Barn Raisers

The Secret to Creating Vibrant Rural Economies

The USDA's Rural Development office works with nonprofit enterprises to to revitalize rural economies

The Indigenous Growers Reviving Hemp’s Deep Roots

“Cannabis and hemp offer solutions to many challenges in an industrial society”
Photo of Wendell Berry

Wendell Berry: What New York Times Columnist Paul Krugman Gets Wrong About Rural America

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

How Illinois Is Bringing Grocery Stores Back to Main Street

A team at Western Illinois University, bolstered by a first-of-its-kind initiative, is helping towns across the state democratize their food economy

The Organizers Forging a Rural Action Plan for 2024

‘We need to make sure that rural leadership has a seat at the table’

Building Movements for Food and Racial Justice Through Organic Farming

For Iriel Edwards, a decision to take up farming in Louisiana was fueled by a desire to connect to the deep ecological knowledge of her ancestors

Bike Path Networks to Connect Rural Wisconsin Communities

An ‘explosion’ of rural communities apply to fund infrastructure projects under a new Wisconsin program

Jon Council: An Appalachian Carpenter Organizing Across Political Divides

“Everyone needs to be able to turn on the tap and have clean water in their home”
Hans Breitenmoser, a Wisconsin Dairy farmer, sits in his office

Hans Breitenmoser: Dairy Farmer for Fair Maps

“Wisconsin is so severely gerrymandered that you can't even hardly think straight.”
Barn Raisers
June 9, 2023

Letters to the Editor

Wendell Berry’s letter to the editor of The New York Review of Books continues to strike a nerve.

Barn Raisers
June 9, 2023

Response and Responsibility

Wendell Berry’s letter to the editor of The New York Review of Books published by Barn Raiser struck a nerve. Here’s how readers responded.