Barn Raiser

15/11/2024

False claims of “migrant crime” echo the Ku Klux Klan’s fear mongering

In rural America, emphasis on migrant crime, bolstered by right wing propaganda, takes attention away from other, more pressing issues.

14/11/2024

"It's the same old story—Reagan helps the rich, and Lord help the rest of us."

At the 1984 Democratic National Convention, Jim Hightower denounces the failure of the Reagan administration to address the farm crisis.

14/11/2024

Miss last week's Episode of The Valley Labor Report? You can listen to the at

https://thevalleylaborreport.transistor.fm/episodes/what-does-a-trump-victory-mean-for-rural-and-southern-workers-unions-tvlr-11-9-24

Barn Raiser’s Joel Bleifuss discusses what a Trump presidency will mean for southern and rural working folks and their unions and more

Visit https://www.laborradionetwork.org/ to find out how to listen to past episodes & subscribe!

14/11/2024

As the head of the Democratic Party in one of Georgia’s fastest growing counties, Keith McCants sees opportunities and challenges ahead for bridging the rural-urban divide in his state.

Keith McCants says the power of Georgia Black Belt voters shows the importance of bridging the rural-urban divide in his state.

13/11/2024

Native leader says massive deregulation would lead to “total desecration”

Project 2025 plans for massive deregulation of public lands, promising a lucrative payday for oil companies. Native leaders are speaking out.

13/11/2024

A hair-raising, barn-burning tale from “Eerie Appalachia”

From Cherokee legends to the Mothman, the Appalachian mountains have long inspired and been home to countless folktales, myths and cryptids.

13/11/2024

Rural citizens are banding together to ensure everyone has access to care

Citizens in Wisconsin counties rally to stop the sale of their publicly owned county nursing homes by right-wing Boards of Supervisors.

12/11/2024

Family farmers fear the Conservation Reserve Program, a steady source of income, could be eliminated

Project 2025’s plans for the Department of Agriculture call for eliminating many conservation programs that have broad support among farmers.

12/11/2024

Here are the results of battleground races and important ballot measures that affect rural Americans

A roundup of key races and results from rural America in the 2024 general election, including important ballot measures.

11/11/2024

A rural Wisconsin pastor explains why God’s compassion has no room for hate

No biblical evidence exists to support this hateful approach to our transgender siblings. Anti-trans laws go against what Jesus taught us.

11/11/2024

Join Barn Raiser’s own Laura Orlando next Tuesday for a special webinar on the climate and public health implications of anaerobic digesters at wastewater treatment plants.

You can register here: https://buff.ly/3O5mVIA

11/11/2024

The Democratic Party’s woes in rural America appear complex and deeply-rooted. But according to one rural strategist the answer is more simple: “The Democrats are stuck on this consultant-driven, top-down approach to campaigns that is not working.”

A Democratic strategist says that the Democratic Party and its campaign consultants don't have a clue when it comes to reaching rural voters.

09/11/2024

Novel anti-SLAPP laws could help uncover Dakota Access Pipeline secrets

Eight years after Standing Rock, water protectors are using novel anti-SLAPP laws to help expose the secrets oil companies want to hide.

08/11/2024

Wisconsin has more supper clubs than any other state. But how long will this iconic institution survive?

At supper clubs, you connect with the community and a slower pace of life. You have to ask to be seated—you don’t wait for anyone to ask you.

08/11/2024

‘Those of us who speak for the country (“rural America”) must never give up’

If Mr. Krugman was serious about having good ideas about rural America, he would get to know the people who live there.

07/11/2024

Both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees will see changes to membership in the upcoming legislative session because of two major upsets. Rural voters also weighed in on important ballot measures from abortion to minimum wage increases and paid sick leave.

A roundup of key races and results from rural America in the 2024 general election, including important ballot measures.

07/11/2024

Democrats can no longer claim they have a path to victory through suburban and urban communities. Winning in rural America requires a real reckoning that the Democratic Party intelligentsia doesn’t want to have.

Democrats can no longer claim they can win through suburban and urban communities. They must do more to truly understand rural America.