Rural Life, Invisible
Rural places can feel like they go on forever, without physical borders. It may take an hour or longer to drive across one rural county. Along the way you'll see […]
Much Ado About Clean Air, But How About Our Clean Water?
The President made a big to-do about climate change in his State of the Union speech the other day, and focused particularly on the need for more clean energy from […]
Farming With Benefits
One of the many striking commercials that aired during Sunday’s Super Bowl was a celebration of the American farmer, although it was also a plug for a certain truck. The […]
The Dollar Stores Take Their Place on the Block
When I lived in the big city, there was a Family Dollar among the various retail, cafe, bar and restaurant establishments on the nearby commercial block. In another city I […]
8 New Year’s Resolutions (Wishes?) for the Places Where We Live
It’s almost New Year’s Day, and that means it’s time for everyone to write down their resolutions for 2013. I’d like to make resolutions to do certain things for the […]
News Flash: Rural Places and People are Becoming Irrelevant
The other day Tom Vilsack, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, got into the headlines with a speech in which he said that rural America was “becoming less and less relevant.” Vilsack […]
Sacred Places
What makes a place sacred? That was the question posed by a recent study that involved a group of East Texas residents. The answer, as it turns out, is that just about any […]
The Rural/Red Take on Reality
Since few writers have mused so far on this blog about the results of last week's elections, I may as well take a shot at it. Living in a rural […]
Thoughts on the Trailer
The trailer is the vilified and estranged cousin of the housing world. It's all but banned in many communities, for its perceived ugliness as well as perceptions of its tenants. […]
From Farm to Subdivision to Farm… or Forest
“Soil” is an important word in rural places, for many people’s livelihoods have historically depended on it. From good soil comes vegetables, fruit, and grass and grain for livestock. Agricultural […]
In Praise of Farmers’ Markets, Despite Flaws
I love the farmers’ market in my county, not far from where I live. It has grown into a lively gathering place on Saturday mornings during the growing season, with […]
Looking At Once Inward and Outward
A couple weeks ago close to 200 people came together at Twin Oaks, a commune in my home county of Louisa, Virginia, to discuss various elements of living in community-cooperative […]