Rural Remix

This week, Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton unpack a recent conversation Claire had with former USDA official Jonathan Coppess, who served under President Barack Obama. Discussion points include changes at the USDA, what Coppess thinks journalists get wrong when covering agriculture, and why the government breaking a contract is the same as us breaking a contract with ourselves.

National parks capture the imagination of many travelers and road trippers seeking the Great Outdoors. But what do national parks do for the communities that serve as their gateways? We take a trip to New River Gorge National Park, the newest national park in the national park system, with Daily Yonder reporter Sarah Melotte, to learn about what Fayetteville, West Virginia is dealing with around the park designation.

Housing is one of the biggest challenges for popular destination communities around the country. Second home owners and vacation rentals drive up prices in our recreation communities and locals get priced out. In this episode we’re headed to Moab, Utah, to learn about the Community Land Trust and the work they’re doing to support affordable housing. We’ll also visit Taos, New Mexico with Daily Yonder reporter Anya Petrone Slepyan to learn about the town's housing challenges and potential solutions.

Introducing the Rural Reporter’s Notebook, a behind-the-scenes look at rural stories from across the country. An evolution of their coverage on the Keep It Rural podcast, Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton host this biweekly series. Bringing in voices from inside and outside the Daily Yonder’s newsroom, Claire and Julia unpack today’s biggest headlines and what they mean for life in rural places.

Introducing the Rural Reporter’s Notebook, a behind-the-scenes look at rural stories from across the country. An evolution of their coverage on the Keep It Rural podcast, Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton host this biweekly series. Bringing in voices from inside and outside the Daily Yonder’s newsroom, Claire and Julia unpack today’s biggest headlines and what they mean for life in rural places.In this episode, Daily Yonder reporter Ilana Newman joins to discuss her new podcast, Getaway, a five-episode series about what it means to be a rural recreation community. You can listen to episodes now on the Rural Remix feed.

In our first episode we talk to a few people who study the recreation industry and how it intersects with rural communities. We start out in Montezuma County, Colorado, Ilana’s home in Southwest Colorado and also visit Monte Vista, Colorado, another small town in Southern Colorado. These two communities are not necessarily known as tourism destinations, but the towns are invested in recreation development for locals and developing sustainable tourism along the way.

Welcome to the Beyond the Clock  Podcast, where rural stories take center stage! In this podcast, Ash Hanson from Department of Public Transformation and Anna Claussen from Voices for Rural Resilience are your hosts on a journey into the hearts, minds, and imaginations of rural artists, cultural workers, and change-makers across the country. In this episode, Anna and Ash converse with Beyond the Clock Resident Artist, Eliza Blue, and share their hopes and ideas for this season’s podcasts. They explore the concept of ruralness, embracing tensions in identity, and the role of rural artists as stewards and storytellers.

From slashing electric vehicle infrastructure to cutting grants for farmers, the Trump administration’s attempt to “trim the fat” off government spending has caused chaos and confusion in Washington D.C. and beyond. Claire and Julia break down how two spending freezes have affected folks on the ground in rural America.(Photo credit Claire Carlson)

President Donald Trump has made it a priority in the first weeks of his second administration to cut diversity, equity and inclusion—DEI—programs across the federal government. Universities and corporations are largely following suit. On this episode of Keep it Rural, Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton are joined by Lane Wendell Fischer, a small-town Kansas native and Yale University alumnus whose recent commentary explores the impact of DEI efforts on rural populations. Fischer is also a reporter for the Daily Yonder, where he frequently covers education.
Photo: Beth Harpaz/AP

The recent Los Angeles wildfires have highlighted something rural people already knew: no place is safe from fire as climate change exacerbates the conditions that make sparks fly. This reality makes federal disaster relief more important than ever, but the new Trump administration could make it harder for victims to get government help.
Photo: Noah Berger/AP