Barn Raisers

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

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

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

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

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

“Everyone needs to be able to turn on the tap and have clean water in their home”

“Wisconsin is so severely gerrymandered that you can't even hardly think straight.”

What the D.C. establishment gets wrong about rural politics

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

June 9, 2023

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.

May 31, 2023

The New York Review of Books strikes out, again

April 6, 2023

The former Montana House speaker and Missoula mayor reflects on working together across differences