Dr. Steven Mulder can’t enter Harmony River Living Center in rural Minnesota without smiling.

Harmony River Senior Living Center, shown in a photo in late February, was financed through USDA’s Community Facilities Program.

The CEO and president of Hutchinson Area Health Care wore an especially large smile during a dedication ceremony for the new senior living facility in late February. “When we broke ground, we imagined what could be,” Mulder said. “We didn’t imagine this.” Read more »

It’s no secret that Americans in rural areas sometimes struggle to get the health care they need.  Whether it’s a farmer losing his health insurance because he has no good choices or a mom putting off treatment because it’s too expensive, or hard to find a doctor nearby, rural Americans too often go without critical preventive care – and pay more out of pocket they receive. Read more »

Former President Bill Clinton makes remarks at the World Agricultural Outlook Board Forum in Arlington, VA on Thursday, February 24, 2011. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

Three major problems plague the world today and what happens in agriculture will help shape the resolution of these issues, according to former President Bill Clinton. Read more »

Small businesses are the backbone of this country. They employ nearly half of the workers in rural America and are an integral part of the American economy.

Today, Congress will vote on whether or not to repeal this new law, just as its benefits are beginning to reach rural Americans. Repeal of the health care law would result in higher health insurance costs for thousands of small businesses. We cannot afford to let that happen. Read more »

Recent news tells us that the American economy is continuing to move in the right direction, creating private sector jobs for twelve months in a row.  The health care law signed by President Obama last year, the Affordable Care Act, has done its part to increase economic certainty in rural America by expanding health insurance options, strengthening Medicare and Medicaid, and providing tax relief to businesses. And although families across the nation are already seeing the benefits of this new law, this week some in Congress want to repeal the law. This would be a huge mistake for rural America. Read more »