Center for Rural Affairs

For those of us who live in rural communities, we often feel isolated in the issues our community is experiencing. Sometimes communities are unaware of available resources. Well, for the past forty years the Center for Rural Affairs has been advocating for rural communities and the individuals that live in rural areas. The Center for Rural Affairs Media Director John Crabtree shares more details about his organization and what it offers those who live in rural areas both for communities and individuals. Crabtree: "One of the most significant roles that the center plays is to overcome that feeling that people have that they are facing a situation that no one else is facing. And saying, 'Hey that probably isn't true, and let's look for ideas that have come from else where, ideas we have, ideas that others have come up --- that information resources are tremendous. And again, we also want and look for people to be involved directly with the organization -- whether it be through our direct service work with beginning farmers or work with community development. But also our work in public policy because a large portion of what we do is focused on policy from the very beginning of this organization. To be honest with you what they do with the Farm Bill this month it matters to rural people not just to farmers and ranchers but to small towns. And again since the very beginning we've said, 'We are about small towns. We are about family farmers and ranchers.' And we live in a small community, we work small community. We talk the talk but we also walk the walk. We do remain absolutely and unapologetically rural."