The Hot Dish

Welcome back to another thought-provoking episode of The Hot Dish, where we dive deep into the heart of America’s rural and small-town landscapes. Today, we are honored to host two incredibly insightful guests who will illuminate the challenges and triumphs within their respective spheres.

Tara Benally of the Rural Utah project will share her passionate efforts to mobilize the Native American vote, tackling the obstacles they face, and setting ambitious goals for increased democratic participation. It’s a look into the empowering work being done to ensure every voice is heard in our electoral process.

Next, we turn to the pressing issue of education vouchers, or "School Choice," as advocates like to call it,  with Ashton Clemmons, a dedicated educator and legislator in North Carolina. She discusses how North Carolina prioritizes the push for school vouchers without guaranteeing a great education for every child. How is her state managing the tension between public education and the growing political warfare affecting our schools? Can educators push back against policies fueled by fear and censorship? Listen to find out.

Our hosts, Heidi and Joel Heitkamp share their own personal anecdotes and insights about the importance of rural America to the political pulse and remind us that not all Trump supporters are a monolith, and not every economic triumph makes the headlines.

Buckle up, listeners, as we tackle these critical topics head-on. Make sure to visit the One Country Project website to learn even more about the importance of understanding and engaging with America's rural and small-town communities.

On Monday, former President Donald Trump won the Iowa Caucuses by a roughly 30-point margin. But Iowa Democrat and One Country Project board member J.D. Scholten tells host Heidi Heitkamp in this episode of the Hot Dish that he’s actually underperforming for an incumbent candidate.

“If he’s running as an ‘incumbent,’ 50 percent is nothing to brag about. It should be over 80 percent, you know?”

Scholten tells Heidi about his run-in with canvassers for Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley and how he thinks Democrats can drive rural swing voters to the Democratic Party. Later, a young Virginia farmer explains why he decided to move back home after college to start his own farm.

But first, host Joel Heitkamp gives us a look inside his childhood and how he sees the Democratic Party today.

To find out more about the One Country Project, visit our website. 

To ring in the New Year, Heidi and Joel talk to senior Senator Jon Tester of Montana, a crucial leader representing rural America in Washington, DC, especially in 2024 as national elections – and farm bill negotiations – are front of mind.  A third-generation farmer from Big Sandy, MT, and winner of the 2023 One Country Project Rural Champion award, Tester talks about his thoughts on revitalizing rural America, his work to reach more rural folks in Montana, and how it takes more than just lip-service to keep farmers afloat. 

To find out more about the One Country Project, visit our website. 

Heidi and Joel wrap up the year with a conversation with Sister Simone Campbell, a Catholic Nun and 2022 recipient of the medal of freedom award, who shares her experience traveling across the rural South and the importance of taking the time to talk to people about what unites us. Then Joel and Heidi reminisce about the best and worst Christmas presents they ever received, and the Hot Dish pays a visit to O&H Bakery in Racine, Wisconsin, where owner Eric Olesen has turned a small-town Kringle-making operation into a mail order phenomenon. Finally, members of the One Country Project share some of their favorite foods and holiday traditions.

To find out more about the One Country Project, visit our website. 

This week on the Hot Dish, we dive into two critical challenges impacting our economy: providing college-age students with skills-based education and making high quality child care accessible to families. Heidi interviews Nick Fouriezos, a rural education reporter with Open Campus Media, about innovative new approaches in Montana to give students micro-degrees in trades, allowing them more flexible skill sets and increasing their access to high paying jobs across the work sector.

Then Joel speaks to Robin Phillips, the CEO of Child Care Aware Missouri and a fierce advocate for families and children, about the economic and emotional toll that the lack of affordable child care is having across the state. Robin outlines the current gaps in the child care system and shares some hopeful changes developing in Missouri and across the country to increase funding and support for parents and child care workers.  

To find out more about the One Country Project, visit our website. 

Heidi and Joel share laughs about Thanksgivings past, and offer some pro tips on hosting family during the holiday season (leave politics off the table, and just let Grandma cheat at cards). Heidi then talks to Eddie Oliver, executive director of the Federation of the Virginia Food Banks, about spiking demand for food across the state and how listeners can support their local food bank. Next, we go from food on the shelf to the farm itself, as Joel talks to Robbie Kluver, a third-generation farmer in Northfield, MN, about hosting President Biden on his family farm. Finally, the One Country Project Board members share their favorite Thanksgiving memories and what they’re grateful for this season.

To find out more about the One Country Project, visit our website. 

Heidi and Joel analyze key election results and discuss how abortion politics led to Democratic victories across VA, KY, and OH.  From a major ballot measure passing that will enshrine abortion rights into the Ohio state constitution, to a rebuke of VA Governor Youngkin’s attempt to ‘to thread the needle on abortion,’ voters turned out at unexpected levels to protect women’s rights. Then Heidi and Joel discuss why Democrats aren’t polling better with rural Americans (hint: it’s interest rates), and how to widen the winning margins for Democrats in key districts. 

To find out more about the One Country Project, visit our website.

Rural farmers are facing a slew of challenges. Ongoing interest rate hikes are placing further financial pressure on farmers as the cost of lending increases. And prices aren’t the only thing rising in rural America.  In the coming decades, global warming will force farmers to find new ways to adapt to increasing heat. On this episode of The Hot Dish, we look at these two forces and what this means for people in rural America.

Joel and Heidi first speak with Brad Nordholm, the President and CEO of Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac is a financial services company servicing rural communities across the United States.

Later, Joel and Heidi are joined by climate scientist Dr. Mason Fried to talk about his new report on what rising temperatures will mean for rural America.  

To find out more about the One Country Project, visit our website.

Content warning: this episode includes frank discussions about mental health and suicide. 

If you or someone you know is undergoing a suicidal, mental health and/or substance use crisis, please call 988.  Counselors at the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline are available to help.

Suicide is a public health crisis in the United States, with nearly 50,000 Americans dying by suicide last year, a 2.5% annual increase, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention..  To raise awareness about the need for more mental health resources across the USA and especially in rural America, Joel and Heidi share a very personal story.

Their niece Bobbi Prochnow discusses her son Brady’s suicide attempt in March, and his recovery journey.  Visit this link to learn more about Brady’s recovery. To find out more about the One Country Project, visit our website. 

The United States is one of only a few nations in the world that doesn't have guaranteed paid family leave. But recent polling shows growing support for federal legislation. Heidi and Joel speak with guests to learn more about the support for paid family leave, as well as the effect it can have on a family.

Doug Usher is a partner with Forbes Tate Partners, a bipartisan government and public affairs. Doug breaks down a survey from the One Country Project showing large support for paid family leave among both Republicans and Democrats in the battleground state of Wisconsin.

Adrienne Schweer is a fellow with the Bipartisan Policy Center and leads the organization's Paid Family Leave Task Force. Adrienne explains why paid family leave is good for business and how it would affect people in rural America.

Christine Levi is a mother of two who recounts her experience having to return to work immediately after giving birth because her employer did not offer paid leave. 

To find out more about the One Country Project, visit our website. Please support the important work we're doing to elevate the needs of rural America in Washington!