinson-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Scenes from protests in Cokato, Hutchinson, and Glencoe. (Photos by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-233976" data-id="233976" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/6-Hutchinson-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Scenes from protests in Cokato, Hutchinson, and Glencoe. (Photos by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-233978" data-id="233978" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/7-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Scenes from protests in Cokato, Hutchinson, and Glencoe. (Photos by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-233980" data-id="233980" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/9-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Scenes from protests in Cokato, Hutchinson, and Glencoe. (Photos by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-233982" data-id="233982" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/8-Glencoe-Highway-Pass-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Scenes from protests in Cokato, Hutchinson, and Glencoe. (Photos by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li></ul><a class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white" role="button"></a><a class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white" role="button"></a><a aria-label="Pause Slideshow" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause" role="button"></a><div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white"></div></div></div>
  687.  
  688.  
  689.  
  690. <p>These gatherings were three out of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/no-kings-protests-trump-news-10-18-25">over 2,700 rallies</a> in urban and rural areas across all 50 U.S. States, many of which were organized by the national nonprofit <a href="https://indivisible.org/">Indivisible Project</a>. Together, protesters made up <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2025/10/20/no_kings">an estimated 7 million</a>, according to organizers. Their shared goal: to voice their frustrations with the administration of President Donald Trump.&nbsp;</p>
  691.  
  692.  
  693.  
  694. <p>Unlike protests in urban areas that went blue in 2024, these three Minnesota protests took place in counties that voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2024. Counterprotesters were present at each rally but did not dampen the spirits of protesters, who took the opposition in stride. Responding to a middle finger and a “F*** you” from a car passing the Cokato protest, one protester yelled back, “Love you too!”&nbsp;</p>
  695.  
  696.  
  697.  
  698. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233983" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-1-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An estimated 400 protesters lined Main Street across from Library Square in Hutchinson, Minnesota. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure>
  699.  
  700.  
  701.  
  702. <p>Protesters expressed disapproval of cuts to rural healthcare, tariffs that hurt farmers, unlawful ICE deportations, and mass firings of federal employees. Trump’s personal conduct was also a hot topic, with many protesters calling out allegations of sexual assault and demanding the release of the Epstein files. “I think he’s an extremely scary man,” said Glencoe resident and protester Jake Heitz.</p>
  703.  
  704.  
  705.  
  706. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233984" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-2-2-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A protester holds up a sign demanding the release of the Epstein files in Hutchinson, Minnesota. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure>
  707.  
  708.  
  709.  
  710. <p>Above and beyond these individual issues an overarching theme emerged: the sense that the Trump administration was eroding the country’s democracy, and that they had a responsibility to fight for it.</p>
  711.  
  712.  
  713.  
  714. <p>In response to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/18/no-kings-protest-rally-republicans">Republican leaders calling the protests “hate America” rallies</a>, protesters expressed that their fight was fundamentally American.&nbsp;</p>
  715.  
  716.  
  717.  
  718. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233985" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-3-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A protester carries an American flag in Hutchinson, Minnesota. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure>
  719.  
  720.  
  721.  
  722. <p>“It’s actually the most pro-American thing you can do to get out here and make your voice heard,” said Alan Olsen, a former forester with the Department of National Resources who made a short drive to the Glencoe protest from the farm where he works in rural Plato, Minnesota.&nbsp;</p>
  723.  
  724.  
  725.  
  726. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233986" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-4-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Alan Olson and fellow farm worker at the protest in Glencoe, Minnesota. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure>
  727.  
  728.  
  729.  
  730. <p>“That’s what we do in this country. We argue. We discuss. And then we move on and try to solve problems that we have,” said Olsen.</p>
  731.  
  732.  
  733.  
  734. <p>Protesters expressed urgency in responding to the Trump administration’s attacks on free speech and freedom of the press. Learning that I was a journalist, a protester in Cokato pointed at me saying if they don’t stop the attacks, “you’ll be worthless.”</p>
  735.  
  736.  
  737.  
  738. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233987" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-5-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Protester with “Free Press” Sign in Cokato, Minnesota. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure>
  739.  
  740.  
  741.  
  742. <p>“We need to stand up and speak out against what’s happening in this country, against immigrants, against minorities, against people of color, against women, against people who don’t have the same religion as we do,” said Jane Fitzer, who drove to the Cokato protest with her partner Cris Phillips from their nearby farm. The pair said they were a bit late because they had been milking that morning.</p>
  743.  
  744.  
  745.  
  746. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233988" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-6-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jane Fitzer and Cris Phillips at a ‘No Kings’ protest in Cokato. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure>
  747.  
  748.  
  749.  
  750. <p>On top of Fitzer’s concerns, Phillips added that he was protesting the President’s harmful actions to farmers. “I do not understand how farmers can support a gentleman.,” Phillips paused, “well, he’s not a gentleman: a person who cuts into our profits.”</p>
  751.  
  752.  
  753.  
  754. <p>A fellow farmer from Buffalo Lake (population 733), Terry, only comfortable sharing his first name, hopped straight off his tractor to join the <a href="https://www.hutchinsonstation.com/2025/10/18/news/no-kings-protest-saturday-draws-crowd-to-library-square/">estimated crowd of 400 in Hutchinson</a>. Though Terry doesn’t identify as a Democrat or a Republican, he came out to protest the Trump administration’s tariffs on soybeans and corn, which he said have already hurt his business greatly. He also voiced concern about the deportation of immigrant farm workers. “You see migrants who help our economy and you’re shipping them off. It’s just wrong,” he said. </p>
  755.  
  756.  
  757.  
  758. <div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow alignwide" data-effect="slide" style="--aspect-ratio:calc(1296 / 864)"><div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper"><ul class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper"><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-234001" data-id="234001" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/4-Hutchinson-2-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Crowds line Main Street in Hutchinson, Minnesota</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-234002" data-id="234002" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4302-2-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Crowds line Main Street in Hutchinson, Minnesota. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-234003" data-id="234003" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4303-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Crowds line Main Street in Hutchinson, Minnesota. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-234004" data-id="234004" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4305-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Crowds line Main Street in Hutchinson, Minnesota. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-234005" data-id="234005" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4319-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Crowds line Main Street in Hutchinson, Minnesota. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-234006" data-id="234006" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4344-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Crowds line Main Street in Hutchinson, Minnesota. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-234007" data-id="234007" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4359-2-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Crowds line Main Street in Hutchinson, Minnesota. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li></ul><a class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white" role="button"></a><a class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white" role="button"></a><a aria-label="Pause Slideshow" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause" role="button"></a><div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white"></div></div></div>
  759.  
  760.  
  761.  
  762. <p>Terry was one of many protesters who voiced objections to mass ICE deportations at the Saturday protests. “They’re illegally kidnapping people, even our own citizens,” said one Hutchinson protester. “They’re taking them right off the street with no due process, and that’s wrong.”&nbsp;</p>
  763.  
  764.  
  765.  
  766. <p>Human rights were a major concern amongst protesters, from ICE deportations at home to foreign wars abroad. Some protesters waved Ukrainian flags. Others wore keffiyehs, symbols of solidarity with Palestinians facing Israeli occupation and genocide in Gaza.&nbsp;</p>
  767.  
  768.  
  769.  
  770. <p>One protester who declined to share their name due to fear of retaliation from their employer, said they wore their keffiyeh because they see what’s happening in Palestine and what’s happening in America as inextricably linked by the billions of tax dollars allocated to Israel by both the Biden and Trump administration, the Israeli surveillance technologies used in the militarization of American police forces, and the attacks on free speech on those who speak out about Palestine in America.</p>
  771.  
  772.  
  773.  
  774. <p>Also on the minds of protesters was healthcare. “All this cutting is going to leave rural Minnesota and rural USA with having to drive many, many miles to get any kind of healthcare,” said Stan Hoof, a Glencoe resident and protester. Though Hoof currently lives just two blocks away from his local hospital and is capable of driving further distances if the hospital were forced to close its doors, he worries for his neighbors who don’t have the proximity and access to transportation <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/24/rural-america-braces-for-hospital-closures-after-medicaid-cuts/85723643007/">and may face healthcare challenges in light of the Trump administration’s Medicaid cuts that passed both houses of Congress in July</a></p>
  775.  
  776.  
  777.  
  778. <p>From healthcare to economic policy, protesters expressed a belief that Trump’s policies are hurting rural Americans. Many speculated that the people most impacted by Trump’s efforts to gut federally funded healthcare and agricultural programs could be his own supporters.</p>
  779.  
  780.  
  781.  
  782. <p>“I don’t know one person that is benefiting from [Trump’s] regime,” said Lisa Ishihara, a Hutchinson resident protesting in Glencoe.</p>
  783.  
  784.  
  785.  
  786. <p>Ishihara said she identified as a Republican before Trump took office, but the President’s actions have made her rethink things. The same was true for Dale Larson, a Vietnam War veteran who joined the protest in Cokato. “Trump is in a category by himself very different from the Republican Party or at least the Republican Party of my lifetime,” he said.</p>
  787.  
  788.  
  789.  
  790. <p>Ishihara was wearing a minion onesie, standing next to her friend Beth Todd who donned a giant panda mask and a Stephen Colbert T-Shirt. The goofy costumes, a hallmark of ‘No Kings’ protests across the country, were meant to fight hatred with humor, Todd said. “They’re calling me the terrorist and all I’m doing is standing up for their rights. In a panda costume.”&nbsp;</p>
  791.  
  792.  
  793.  
  794. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233998" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-7-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Protesters in Hutchinson, Minnesota, one wearing an “Aunt Tifa” sign and one wearing an inflatable frog costume. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure>
  795.  
  796.  
  797.  
  798. <p>Though the costumes lightened the mood, Ishihara and Todd expressed anxiety about being at the protests given the divisions around Trump in their communities.&nbsp;</p>
  799.  
  800.  
  801.  
  802. <p>Many protesters had similar fears. Several did not want to share their names, fearing blowback from Trump-supporting neighbors or even losing their local jobs due to their political beliefs. A former federal employee, university professor, and protester with an immigrant wife were among the people I spoke with who preferred not to be identified in my reporting..</p>
  803.  
  804.  
  805.  
  806. <p>Others expressed no fear at all. “I don’t care. What are they going to do to me? I’m 70 years old,” said Mike Paulson, born, raised, and protesting in Hutchinson.&nbsp;</p>
  807.  
  808.  
  809.  
  810. <p>Ishihara said she wishes she felt that way. “I’m sick of being scared to voice this opinion,” she said. Attending the protest was part of her larger effort to “come out of hiding” in her community.</p>
  811.  
  812.  
  813.  
  814. <p>First-time Hutchinson protester Isaac, preferring to share only his first name, does not harbor ill will toward people in his community who voted for Trump. “I’m more than happy for anyone who voted for Trump to look at things now and be like, yeah, this is not right.”&nbsp;</p>
  815.  
  816.  
  817.  
  818. <p>It’s easy to feel like a “little guy” as a Democrat in a place like Hutchinson, Isaac said. That was a major reason that Hutchinson resident Andy Evenson started organizing back in February. Evenson, who helped to organize the protest in Hutchinson with his wife and other frustrated members of the community, said “it’s very important for people like me and people who show up to know that we’re not alone.”</p>
  819.  
  820.  
  821.  
  822. <p>The phrase “not alone” was repeated by protesters at all three protests when discussing the importance of voicing dissent in majority-Trump areas.&nbsp;</p>
  823.  
  824.  
  825.  
  826. <p>Phillips, who said it has been difficult to find like-minded community in Cokato where many of his neighbors wear Make America Great Again hats, said the protest was a bright spot.&nbsp;</p>
  827.  
  828.  
  829.  
  830. <p>“I had no idea what we were coming into today,” he said. “But I’m proud that there’s as many [protesters] as there are.”</p>
  831.  
  832.  
  833.  
  834. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233999" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Photo-8-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A lone protester sits with an American flag at an intersection in Hutchinson, Minnesota. (Photo by Betsy Froiland / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure>
  835.  
  836.  
  837.  
  838. <p>Even on days where there are far fewer voices of political dissent in the small town streets and on the county roads of rural Minnesota, there is solidarity. Last weekend, Paulson said he participated in a protest of just four people in Cokato.&nbsp;</p>
  839.  
  840.  
  841.  
  842. <p>“Even if there’s four or five of us out there, at least they know they [others in the community] have support,” he said.</p>
  843.  
  844.  
  845.  
  846. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  847. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/rural-minnesotans-join-nationwide-no-kings-protests/2025/10/22/">Rural Minnesotans Join Nationwide ‘No Kings’ Protests</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  848. ]]></content:encoded>
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  854. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">233968</post-id> </item>
  855. <item>
  856. <title>On Virtues of Growing Carrots</title>
  857. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/on-virtues-of-growing-carrots/2025/10/21/</link>
  858. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/on-virtues-of-growing-carrots/2025/10/21/#respond</comments>
  860. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Anya Petrone Slepyan]]></dc:creator>
  861. <pubDate>Tue, 21 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  862. <category><![CDATA[Agriculture]]></category>
  863. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233295</guid>
  864.  
  865. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  866. <p>On a sunny fall morning, a dozen people kneel in the freshly turned earth of a carrot patch, chatting as they unearth the bright orange vegetables. Working as a team, they sort the carrots into bunches, tie them off with rubber bands, and toss them into buckets of water to keep them fresh. These carrots [&#8230;]</p>
  867. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/on-virtues-of-growing-carrots/2025/10/21/">On Virtues of Growing Carrots</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  868. ]]></description>
  869. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06717-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  870. <p class="has-drop-cap">On a sunny fall morning, a dozen people kneel in the freshly turned earth of a carrot patch, chatting as they unearth the bright orange vegetables. Working as a team, they sort the carrots into bunches, tie them off with rubber bands, and toss them into buckets of water to keep them fresh.</p>
  871.  
  872.  
  873.  
  874. <p>These carrots are some of the last produce that will be harvested this year at Cerro Vista farm, an 18-acre farm in Taos County, in northern New Mexico. The area, sitting at over 7500 feet above sea level, has a short growing season of only around 90 days. But the team of farmers, which includes teenagers and young adults, makes the most of it.&nbsp;<br><br>The youngest carrot harvester in the group is thirteen. The oldest – Daniel Carmona, the owner of Cerro Vista Farm – is 75 (and a half). The carrots were planted as part of the <a href="https://www.cultivoproject.org/">Cultivo Project</a>, a non-profit initiative that employs youth interns to grow food at Cerro Vista farm and sell it at the nearby Questa Farmers Market and other local businesses around Taos County.</p>
  875.  
  876.  
  877.  
  878. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233298" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06744-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>&nbsp;A multigenerational team works to harvest carrots at Cerro Vista Farm in northern New Mexico. The farm is the site of the Cultivo Project, which teaches teenagers and young adults about local sustainable agriculture. (Credit: Anya Petrone Slepyan/The Daily Yonder)</em></figcaption></figure>
  879.  
  880.  
  881.  
  882. <p>Gaea McGahee is the director of the Cultivo Project and the founder of the Questa Farmers Market. She first began employing local youth at the farmers market as a way to draw in the community and provide job opportunities for teenagers and young adults in the rural community. But since 2024, youth interns have also participated in growing the crops at Cerro Vista.</p>
  883.  
  884.  
  885.  
  886. <p>The program employs the most young people during the summer, when school is out. However, because Questa Independent School District has a four-day school week, school-aged students are able to continue working into the fall on Fridays when there is no school.</p>
  887.  
  888.  
  889.  
  890. <p>The youngest interns get paid $15 an hour, while older apprentices are paid $17-$18 an hour.&nbsp;</p>
  891.  
  892.  
  893.  
  894. <p>But in addition their wages, McGahee believes the teens benefit from seeing the crops through, from seedlings to the final harvest.&nbsp;</p>
  895.  
  896.  
  897.  
  898. <p>“Maybe they didn’t know the whole picture at the beginning of the season. There are these tiny carrots, and you’re supposed to weed around them, and it’s tedious,” she said. “And then all of a sudden they’re really, really big. And then you’re digging up the whole row and pulling them out and bunching them. You went through all the steps, and now it’s very satisfying.”</p>
  899.  
  900.  
  901.  
  902. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="603" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255-1296x1002.jpg?resize=780%2C603&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233299" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255.jpg?resize=1296%2C1002&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255.jpg?resize=760%2C588&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255.jpg?resize=768%2C594&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255.jpg?resize=1536%2C1188&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255.jpg?resize=2048%2C1584&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255.jpg?resize=1200%2C928&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255.jpg?resize=1024%2C792&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255.jpg?resize=2000%2C1547&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255.jpg?resize=780%2C603&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255.jpg?resize=400%2C309&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255.jpg?resize=706%2C546&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/IMG_2157-scaled-e1759173305255-1296x1002.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Earlier in the season, Gaea McGahee poses with the growing carrots. (Credit: Martha Morgan)</em></figcaption></figure>
  903.  
  904.  
  905.  
  906. <p>According to the Cultivo Project’s website, the mission of the program is “to grow food security, cultural continuity, and economic vitality in northern Taos County by inspiring, educating, and equipping the next generation.”</p>
  907.  
  908.  
  909.  
  910. <p>The transfer of knowledge from one generation to the next is a critical part of the program. Youth interns and apprentices are mentored by older, more experienced farmers, and the whole project is overseen by Daniel Carmona, who first began farming in Taos County in 1979.</p>
  911.  
  912.  
  913.  
  914. <p>With nearly 50 years of experience, Carmona is an expert at farming in the tricky high-elevation, low-water environment of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, as well as managing the difficult economics of small local farms.&nbsp;</p>
  915.  
  916.  
  917.  
  918. <div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter" data-effect="slide" style="--aspect-ratio:calc(1296 / 960)"><div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper"><ul class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper"><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="578" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-233300" data-id="233300" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 960" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515.jpg?resize=780%2C578&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C960&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C563&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C569&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1138&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1517&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C889&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C758&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1481&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C578&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C296&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C523&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06515-1296x960.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Daniel Carmona has mentored young farmers at Cerro Vista farm for decades. He continues that work through the Cultivo Project. (Credit: Anya Petrone Slepyan/The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li><li class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide"><figure><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" alt="" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-233301" data-id="233301" data-aspect-ratio="1296 / 864" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06700-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption">Daniel Carmona has mentored young farmers at Cerro Vista farm for decades. He continues that work through the Cultivo Project. (Credit: Anya Petrone Slepyan/The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></li></ul><a class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white" role="button"></a><a class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white" role="button"></a><a aria-label="Pause Slideshow" class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause" role="button"></a><div class="wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white"></div></div></div>
  919.  
  920.  
  921.  
  922. <p>Carmona said that he benefited from getting into farming at the right time. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the <a href="https://ers.usda.gov/data-products/charts-of-note/chart-detail?chartId=104402#:~:text=According%20to%20USDA's%20Agricultural%20Marketing,increase%20between%202016%20and%202017.">number of farmers markets</a> in the United States grew fivefold from 1,755 in 1994 to 8,771 in 2019.</p>
  923.  
  924.  
  925.  
  926. <p>But the growth of farmers markets has plateaued in recent years, and the 2022 Census of Agriculture showed that there were roughly 140,000 fewer American farms in 2022 than there were in 2017. According to the <a href="https://www.fb.org/news-release/new-census-shows-alarming-loss-of-family-farms">American Farm Bureau Federation</a>, small-scale family-owned farms like Cerro Vista farm are especially threatened. The census also showed that farmers are aging – fewer than 300,000 are younger than 35, compared with 1.3 million farmers who are at or beyond retirement age.&nbsp;</p>
  927.  
  928.  
  929.  
  930. <p>The Cultivo Project represents a local effort to reverse these trends.&nbsp;</p>
  931.  
  932.  
  933.  
  934. <p>“The number of small farms is declining, but people still need to eat, and the quality of food still needs to be excellent,” Carmona said. “We need to keep it growing.”</p>
  935.  
  936.  
  937.  
  938. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="468" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1.jpg?resize=780%2C468&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233377" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C778&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C456&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C461&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C921&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1229&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C720&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C614&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C468&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C240&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C424&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06801-1-1296x778.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"> Forty different varieties of vegetables, beans, and grains are grown on Cerro Vista Farm. (Credit: Anya Petrone Slepyan/The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure>
  939.  
  940.  
  941.  
  942. <p>One way to do that is to work with young people who don’t necessarily come from agricultural backgrounds.&nbsp;</p>
  943.  
  944.  
  945.  
  946. <p>“I see cultivo as a way to bring people into farming, who might not have access otherwise,” McGahee said.</p>
  947.  
  948.  
  949.  
  950. <div class="wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-ad2f72ca wp-block-group-is-layout-flex">
  951. <p>Espiranza Quintana began volunteering with Carmona on Cerro Vista farm when she was eleven years old. Now twenty, she is in her first semester studying agriculture at the University of New Mexico, Taos, and is a mentor with the Cultivo Project. After she graduates, she hopes to grow vegetables and raise livestock on a farm of her own.</p>
  952. </div>
  953.  
  954.  
  955.  
  956. <p>She says that working with Carmona has been instrumental in growing her passion for farming and helping her envision a future in agriculture, even with the economic difficulties facing small farms.</p>
  957.  
  958.  
  959.  
  960. <p>“I hope to make at least a little impact in my community, but with the way the economy is going, it’s rough because you never know what’s going to happen,” Quintana said. “But it just makes me so happy, being able to provide fresh food to my community.”</p>
  961.  
  962.  
  963.  
  964. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233376" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06784-1-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Espiranza Quintana began volunteering at Cerro Vista farm when she was eleven years old. Now a mentor with the Cultivo Project, she dreams of having her own farm one day. (Credit: Anya Petrone Slepyan/The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure>
  965.  
  966.  
  967.  
  968. <p>Through the Cultivo Project, Carmona is able to share his decades of accumulated knowledge about growing vegetables in Taos County’s unique climate. But he also works with youth like Quintana to help them understand the economics of farm management and how to develop an annual farm plan that will turn a profit.&nbsp;</p>
  969.  
  970.  
  971.  
  972. <p>One of his most important lessons is that to be successful, any small farmer needs access to two things: water and markets.&nbsp;</p>
  973.  
  974.  
  975.  
  976. <p>A private well – critical in northern New Mexico’s high desert – provides the first necessity. And communities around Taos County provide the second.&nbsp;</p>
  977.  
  978.  
  979.  
  980. <p>The project sells to local farm-to-table restaurants and the food bank in nearby Questa. Some Cultivo produce is even sold in the local grocery store, the Sangre de Cristo Valley Market, which reopened last year in an effort to <a href="https://questanews.com/sangre-de-cristo-valley-market-brings-foodsecurity-to-northern-taos-county/">increase food security and accessibility</a> in northern Taos County.&nbsp;</p>
  981.  
  982.  
  983.  
  984. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492.jpg?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233305" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC06492-1296x864.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><em>Cultivo carrots can be purchased at the locally owned Sangre de Cristo Valley Market, just fifteen minutes from Cerro Vista Farm. (Credit: Anya Petrone Slepyan/The Daily Yonder).</em></figcaption></figure>
  985.  
  986.  
  987.  
  988. <p>The Cultivo Project also runs a community-supported agriculture, or CSA program that provides a box of vegetables to nearly thirty clients each week during the growing season. And the project is a regular vendor at the Questa Farmers Market, where youth employees are paid to sell the produce they’ve grown themselves.</p>
  989.  
  990.  
  991.  
  992. <p>For middle and high-school-aged students, this work is an opportunity to develop a sense of autonomy and responsibility, according to Carmona.</p>
  993.  
  994.  
  995.  
  996. <p>“The kids are choosing to come here, and they’re getting paid, and then they get to choose what to do with that money,” Carmona said. “So it’s giving them a choice, at this stage in their life, to decide what life is about.”</p>
  997.  
  998.  
  999.  
  1000. <p>The program has also helped participants forge meaningful relationships across generations, not only as mentors and mentees, but also as friends and equals, Carmona said.&nbsp;</p>
  1001.  
  1002.  
  1003.  
  1004. <p>Of course, working with teenagers isn’t always easy. Adult crews seldom need reminding that wheelbarrows are for carrying loads, not racing. And some tomato-throwing may be expected when the pickers are eighth-graders who are beyond ready for snack time.</p>
  1005.  
  1006.  
  1007.  
  1008. <p>But overall, Carmona and McGahee have found that their faith in their teenage participants is not misplaced.</p>
  1009.  
  1010.  
  1011.  
  1012. <p>“We trust them, and they rise to the occasion,” McGahee said.</p>
  1013. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/on-virtues-of-growing-carrots/2025/10/21/">On Virtues of Growing Carrots</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  1014. ]]></content:encoded>
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  1017. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  1020. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">233295</post-id> </item>
  1021. <item>
  1022. <title>The Black Women Driving a Food Revolution in Rural Mississippi</title>
  1023. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/the-black-women-driving-a-food-revolution-in-rural-mississippi/2025/10/21/</link>
  1024. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/the-black-women-driving-a-food-revolution-in-rural-mississippi/2025/10/21/#respond</comments>
  1026. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Aallyah Wright / Capital B]]></dc:creator>
  1027. <pubDate>Tue, 21 Oct 2025 09:59:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1028. <category><![CDATA[Community & Economic Development]]></category>
  1029. <category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
  1030. <category><![CDATA[repub]]></category>
  1031. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233572</guid>
  1032.  
  1033. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=760%2C570&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=1296%2C972&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=2000%2C1500&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  1034. <p>This story was originally published by Capital B. Sowing Resilience:&#160;Rural communities across the country are grappling with food insecurity. Schoolchildren, seniors, grocers and even farmers face a food crisis compounded by government cuts and soaring costs. These nine stories reveal how communities are navigating — and reimagining — the systems that have left them hungry. [&#8230;]</p>
  1035. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/the-black-women-driving-a-food-revolution-in-rural-mississippi/2025/10/21/">The Black Women Driving a Food Revolution in Rural Mississippi</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  1036. ]]></description>
  1037. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=760%2C570&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=1296%2C972&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=2000%2C1500&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1251-scaled-1.webp?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  1038. <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>This story was originally published by <a href="https://capitalbnews.org/black-women-mississippi-delta-food-deserts/">Capital B</a></em>.</p>
  1039.  
  1040.  
  1041.  
  1042. <p><em><strong>Sowing Resilience:&nbsp;</strong>Rural communities across the country are grappling with food insecurity. Schoolchildren, seniors, grocers and even farmers face a food crisis compounded by government cuts and soaring costs. These nine stories reveal how communities are navigating — and reimagining — the systems that have left them hungry.</em></p>
  1043.  
  1044.  
  1045.  
  1046. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  1047.  
  1048.  
  1049.  
  1050. <p>Grocery store owner Marquitrice Mangham hurries out of the sweltering August heat of the Mississippi Delta and enters her newly opened Farmacy Marketplace. </p>
  1051.  
  1052.  
  1053.  
  1054. <p>She arrives about an hour before the doors open at 10 a.m.</p>
  1055.  
  1056.  
  1057.  
  1058. <p>It’s a quiet Friday morning in Oakland, Mississippi, except for the occasional screech of tires from semitrucks passing by on Highway 51. Oakland, fewer than 30 miles from her hometown of Webb, is home to about 400 residents, more than half of whom are Black.&nbsp;</p>
  1059.  
  1060.  
  1061.  
  1062. <p>Inside the store, Mangham greets and praises her assistant manager, Kini Bradford-Jefferson. She emphasizes that without her, the store couldn’t operate. They laugh, ask each other how they are doing and tidy up the 3,000-square-foot space.</p>
  1063.  
  1064.  
  1065.  
  1066. <p>Until April, Oakland had been without a grocery store.&nbsp;</p>
  1067.  
  1068.  
  1069. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1070. <figure class="alignright"><img decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/capitalbnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSF1264-2.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-21864"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Marquitrice Mangham stands outside mobile food truck in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Hardiman)</figcaption></figure></div>
  1071.  
  1072.  
  1073. <p>In rural areas, particularly in the Delta, residents face some of the highest rates of food insecurity and unemployment in the state, resulting in poor health outcomes such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. These communities have high populations of Black people. They often struggle to attract grocery stores and are overwhelmed&nbsp;<a href="https://capitalbnews.org/dollar-stores-black-communities/">by a striking growth of dollar stores</a>.&nbsp;</p>
  1074.  
  1075.  
  1076.  
  1077. <p>Around 14% of Americans — more than 47 million people — were food insecure at some point during 2023, according to an Associated Press analysis of U.S. Census Bureau and Feeding America data.</p>
  1078.  
  1079.  
  1080.  
  1081. <p>​​Mississippi had a food insecurity rate of 18%, higher than the national rate.</p>
  1082.  
  1083.  
  1084.  
  1085. <p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture will&nbsp;<a href="https://investigativenewsnetwork-org.tmailroute.net/x/d?c=47953958&amp;l=43352f3c-661e-4ad2-a278-11ef6f427485&amp;r=52b6ef4e-988f-49df-998a-ceebef0511a1">stop collecting and releasing statistics on food insecurity</a>&nbsp;after October 2025, saying the numbers had become “overly politicized.” The decision comes in the wake of&nbsp;<a href="https://investigativenewsnetwork-org.tmailroute.net/x/d?c=47953958&amp;l=887d432b-9462-4108-b161-d58350ac7752&amp;r=52b6ef4e-988f-49df-998a-ceebef0511a1">federal funding cuts</a>&nbsp;for food and nutrition safety net programs nationwide.</p>
  1086.  
  1087.  
  1088.  
  1089. <p>Getting consistent support from the government to fight hunger is often a struggle. For the second year in a row, the Mississippi Department of Health and Human Services&nbsp;<a href="https://mississippitoday.org/2025/02/03/mississippi-again-turns-down-millions-of-dollars-to-feed-low-income-kids-during-summer-months/">opted out of a federal program</a>&nbsp;that would’ve provided kids with $40 in grocery assistance in the summer months. Advocates worry this decision could increase hunger and health issues. Recent federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the elimination of grants geared to help farmers and improve food access compound the problem.&nbsp;</p>
  1090.  
  1091.  
  1092.  
  1093. <p>Despite all these challenges, Black women like Mangham are stepping up. From grocery stores to food distribution services, they’re leading community-centered solutions to feed their families and improve the health and well-being of their neighbors.</p>
  1094.  
  1095.  
  1096.  
  1097. <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-local-grocer-fills-a-crucial-need-nbsp">Local Grocer Fills a Crucial Need </h2>
  1098.  
  1099.  
  1100.  
  1101. <p>Community leaders in Oakland requested a supermarket after learning of Mangham’s first store in Webb, which she opened in 2022.&nbsp;</p>
  1102.  
  1103.  
  1104.  
  1105. <p>Oakland resident Bradford-Jefferson said there hadn’t been a place to shop for everyday necessities since she was a child. There’s only a library, food service plant, post office, bank and medical clinic. Like other residents, Bradford-Jefferson traveled to the nearest town to purchase food from stores such as Wal-Mart or Piggly Wiggly.&nbsp;</p>
  1106.  
  1107.  
  1108. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1109. <figure class="alignright size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="1040" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=780%2C1040&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233577" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=972%2C1296&amp;ssl=1 972w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=570%2C760&amp;ssl=1 570w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=780%2C1040&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=400%2C533&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?resize=706%2C941&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1.webp?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1130-3-scaled-1-972x1296.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Kini Bradford-Jefferson smiles during her shift. (Photo by Justin Hardiman)</figcaption></figure></div>
  1110.  
  1111.  
  1112. <p>She used to drive regularly to her retail job in Batesville, a 40-mile round trip. Not only did she get a job closer to home, but she’s been able to cut back on expenses such as gas.</p>
  1113.  
  1114.  
  1115.  
  1116. <p>“I can walk here [to work] if I had to,” she said.&nbsp;</p>
  1117.  
  1118.  
  1119.  
  1120. <p>The bell above the door chimed as the store doors swung open, welcoming the first customers of the day. They excitedly greeted Bradford-Jefferson before hugging Mangham.</p>
  1121.  
  1122.  
  1123.  
  1124. <p>It felt as if everyone knew everyone.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  1125.  
  1126.  
  1127.  
  1128. <p>Bradford-Jefferson seamlessly transitioned from ringing up purchases on the cash register to prepping meat at the deli station for two men on their lunch break.</p>
  1129.  
  1130.  
  1131.  
  1132. <p>The 58-year-old understands that the store is needed for her town, as well other rural areas where food access is limited.</p>
  1133.  
  1134.  
  1135.  
  1136. <p>“You got to think of the elders, and some people don’t have vehicles and can’t afford to pay people to take them to other towns to shop,” she said. “It’s a good thing for this community and the surrounding communities.”&nbsp;</p>
  1137.  
  1138.  
  1139.  
  1140. <p>Mangham grew up on a family farm in Webb, a majority-Black town of fewer than 500 people. They grew soybeans, corn, fruits and trees, and managed livestock (cows and hogs) on over 200 acres of land.&nbsp;</p>
  1141.  
  1142.  
  1143.  
  1144. <p>Back then, they “lived off the land,” meaning most of the food they consumed, they grew themselves. Even if they wanted to visit a grocery store, they had to drive 20 to 30 miles. But, as a child, Mangham didn’t grasp the severity of the situation.&nbsp;</p>
  1145.  
  1146.  
  1147.  
  1148. <p>The 48-year-old military veteran moved away after high school, eventually settling in Atlanta. In 2016, she inherited her family’s farm, which brought her back to Webb more frequently. She began paying closer attention to the food disparities.&nbsp;</p>
  1149.  
  1150.  
  1151.  
  1152. <p>It was worse than when she left nearly 25 years ago.&nbsp;</p>
  1153.  
  1154.  
  1155.  
  1156. <p>“My 89-year-old grandmother has to drive 15 to 20 miles just to get fresh food,” Mangham said. “She’s a diabetic and has this special diet.”</p>
  1157.  
  1158.  
  1159.  
  1160. <p>In 2023, Tallahatchie County, where Webb is located, 21% of people reported food insecurity in their household, higher than the state and national rates, with about 2,610 people who were food insecure.</p>
  1161.  
  1162.  
  1163.  
  1164. <p>Mangham’s nonprofit,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.inhershoesinc.org/">In Her Shoes Inc</a>., began in Atlanta and focuses on improving access to food and supporting farmers. But she recognized a greater need for these programs in the Delta. She conducted research, secured funding and successfully launched her first Farmacy Marketplace store.</p>
  1165.  
  1166.  
  1167.  
  1168. <figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/capitalbnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSF1243.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-21844"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Marquitrice Mangham services a customer at her mobile food truck in Mound Bayou. (Photo by Justin Hardiman)</figcaption></figure>
  1169.  
  1170.  
  1171.  
  1172. <p>She also teaches families how to prepare meals that cater to their specific health care needs and how to properly store fresh foods. The store also implemented the&nbsp;<a href="https://doubleupamerica.org/">Double Up Food Bucks</a>&nbsp;program, which encourages SNAP recipients to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.&nbsp;</p>
  1173.  
  1174.  
  1175.  
  1176. <p>Inspired, other communities — like Oakland — have reached out for guidance.&nbsp;<br>“The most important thing was it showed so many other communities that this can be your community, too,” she said.&nbsp;</p>
  1177.  
  1178.  
  1179.  
  1180. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-online-delivery-services-for-those-without-transportation">Online Delivery Services for those Without Transportation</h3>
  1181.  
  1182.  
  1183.  
  1184. <p>About 19 miles away in Drew, Gloria Dickerson is working to uplift her community “from poverty to prosperity,” the mission of her youth nonprofit.&nbsp;</p>
  1185.  
  1186.  
  1187. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1188. <figure class="alignright size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="1040" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=780%2C1040&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233576" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=972%2C1296&amp;ssl=1 972w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=570%2C760&amp;ssl=1 570w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=900%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 900w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=780%2C1040&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=400%2C533&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?resize=706%2C941&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1.webp?w=1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1310-scaled-1-972x1296.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Portrait of a young Gloria Dickerson (Photo by Justin Hardiman)</figcaption></figure></div>
  1189.  
  1190.  
  1191. <p>Providing residents with the resources to achieve food security is her North Star.</p>
  1192.  
  1193.  
  1194.  
  1195. <p>Despite growing up in poverty, Dickerson and her family knew how to put food on the table. Her parents, Mathew and Mae Bertha Carter, were sharecroppers who lived with their 13 children on a plantation near Drew. They grew a garden filled with fruits, vegetables, and beans.</p>
  1196.  
  1197.  
  1198.  
  1199. <p>But that was snatched away when the children decided to do the unthinkable: integrate the “all white” Drew High School in 1965,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-12-04-ls-10119-story.html">becoming the first Black family to do so</a>. Their house was shot at, credit in local stores was cut off, the garden was plowed up, and they were evicted.</p>
  1200.  
  1201.  
  1202.  
  1203. <p>Mae Bertha was fortunate to have a friend in the civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, who lived less than 10 miles away. Hamer sent Charles McLaurin, her campaign manager and fellow activist, to check on the family, Dickerson recalled. This came with a wave of support from other civil rights workers who assisted the family with finding a home in Drew.</p>
  1204.  
  1205.  
  1206.  
  1207. <p>At the time, Main Street in downtown Drew had retail stores, grocery stores, and even “nickel and dime stores,” Dickerson remembered.&nbsp;More than 60 years later, the same street in the 77% Black town of 2,000 people is different. Today, there are not many businesses. There’s Stafford’s Deli and Dickerson’s nonprofit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.we2gether.org/">We2Gether Creating Change</a>, which operates out of several buildings on the street. In the town, there’s no grocery store. It&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlouisfed.org/open-vault/2022/dec/offering-security-rural-food-desert">closed</a>&nbsp;in 2012. There’s only one Dollar General, which has some frozen foods. In Sunflower County, where Drew is located, 22.8% of people reported food insecurity in their household in 2023.</p>
  1208.  
  1209.  
  1210.  
  1211. <div class="wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-rectangular"><div class=""><div class="tiled-gallery__gallery"><div class="tiled-gallery__row"><div class="tiled-gallery__col" style="flex-basis:53.10139%"><figure class="tiled-gallery__item"><img decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1307-768x1024-1.webp?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1307-768x1024-1.webp?strip=info&#038;w=768&#038;ssl=1 768w" alt="" data-height="1024" data-id="233573" data-link="https://dailyyonder.com/?attachment_id=233573" data-url="https://dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1307-768x1024-1.webp" data-width="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1307-768x1024-1.webp?ssl=1" data-amp-layout="responsive"/></figure></div><div class="tiled-gallery__col" style="flex-basis:46.89861%"><figure class="tiled-gallery__item"><img decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1270-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1270-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1270-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1270-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1270-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1270-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w" alt="" data-height="1500" data-id="233574" data-link="https://dailyyonder.com/?attachment_id=233574" data-url="https://dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1270-scaled-1-1296x972.webp" data-width="2000" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1270-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?ssl=1" data-amp-layout="responsive"/></figure><figure class="tiled-gallery__item"><img decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1284-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?strip=info&#038;w=600&#038;ssl=1 600w,https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1284-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?strip=info&#038;w=900&#038;ssl=1 900w,https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1284-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?strip=info&#038;w=1200&#038;ssl=1 1200w,https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1284-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?strip=info&#038;w=1500&#038;ssl=1 1500w,https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1284-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?strip=info&#038;w=1800&#038;ssl=1 1800w,https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1284-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?strip=info&#038;w=2000&#038;ssl=1 2000w" alt="" data-height="1500" data-id="233575" data-link="https://dailyyonder.com/?attachment_id=233575" data-url="https://dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1284-scaled-1-1296x972.webp" data-width="2000" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSF1284-scaled-1-1296x972.webp?ssl=1" data-amp-layout="responsive"/></figure></div></div></div></div></div>
  1212.  
  1213.  
  1214.  
  1215. <p>Dickerson noticed that many children in her programs often came to class hungry. Although she provided food, it still wasn’t enough. Along with other organizers, she created a group called Drew United for Progress. During a community discussion, residents repeatedly expressed a need for a grocery store.</p>
  1216.  
  1217.  
  1218.  
  1219. <p>“[They said] We can’t buy an apple. We can’t buy a banana. We can’t buy any vegetables,” she said. “We have to hire somebody to take us out of the community to pay them $10 to get there, pay them $10 to get back, and that takes away from the money we have to put on food.”</p>
  1220.  
  1221.  
  1222.  
  1223. <p>They then formed the Drew Collaborative, which included experts to research the feasibility of a store. The market analysis found the town was too small to support a grocer. Instead of pursuing a supermarket, the collaborative launched the Grocery Online Ordering Distribution Service (GOODS) in 2021. Residents of Drew, Ruleville, Parchman, and Rome are able to place food orders online. The food is stored at the National Guard Armory for delivery or pickup. This initiative was initially funded by HOPE Credit Union in the Mississippi Delta. The nonprofit provides iPads and education on how to order food because of limited broadband and digital literacy concerns.</p>
  1224.  
  1225.  
  1226.  
  1227. <p>The program expanded to Shaw, Mississippi, about 27 miles from Drew. With the rising cost of food, more families need assistance. There are still some people who are left behind, said Chiquikta Fountain, former director of Delta Hands for Hope, which shepherds the program in Shaw.&nbsp;</p>
  1228.  
  1229.  
  1230.  
  1231. <p>“On a state level, we have a legislature that doesn’t value what it means for children and communities to be food secure,” she said. “They’re not working hard enough to make sure that people who make a living wage are able to buy food and not have to play Russian Roulette with what’s going to be a priority this month.”&nbsp;</p>
  1232.  
  1233.  
  1234.  
  1235. <p>In Drew, Dickerson responded by hosting a monthly food pantry.&nbsp;</p>
  1236.  
  1237.  
  1238.  
  1239. <p>This month, We2Gether Creating Change will<strong>&nbsp;</strong>launch family gardens, where at least 10 families will have ownership of a plot of land. This project will teach them how to grow their own food, which they can use to feed their families or sell. Each family will also receive a $200 stipend to keep their garden up, and youth workers will get paid to help out in the summer.</p>
  1240.  
  1241.  
  1242.  
  1243. <p>Dickerson hopes to evolve this work into garden parties, cooking classes, and more. Her biggest concern is that if food insecurity goes unchecked, it will affect the mental well-being of children and their ability to perform well in school.</p>
  1244.  
  1245.  
  1246.  
  1247. <p>Her call to action is for people to get involved, especially because the Delta was ground zero for the civil rights movement, and everyone benefits from those sacrifices — from death and loss of jobs to political violence.&nbsp;</p>
  1248.  
  1249.  
  1250.  
  1251. <p>“People need to remember where they really came from and who was on the battlefield, fighting for them to have what they have right now … it was the people that lived in these small communities putting their lives on the line,” Dickerson said. “Don’t forget us.”</p>
  1252.  
  1253.  
  1254.  
  1255. <figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/capitalbnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSF1254-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-21815"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dennis Wesley (from left), Marquitrice Mangham, and Maudy Edwards all operate the mobile food truck in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Hardiman)</figcaption></figure>
  1256.  
  1257.  
  1258.  
  1259. <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-growing-the-next-generation-nbsp">Growing the Next Generation </h3>
  1260.  
  1261.  
  1262.  
  1263. <p>Back in Oakland, once business at Farmacy Marketplace is up and running, Mangham drives nearly 63 miles from the Oakland store to Mound Bayou to open her mobile grocery store around noon.&nbsp;</p>
  1264.  
  1265.  
  1266.  
  1267. <p>A few days earlier she made the 12-hour trek from her residence in Atlanta to Mississippi. It’s part of her weekly routine. She spends a few days in Atlanta and then heads to her beloved home state to manage not one, but two, grocery stores.</p>
  1268.  
  1269.  
  1270.  
  1271. <p>It’s a sacrifice she doesn’t mind making.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  1272.  
  1273.  
  1274.  
  1275. <p>Founded by formerly enslaved cousins, Mound Bayou is considered the “jewel of the Delta.” It is known as a self-reliant Black community that provided solace and refuge from&nbsp; the threats of the Jim Crow South. During the&nbsp;<a href="https://capitalbnews.org/emmett-till-legacy-70-years-later/">trial of Emmett Till</a>’s murderers, the town became home to his mother, Mamie Till Mobley, the Black press — including Simeon Booker with Jet Magazine — and witnesses.</p>
  1276.  
  1277.  
  1278.  
  1279. <p>Mangham’s mobile truck is parked on the site of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/08/09/nx-s1-5070087/black-hospitals-history-desegregation-rural-communities">now-shuttered Taborian Hospital</a>, which exclusively admitted Black patients and staff during a time when other health care facilities didn’t accept Black folks. It’s across the street from a gas station, and near the high school,&nbsp;<a href="https://mississippitoday.org/2018/08/15/state-supreme-court-says-mound-bayou-high-school-can-close/">which closed in 2018</a>&nbsp;and now houses the Mound Bayou Museum of African American History and Culture.</p>
  1280.  
  1281.  
  1282.  
  1283. <p>Every Friday, the truck is in Mound Bayou from noon to 4 p.m. It is also stationed in Jonestown on Tuesdays and Coffeeville on Fridays.</p>
  1284.  
  1285.  
  1286.  
  1287. <p>Thirty minutes after opening, residents trickled in, asking about watermelon and selecting from a variety of frozen meats, fruits and vegetables. On that day, James Edwards Jr., a retired vocational instructor, traveled from his home in Marks, Mississippi, to help out with the mobile market. As his wife, Maudy Edwards, assisted customers, James sat in a chair under a shaded tree, greeting and conversing with residents.&nbsp;</p>
  1288.  
  1289.  
  1290.  
  1291. <p>Usually, he’s repairing or cleaning the mobile grocery truck. He makes sure it’s filled with gas and ensures the food is frozen and up to temperature. When he’s not on site helping with the mobile truck, he’s at the distribution center in Lambert, or the stores.&nbsp;</p>
  1292.  
  1293.  
  1294.  
  1295. <p>“It’s been a pleasure to do this because we bring in food to what we call desert communities, where we don’t have the grocery store,” Edwards said. “My wife and I think this is a wonderful thing, and I know it’s gonna grow, but it’s like a young baby, it’s got to be nourished. You gotta be on milk before it grows so and it’s a blessing to Mississippi.”</p>
  1296.  
  1297.  
  1298. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1299. <figure class="alignright"><img decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/capitalbnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSF1240.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-21854"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dennis Wesley holds a watermelon in front of mobile food truck in Mound Bayou, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Hardiman)</figcaption></figure></div>
  1300.  
  1301.  
  1302. <p>In Her Shoes received a grant in 2023 to build a chicken processing facility, which will allow Black farmers to make more money by processing their products. The organization is set to break ground on the facility in October.</p>
  1303.  
  1304.  
  1305.  
  1306. <p>“Mississippi has a billion-dollar poultry industry, but … there are no private processing facilities for the smaller farmers to be able to get their poultry into local stores,” Mangham said.&nbsp;</p>
  1307.  
  1308.  
  1309.  
  1310. <p>Mangham’s work will not only provide a market for farmers to sell their produce and allow residents to purchase fresh foods, it’s also an avenue to get young people involved. She created an apprenticeship program that pairs students with farmers to learn how to grow produce.</p>
  1311.  
  1312.  
  1313.  
  1314. <p>In Bolivar County, where Mound Bayou is located, 24.4% of people reported food insecurity in their household in 2023. Addressing the issue takes more than opening two stores and providing a temporary mobile food truck, Mangham said. She’s looking at other avenues, like partnering with pharmacies to bring in a fresh food kiosk or refrigeration to store meats and vegetables. She’s also working to convert shipping containers into permanent corner grocery stores.&nbsp;</p>
  1315.  
  1316.  
  1317.  
  1318. <p>This work can be overwhelming and exhausting, but Mangham continues because of the community’s support, she said.</p>
  1319.  
  1320.  
  1321.  
  1322. <p>“When I see the 75-year-old lady come in and buy all of her groceries, and she doesn’t have to drive … that’s the kind of thing that makes it all worth it,” she said with teary eyes.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  1323.  
  1324.  
  1325.  
  1326. <p>She added that her work has inspired others. “Nobody wants to invest in these rural communities. They don’t want to invest in the people. But just do what’s put on your heart to do, and the rewards will come.”</p>
  1327.  
  1328.  
  1329.  
  1330.  
  1331.  
  1332. <p><em>Associated Press data reporter Kasturi Pananjady contributed to this report. This reporting is part of a series called&nbsp;</em><a href="https://inn.org/inn-collaborations/sowing-resilience/"><em>Sowing Resilience</em></a><em>,&nbsp;</em><a href="https://inn.org/inn-collaborations/"><em>a collaboration</em></a><em>&nbsp;between the Institute for Nonprofit News’&nbsp;</em><a href="http://ruralnewsnetwork.org/"><em>Rural News Network</em></a><em>&nbsp;and The Associated Press. Nine nonprofit newsrooms were involved:&nbsp;</em><a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/"><em>The Beacon</em></a><em>,&nbsp;</em><a href="https://capitalbnews.org/"><em>Capital B</em></a><em>,&nbsp;</em><a href="https://enlacelatinonc.org/"><em>Enlace Latino NC</em></a><em>,&nbsp;</em><a href="https://investigatemidwest.org/"><em>Investigate Midwest</em></a><em>,&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.jeffcobeacon.com/"><em>The Jefferson County Beacon</em></a><em>,&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.kosu.org/"><em>KOSU</em></a><em>,&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.lpm.org/news"><em>Louisville Public Media</em></a><em>,&nbsp;</em><a href="https://themainemonitor.org/"><em>The Maine Monitor</em></a><em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.minnpost.com/"><em>MinnPost</em></a><em>. The Rural News Network is funded by Google News Initiative and Knight Foundation, among others.</em></p>
  1333. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/the-black-women-driving-a-food-revolution-in-rural-mississippi/2025/10/21/">The Black Women Driving a Food Revolution in Rural Mississippi</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  1334. ]]></content:encoded>
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  1340. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">233572</post-id> </item>
  1341. <item>
  1342. <title>New Texas Energy Package Could Help Older Adults in Long-Term Care Facilities During Extreme Weather</title>
  1343. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/new-texas-energy-package-could-help-older-adults-in-long-term-care-facilities-during-extreme-weather/2025/10/20/</link>
  1344. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/new-texas-energy-package-could-help-older-adults-in-long-term-care-facilities-during-extreme-weather/2025/10/20/#respond</comments>
  1346. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Madeline de Figueiredo]]></dc:creator>
  1347. <pubDate>Mon, 20 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1348. <category><![CDATA[Energy]]></category>
  1349. <category><![CDATA[Yonder Report]]></category>
  1350. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233463</guid>
  1351.  
  1352. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  1353. <p>Editor&#8217;s Note: This story was completed as part of the Journalists in Aging Fellows Program organized by the Gerontological Society of America and the Journalists Network on Generations. A growing body of research warns that climate disasters are disproportionately dangerous for older adults, especially those in long-term care settings who rely on others for essential [&#8230;]</p>
  1354. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/new-texas-energy-package-could-help-older-adults-in-long-term-care-facilities-during-extreme-weather/2025/10/20/">New Texas Energy Package Could Help Older Adults in Long-Term Care Facilities During Extreme Weather</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  1355. ]]></description>
  1356. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="683" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1333&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AP25051689321430-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  1357. <p><em>Editor&#8217;s Note: This story was completed as part of the Journalists in Aging Fellows Program organized by the Gerontological Society of America and the Journalists Network on Generations.</em></p>
  1358.  
  1359.  
  1360.  
  1361. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  1362.  
  1363.  
  1364.  
  1365. <p>A growing body of research <a href="https://www.aamc.org/news/why-older-adults-are-especially-vulnerable-climate-change">warns</a> that climate disasters are disproportionately dangerous for older adults, especially those in long-term care settings who rely on others for essential support. Those risks are often compounded in rural areas, where resources are scarce and emergency support is slower to arrive.</p>
  1366.  
  1367.  
  1368.  
  1369. <p>As temperatures plummeted and power went out across Texas during the February 2021 <a href="https://tdem.texas.gov/disasters/winter-storm-uri">Winter Storm Uri</a>, a record-breaking winter storm that brought unprecedented cold and ice, staff at Gainesville Nursing and Rehabilitation, a nursing home in the rural North Texas town of Gainesville, made a desperate call: evacuate all 36 residents. The nursing home had lost both power and water and the facility’s backup systems had failed.&nbsp;</p>
  1370.  
  1371.  
  1372.  
  1373. <p>Fire-rescue crews scrambled to borrow school buses to move everyone to a temporary shelter at a nearby college. “We had two buses, and it probably took us four hours to move those 36 residents,” Gainesville Fire-Rescue Chief Twiner told the <a href="https://www.gainesvilleregister.com/news/local_news/dozens-of-nursing-home-senior-living-residents-sheltered-during-winter-storm/article_5a72f79e-8e4e-11eb-98a0-bb760b63445d.html">Gainesville Daily Register</a> in 2021. “We had to take some of their beds—there were beds at [the shelter], but it wasn’t enough.”&nbsp;</p>
  1374.  
  1375.  
  1376.  
  1377. <p>Research indicates that extreme weather disproportionately affects rural areas, which also have limited capacity to respond to weather events and the prolonged utility outages that often follow.&nbsp;</p>
  1378.  
  1379.  
  1380.  
  1381. <p>A <a href="https://fas.org/publication/impacts-of-extreme-heat-on-rural-communities/">2025 report</a> from the Federation of American Scientists found that rural communities faced heightened risks from extreme heat, with residents more likely to have pre-existing health conditions, limited healthcare access, and older or substandard housing. In rural areas, heat waves disrupted work, strained local businesses, and exposed weaknesses in aging energy infrastructure, revealing a pressing need for targeted investments in health systems and resilient energy.</p>
  1382.  
  1383.  
  1384.  
  1385. <p>A 2025 <a href="https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/NHREFO.NHENG-2235">study</a> published in <em>Natural Hazards Review</em> further found that rural communities hit by natural disasters faced significantly longer power outage recovery times than urban areas, highlighting how limited infrastructure and resources can leave rural populations disproportionately vulnerable.&nbsp;</p>
  1386.  
  1387.  
  1388.  
  1389. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Power Outages Can Lead to Death</strong></h2>
  1390.  
  1391.  
  1392.  
  1393. <p>New research is beginning to explain the toll that Winter Storm Uri had on older populations in rural areas. The chaos in Gainesville was just one of hundreds of stories that unfolded across Texas in February 2021. Now, a <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11979729/#note-ZOI250184-1-s">2025 study</a> has confirmed the human toll of the severe weather event on these communities. Long-term nursing home residents whose facilities lost power or water during the storm faced significantly higher death rates than those in facilities that remained operational.</p>
  1394.  
  1395.  
  1396.  
  1397. <iframe title="Nursing Home Utility Outages During Winter Storm Uri (2021)" aria-label="Symbol map" id="datawrapper-chart-9WwyX" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/9WwyX/2/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="753" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}})}();
  1398. </script>
  1399.  
  1400.  
  1401.  
  1402. <p>The peer-reviewed study, published in the <em>Journal of the American Medical Association</em> (<em>JAMA</em>), found that utility failures were the driving factor behind the rise in mortality.&nbsp;</p>
  1403.  
  1404.  
  1405.  
  1406. <p>“We can estimate that [the outages] would contribute to about 11 or 12 excess deaths, had those nursing homes not experienced a utility outage,” said Brian Downer, PhD, associate professor in the <a href="https://www.utmb.edu/spph/">School of Public and Population Health</a> (SPPH) at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) and one of the article’s authors. “To better contextualize those 11 excess deaths, the state of Texas was able to attribute about 150 deaths among adults aged 60 and older…to Winter Storm Uri.”</p>
  1407.  
  1408.  
  1409.  
  1410. <p>A 2022 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-022-00462-5">study in <em>Nature</em></a> found that rural communities faced greater challenges during Winter Storm Uri. Limited resources and slower emergency support made outages harder to manage. Residents in these areas were also less prepared for prolonged power loss, highlighting vulnerabilities in infrastructure and disaster response.</p>
  1411.  
  1412.  
  1413.  
  1414. <p>“It is the rural communities that are being disproportionately affected by the power outages,” Downer said about the <em>Nature</em> study.&nbsp;</p>
  1415.  
  1416.  
  1417.  
  1418. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>New Texas Legislation Helps Essential Services Adapt to Severe Weather</strong></h2>
  1419.  
  1420.  
  1421.  
  1422. <p>In response to such risks, the Texas Legislature authorized $1.8 billion this year for the <a href="https://www.txenergyfund.texas.gov/TBPP">Texas Backup Power Package</a>, an initiative aimed at strengthening energy resilience through backup power systems and microgrids in critical facilities, including those in rural areas. The program, funded through the broader<a href="https://www.txenergyfund.texas.gov/"> Texas Energy Fund</a>, was designed to ensure that essential services like nursing homes, hospitals, and water systems are better equipped to remain operational during future grid emergencies.</p>
  1423.  
  1424.  
  1425.  
  1426. <p>“The extreme weather events that crippled Texas in recent years made it clear this investment was overdue,” said Texas State Representative Ana Hernandez, who serves on the <a href="https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Documents/55407_13_1359682.PDF">Texas Backup Power Package Advisory Committee</a>. “These backup systems allow vital facilities to keep operating even if the main grid goes down.”</p>
  1427.  
  1428.  
  1429.  
  1430. <p>The Texas Backup Power Package was passed in 2023, but didn’t receive funding until the 2025 legislative session. It will provide grants and loans for generators, battery storage, and solar systems.&nbsp;</p>
  1431.  
  1432.  
  1433.  
  1434. <p>State Representative Hernandez said the program rules will be drafted later this year and applications are expected online by spring 2026, with installations starting that summer. Final eligibility is still being decided, but critical facilities will be prioritized.&nbsp;</p>
  1435.  
  1436.  
  1437.  
  1438. <p>“By providing multi-day, stand-alone backup systems, the program ensures that vital services don’t go dark when the grid fails. Health centers, senior living facilities, emergency responders, and other critical operations will be able to stay open and serve the public,” Hernandez said. “In short, it helps communities hold steady in the face of long outages and strengthens overall resilience.”</p>
  1439.  
  1440.  
  1441.  
  1442. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Outages Deepened Health Risks for Older Adults&nbsp;</strong></h2>
  1443.  
  1444.  
  1445.  
  1446. <p>During Winter Storm Uri, Texas experienced historically low temperatures and sweeping power failures as the state’s electric grid struggled to meet surging demand.&nbsp;</p>
  1447.  
  1448.  
  1449.  
  1450. <p>According to the <a href="https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/02222023%20Left%20in%20the%20Dark%20-%20Wyden-Casey%20final.pdf">Texas Health and Human Services Commission</a>, 578 of the state’s 1,212 nursing homes, nearly half, reported at least one incident during the storm, including 139 that lost power, 327 that had to boil water, and 121 that suffered burst pipes, water shortages, or complete water loss.&nbsp;</p>
  1451.  
  1452.  
  1453.  
  1454. <p>An estimated 39,000 residents, about half of all nursing home residents in the state, lived in facilities that reported such incidents, according to data compiled by the <a href="https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/02222023%20Left%20in%20the%20Dark%20-%20Wyden-Casey%20final.pdf">Texas Health and Human Services Commission</a>.</p>
  1455.  
  1456.  
  1457.  
  1458. <p>For residents, those outages were more than an inconvenience. They intensified existing health risks and exposed the particular dangers that extreme temperatures pose to older adults.</p>
  1459.  
  1460.  
  1461.  
  1462. <p>Andrea Earl, associate state director of advocacy and outreach at <a href="https://states.aarp.org/texas/">AARP Texas</a>, said older adults in care facilities faced heightened risks during extreme temperatures because their bodies struggle to regulate heat and cold. Many residents also have mobility issues, chronic health conditions, or cognitive impairments that limit self-care. Medication, medical equipment needs, and social isolation further increased vulnerability to extreme temperatures, according to Earl. But some nursing facilities lacked staff expertise to recognize early signs of heat or cold stress, making reliable utilities critical for protecting residents’ health.</p>
  1463.  
  1464.  
  1465.  
  1466. <p>Some of the effects of extreme weather and utility outages are not immediately detectable.&nbsp;</p>
  1467.  
  1468.  
  1469.  
  1470. <p>“In extreme cold, your blood starts to thicken, especially if you&#8217;re older, and that increases the risk of blood clots and other cardiovascular incidents. And I think the hard part about both is these things don&#8217;t come on right away,” Earl said.&nbsp;</p>
  1471.  
  1472.  
  1473.  
  1474. <p>In the <em>JAMA</em> study, researchers captured these longer term effects by reviewing outcomes over the course of the weeks following the storm.&nbsp;</p>
  1475.  
  1476.  
  1477.  
  1478. <p>“We really need to start paying attention to these more delayed effects that are coming up,” said Alex Holland, a doctoral student in population health sciences at UTMB and a co-author of the <em>JAMA</em> article. “In our study, we didn&#8217;t really see that difference in mortality until three weeks after winter storm Uri, so there’s somewhat of a delayed effect.”&nbsp;</p>
  1479.  
  1480.  
  1481.  
  1482. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>New Backup Systems Target Future Outages</strong></h2>
  1483.  
  1484.  
  1485.  
  1486. <p>The Texas Backup Power Package aims to strengthen the state’s energy infrastructure by installing generators, microgrids, and batteries at critical facilities across the state that could run independently when there are grid failures.</p>
  1487.  
  1488.  
  1489.  
  1490. <p>Winter Storm Uri caused economic losses upwards of <a href="https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/fiscal-notes/archive/2021/oct/winter-storm-impact.php">$80 billion</a>. The state’s power grid faced an <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214629621001997">unprecedented surge</a> in electricity demand and critical parts of the system failed.&nbsp;</p>
  1491.  
  1492.  
  1493.  
  1494. <p>To prevent a total collapse that could have taken weeks or even months to recover from, the <a href="https://www.ercot.com/">Electric Reliability Council of Texas</a> (ERCOT), which manages most of Texas’s electric grid, implemented emergency blackouts.&nbsp;</p>
  1495.  
  1496.  
  1497.  
  1498. <p>Some of the water shortages were directly tied to <a href="https://www.ercot.com/">ERCOT</a> emergency directives, which required utilities to reduce power consumption to stabilize the electric grid.<br><br>In Medina County, a rural area west of San Antonio, <a href="https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/02222023%20Left%20in%20the%20Dark%20-%20Wyden-Casey%20final.pdf">water was unavailable</a> during Winter Storm Uri, even for essential needs like drinking, bathing, and flushing toilets. Nursing homes in the county were among those affected, facing dangerous conditions as power and water systems failed.&nbsp;</p>
  1499.  
  1500.  
  1501.  
  1502. <p>As part of their research, Downer and Holland spoke with nurse practitioners at UTMB who conduct home visits to nursing homes in the area. They said the access to water can be critical to mitigate health risks and manage hygiene.&nbsp;</p>
  1503.  
  1504.  
  1505.  
  1506. <p>“[The nurse practitioners] were really emphasizing how both physical and oral hygiene can be really important, not only to just general quality of life and a person&#8217;s comfort, but also, too, from an infection risk, especially when it comes to oral health,” Downer said. “We felt that it would be interesting to include water outages for that reason. And then also, too, since power and water outages tend to occur together.”<br><br>Those health risks are amplified in rural areas, where limited infrastructure and slower emergency response make outages harder to manage.</p>
  1507.  
  1508.  
  1509.  
  1510. <p>Although this utility collapse was widely attributed to frozen power plants, a <a href="https://www.me.utexas.edu/images/research/SECO_Project_FINAL_20221108_V2.pdf">University of Texas study</a> highlighted the need for better energy efficiency measures to reduce strain on the grid and protect vulnerable populations during extreme weather events.</p>
  1511.  
  1512.  
  1513.  
  1514. <p>“There&#8217;s a whole host of reasons why extreme weather events can result in lower supply,” said Joshua Rhodes, PhD, a research scientist at the University of Texas and one of the report’s authors. “[During Winter Storm Uri,] we saw [that] every single kind of power plant didn&#8217;t perform as well as we would have liked it to perform. We saw power plants freeze, be they coal, natural gas or nuclear, wind. We saw snow on top of solar panels. But we also saw the natural gas sector freeze…we lost the ability to produce about 80% of the natural gas in the Permian Basin, and so we weren&#8217;t able to move as much natural gas. We also had a bunch of power plants that just couldn&#8217;t get fuel.”&nbsp;</p>
  1515.  
  1516.  
  1517.  
  1518. <p>Winter Storm Uri brought the state’s energy sector to a standstill and future extreme weather threatens to do the same.&nbsp;</p>
  1519.  
  1520.  
  1521.  
  1522. <p>“Texas is seeing more disasters as more people live in areas where we have hurricanes, and as, just generally, more people are around, and we rely on more things for electricity,” Rhodes said.&nbsp;</p>
  1523.  
  1524.  
  1525.  
  1526. <p>To boost energy resilience, Texas lawmakers approved $1.8 billion in 2025 for the Texas Backup Power Package.</p>
  1527.  
  1528.  
  1529.  
  1530. <p>“We&#8217;re recognizing that there are thousands of facilities across the state, many in rural areas, but some also in urban areas, that provide vital community services, like water treatment facilities, fresh water facilities, assisted living centers and other medical facilities…,” said Texas Senator Nathan Johnson, who led legislation to create and fund the Texas Backup Power Package. “So in order to make that more affordable, what we wanted to do is just put some state money behind it.”</p>
  1531.  
  1532.  
  1533.  
  1534. <p>“Modern life runs on electricity,” Rhodes said. “I think it&#8217;s good that we&#8217;re at least keeping the critical parts of that life, of that livelihood, up and running whenever we run into issues.”&nbsp;</p>
  1535.  
  1536.  
  1537.  
  1538. <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>An Uncertain Pathway Forward&nbsp;</strong></h2>
  1539.  
  1540.  
  1541.  
  1542. <p>Researchers and advocates said that while the Texas Backup Power Package has potential to serve long-term care residents, it is not a guaranteed fix.&nbsp;</p>
  1543.  
  1544.  
  1545.  
  1546. <p>During the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers failed to pass <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/billlookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&amp;Bill=SB481">SB 481</a>, which would have required nursing and assisted living facilities in Texas to maintain safe temperatures during emergencies with backup power systems. Without such state regulations, Earl expressed concern that many facilities may be unaware of the Texas Backup Power Package program or lack the capacity to apply for it.</p>
  1547.  
  1548.  
  1549.  
  1550. <p>“A lot of these places are understaffed…so any extra administrative processes might be a hindrance to why they would apply,” Earl said. “We&#8217;re hopeful that facilities out there are paying attention to [the backup power package], but I think that&#8217;s another thing too. How well is this fund going to be marketed? Are we going to see these facilities know firsthand that they can apply for this? How are they going to find out about it?”</p>
  1551.  
  1552.  
  1553.  
  1554. <p>Holland said that the successful implementation of backup power also depends on training and education for effective emergency preparedness.&nbsp;</p>
  1555.  
  1556.  
  1557.  
  1558. <p>“Now there&#8217;s funding available to help with these backup power sources, like the Texas Backup Power Package. But then the question becomes like, well, then what? These facilities might not know, what is the best power supply backup for us? Where should we put them?” Holland said.&nbsp; “We see sometimes that generators end up getting put on the floor and ground level in areas that are prone to flooding or nursing home staff aren&#8217;t trained on how to use this emergency backup equipment.”&nbsp;</p>
  1559.  
  1560.  
  1561.  
  1562. <p>Without proper guidance and preparation, the funding alone cannot guarantee that facilities will be ready when disaster strikes.</p>
  1563.  
  1564.  
  1565.  
  1566. <p>“Disaster preparedness is for everybody,” Holland said. “I think especially that&#8217;s something that lends itself very strongly to rural communities [where] you kind of have that ‘everybody knows everybody’ feel. And so taking that into the disaster preparedness side of things, and knowing how your city or your county is preparing for some of these events, or, what are the resources in place, kind of at that local level, also definitely come into mind.”</p>
  1567.  
  1568.  
  1569.  
  1570. <p>Earl emphasized that emergency preparedness shouldn’t wait for tragedy.</p>
  1571.  
  1572.  
  1573.  
  1574. <p>“We don&#8217;t think death should be the underlying reason for, or the catalyst for, doing backup power and requiring a certain level of power in these facilities,” Earl said. “We think that there&#8217;s a lot of dignity with this stage of life and where you&#8217;re at and that that should be preserved, especially if you are paying to be in a facility and putting your hard earned dollars and assuming and expecting a certain level of care.”</p>
  1575.  
  1576.  
  1577.  
  1578. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  1579.  
  1580.  
  1581.  
  1582. <p><br></p>
  1583.  
  1584.  
  1585.  
  1586. <p><br></p>
  1587.  
  1588.  
  1589.  
  1590. <p><br></p>
  1591. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/new-texas-energy-package-could-help-older-adults-in-long-term-care-facilities-during-extreme-weather/2025/10/20/">New Texas Energy Package Could Help Older Adults in Long-Term Care Facilities During Extreme Weather</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  1592. ]]></content:encoded>
  1594. <wfw:commentRss>https://dailyyonder.com/new-texas-energy-package-could-help-older-adults-in-long-term-care-facilities-during-extreme-weather/2025/10/20/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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  1598. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">233463</post-id> </item>
  1599. <item>
  1600. <title>Arduous and Unequal: The Fight to Get FEMA Housing Assistance After Helene</title>
  1601. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/arduous-and-unequal-the-fight-to-get-fema-housing-assistance-after-helene/2025/10/20/</link>
  1602. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/arduous-and-unequal-the-fight-to-get-fema-housing-assistance-after-helene/2025/10/20/#respond</comments>
  1604. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jennifer Berry Hawes / ProPublica and Ren Larson / The Assembly]]></dc:creator>
  1605. <pubDate>Mon, 20 Oct 2025 09:59:00 +0000</pubDate>
  1606. <category><![CDATA[Community & Economic Development]]></category>
  1607. <category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
  1608. <category><![CDATA[Government & Policy]]></category>
  1609. <category><![CDATA[repub]]></category>
  1610. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233581</guid>
  1611.  
  1612. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C570&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C972&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1500&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  1613. <p>This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox. Slogging through a thick slop of mud and rock, Brian Hill passed the roof that Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters had just ripped off someone’s barn and [&#8230;]</p>
  1614. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/arduous-and-unequal-the-fight-to-get-fema-housing-assistance-after-helene/2025/10/20/">Arduous and Unequal: The Fight to Get FEMA Housing Assistance After Helene</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  1615. ]]></description>
  1616. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C570&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C972&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1500&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-45_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  1617. <p class="has-text-align-center"><em>This story was originally published by <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/fema-aid-hurricane-helene-income-disparities?utm_source=sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=majorinvestigations&amp;utm_content=feature">ProPublica</a>.</em></p>
  1618.  
  1619.  
  1620.  
  1621. <p><em>ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for <a href="https://www.propublica.org/newsletters/the-big-story?source=reprint&amp;placement=top-note">The Big Story newsletter</a> to receive stories like this one in your inbox</em>.</p>
  1622.  
  1623.  
  1624.  
  1625. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  1626.  
  1627.  
  1628.  
  1629. <p>Slogging through a thick slop of mud and rock, Brian Hill passed the roof that Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters had just ripped off someone’s barn and dumped into his yard. Then he peered into the unrecognizable chaos inside what had been his family’s dream home.</p>
  1630.  
  1631.  
  1632.  
  1633. <p>The century-old white farmhouse, surrounded by the rugged peaks of western North Carolina, sat less than 15 yards from the normally tranquil Cattail Creek. As Helene’s rainfall barrelled down the Black Mountains last September, the creek swelled into a raging river that encircled the house. Its waves pounded the walls, tore off doors, smashed windows and devoured the front and back porches.</p>
  1634.  
  1635.  
  1636.  
  1637. <p>Brian and his wife, Susie, had just bought the house a year earlier. They had a 30-year mortgage — and, now, no house to live in. Because their home didn’t sit in the 100-year floodplain, they had not purchased flood insurance.</p>
  1638.  
  1639.  
  1640.  
  1641. <p>Across Helene’s devastating path through the Southeast, people like the Hills turned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA doles out financial help after a major disaster for everything from home repairs to rental assistance. Once she could get a cell signal, Susie applied.</p>
  1642.  
  1643.  
  1644.  
  1645. <p>It took months of persistence, but eventually the Hills were among the lucky ones. They received close to $40,000, just shy of the maximum amount FEMA provides for rebuilding and repairs.</p>
  1646.  
  1647.  
  1648.  
  1649. <p>But farther up Cattail Creek, a man whose wife was killed in floodwaters said he checked his FEMA application one day and noticed it was marked “withdrawn,” a surprise since he’d received no explanation. Elsewhere in Yancey, another man said he realized FEMA had denied him aid because his birthdate was a year off on his application. A third man said his application — which he filled out just days after hiking down a mountain severely injured — seemingly vanished from the system.</p>
  1650.  
  1651.  
  1652.  
  1653. <p>FEMA’s application process can be onerous, particularly for people who’ve lost their homes. And it can be especially daunting for those with lower incomes who may have fewer resources.</p>
  1654.  
  1655.  
  1656.  
  1657. <p>An analysis by ProPublica and The Assembly found that among the more rural counties hardest hit by Helene, the households that got the most housing assistance tended to have the highest incomes. The income disparity is especially stark in Yancey County, where the Hills live.</p>
  1658.  
  1659.  
  1660.  
  1661. <p>A <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/hurricane-helene-evacuation-warnings-yancey-county-north-carolina">ProPublica investigation</a> earlier this year found that despite dire warnings from the National Weather Service, many people in Yancey were unaware of the enormity of danger Helene posed. The storm killed 11 people there, the highest per-capita loss of life for any county in North Carolina.</p>
  1662.  
  1663.  
  1664.  
  1665. <iframe title="In North Carolina's Hardest-Hit Rural Counties, the Highest-Income Homeowners Typically Received the Most FEMA Housing Assistance" aria-label="Small multiple column chart" id="datawrapper-chart-UQ7HV" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/UQ7HV/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="905" data-external="1"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}});</script>
  1666.  
  1667.  
  1668.  
  1669. <p>The Hills, who are both public school teachers, do not fall in the highest-income brackets FEMA identified. Households in the middle range tended to get about as much FEMA housing assistance money as the lower-income ones, or even a little less. But experts say the Hills did have something in common with the highest-income households: They had the luxury of time to pursue every dollar of federal aid that they were qualified to receive. That’s because they received full pay for seven weeks while schools were closed. That allowed them to navigate FEMA’s bureaucracy during a crucial time when, for many others, pursuing the aid felt insurmountable.</p>
  1670.  
  1671.  
  1672.  
  1673. <p>Our analysis looked at counties with the highest per-capita rate of households receiving FEMA aid for housing assistance, an indicator of where Helene hit people the hardest. Housing assistance includes separate buckets of money that cover both rental assistance and home repairs and rebuilding. Apart from Buncombe County — home to Asheville and by far the most urban county in the region — lower- and middle-income households overall got lower amounts of this aid compared to the highest-income earners.</p>
  1674.  
  1675.  
  1676.  
  1677. <p>In some counties, the highest-income homeowners received two to three times as much housing assistance as those with lower incomes.</p>
  1678.  
  1679.  
  1680.  
  1681. <p>Yet income isn’t supposed to play a role. FEMA aid for home repairs and rebuilding is intended to help begin replacing a primary home or make it safe and habitable again, not restore one to its prior state. In theory, a couple living in a million-dollar home and another in a starter house should be eligible for the same level of assistance. For instance, couples who live alone generally would qualify for aid to cover one bedroom, one bathroom and one refrigerator, even if they had three of each.</p>
  1682.  
  1683.  
  1684.  
  1685. <p>FEMA did not respond to ProPublica and The Assembly’s requests for comment. The agency <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-20-503.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com">previously told</a> the Government Accountability Office, according to a 2020 report, that it encourages all survivors with property damage to apply, and those with minimal damage are “driving down the average award amount.”</p>
  1686.  
  1687.  
  1688.  
  1689. <p>Disparities in who receives FEMA aid have long been known to researchers, including Sarah Labowitz, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who studies and writes about disasters and publishes the <a href="https://carnegieendowment.org/features/disaster-dollar-database?lang=en">Disaster Dollar Database</a>.</p>
  1690.  
  1691.  
  1692.  
  1693. <p>“Disasters pull back the curtain on inequity,” Labowitz said. “It’s a vicious combination of things that make it so much harder for people without a lot of money to get what they need from FEMA.” She pointed to FEMA inspectors who undervalue damage to more modest homes, FEMA’s onerous documentation requirements and a “brutal and discouraging” appeals process.</p>
  1694.  
  1695.  
  1696.  
  1697. <p>The agency itself has also known about the problems. Several years ago,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/29/1004347023/why-fema-aid-is-unavailable-to-many-who-need-it-the-most">NPR obtained an internal FEMA analysis</a>&nbsp;showing that the poorest homeowners received about half as much to rebuild their homes compared with higher-income homeowners. The 2020&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-20-503.pdf">GAO report</a>&nbsp;noted that homeowners in communities with the most socioeconomic vulnerabilities, like being below the poverty line and not having a high school diploma, received significantly less assistance than those in less vulnerable communities.</p>
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  1701. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  1702. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  1703. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="585" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4701_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=780%2C585&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233592" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4701_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4701_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=760%2C570&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4701_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4701_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4701_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4701_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4701_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4701_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4701_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4701_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_4701_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Hills’ home was destroyed outside, first image, and inside, second image.&nbsp;(Photo courtesy of the Hills)</figcaption></figure>
  1704. </div>
  1705.  
  1706.  
  1707.  
  1708. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  1709. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="585" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_32-am_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95_2025-09-22-220658_dgrp-2.webp?resize=780%2C585&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233593" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_32-am_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95_2025-09-22-220658_dgrp-2.webp?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_32-am_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95_2025-09-22-220658_dgrp-2.webp?resize=760%2C570&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_32-am_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95_2025-09-22-220658_dgrp-2.webp?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_32-am_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95_2025-09-22-220658_dgrp-2.webp?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_32-am_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95_2025-09-22-220658_dgrp-2.webp?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_32-am_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95_2025-09-22-220658_dgrp-2.webp?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_32-am_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95_2025-09-22-220658_dgrp-2.webp?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_32-am_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95_2025-09-22-220658_dgrp-2.webp?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_32-am_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95_2025-09-22-220658_dgrp-2.webp?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_32-am_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95_2025-09-22-220658_dgrp-2.webp?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/11_32-am_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95_2025-09-22-220658_dgrp-2.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Hills’ home was destroyed outside, first image, and inside, second image.&nbsp;(Photo courtesy of the Hills)</figcaption></figure>
  1710. </div>
  1711. </div>
  1712.  
  1713.  
  1714.  
  1715. <p>The disparity we found in Yancey was equally striking in Haywood County, where water flows down 13 peaks towering above 6,000 feet. Households there making more than $175,000 typically received $11,000 in housing assistance; households below that threshold received about $5,000.</p>
  1716.  
  1717.  
  1718.  
  1719. <p>Michelle and Jeff Parker, who live about 70 miles southwest of the Hills, in Haywood, had evacuated during the storm. Like the Hills, they returned to find their house had been filled with water. They too had lost virtually everything, down to their wedding photographs.</p>
  1720.  
  1721.  
  1722. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1723. <figure class="alignleft size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="1172" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-259_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C1172&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233594" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-259_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-259_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=506%2C760&amp;ssl=1 506w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-259_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C1154&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-259_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=682%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 682w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-259_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C1172&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-259_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C601&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-259_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C1061&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-259_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Michelle Parker has struggled to get FEMA to cover her rent after her home was flooded by Helene.&nbsp;(Photo by Jesse Barber / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure></div>
  1724.  
  1725.  
  1726. <p>But the Parkers had been here before. In 2023, they finished repairing their 936-square-foot home after Tropical Storm Fred’s floodwaters filled it with 4 feet of water in 2021. That time, their house had been rebuilt by a state-run program. They received $50,000 from their flood insurance and just $1,644 from FEMA for rental assistance.</p>
  1727.  
  1728.  
  1729.  
  1730. <p>When Helene hit just a year after they got back into their home, they decided the risk of rebuilding was too great. Jeff, a former wastewater treatment plant operator, was on disability. Michelle was working as a medical assistant and could take only a couple of weeks off after Helene. They applied for a <a href="https://www.haywoodcountync.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1086">hazard mitigation</a> buyout, another program offered <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVZdihUkkMc">through FEMA</a>, instead. It would pay them the property’s appraised value before the storm and turn it into green space.</p>
  1731.  
  1732.  
  1733.  
  1734. <p>But that process could take years, and their home was unlivable. They figured they would at least get rental assistance from FEMA in the meantime.</p>
  1735.  
  1736.  
  1737.  
  1738. <p>The couples’ situations diverged in important ways, and they applied for different pots of FEMA housing assistance. But their journeys underscore how disaster survivors with varying resources are able to navigate FEMA’s application process.</p>
  1739.  
  1740.  
  1741.  
  1742. <p>Susie and Michelle spent hours plodding through FEMA’s online system, uploading documents, deciphering bureaucratic letters and making myriad phone calls to the agency.</p>
  1743.  
  1744.  
  1745.  
  1746. <p>After weeks of pestering FEMA, the Hills received just under the maximum $42,500 for home repair and rebuild assistance for damage to things like the home’s walls, windows and doors, plus about $9,000 from other FEMA aid programs. The money played a critical role in helping them start rebuilding.</p>
  1747.  
  1748.  
  1749.  
  1750. <p>The Parkers received $2,210 for the first two months of rental assistance to help pay for temporary housing. Michelle continued to nag FEMA for months seeking longer-term help; the agency will pay rental assistance for up to 18 months, which could translate to an additional $7,500.</p>
  1751.  
  1752.  
  1753.  
  1754. <p>Then Jeff died from cardiac arrest in June at age 56. Michelle felt like she was operating in a fog. She couldn’t handle another stressor.</p>
  1755.  
  1756.  
  1757.  
  1758. <p>So when FEMA’s call wait times soared to two to three hours <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/climate/fema-missed-calls-texas-floods.html">after the deadly Texas floods</a> on July 4, she gave up on pursuing additional rental assistance from FEMA.</p>
  1759.  
  1760.  
  1761.  
  1762. <p>“I got tired of calling,” she said.</p>
  1763.  
  1764.  
  1765.  
  1766. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  1767. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  1768. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="1172" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_3888-SG-edit_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.webp?resize=780%2C1172&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233595" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_3888-SG-edit_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.webp?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_3888-SG-edit_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.webp?resize=506%2C760&amp;ssl=1 506w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_3888-SG-edit_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.webp?resize=768%2C1154&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_3888-SG-edit_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.webp?resize=682%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 682w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_3888-SG-edit_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.webp?resize=780%2C1172&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_3888-SG-edit_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.webp?resize=400%2C601&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_3888-SG-edit_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.webp?resize=706%2C1061&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_3888-SG-edit_maxHeight_3000_maxWidth_3000.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Michelle’s husband, Jeff, with their Chihuahuas, Cloey and Sweet Pea. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Parker)</figcaption></figure>
  1769. </div>
  1770.  
  1771.  
  1772.  
  1773. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  1774. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="1172" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-317_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C1172&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233596" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-317_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-317_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=506%2C760&amp;ssl=1 506w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-317_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C1154&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-317_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=682%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 682w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-317_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C1172&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-317_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C601&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-317_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C1061&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-317_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Inside Michelle’s camper. (Photo by Jesse Barber / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  1775. </div>
  1776. </div>
  1777.  
  1778.  
  1779.  
  1780. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="519" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-301_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233597" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-301_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1296%2C863&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-301_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=760%2C506&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-301_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-301_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1200%2C799&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-301_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1024%2C681&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-301_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-301_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C266&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-301_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C470&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-301_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=1450&amp;ssl=1 1450w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-301_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-1296x863.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Michelle’s memorial to her husband and their Chihuahua, Sweet Pea, includes a stuffed animal that plays a recording of Jeff’s voice, a box with the Corvette emblem containing Jeff’s ashes and a box with Sweet Pea’s ashes.&nbsp;(Photo by Jesse Barber / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  1781.  
  1782.  
  1783.  
  1784. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">The Daunting Process</h3>
  1785.  
  1786.  
  1787.  
  1788. <p>After disasters strike, households with lower incomes can face major challenges, beginning with the early steps of the rebuilding process, which include finding temporary housing and transportation. Some residents lack reliable internet access or cell service. They have less money to pay professionals for estimates or attorneys for advice. Throw in the added hurdles of rugged topography, and western North Carolina posed particular challenges to those faced with rebuilding after Helene.</p>
  1789.  
  1790.  
  1791.  
  1792. <p>Alicia Edwards, who directs the Disaster Relief Project for Legal Aid of North Carolina, said she wasn’t surprised by our analysis, which found that in six of the 10 counties most impacted by Helene, the lowest-income households got less in FEMA’s housing assistance than those at the highest income level.</p>
  1793.  
  1794.  
  1795.  
  1796. <p>“People with lower incomes are at a huge disadvantage,” Edwards said.</p>
  1797.  
  1798.  
  1799.  
  1800. <p>The application process can be onerous and overwhelming, particularly for people who just survived raging floodwaters and the destruction of their homes and communities. And it can feel downright impossible to navigate for those with less money or other resources.</p>
  1801.  
  1802.  
  1803.  
  1804. <p>In Buncombe County, our analysis found the opposite trend. The lowest-income families there typically received more housing assistance than those with higher incomes. It’s also where residents tend to have better access to resources, as many regional nonprofits are based there. Pisgah Legal Services has had an office in Asheville for decades.</p>
  1805.  
  1806.  
  1807.  
  1808. <p>Several of the counties with pronounced income disparities are among the most rural counties heavily impacted by Helene. Yancey, Mitchell and Polk all have populations under 21,000.</p>
  1809.  
  1810.  
  1811.  
  1812. <p>The region also is home to both higher-income retirees, who can have more free time and more experience navigating complicated finances, and lower-income multigenerational families. In more rural areas, many of the latter tend to distrust the federal government and are reluctant to pursue assistance, said Morgan Monshaugen, disaster recovery program director with the Housing Assistance Corp., a nonprofit that serves Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties.</p>
  1813.  
  1814.  
  1815.  
  1816. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  1817. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  1818. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="519" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-490_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233600" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-490_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-490_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=760%2C506&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-490_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-490_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-490_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-490_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C266&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-490_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C470&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-490_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A vacant apartment complex, first image, and a mobile home park, second image, in Haywood County, North Carolina, that were damaged by Helene.&nbsp;(Photo by Jesse Barber / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  1819. </div>
  1820.  
  1821.  
  1822.  
  1823. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  1824. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="519" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-375_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=780%2C519&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233601" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-375_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-375_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=760%2C506&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-375_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-375_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-375_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=780%2C519&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-375_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=400%2C266&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-375_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?resize=706%2C470&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-375_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-2.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A vacant apartment complex, first image, and a mobile home park, second image, in Haywood County, North Carolina, that were damaged by Helene.&nbsp;(Photo by Jesse Barber / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  1825. </div>
  1826. </div>
  1827.  
  1828.  
  1829.  
  1830. <p>The month before Helene struck, Tulane University researchers released <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221242092400390X">a literature review</a> of 25 years of research on barriers to equitable disaster recovery. They noted common themes, including the confusing aid process and challenges navigating bureaucracies. They also pointed to research that shows inspectors’ biases and time pressures can play a role.</p>
  1831.  
  1832.  
  1833.  
  1834. <p>Before 2020, inspectors would go through a long checklist of items that could qualify for repair or replacement money. Someone with more things could therefore get more aid.</p>
  1835.  
  1836.  
  1837.  
  1838. <p>After FEMA changed that system, inspectors now record notes about standardized factors such as roof damage and the height of flood marks inside. The amount of damage puts a household into one of several levels, each of which determines how much and what type of repair and rebuild assistance it can get. Some households get additional money for things like heating, venting and air conditioning or septic systems.</p>
  1839.  
  1840.  
  1841.  
  1842. <p>“It shouldn’t have to do with anything other than what was damaged and what was repaired,” Edwards said. But she worries biases can still creep in. “If they feel you are a credible person, they could give you a little more assistance, even subconsciously,” she said.</p>
  1843.  
  1844.  
  1845.  
  1846. <p>The agency’s decisions come in the form of mailed letters, each regarding a different pot of money. Some letters might have a dollar amount granted. Others might announce denials. It isn’t always obvious that survivors can appeal — an even more arduous process for many.</p>
  1847.  
  1848.  
  1849.  
  1850. <p>“It makes it impossibly hard for people to navigate,” Edwards said.</p>
  1851.  
  1852.  
  1853.  
  1854. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233602" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-1296x864.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Four months after Helene hit western North Carolina, debris still remained in Yancey County.&nbsp;(Photo by Juan Diego Reyes / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  1855.  
  1856.  
  1857.  
  1858. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Hills of Challenge</h3>
  1859.  
  1860.  
  1861.  
  1862. <p>Susie Hill knew her family would need every dollar they could get to rebuild. So she filled out a FEMA application online and talked to someone at the agency by phone.</p>
  1863.  
  1864.  
  1865.  
  1866. <p>Slowly, aid from FEMA started arriving in their bank account — $3,514 first, a set amount for people displaced, then an initial $13,687 for home repair. In October, it reached about $22,000, roughly half of the $42,500 maximum in 2024 for home repair and replacement.</p>
  1867.  
  1868.  
  1869.  
  1870. <p>Then the money stopped.</p>
  1871.  
  1872.  
  1873.  
  1874. <p>As hope for more aid began to fizzle, Susie pestered FEMA. “I was anxious about getting lost in the mix of so many people across the region in need,” she said. The Hills’ application was one of nearly 1.5 million that FEMA received across the six-state region devastated by Helene.</p>
  1875.  
  1876.  
  1877.  
  1878. <p>The Hills got more estimates, uploaded more documents. They set up a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $53,000. And finally, in late November, they came close to reaching the maximum $42,500 payout from FEMA for home repairs, along with smaller amounts from the agency’s other aid buckets.</p>
  1879.  
  1880.  
  1881.  
  1882. <p>“Unfortunately,” Susie said, “I think it is a bit of a socioeconomic situation where we have jobs, where we know people that know people, that maybe have money or that are able to help us, or that have the skills to help us, where other people are just trying to make it day to day.”</p>
  1883.  
  1884.  
  1885. <div class="wp-block-image">
  1886. <figure class="alignleft size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="1040" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-55_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C1040&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233603" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-55_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-55_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=570%2C760&amp;ssl=1 570w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-55_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-55_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=600%2C800&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-55_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=450%2C600&amp;ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-55_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-55_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=150%2C200&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-55_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C1040&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-55_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C534&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-55_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C942&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-55_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Susie Hill&nbsp;Credit (Photo by Juan Diego Reyes / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure></div>
  1887.  
  1888.  
  1889. <p>Yancey is home to the most families per capita — about 175, or roughly 1 in 36 homeowners — who got the top amount of FEMA home rebuild and repair assistance. Our analysis of more than 75,000 North Carolina homeowners who applied for the assistance in the counties hardest hit by Helene found roughly 1,300 homeowners, or just 1.7%, received the maximum payout.</p>
  1890.  
  1891.  
  1892.  
  1893. <p>The Hills had decided to relocate their historic house to a spot on their property farther back from the creek. The FEMA money would cover most of that cost, a critical first step toward gutting it and rebuilding.</p>
  1894.  
  1895.  
  1896.  
  1897. <p>On an icy cold day in mid-January, house movers put I-beams underneath the water-damaged structure and used hydraulic lifts to raise it. Then, they hauled it to safer ground.</p>
  1898.  
  1899.  
  1900.  
  1901. <p>A family in Tennessee donated a camper for the Hills to live in. After three months of bouncing around, they parked it near the shell of their house. Standing at the front door, to the right, they could see the vast destruction along Cattail Creek. To the left, they could watch their home slowly come back to life.</p>
  1902.  
  1903.  
  1904.  
  1905. <p>Susie had to wash their clothes at the elementary school where she works. For other things, they used water carried from a neighbor’s well. Brian had to haul the contents of the toilet to the septic tank. But it was a home.</p>
  1906.  
  1907.  
  1908.  
  1909. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-8_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233604" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-8_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-8_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-8_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-8_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-8_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-8_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-8_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-8_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-8_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=1450&amp;ssl=1 1450w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-8_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-1296x864.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cattail Creek, now calm, flooded during Helene and destroyed the Hills’ home.&nbsp;(Photo by Juan Diego Reyes / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  1910.  
  1911.  
  1912.  
  1913. <p>An hour’s drive away, the Parkers had sought refuge during the storm at Michelle’s mother’s house. Jeff had fractured his ankle two months before the storm and used a wheelchair. They weren’t taking chances after fleeing their home under darkness — Michelle carrying their two Chihuahuas, one under each arm — when Tropical Storm Fred hit three years earlier.</p>
  1914.  
  1915.  
  1916.  
  1917. <p>When they returned home after Helene, their shed was gone. Instead, other people’s structures lay in their yard. Inside, the contents looked like everything had been spun around. Their refrigerator lay on its side. The washing machine sat wedged on top of the dryer.</p>
  1918.  
  1919.  
  1920.  
  1921. <p>“It ruined everything — <em>everything,</em>” Michelle said. “I was ready to just die right there. I was like, I can’t go through this again.”</p>
  1922.  
  1923.  
  1924.  
  1925. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="519" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-62_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233605" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-62_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1296%2C862&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-62_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=760%2C506&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-62_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-62_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1536%2C1022&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-62_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1200%2C799&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-62_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1024%2C681&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-62_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-62_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C266&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-62_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C470&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-62_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-62_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-1296x862.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Michelle’s home shows signs of destruction from Helene almost a year later. (Photo by Jesse Parker / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  1926.  
  1927.  
  1928.  
  1929. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  1930. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  1931. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="519" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-102_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233606" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-102_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-102_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=760%2C506&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-102_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-102_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-102_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-102_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C266&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-102_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C470&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-102_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Michelle’s home shows signs of destruction from Helene almost a year later.&nbsp;(Photo by Jesse Parker / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  1932. </div>
  1933.  
  1934.  
  1935.  
  1936. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  1937. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="519" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-156_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233607" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-156_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-156_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=760%2C506&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-156_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-156_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-156_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-156_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C266&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-156_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C470&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-156_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A vacant house near Michelle’s home. (Photo by Jesse Parker / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  1938. </div>
  1939. </div>
  1940.  
  1941.  
  1942.  
  1943. <p>A friend set up a GoFundMe, which raised $1,875. The Parkers’ flood insurance paid out $80,000, far below the $209,000 the home had been appraised for a year before. Michelle remembers FEMA offering a free hotel, more than 60 miles away in Tennessee, a distance made farther as Helene’s waters took out parts of Interstate 40. Michelle and Jeff were grateful to receive a donated camper to live in. But their property still had no water or electricity, and they had to rent a place to park it.</p>
  1944.  
  1945.  
  1946.  
  1947. <p>The rent for that gravel parking space is $900 a month. Donors paid half, but Michelle has to come up with the rest.</p>
  1948.  
  1949.  
  1950.  
  1951. <p>Michelle turned to FEMA. She requested more rental assistance and uploaded an employer letter, a rental agreement, utility bills and a rent receipt. She called FEMA repeatedly.</p>
  1952.  
  1953.  
  1954.  
  1955. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="519" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-227_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233608" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-227_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1296%2C863&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-227_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=760%2C506&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-227_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-227_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1200%2C799&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-227_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1024%2C681&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-227_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-227_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C266&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-227_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C470&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-227_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=1450&amp;ssl=1 1450w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-227_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-1296x863.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Michelle and her friend Krista Shalda outside Michelle’s camper. Michelle has struggled to pay the rent for the lot where the camper is parked.&nbsp;(Photo by Jesse Barber / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  1956.  
  1957.  
  1958.  
  1959. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">“They Are All Gone”</h3>
  1960.  
  1961.  
  1962.  
  1963. <p>FEMA has faced years of criticism from people applying for assistance. Chief among their complaints: inconsistent payouts, the onerous application process, incomprehensible communication and confusing rules.</p>
  1964.  
  1965.  
  1966.  
  1967. <p>Jeremiah Isom lost his home and work tools in the Yancey County floodwaters and has since been living here and there. He’s struggled to find a job and has grappled with a FEMA application, complicated by deaths in his family and property ownership issues. It doesn’t help that he’s reluctant to ask for help, much less aggressively seek it from the federal government. Just plowing through each day is hard enough.</p>
  1968.  
  1969.  
  1970.  
  1971. <p>“Everyone is so eaten up with PTSD,” Isom said. “It’s got your head so scrambled.”</p>
  1972.  
  1973.  
  1974.  
  1975. <p>FEMA has been <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/document/FEMA-2023-0003-0039">working on improving</a> its application process. From 2021 to 2024, it announced changes <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/01/22/2024-00677/individual-assistance-program-equity?utm_source=chatgpt.com">aimed at improving access and equity</a>, including making home repair money available to underinsured households. Another change cut an onerous rule requiring applicants to first apply for a U.S. Small Business Administration loan, which approved <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-20-503.pdf">less than 4%</a> of all applicants from 2016 to 2018.</p>
  1976.  
  1977.  
  1978.  
  1979. <p>Before President Donald Trump took office in January, FEMA also had spent more than a year hiring a team of engineers, designers and product managers to help modernize the online application process. They faced a key challenge: The back-end system that runs much of the process at disasterassistance.gov is 27 years old.</p>
  1980.  
  1981.  
  1982.  
  1983. <p>A key problem is that when survivors check their application status, they often see simply that it’s pending. They get no indication of where the application is in the process or why. The FEMA team was working to change that.</p>
  1984.  
  1985.  
  1986.  
  1987. <p>Michael Coen, the agency’s chief of staff when the team was formed, noted that people are used to going on Amazon and getting updates about when their order is out for delivery and when it’s about to arrive. Coen said survivors wonder, “Why can’t FEMA do that?”</p>
  1988.  
  1989.  
  1990.  
  1991. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="520" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-69_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C520&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233609" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-69_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1296%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-69_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-69_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-69_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-69_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1200%2C800&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-69_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-69_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-69_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-69_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-69_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250127-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-69_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-1296x864.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Volunteers cut firewood in Swannanoa, North Carolina, four months after Helene hit the region.&nbsp;(Photo by Juan Diego Reyes / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  1992.  
  1993.  
  1994.  
  1995. <p>Yet since the Trump administration began <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-108598?utm_source=chatgpt.com">slashing the agency’s workforce</a>, the team focusing on improvements to the online application process has disintegrated. In January, the team had at least 10 people. Now, it’s down to two. The rest took the deferred resignation offer or were pushed from their posts, current and former FEMA employees told ProPublica and The Assembly.</p>
  1996.  
  1997.  
  1998.  
  1999. <p>“They all are gone,” said Alexandra Ferčak, who until May was chief of service delivery enhancement, part of a relatively new office at FEMA. Her team worked closely with the digital team. “We had so much knowledge and expertise, it was unprecedented,” she said.</p>
  2000.  
  2001.  
  2002.  
  2003. <p>Without that in-house expertise, major changes are “not going to be effective,” said a FEMA employee who worked with the team but asked not to be named out of fear of retribution.</p>
  2004.  
  2005.  
  2006.  
  2007. <p>FEMA did not respond to questions about the team. But in late August, more than 180 current and former FEMA employees <a href="https://www.standupforscience.net/fema-katrina-declaration">signed a public letter</a> to Congress warning that cuts to the agency’s full-time staff risk kneecapping its disaster response capabilities.</p>
  2008.  
  2009.  
  2010.  
  2011. <p><a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/08/29/dhs-debunks-false-claims-about-federal-emergency-management?utm_source=chatgpt.com">In response</a>, Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which includes FEMA, said she is working hard to “streamline this bloated organization into a tool that actually benefits Americans in crisis.” The agency <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/climate/fema-suspends-staff-who-criticized-trump-cuts.html">then suspended</a> most who had signed their names to the letter.</p>
  2012.  
  2013.  
  2014.  
  2015. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">One Year Later</h3>
  2016.  
  2017.  
  2018.  
  2019. <p>The Hills had their house moved back from Cattail Creek and temporarily propped up until they could get a new foundation laid. But the foundation work depended on the weather, which was varying degrees of terrible all winter.</p>
  2020.  
  2021.  
  2022.  
  2023. <p>Heavy rain triggered flashbacks to Helene, and in February it poured. But one Sunday morning, the Hills turned on the gas fireplace in their camper as the temperatures plummeted and the gray rain turned to snowflakes. Despite the gloom outside, they were gleeful.</p>
  2024.  
  2025.  
  2026.  
  2027. <p>A retired contractor from Texas volunteering his skills had become the guiding force in their rebuilding. Volunteers from other states also showed up to help. A group from a church in Georgia who work in construction had just visited. They asked what the Hills wanted in their house.</p>
  2028.  
  2029.  
  2030.  
  2031. <p>The Hills mostly wanted to add a bathroom so that their daughter, Lucy, who was 9 at the time, would have her own. The men would try to add one. When they left, the Hills went out to dinner using a gift card and declared it the best day ever, or at least something that had been hard to come by since the storm: a great day.</p>
  2032.  
  2033.  
  2034.  
  2035. <p>A few months later, a feeling of hope spread across western North Carolina as the dogwoods and redbuds bloomed in puffs of purple and white. Dandelions dotted patches of grass amid the persistent brown muck of mud and fallen trees. Friends and volunteers became fixtures at the Hills’ house. They depended on so much kindness from people. Brian spent every spare minute working on repairs as well.</p>
  2036.  
  2037.  
  2038.  
  2039. <div class="wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  2040. <div class="wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
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  2042. </div>
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  2047. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="585" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-74_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C585&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233612" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-74_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-74_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=760%2C570&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-74_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-74_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-74_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-74_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-74_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-74_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-74_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-74_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-74_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /></figure>
  2048. </div>
  2049. </div>
  2050.  
  2051.  
  2052.  
  2053. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="585" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C585&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233613" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1296%2C972&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=760%2C570&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C585&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C530&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250406-Reyes-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-13_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-1296x972.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">With help from FEMA and their community, the Hills are rebuilding their home. Signs of normalcy have slowly returned, including a neighbor’s horses coming by to graze.&nbsp;(Photo by Juan Diego Reyes / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  2054.  
  2055.  
  2056.  
  2057. <p>Without that initial FEMA money, the Hills’ wrecked house might still be sitting in the moonscape of mud and destruction that persists along Cattail Creek. Instead, as summer waned, the house had electricity, siding, floors, insulation, drywall — and a bathroom for Lucy.</p>
  2058.  
  2059.  
  2060.  
  2061. <p>On this one-year anniversary of Helene’s destruction, the Hills expect to move back in any day. <a href="https://www.auditor.nc.gov/dashboards/helene#Tab-1Housing-4230">Thousands of others</a> aren’t even close.</p>
  2062.  
  2063.  
  2064.  
  2065. <p>Michelle now lives alone in the camper. For the past year, donors have been paying half the rent for the lot where she parks the camper. In November, that assistance will come to an end. Michelle has a job working with autistic children but cannot afford the $900 a month on her own.</p>
  2066.  
  2067.  
  2068.  
  2069. <p>“It’s just a gravel spot,” she said.</p>
  2070.  
  2071.  
  2072.  
  2073. <p>Like the Hills, Michelle credits friends and nonprofits for getting her through the last year. “They just swarmed in and started helping — and lots of them,” she said.</p>
  2074.  
  2075.  
  2076.  
  2077. <p>In the spring, Mountain Projects, a local nonprofit that provided the camper, offered her a discounted modular home and a plot of land. Other nonprofits like United Way and Salvation Army have offered to help cover some of the home’s expenses, but Michelle still must come up with $81,000 not yet covered by her insurance or donations.</p>
  2078.  
  2079.  
  2080.  
  2081. <p>The buyout program she applied for would pay her the fair market value of her home before the storm, minus her insurance payout. But if she is approved, <a href="https://www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/emergency-management/hazard-mitigation/resources#Howlongdoesthebuyoutprocesstake-8319">it could be years</a> before she sees that money. “I’m worried,” she said.</p>
  2082.  
  2083.  
  2084.  
  2085. <p>She and Jeff were preapproved for a mortgage loan, but without his income, she isn’t sure she will still qualify. Michelle is thankful for so much help. But a year after Helene, moving into a permanent home feels more unreachable than ever.</p>
  2086.  
  2087.  
  2088.  
  2089. <figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="519" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-224_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233614" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-224_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1296%2C862&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-224_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=760%2C506&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-224_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=768%2C511&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-224_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1536%2C1022&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-224_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1200%2C799&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-224_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=1024%2C681&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-224_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=780%2C519&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-224_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=400%2C266&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-224_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?resize=706%2C470&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-224_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95.webp?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20250919-Barber-Hurricane-Helene-Recovery-224_preview_maxWidth_3000_maxHeight_3000_ppi_72_embedColorProfile_true_quality_95-1296x862.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The home offered to Michelle by Mountain Projects. (Photo by Jesse Barber / ProPublica)</figcaption></figure>
  2090.  
  2091.  
  2092.  
  2093. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  2094.  
  2095.  
  2096.  
  2097. <p><em>ProPublica and The Assembly know recovery in western North Carolina is far from over, and so is our reporting. If you have applied or thought about applying to the state housing recovery program, RenewNC, <a href="https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/hurricane-helene-rebuilding-aid-help-us-report">fill out this form</a>. You can reach us with questions or other stories at <a href="helenetips@propublica.org">helenetips@propublica.org</a>.</em></p>
  2098.  
  2099.  
  2100.  
  2101. <p><em><a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/mollie-simon">Mollie Simon</a> contributed research, and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/nadia-sussman">Nadia Sussman</a> and <a href="https://www.propublica.org/people/cassandra-garibay">Cassandra Garibay</a> contributed reporting.</em></p>
  2102. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/arduous-and-unequal-the-fight-to-get-fema-housing-assistance-after-helene/2025/10/20/">Arduous and Unequal: The Fight to Get FEMA Housing Assistance After Helene</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  2103. ]]></content:encoded>
  2105. <wfw:commentRss>https://dailyyonder.com/arduous-and-unequal-the-fight-to-get-fema-housing-assistance-after-helene/2025/10/20/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
  2106. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  2109. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">233581</post-id> </item>
  2110. <item>
  2111. <title>45 Degrees North: Debris Dilemmas</title>
  2112. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/45-degrees-north-debris-dilemmas/2025/10/17/</link>
  2113. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/45-degrees-north-debris-dilemmas/2025/10/17/#respond</comments>
  2115. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Donna Kallner]]></dc:creator>
  2116. <pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2117. <category><![CDATA[Rural Life]]></category>
  2118. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233494</guid>
  2119.  
  2120. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="576" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C427&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C729&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1151&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1125&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C439&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C397&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  2121. <p>Winter is coming here at 45 degrees north. That means my township&#8217;s solid waste transfer station will be reducing its hours and removing the seasonal bins for large items. Through the winter, we will still be able to haul our regular household trash and recyclables there on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. But the window [&#8230;]</p>
  2122. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/45-degrees-north-debris-dilemmas/2025/10/17/">45 Degrees North: Debris Dilemmas</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  2123. ]]></description>
  2124. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="576" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C427&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C729&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C864&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1151&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1125&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C439&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C397&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_094438514_HDR-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  2125. <p>Winter is coming here at 45 degrees north. That means my township&#8217;s solid waste transfer station will be reducing its hours and removing the seasonal bins for large items. Through the winter, we will still be able to haul our regular household trash and recyclables there on Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. But the window is closing for disposal of things like the worn-out, lumpy mattress and box springs we wanted gone.</p>
  2126.  
  2127.  
  2128.  
  2129. <p>Not that long ago, many rural families had a place out back where stuff like that got dumped. It wasn&#8217;t ideal, but it&#8217;s not like there were many options. Nowadays, local government units are responsible for ensuring “<a href="https://apps.dnr.wi.gov/doclink/waext/WA422.pdf">easy access</a>” to appropriate solid waste disposal options. But Wisconsin only passed its solid waste reduction, recovery and recycling law in 1990. In the 10 years it took to implement, people were still going to rural landfills to watch black bears rummage through garbage before it was managed with open burning and bulldozing.</p>
  2130.  
  2131.  
  2132.  
  2133. <p>For those who don&#8217;t remember that implementation and the time before it, a Hogwarts-style <a href="https://www.harrypotter.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/pensieve">pensieve</a> would come in handy. I could show you memories of a time when used motor oil was spread on gravel roads to keep the dust down. When throwing an old tire onto a burning trash pile was common (it burns hotter that way), and <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burn_pit">burn pits</a> were an accepted means of waste disposal. When <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_waste_management">waste management</a> was a concern for more populated areas, rural people just made do.</p>
  2134.  
  2135.  
  2136.  
  2137. <p>Nowadays, when people buy rural property, they&#8217;re not happy to discover they&#8217;ve acquired some forgotten <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midden">midden heap</a>. And you can&#8217;t blame them. Who knows what’s been leaching into the soil and groundwater from discarded refrigerators, fuel tanks, motor vehicles, and containers used for agricultural and other chemicals? Clean-up can be expensive.&nbsp;</p>
  2138.  
  2139.  
  2140.  
  2141. <p>But I find it frustrating to hear people gripe about the legacy of others’ actions and then, in the next breath, complain how government infringes on their right to do whatever <em>they</em> want on their own land. Or about taxes that just about cover the operation and tipping fees for a transfer station, but not curbside pickup. I think it&#8217;s safe to say that many rural people think common sense should prevail. I don&#8217;t disagree, but unfortunately, that is often not quite sufficient.&nbsp;</p>
  2142.  
  2143.  
  2144.  
  2145. <p>So historically, free people confer <a href="https://www.thoughtco.com/why-laws-exist-721458">legitimate authority</a> on the government to adopt and enforce laws and regulations to protect people and society, individually and collectively. We vote for representatives to oversee our interests at the local, county, state, and federal levels. When we&#8217;re frustrated with their (choose one) overreach, OR underperformance, OR perceived lack of common sense, we can show up at the polls to choose different representation. Or not: Not voting yet complaining about unsatisfactory representation is certainly common.&nbsp;</p>
  2146.  
  2147.  
  2148.  
  2149. <p>But maybe we can find a place at the intersection of personal rights and responsibility where we can agree on some norms of behavior – individual and collective. If we can apply them to solid waste disposal, maybe we can also apply them to other issues where we seem hopelessly divided.</p>
  2150.  
  2151.  
  2152.  
  2153. <p>So let&#8217;s talk about the long and ugly tradition of getting rid of junk by dumping it along some country road. People dump unwanted furniture, appliances, building materials, deer carcasses, and other debris. They dump on public lands and private lands. They dump where they think they won&#8217;t get caught.&nbsp;</p>
  2154.  
  2155.  
  2156. <div class="wp-block-image">
  2157. <figure class="alignleft size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="1153" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427-877x1296.jpg?resize=780%2C1153&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233523" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427.jpg?resize=877%2C1296&amp;ssl=1 877w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427.jpg?resize=514%2C760&amp;ssl=1 514w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427.jpg?resize=768%2C1135&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427.jpg?resize=1039%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1039w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427.jpg?resize=1386%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1386w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427.jpg?resize=1200%2C1773&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427.jpg?resize=693%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 693w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427.jpg?resize=780%2C1153&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427.jpg?resize=400%2C591&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427.jpg?resize=706%2C1043&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427.jpg?w=1438&amp;ssl=1 1438w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_20250921_093409096_HDR-scaled-e1759757450427-877x1296.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Not that long ago, many rural families had to dump unwanted stuff “out back”. (Photo by Donna Kallner / The Daily Yonder)</figcaption></figure></div>
  2158.  
  2159.  
  2160. <p>They may tell themselves they&#8217;re not hurting anybody because the place looks deserted. Or that some items are biodegradable – like a big banana peel, only it takes longer to go away. Mostly, I think they know they&#8217;re turning their problem into someone else&#8217;s problem, or they wouldn&#8217;t dump in the dead of night.</p>
  2161.  
  2162.  
  2163.  
  2164. <p>Improved rural broadband connectivity can&#8217;t come fast enough for people who live near so-called wild dumps – places where other people’s bad choices are a perennial problem. My latest lottery fantasy is to fund grants that help rural people buy the latest, greatest trail cameras to aim at those spots. I don&#8217;t know if that would deter dumping any more than doorbell cameras deter porch pirates. But wouldn&#8217;t it be satisfying to announce remotely, “You have been captured on video, which has been forwarded to law enforcement.”</p>
  2165.  
  2166.  
  2167.  
  2168. <p>But consider this: Even stiff criminal or civil penalties probably wouldn&#8217;t eliminate some problems associated with rural solid waste disposal. It&#8217;s just plain hard for some of our neighbors to manage their trash, both the big stuff and their everyday household waste.</p>
  2169.  
  2170.  
  2171.  
  2172. <p>For example, where I live, we have to haul our own trash to the transfer station or arrange for someone else to do it. That can be a challenge for homebound elders without someone able-bodied who is willing and available to transport garbage during the transfer station’s limited open hours. Without the means to pay for disposal, it&#8217;s not unusual for stuff to just pile up.</p>
  2173.  
  2174.  
  2175.  
  2176. <p>There&#8217;s a lot of rural pride in our default response to problems: Community comes through. Except when it doesn&#8217;t – for which there can be very good reasons. For example, two different people in a neighborhood near me shared their concerns about a homebound elder. A mountain of garbage bags had collected outside his garage. Neighbors were reluctant to offer help in hauling it away. They had concerns that bags (probably containing used incontinence products and other bio waste) could leak or break during transport. There were also concerns about taking possession of trash that might contain drug paraphernalia left by visitors to that residence. People who meet their own obligations to remove trash may have compassion for someone unable to do the same, and yet be stymied in how to resolve a situation like that.&nbsp;</p>
  2177.  
  2178.  
  2179.  
  2180. <p>There are also times when local government is stymied in its efforts to balance compassion and responsibility (including fiscal responsibility). For example, in 2007, an <a href="https://www.weather.gov/grb/060707_tornadoes">F3 tornado</a> hit just over a mile from my house. Clean-up began almost immediately, which is what rural communities <em>do</em>. Ten years earlier, local government probably would have just bulldozed tornado debris from structures into the town&#8217;s landfill. So no one checked with the DNR or the township&#8217;s waste disposal contractor to make a debris plan before word spread that people could haul that stuff to the town’s transfer center.&nbsp;</p>
  2181.  
  2182.  
  2183.  
  2184. <p>Once it was there, that debris became the municipality’s responsibility, and the price tag was a whopper. To reduce costs, the town had to physically sort a mountain of trash into separate components. They were allowed to burn clean wood at the site. But non-burnables – including siding, shingles, insulation, drywall, windows, and treated lumber – had to be hauled by a garbage contractor to an approved disposal site.&nbsp;</p>
  2185.  
  2186.  
  2187.  
  2188. <p>Eventually, the town got some reimbursement for expenses from a state emergency management disaster program. But there is a lot of paperwork that has to be done to get help like that.&nbsp;</p>
  2189.  
  2190.  
  2191.  
  2192. <p>That&#8217;s something to think about when you&#8217;re voting for your representation in local government. Preferably before flooding floats pre-cast concrete septic tanks onto your property and you need help figuring out how to get rid of them. Yes, downballot races matter.</p>
  2193.  
  2194.  
  2195.  
  2196. <p>I&#8217;m grateful that we have better choices than burying our old mattress and box springs at the edge of our property or dumping it on a dead-end road some dark night. Bill and I got those pieces loaded on his pickup truck and hauled to the town&#8217;s transfer station in September. The guy who manages the transfer station helped Bill unload and stack them with other stuff people wanted to get rid of. The town pays the tipping fees. And the property taxes we pay contribute to making it possible for our community, as well as our household, to benefit.&nbsp;</p>
  2197.  
  2198.  
  2199.  
  2200. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  2201.  
  2202.  
  2203.  
  2204. <p><em>Donna Kallner writes from Langlade County in rural northern Wisconsin. The US Environmental Protection Agency’s </em><a href="https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2025-08/epa_r5_illegal-dumping-prevention-guide_508.pdf"><em>Illegal Dumping Prevention Guide</em></a><em> has helpful information including prevention strategies for communities.</em></p>
  2205. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/45-degrees-north-debris-dilemmas/2025/10/17/">45 Degrees North: Debris Dilemmas</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  2206. ]]></content:encoded>
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  2209. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  2212. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">233494</post-id> </item>
  2213. <item>
  2214. <title>For the Love of Ducks</title>
  2215. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/for-the-love-of-ducks/2025/10/16/</link>
  2216. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/for-the-love-of-ducks/2025/10/16/#respond</comments>
  2218. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Kim Kobersmith]]></dc:creator>
  2219. <pubDate>Thu, 16 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2220. <category><![CDATA[Arts & Culture]]></category>
  2221. <category><![CDATA[Travel & Recreation]]></category>
  2222. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233314</guid>
  2223.  
  2224. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="772" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?fit=1024%2C772&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=760%2C573&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=1296%2C977&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=768%2C579&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=1536%2C1157&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=2048%2C1543&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=1200%2C904&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=1024%2C772&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=2000%2C1507&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=780%2C588&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=400%2C301&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=706%2C532&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?fit=1024%2C772&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  2225. <p>Judges decided the winner of the 2025 Federal Duck Stamp contest on Friday, September 19th. I watched the livestream, along with about 1,700 other fans. James Hautman’s acrylic painting of three Buffleheads in flight rose above the other 289 entries to capture first place. The image will grace the 2026-2027 Duck Stamp.&#160; Jim and his [&#8230;]</p>
  2226. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/for-the-love-of-ducks/2025/10/16/">For the Love of Ducks</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  2227. ]]></description>
  2228. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="772" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?fit=1024%2C772&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=760%2C573&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=1296%2C977&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=768%2C579&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=1536%2C1157&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=2048%2C1543&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=1200%2C904&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=1024%2C772&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=2000%2C1507&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=780%2C588&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=400%2C301&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?resize=706%2C532&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_05.jpg?fit=1024%2C772&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  2229. <p>Judges decided the winner of the 2025 Federal Duck Stamp contest on Friday, September 19<sup>th</sup>. I watched the livestream, along with about 1,700 other fans. James Hautman’s acrylic painting of three Buffleheads in flight rose above the other 289 entries to capture first place. The image will grace the 2026-2027<a href="https://www.fws.gov/program/federal-duck-stamp/federal-duck-stamp-contest-event-information"> Duck Stamp</a>.&nbsp;</p>
  2230.  
  2231.  
  2232.  
  2233. <p>Jim and his two brothers, Joe Hautman and Bob Hautman, are legendary in the duck stamp art world. It is Jim’s record-breaking 7<sup>th</sup> win. Joe has won six times and Bob, three. In 2015, the three notably claimed first, second, and third places in the contest. Between them, they have painted artwork for over 50 state and federal conservation stamps.&nbsp;</p>
  2234.  
  2235.  
  2236.  
  2237. <p>The Federal Duck Stamp has a vaunted history. The idea to sell an annual stamp for funding the purchase of wetlands came from Jay N. &#8220;Ding&#8221; Darling, a famous cartoonist and former chief of the Biological Survey, a precursor of the U.S. Fish &amp; Wildlife Service. Darling drew the first stamp for 1934-1935, a brush and ink drawing of Mallards. The design selection became a contest in 1950-1951, when artist Walter Weber won for his trumpeter swans.</p>
  2238.  
  2239.  
  2240.  
  2241. <p>Due to its longevity, its role as the federal government’s only art contest, and the high caliber of artistic entries, winning is a prestigious honor for artists. It’s a career pinnacle achievement for realist wildlife painters, comparable to the Oscars or the Grammy’s. For a niche group, the contest has become a bit of an obsession, captured in the documentary, “<a href="https://www.themilliondollarduckfilm.com/">The Million Dollar Duck</a>,” and the book, “<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13538773-the-wild-duck-chase">The Wild Duck Chase</a>.”</p>
  2242.  
  2243.  
  2244.  
  2245. <p>The concept of the duck stamp has proven highly effective. Duck hunters over 16 years old are required to purchase the stamp annually, and others choose to buy one to support conservation. Ninety-eight percent of stamp proceeds goes directly to add protected land to the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/node/115">National Wildlife Refuge System</a>. In its 91-year history, the duck stamp has raised $1.2 billion and conserved 6 million acres across the country.</p>
  2246.  
  2247.  
  2248.  
  2249. <p>As a creative tool for funding land conservation, duck stamp art preserves the nation’s rural character and honors a pastoral way of life. The contest’s long-time support for realistic wildlife art sustains rural livelihoods and engenders passion for the natural world. It joins a diverse group of people in the common cause of preserving wildlife habitats.</p>
  2250.  
  2251.  
  2252.  
  2253. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="566" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03.jpg?resize=780%2C566&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233320" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-scaled.jpg?resize=1296%2C940&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-scaled.jpg?resize=760%2C551&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C557&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1114&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1485&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C870&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C742&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1450&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C566&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C290&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-scaled.jpg?resize=706%2C512&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-scaled.jpg?w=2340&amp;ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_03-1296x940.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">1991-1992 duck stamp, artist Nancy Howe, the first woman to win, acrylic painting of a pair of King Eiders. (<a href="https://www.fws.gov/media/duck-stamp-1991-1992">1991-1992 King Eiders</a>, Duck Stamp 1991-1992, Nancy Howe/USFWS, Copyrighted, All Rights Reserved &#8211; Used by Permission)</figcaption></figure>
  2254.  
  2255.  
  2256.  
  2257. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">A Duck’s Life</h3>
  2258.  
  2259.  
  2260.  
  2261. <p>To say artist Adam Grimm’s life revolves around ducks is not overstating the facts. His friends called him Duck even before he became the youngest person ever to win the Federal Duck Stamp contest at 21 years old. That 1999 victory solidified his wildlife art career, and he now supports his family of six with that work. He won last year for the third time; the current 2025-2026 duck stamp features his <a href="https://adamgrimm.com/">painting</a> of a pair of King Eiders.&nbsp;</p>
  2262.  
  2263.  
  2264.  
  2265. <p>“I like capturing each species in its natural beauty, the way it was created,” he said in an interview. “Painting wildlife accurately and in the best light is what I really like to do.”</p>
  2266.  
  2267.  
  2268.  
  2269. <p>The Grimm family’s move to Wallace, South Dakota, was also motivated by ducks. The town of 91 people sits in the Prairie Pothole Region, a prime area for duck hunting and photography. Its distinctive topography creates the ideal nursery, producing nearly half of all North American waterfowl. Wallace is surrounded by small wetlands called <a href="https://www.fws.gov/story/waterfowl-production-areas">Waterfowl Production Areas</a> preserved with duck stamp funds.&nbsp;</p>
  2270.  
  2271.  
  2272.  
  2273. <p>“I originally came out to South Dakota on a hunting trip before I got married and was so amazed at this area,” he said. “It’s duck heaven.”</p>
  2274.  
  2275.  
  2276.  
  2277. <p>Ducks even define Grimm’s family life. His eldest daughter, Madison, turned 18 this year and entered her first duck stamp contest. She won the junior duck stamp contest three times, the first at age six. And this year, she founded her own duck-centered nonprofit.&nbsp;</p>
  2278.  
  2279.  
  2280.  
  2281. <p>Madison Grimm’s aviary features a concrete pond that can hold 100 ducks. After navigating the federal waterfowl rescue permit process, she began fielding calls from local farmers who found intact duck eggs after accidentally damaging nests. Her nonprofit, <a href="https://www.secondchanceflight.com/">Second Chance Flight</a>, rescued 200 ducks this year, with the possibility of reaching five times that amount next year.&nbsp;</p>
  2282.  
  2283.  
  2284.  
  2285. <p>As with his own family, Grimm sees wildlife art as a way to get people in touch with the land. While at an urban art fair, a woman admired a Wood Duck painting and asked where they live. He shared that they were native to the area and told her about their nearby wetland home. She returned to the fair the next year, excited to tell him about seeing them in person.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
  2286.  
  2287.  
  2288.  
  2289. <p>“Seeing those ducks may have changed that woman’s life,” he said. “There is pretty amazing stuff around when you go out looking. People can live in a rural environment and still take it for granted. I talk to people from here and they long to be someplace else, but this is my favorite place for living and raising a family.”</p>
  2290.  
  2291.  
  2292.  
  2293. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="480" height="341" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_06.jpg?resize=480%2C341&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233321" style="width:810px;height:auto" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_06.jpg?w=480&amp;ssl=1 480w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_06.jpg?resize=400%2C284&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25.09.DY-Duck_06.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Winning art from 2025 Federal Duck Stamp contest, will be on the 2026-2027 duck stamp, artist James Hautman, acrylic painting of Buffleheads.(<a href="https://www.fws.gov/media/jim-hautmans-acrylic-painting-buffleheads-wins-2025-federal-duck-stamp-contest">Jim Hautman&#8217;s Acrylic Painting of Buffleheads Wins 2025 Federal Duck Stamp Contest</a>, Jim Hautman, Copyrighted, All Rights Reserved &#8211; Used by Permission)</figcaption></figure>
  2294.  
  2295.  
  2296.  
  2297. <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Going Viral</h3>
  2298.  
  2299.  
  2300.  
  2301. <p>Kira Sabin is an <a href="https://www.kirasabinart.com/home/duckstamp">artist</a> who has entered the Federal Duck Stamp contest since 2019. They have never won, but the contest has forever changed their life. In 2021, they posted a TikTok video about the program and their entry that year. It reached 2.6 million views. That digital fame launched Sabin’s full-time artistic career. In addition, the video introduced millions of new people – especially young adults – to the stamp and the contest. (This article was inspired by my 21-year-old son, a follower of Sabin).&nbsp;</p>
  2302.  
  2303.  
  2304.  
  2305. <p>“I was baffled people didn’t know about it since it is one of the most successful wildlife fundraisers ever,” Sabin said in an interview. “It is so important to support programs already in place that work.”</p>
  2306.  
  2307.  
  2308.  
  2309. <p>The artist grew up in rural Hutchinson, Minnesota, with wild lands and lakes to explore. It’s the hometown of famed wildlife artist Les Kouba, whose paintings Sabin remembers in the homes of so many neighbors. Sabin is not a hunter but many of their family members are, including the grandfather that introduced them to the contest.&nbsp;</p>
  2310.  
  2311.  
  2312.  
  2313. <p>“I love that the stamp is particularly a bridge between hunters and conservationists,” they said. “My family members are big into hunting and are some of the most knowledgeable people about the land I know. Most hunters are great conservationists.”</p>
  2314.  
  2315.  
  2316.  
  2317. <p>Sabin has been key in shifting the culture of the contest in recent years. As a young LGBTQ+ person, they were initially nervous about meeting the experienced wildfowl artists since they don’t match the traditional demographic. They’ve received a warm welcome.&nbsp;</p>
  2318.  
  2319.  
  2320.  
  2321. <p>“Politically and culturally, I don’t mesh with the big names,” they said. “But I like to be a bridge. It’s okay if we don’t have the same political views if we are nice to each other and all want to preserve wildlands. There has never been a conflict.”</p>
  2322.  
  2323.  
  2324.  
  2325. <p>Only three women have ever won the contest in its 90-year history. Sabin aims to change that, posting year-round about it on their social media accounts to actively recruit other artists. They said that organizers have noticed a spike in entries by women and young people, breathing new life into the program.&nbsp;</p>
  2326.  
  2327.  
  2328.  
  2329. <p>For many of the artists who enter, competing in the Federal Duck Stamp contest is about being part of something larger than themselves. Artist Michael Kensinger of central Pennsylvania explained it best in a speech during a break in the judging. After many years of entering, he reached a measure of success last year as creator of the companion species, a black and white drawing printed on the First Day of Issue collector’s envelope alongside the duck stamp.</p>
  2330.  
  2331.  
  2332.  
  2333. <p>Kensinger said his long involvement has inspired him to raise awareness and funds for land preservation and duck nesting boxes. Being part of national efforts to conserve wetland habitat has given him purpose and a sense of identity.  Even if he remains as one of the many people who enters and never wins, he hopes to be known as the guy who loved it nonetheless.</p>
  2334.  
  2335.  
  2336.  
  2337. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  2338. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/for-the-love-of-ducks/2025/10/16/">For the Love of Ducks</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  2339. ]]></content:encoded>
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  2345. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">233314</post-id> </item>
  2346. <item>
  2347. <title>&#8216;The Hardacres&#8217; Go From Rural Rags to Rural Riches</title>
  2348. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/the-hardacres-go-from-rural-rags-to-rural-riches/2025/10/16/</link>
  2349. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/the-hardacres-go-from-rural-rags-to-rural-riches/2025/10/16/#respond</comments>
  2351. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Anya Petrone Slepyan]]></dc:creator>
  2352. <pubDate>Thu, 16 Oct 2025 09:59:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2353. <category><![CDATA[Arts & Culture]]></category>
  2354. <category><![CDATA[The Good, the Bad, and the Elegy]]></category>
  2355. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233657</guid>
  2356.  
  2357. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="576" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?resize=760%2C428&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?resize=780%2C439&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?resize=706%2C397&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  2358. <p>The British period piece, now streaming in the U.S., is set in Victorian England but speaks to modern experiences and attitudes.</p>
  2359. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/the-hardacres-go-from-rural-rags-to-rural-riches/2025/10/16/">&#8216;The Hardacres&#8217; Go From Rural Rags to Rural Riches</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  2360. ]]></description>
  2361. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="576" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?resize=760%2C428&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?resize=780%2C439&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?resize=706%2C397&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/a6f91111aee7-the-hardacres-ep-5.jpg.webp?fit=1024%2C576&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  2362. <p class="has-small-font-size"><em>Editor’s Note: A version of this story also appeared in&nbsp;The Good, the Bad, and the Elegy, a newsletter from the Daily Yonder focused on the best, and worst, in rural media, entertainment, and culture. Every other Thursday, it features reviews, retrospectives, recommendations, and more. You can&nbsp;</em><a href="#signup"><em>join the mailing list at the bottom of this article</em></a><em>&nbsp;to receive future editions in your inbox</em>.</p>
  2363.  
  2364.  
  2365.  
  2366. <p>I love period pieces. Yes, I’m in it for the costumes and the castles and the waltzing. But as a fan of history in general (and cultural history specifically), I most appreciate how period pieces can help us understand the people and societies of the past. Successful period pieces don’t ask audiences to adopt historical values; instead, at their best, they help 21st century folk think of the past as being occupied by real human beings who have plenty in common with us, despite seeing many things differently from the way we do now.&nbsp;</p>
  2367.  
  2368.  
  2369.  
  2370. <p>With that in mind, no one does a period piece quite like the Brits. From &#8220;Downton Abbey&#8221; and &#8220;The Crown&#8221; to &#8220;Poldark&#8221; and &#8220;Peaky Blinders,&#8221; British television has left few eras of history unexplored. The Victorian era is no exception. Series range from adaptations of literary classics by Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde to <a href="https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/victorian-slum-house">&#8220;Victorian Slum House</a>&#8221; – a reality TV show that sends modern people &#8220;back in time&#8221; to live as their ancestors might have in the slums of London’s East End.&nbsp;</p>
  2371.  
  2372.  
  2373.  
  2374. <p>The most recent addition to this library of Victorian-themed television is &#8220;<a href="https://youtu.be/wFfao96vyx8?si=F0a3Gwka_vKkCIu-">The Hardacres</a>,&#8221; which was released in the United Kingdom in 2024 and is now available to stream in the U.S. and Canada. The show tells a rags-to-riches story of a family of herring workers in a small village in coastal Yorkshire. By the end of the first episode, the Hardacre family has overcome the looming threat of destitution to become some of the wealthiest people in the county – thanks to a fried herring business and some lucky investments.&nbsp;</p>
  2375.  
  2376.  
  2377.  
  2378. <p>Having achieved an unimaginable level of wealth, the family does what any rising British family would do: buy a manor house in the countryside. The estate comes complete with land, furniture, a staff of servants, and snobby neighbors. This transition from extreme rural poverty to extreme rural wealth leaves them trying to straddle both worlds, the bridge between two distinct classes that hardly come in contact despite their forced proximity in an otherwise small community.</p>
  2379.  
  2380.  
  2381.  
  2382. <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="521" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4.webp?resize=780%2C521&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233661" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4.webp?resize=1296%2C865&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4.webp?resize=760%2C507&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4.webp?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4.webp?resize=1536%2C1025&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4.webp?resize=2048%2C1366&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4.webp?resize=1200%2C801&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4.webp?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4.webp?resize=2000%2C1334&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4.webp?resize=780%2C520&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4.webp?resize=400%2C267&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4.webp?resize=706%2C471&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/EPISODE-1HARDACRESNov70448-cbcf2f4-1296x865.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Hardacre family moves their belongings to their new home. (Credit: Channel 5)</figcaption></figure>
  2383.  
  2384.  
  2385.  
  2386. <p>As the family tries to adapt to their new life, they each face distinct trials. Sam (Liam McMahon), formerly the foreman of the herring company, tries to use his new position to help the workers, while his eldest son Joe (Adam Little) struggles to impress both his father and an upper-class love interest. Sam’s wife, Mary (Claire Cooper), is desperate to fit in with the high society women, and tries to cajole her daughter Liza (Shannon Lavelle) into acting like a lady, though Liza is torn in the opposite direction by Mary’s mother, an irascible former smuggler who everyone calls Ma (Julie Graham).&nbsp;</p>
  2387.  
  2388.  
  2389.  
  2390. <p>Much of this set-up, down to some of the characters (kind-hearted patriarch, bootlegging grandmother, tomboy daughter) will be familiar to viewers of &#8220;The Beverly Hillbillies,&#8221; the 1960s sitcom that brought a lower-class family to a Hollywood mansion. Both shows revolve around class differences and social hierarchies that are not easily overcome, even in the face of great piles of money. A key difference though is the sympathy of the audience. In &#8220;The Beverly Hillbillies,&#8221; the Clampett family is often the butt of the joke, ignorant of modern conveniences from telephone poles to swimming pools. The Hardacres, in contrast, are celebrated for their scrappiness and simplicity in the face of their neighbors’ snobbery and idleness.</p>
  2391.  
  2392.  
  2393.  
  2394. <p>We feel Sam’s despair and disgust when he asks his butler what gentlemen do all day, and he learns it mostly involves reading the newspaper and then talking to other gentlemen about what he read in the newspaper. We don’t mind that Mary and Liza don’t know how to behave in the presence of a marchioness, because we don’t even really know what a marchioness is, anyways. We cheer on the family through every social misstep, and cringe at Mary’s fruitless attempts to ingratiate herself with a group of people who we know will never accept her. In this sense, the main antagonist of the series is the class structure, as defined by the norms and expectations of Victorian high society. Eventually, the Hardacres realize that they’ve let their newfound wealth lead them astray and find success in the season finale by taking pride in their humble roots. They win not by succeeding in adapting to their new class status, but by choosing to play a different game entirely.&nbsp;</p>
  2395.  
  2396.  
  2397.  
  2398. <p>This is a satisfying arc written for modern audiences. We don’t subscribe to Victorian norms – in fact, we frequently make fun of them. But by writing off Victorian social norms as stiff, silly, and frivolous, &#8220;The Hardacres&#8221; misses the opportunity to help viewers genuinely engage with the past. Though I’m no defender of the British class system, we do modern audiences – and historical people – a disservice by dismissing the social realities of the past out of hand. </p>
  2399.  
  2400.  
  2401.  
  2402. <div class="wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex">
  2403. <div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  2404. <p>&#8220;Downton Abbey&#8221; is an excellent example of a show that engages with the past in good faith without vindicating the classism, sexism, racism, or host of other bigoted attitudes prevalent in that time. Though we’re unlikely to much identify with the social mores that govern the lives of the occupants of Downton, the show helps us understand what was once at stake when a woman gets a divorce or marries someone beneath her social station. For us, these events are commonplace and banal. For people of that time period, they came with real social, financial, and emotional consequences.</p>
  2405. </div>
  2406.  
  2407.  
  2408.  
  2409. <div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow">
  2410. <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="780" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=780%2C780&#038;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-233666" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=760%2C760&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=800%2C800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=600%2C600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=200%2C200&amp;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=780%2C780&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=706%2C706&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?resize=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/0_Screenshot-2024-09-30-155240.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Liza (Shannon Lavelle) and  Ma Hardacre (Julie Graham) gut herring in &#8216;The Hardacres&#8217; (2024). (Credit: Channel 5)</figcaption></figure>
  2411. </div>
  2412. </div>
  2413.  
  2414.  
  2415.  
  2416. <p>In contrast, when the Hardacre family challenges the social norms of the upper-class, they act as more or less modern characters who have been somehow transported to the past, to show what a bit of pluck and 21st century sensibilities can do for a society.</p>
  2417.  
  2418.  
  2419.  
  2420. <p>And while it is fun to root for the disruption of a society we don’t like or understand, it offers us very little opportunity for reflection. Every society has rules, and a good period piece prompts the viewer to think about our own. What are our cultural taboos? Which of them are changing, and in what direction? How do our own values differ from that of our parents and grandparents? &#8220;The Hardacres&#8221; is unlikely to raise these questions among its viewers.&nbsp;</p>
  2421.  
  2422.  
  2423.  
  2424. <p>And maybe that’s fine! Not every show needs to be a masterpiece or a cultural conversation starter. &#8220;The Hardacres&#8221; has a solid cast and some moments of real humor and heart. The Victorian fashion does not disappoint, and I’m always entertained by genteel women tossing verbal daggers over tea. And with only six episodes in the season, it’s a low barrier to entry.&nbsp;</p>
  2425.  
  2426.  
  2427.  
  2428. <p><em>The Hardacres is streaming on <a href="https://www.britbox.com/us/show/The_Hardacres_152543">BritBox</a> and the <a href="https://therokuchannel.roku.com/details/1e4c6b716bc578b0036bc8c902d2015d/the-hardacres">Roku Channel</a>.</em></p>
  2429.  
  2430.  
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  2445. <p>This article first appeared in&nbsp;<strong>The Good, the Bad, and the Elegy</strong>, an email newsletter from the Daily Yonder focused on the best, and worst, in rural media, entertainment, and culture. Every other Thursday, it features reviews, recommendations, retrospectives, and more. <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/contact-us/subscribe-daily-yonder/#good-bad-elegy">Join the mailing list</a> today to have future editions delivered straight to your inbox.</p>
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  2488. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/the-hardacres-go-from-rural-rags-to-rural-riches/2025/10/16/">&#8216;The Hardacres&#8217; Go From Rural Rags to Rural Riches</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
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  2495. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">233657</post-id> </item>
  2496. <item>
  2497. <title>More Rural School Districts Turn to Four-Day Week</title>
  2498. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/more-rural-school-districts-turn-to-four-day-week/2025/10/15/</link>
  2499. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/more-rural-school-districts-turn-to-four-day-week/2025/10/15/#respond</comments>
  2501. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Anya Petrone Slepyan]]></dc:creator>
  2502. <pubDate>Wed, 15 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2503. <category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
  2504. <category><![CDATA[Yonder Report]]></category>
  2505. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233501</guid>
  2506.  
  2507. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="648" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?fit=1024%2C648&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=760%2C481&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=1296%2C821&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=768%2C486&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=1536%2C972&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=1200%2C760&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=1024%2C648&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=780%2C494&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=400%2C253&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=706%2C447&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?fit=1024%2C648&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  2508. <p>On Mondays through Thursdays, the campus of the Questa Independent School District in rural Taos County, New Mexico, buzzes with activity. But on Fridays, the schools are quiet. The district, which serves around 315 students from Kindergarten to 12th grade, is one of 41 districts in New Mexico that use a four-day school week. In [&#8230;]</p>
  2509. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/more-rural-school-districts-turn-to-four-day-week/2025/10/15/">More Rural School Districts Turn to Four-Day Week</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  2510. ]]></description>
  2511. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="648" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?fit=1024%2C648&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=760%2C481&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=1296%2C821&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=768%2C486&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=1536%2C972&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=1200%2C760&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=1024%2C648&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=780%2C494&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=400%2C253&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?resize=706%2C447&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png?fit=1024%2C648&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  2512. <p>On Mondays through Thursdays, the campus of the Questa Independent School District in rural Taos County, New Mexico, buzzes with activity. But on Fridays, the schools are quiet. The district, which serves around 315 students from Kindergarten to 12th grade, is one of 41 districts in New Mexico that use a four-day school week.</p>
  2513.  
  2514.  
  2515.  
  2516. <p>In 2024, the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) passed a state-wide rule that would require students to attend school for a minimum of 180 days each year, effectively eliminating the four-day school week. Questa was one of 57 districts that sued PED to overturn this rule, which was struck down by a judge in February of this year.</p>
  2517.  
  2518.  
  2519.  
  2520. <p>“We stayed at a four-day week mainly because it makes sense for our community,” said John Maldonado, superintendent of the Questa Independent School District, in an interview with the Daily Yonder.</p>
  2521.  
  2522.  
  2523.  
  2524. <p>Stan Rounds is the executive director of the New Mexico Superintendents Association. He said the heart of the lawsuit is the school districts’ ability to determine their schedules locally, rather than accepting a top-down mandate from the state.</p>
  2525.  
  2526.  
  2527.  
  2528. <p>“Every district is slightly different than every other district,” Rounds told the Daily Yonder. “That’s a strength. If you build towards that, you get better community support and better student impact. And that’s best determined locally when you know your community.”</p>
  2529.  
  2530.  
  2531.  
  2532. <p>According to school board member Michael Cordova, the extra day off gives parents and students an opportunity to schedule medical appointments and family time without pulling kids out of school. It also gives older students a chance to get a job or help their parents with family responsibilities. And, he says it gives students and teachers some much-needed time to decompress.&nbsp;</p>
  2533.  
  2534.  
  2535.  
  2536. <p>According to Rounds, the schedule is especially popular with rural communities, where students and teachers often have to travel long distances to get to school. The first New Mexico school district to go to a four-day week was Cimarron, in 1972, a district in rural Colfax County on the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Students in Cimarron sometimes spend up to two hours each way on the bus, Rounds explained.</p>
  2537.  
  2538.  
  2539.  
  2540. <p>“They made the decision to have longer days, four days a week, rather than put students on buses for that fifth day because it wasn’t practical for the students,” Rounds said.&nbsp;</p>
  2541.  
  2542.  
  2543.  
  2544. <p>By the 2023-2024 school year, nearly half of the state’s 89 school districts and a handful of independent charter schools followed that schedule.</p>
  2545.  
  2546.  
  2547.  
  2548. <p>For a small district like Questa Independent Schools, going back to a five-day school week would have meant increasing the budget by around $35,000-40,000, according to Maldonado. And while some of that money would be reimbursed by the state, it would still leave the district scrambling, according to Cordova.</p>
  2549.  
  2550.  
  2551.  
  2552. <p>“There is that fear that if it does get forced down our gullets, we don’t know what we’re going to do,” he said. “It’s nice to have these ideas, but a lot of times they’re pushed through without realizing the repercussions it’s going to have on the local districts, especially small districts that don’t really see a lot of money coming in.”</p>
  2553.  
  2554.  
  2555.  
  2556. <h3 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Inconclusive Outcomes</strong></h3>
  2557.  
  2558.  
  2559.  
  2560. <p>This issue was brought to the forefront of New Mexico politics by a 2023 law that required New Mexico school districts to <a href="https://nmeducation.org/extended-learning-time-bill-headed-to-governor-for-signature/">increase the minimum number of educational hours</a> to 1140 each year. Under Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s direction, the PED created a rule interpreting the law as requiring a 180-school-day minimum, which was successfully challenged in a lawsuit.&nbsp;</p>
  2561.  
  2562.  
  2563.  
  2564. <p>In the most recent legislative session, a <a href="https://www.nmlegis.gov/Legislation/Legislation?chamber=H&amp;legType=B&amp;legNo=65&amp;year=25">bill</a> that clarified the right of districts to determine their schedule locally was passed unanimously, but was vetoed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.</p>
  2565.  
  2566.  
  2567.  
  2568. <p>Grisham explained her support for the 180-day rule in her <a href="https://www.governor.state.nm.us/2024/01/16/new-mexico-is-made-to-lead-governor-delivers-second-state-of-the-state-address-announces-legislative-agenda/">2024 State of the State address</a>.&nbsp;</p>
  2569.  
  2570.  
  2571.  
  2572. <p>“We’ve seen in New Mexico, and from states across the country, that more quality instruction makes a difference,” she said. “We’ve seen the proven effectiveness of more time in class. It’s time to do the right thing for our kids.”</p>
  2573.  
  2574.  
  2575.  
  2576. <p>New Mexico is regularly <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&amp;chort=1&amp;sub=MAT&amp;sj=&amp;st=MN&amp;year=2024R3">at the bottom</a> of nationwide education rankings. Grisham and her supporters argue that increasing the number of school days can provide a much-needed boost to the state’s education system. But the growing body of research on the topic paints a more complicated picture.&nbsp;</p>
  2577.  
  2578.  
  2579.  
  2580. <p>Researchers at the University of Oregon <a href="https://hedcoinstitute.uoregon.edu/reports/four-day-school-week-scoping-review">identified 133 studies</a> about the four-day school week in districts around the country, including <a href="https://hedcoinstitute.uoregon.edu/reports/four-day-school-week">11 studies about student educational outcomes</a>. They found that the schedule is gaining popularity, with more than 2100 schools in 850 districts adopting the four-day school week. The majority of these schools are in rural districts, though an increasing number of urban districts are shortening their school weeks as well.&nbsp;</p>
  2581.  
  2582.  
  2583.  
  2584. <p>But when it comes to assessing how the four-day school week affects students’ educational outcomes, the results are inconclusive. In part, this is because researchers frequently failed to report “key contextual considerations” like race and ethnicity, economic background, and what students did on the fifth day, which are all important for comparing results across districts.&nbsp;</p>
  2585.  
  2586.  
  2587.  
  2588. <p>But even the best-executed studies, according to the University of Oregon reviewers, had contradictory results. In some cases, reading and math scores improved for students on a four-day schedule, while in other cases, student scores went down. Data for other benchmarks, like 5-year graduation rates and student absenteeism, were also mixed.&nbsp;</p>
  2589.  
  2590.  
  2591.  
  2592. <p>Overall, researchers wrote “findings from a systematic review of 11 studies on student outcomes show little evidence for positive outcomes from a four-day school week.”&nbsp;</p>
  2593.  
  2594.  
  2595.  
  2596. <p>But is there evidence that a four-day school week meaningfully lowers student outcomes? Dr. Paul Thomas is a professor of Economics and part of the <a href="https://health.oregonstate.edu/hallie-ford/heal/policy/four-day-school-week">Four-Day School Week Policy</a> team at the University of Oregon. His <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272775721001138?via%3Dihub">research</a> indicates that the number of educational hours, rather than the number of days per week that students are in school, is the most important determining factor.&nbsp;</p>
  2597.  
  2598.  
  2599.  
  2600. <p>New Mexico’s new rule requiring 1,140 educational hours for all students makes it the state with the most required instructional hours aside from Maryland, regardless of the minimum number of school days, according to a <a href="https://reports.ecs.org/comparisons/instructional-time-policies-2023">50-state comparison</a> compiled by the Education Commission of the States in 2023.</p>
  2601.  
  2602.  
  2603.  
  2604. <p>The New Mexico Superintendents Association supported the increase of instructional hours, but helped orchestrate the lawsuit against the New Mexico PED over the 180-day rule.&nbsp;</p>
  2605.  
  2606.  
  2607.  
  2608. <p>“We think clock time is clock time,” Rounds said. “And we also believe that what you do with the hours is just as important as the quantity of hours that you’re doing. And that looks different in different places.”</p>
  2609.  
  2610.  
  2611.  
  2612. <p>Rounds is skeptical that a five-day school week can solve some of the state’s most pressing problems, including high rates of <a href="https://sourcenm.com/2024/06/14/new-mexico-a-leader-in-chronic-absenteeism-in-public-schools-according-to-state-reports-lfc/">chronic absenteeism</a>.</p>
  2613.  
  2614.  
  2615.  
  2616. <p>“A student who has an attendance problem with a four-day week is not likely to fix that because you give them a five-day week,” Rounds said. “To me, it’s easier to win by attracting them into a really great four-day experience and then giving them an opportunity to have the other part of their life that they value.”</p>
  2617.  
  2618.  
  2619.  
  2620. <p>He also worries that a required switch back to a five-day schedule would make it even more difficult for rural districts to recruit and retain talented teachers, who are attracted to those posts, in part due to the benefits of a three-day weekend.&nbsp;</p>
  2621.  
  2622.  
  2623.  
  2624. <p>Noelle Ellerson Ng is the chief advocacy and governance officer with the nation-wide <a href="https://www.aasa.org/about-aasa">School Superintendents Association</a> (AASA). She says that there is more to the conversation than just which school schedule is most pedagogically advantageous.</p>
  2625.  
  2626.  
  2627.  
  2628. <p>“In many instances, we’re not making decisions to go to a four-day school week because it’s academically the most rigorous, but because school district leaders are trying to match the realities of their operating world, which could be their budget constraints or not having enough teachers,” she said.</p>
  2629.  
  2630.  
  2631.  
  2632. <p>Given these realities, Ellerson Ng emphasized the importance of letting local districts determine their own paths.</p>
  2633.  
  2634.  
  2635.  
  2636. <p>“When it comes down to decisions about calendar and scheduling, those are decisions that are best left to the local superintendent and school board,” she said. “We don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach.”</p>
  2637.  
  2638.  
  2639.  
  2640. <p>Ellerson Ng also expressed concern about the future of educational data collection and analysis, which are critical to understanding and answering pedagogical questions like the pros and cons of a four-day school week.&nbsp;</p>
  2641.  
  2642.  
  2643.  
  2644. <p>After <a href="https://www.k12dive.com/news/Education-Department-nces-layoffs-leaves-naep-assessments-nations-report-card-barebones/742837/">budget cuts and mass layoffs</a> at the Department of Education, the National Center for Education Statistics, which has conducted nationwide education research since 1867, was left with only three employees.&nbsp;</p>
  2645.  
  2646.  
  2647.  
  2648. <p>“You can’t disaggregate data if it’s not collected, and you can’t collect data if NCES is gutted. I think it’s really important to call a spade a spade,” she said. “We are absolutely concerned about shying away from collecting data so we can shine a bright light on what is and isn’t working in education, which could include a discussion around a four-day school week.”</p>
  2649.  
  2650.  
  2651.  
  2652. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  2653. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/more-rural-school-districts-turn-to-four-day-week/2025/10/15/">More Rural School Districts Turn to Four-Day Week</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  2654. ]]></content:encoded>
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  2660. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">233501</post-id> </item>
  2661. <item>
  2662. <title>Study: Mobile Health Clinics Offer Alternative Access to Care</title>
  2663. <link>https://dailyyonder.com/study-mobile-health-clinics-offer-alternative-access-to-care/2025/10/14/</link>
  2664. <comments>https://dailyyonder.com/study-mobile-health-clinics-offer-alternative-access-to-care/2025/10/14/#respond</comments>
  2666. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Liz Carey]]></dc:creator>
  2667. <pubDate>Tue, 14 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
  2668. <category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
  2669. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://dailyyonder.com/?p=233393</guid>
  2670.  
  2671. <description><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="701" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?fit=1024%2C701&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=760%2C521&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=1296%2C888&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=768%2C526&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=1536%2C1052&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=1200%2C822&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=1024%2C701&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=780%2C534&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=400%2C274&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=706%2C484&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?fit=1024%2C701&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  2672. <p>A new report found that mobile health clinics can provide rural communities with access to healthcare in areas where healthcare facilities and healthcare workers may be scarce. The report from the Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reform looked at more than 160 studies about mobile healthcare clinics. The study found that these “doctor’s offices [&#8230;]</p>
  2673. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/study-mobile-health-clinics-offer-alternative-access-to-care/2025/10/14/">Study: Mobile Health Clinics Offer Alternative Access to Care</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
  2674. ]]></description>
  2675. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<figure><img width="1024" height="701" src="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?fit=1024%2C701&amp;ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=760%2C521&amp;ssl=1 760w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=1296%2C888&amp;ssl=1 1296w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=768%2C526&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=1536%2C1052&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=1200%2C822&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=1024%2C701&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=780%2C534&amp;ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=400%2C274&amp;ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?resize=706%2C484&amp;ssl=1 706w, https://i0.wp.com/dailyyonder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AP22091707252129.jpg?fit=1024%2C701&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw - 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" /></figure>
  2676. <p>A new report found that mobile health clinics can provide rural communities with access to healthcare in areas where healthcare facilities and healthcare workers may be scarce.</p>
  2677.  
  2678.  
  2679.  
  2680. <p><a href="https://chir.georgetown.edu/mobile-health/">The report from the Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reform </a>looked at more than 160 studies about mobile healthcare clinics. The study found that these “doctor’s offices on wheels” can improve health for both individuals and their communities, while reducing healthcare costs. Additionally, the mobile clinics expand the healthcare workforce by giving healthcare workers hands-on training in their field.</p>
  2681.  
  2682.  
  2683.  
  2684. <p>“One of the key things is that it obviously brings care closer into the communities and overcomes a lot of geographic and transportation-related barriers, which prevent a lot of rural patients from accessing care. We saw in some studies that folks had to drive 30 or 60 miles to get their care,” Maanasa Kona, associate research professor with the Center on Health Insurance Reforms, said in an interview with the Daily Yonder.&nbsp;</p>
  2685.  
  2686.  
  2687.  
  2688. <p>“The other big element is that telehealth has gained a lot of prominence, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic, but a lot of rural communities still face barriers to accessing telehealth services because of various issues related to broadband access.”</p>
  2689.  
  2690.  
  2691.  
  2692. <p>In some cases, Kona said, mobile health programs were able to partner with hospitals and other telehealth providers, and bring with them a hot spot so local providers could combine in-person care with telehealth specialists.</p>
  2693.  
  2694.  
  2695.  
  2696. <p>According<a href="https://www.mobilehealthmap.org/mobile-clinics-fill-critical-gaps-in-care-our-communities-need-them-now-more-than-ever/#:~:text=Over%20the%20last%20three%20decades,cities%20and%20rural%20areas%20alike."> to Mobile Health Map</a>, an estimated 3,000 “doctors’ offices on wheels” operate across the country. That’s double what a study in the American Journal of Managed Care found in 2014. A decade ago, research estimated 1,500 mobile clinics received some 5 million visits per year while providing services to “vulnerable populations.” The Mobile Health Map grew out of those initial research forays and now shows the location of mobile health programs nationwide.</p>
  2697.  
  2698.  
  2699.  
  2700. <p>More than just providing access to hospital services, the CHIR study found, mobile clinics bring other services such as mental health and behavioral health services, dentistry, and preventative care like mammography and cancer screenings to rural communities.</p>
  2701.  
  2702.  
  2703.  
  2704. <p>“First, of course, is access to chronic disease screening and vaccination services, but in other places we’re seeing it being used in mental health services and access to methadone and buprenorphine and substance-abuse disorder medication that is harder to come by in rural areas,” Kona said. “We&#8217;ve also seen vision care and dentistry, but those tend to be more focused on school-age kids and nursing home populations.”</p>
  2705.  
  2706.  
  2707.  
  2708. <p>In some rural communities, mobile clinics are being used as community paramedicine services or mobile integrated healthcare. Those mobile health programs use the local EMS system to provide ongoing care to people who may have challenges caring for themselves during an illness.</p>
  2709.  
  2710.  
  2711.  
  2712. <p>“These might be folks who&#8217;ve been released from the hospital to their home, and they will get post-release support through the EMS system. In these instances, the EMTs and paramedics) will come check in on them and provide some ongoing care to ensure that there is not as much readmission (to the hospital),” she said.&nbsp;</p>
  2713.  
  2714.  
  2715.  
  2716. <p>“And we’ve seen EMS workers providing more preventive and chronic disease management services for rural populations in a bid to reduce emergencies and to keep their condition from escalating to an emergency.”</p>
  2717.  
  2718.  
  2719.  
  2720. <p>The research found that mobile health programs don’t just expand access to healthcare — they also provide measurable clinical and financial effects. Studies showed that the programs had better health outcomes, higher patient satisfaction, and more continuity of care. Researchers found examples of patients in areas served by mobile health programs as having lower blood pressure, less tooth decay, and earlier diagnoses of cancer. The programs also resulted in a reduced number of emergency department visits and fewer hospitalizations, which lowered costs for both the patients and the hospitals.</p>
  2721.  
  2722.  
  2723.  
  2724. <p>“Expanding mobile health is a cost-effective way to increase the availability and proximity of care sites — expanding the reach of fixed-site facilities and telehealth, particularly in rural areas, or operating independently in areas that fixed-site facilities and telehealth can’t reach — while complementing the efforts to address workforce shortages,” the study found.</p>
  2725.  
  2726.  
  2727.  
  2728. <p>Mobile programs also help to develop the healthcare workforce, the research found. The programs provided a culturally competent workforce pipeline that got hands-on training. But the programs also increased the workforce pipeline outside of the healthcare sector, studies showed. Areas where there were mobile health programs saw a drop in minor crime and arrests, and helped to curb the spread of infectious disease which, in turn, prevented educational losses.</p>
  2729.  
  2730.  
  2731.  
  2732. <p>Still, more needs to be done, the researchers argued. In order to create a solid foundation of data on the effectiveness of mobile health programs, the researchers said policy makers need to work on standardizing data collection across mobile health programs and track the use of various healthcare systems, like mobile health, telehealth, and fixed-site care.&nbsp;</p>
  2733.  
  2734.  
  2735.  
  2736. <p>Use of each of the systems by different populations across time would also help foster a better understanding of how each healthcare delivery system is used, the study found. More funding is needed to do more research on effective mobile health programs and to build mobile health programs for use in rural and other underserved communities.</p>
  2737.  
  2738.  
  2739.  
  2740. <p>“Mobile health is a real option for improving access. It&#8217;s not something to look into when you have a little bit of extra funding to put towards it as a side project,” Kona said.&nbsp;</p>
  2741.  
  2742.  
  2743.  
  2744. <p>“Thinking about it systematically, instead of as ad hoc funding, and finding a way to make it work with all of the other existing pieces of the puzzle in the healthcare delivery system in a rural area can help supercharge the ability of all of these providers to reach people.”</p>
  2745.  
  2746.  
  2747.  
  2748. <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>
  2749. <p>The post <a href="https://dailyyonder.com/study-mobile-health-clinics-offer-alternative-access-to-care/2025/10/14/">Study: Mobile Health Clinics Offer Alternative Access to Care</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dailyyonder.com">The Daily Yonder</a>.</p>
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