rural economy

On this episode of 'Going Public', we speak with Elizabeth Shelton, Executive Director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri, about the organization's recent efforts to address rising needs for assistance.

On this episode of 'Going Public', we speak with Elizabeth Shelton, Executive Director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri, about the organization's recent efforts to address rising needs for assistance.

Missouri farmers are feeling the strain after the U.S. Department of Agriculture abruptly pulled funding for the Heartland Regional Food Business Center, a program that helped small producers access markets and upgrade equipment. Local farm leaders warn the loss could stall growth and weaken Missouri’s local food networks.

As Thanksgiving approaches, Missouri families are caught in the middle of a national food aid fight. A federal court ruling Friday (11/7) would have forced the Trump administration to pay full SNAP benefits, but the decision was paused following an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Local pantries are scrambling to meet the growing need.

Some of Missouri’s rural hospitals are fighting to survive. Eleven have already closed, and more than 30 are still at risk. Nationwide, more than 150 rural hospitals have closed since 2010.

Family farming is tough business in Missouri and across the nation. But advocacy groups such as Farm Aid and the Missouri Rural Crisis Center are working to help Missouri farmers keep their businesses growing and their heritage intact.

Federal crop insurance pours billions of taxpayer money into corn and soybeans in Illinois, but leaves small fruit and vegetable farmers exposed. As climate risks grow, one Illinois specialty farmer says diversity, not subsidies, is his safety net.

Food insecurity is on the increase in Missouri, according to the University of Missouri's new 2025 Missouri Hunger Atlas. Released every two to three years, the report maps where need is rising and helps guide efforts to get food to those who need it most.

A sustainable farming nonprofit warns that Congress’s agriculture bills threaten farmers and cut vital rural programs. In Missouri, with nearly 100,000 farms, the impact could be severe.

With a third of Missourians living in rural areas, state leaders are joining a national push against federal proposals seen as harmful to rural communities. Over 50 groups recently gathered in Iowa for the Rural Policy Action Summit.