In this episode of The Rural Impact, host Michelle Rathman welcomes Liz Hamel, Senior Vice President and Director of Public Opinion and Survey Research at KFF, and Sarah Jane Tribble, Senior Correspondent and Lead Reporter with KFF Health News, to discuss findings from the KFF/AP Rural Voter Survey of more than 2,200 registered rural voters.

The conversation explores how economic pressures, healthcare policies, and access to essential services are influencing rural voters' priorities and political perspectives. Michelle and her guests examine voter enthusiasm, trust in elections, the role of immigration in rural economies, and growing concerns about healthcare provider shortages. Despite mounting financial challenges, the discussion also highlights rural Americans' strong connections to their communities and the importance of understanding their experiences beyond political affiliations.

As registered rural voters prepare to cast their vote, via mail, drop box or at the polls, this conversation offers important insights into the issues shaping their decisions and what those priorities could mean for the future of rural America.

Learn More
Explore the survey at KFF.org and related reporting at KFF Health News.

In this episode of The Rural Impact, Michelle Rathman welcomes Becky Payne, President and CEO of The Rippel Foundation, for a timely conversation about the state of well-being in America and what communities can do to create meaningful change.

Drawing from the newly released Thriving Together in America report, Michelle and Becky explore declining well-being, particularly among young adults, the seven Vital Conditions that shape our daily lives, and the critical role of belonging and civic muscle. They also discuss why addressing complex community challenges requires moving beyond individual programs and bringing healthcare, government, businesses, nonprofits, and residents together.

For rural leaders, the conversation offers an important reminder: communities have more power and agency than they may realize. By listening, measuring what matters, strengthening local relationships, and investing in the conditions that help people thrive, communities can turn hope into action.

Land use decisions are shaping the future of rural America—from the rapid growth of data centers to new opportunities for producing food and renewable energy on the same land.

In Part One of this episode, A Conversation about Land Use and Powering Rural, Michelle Rathman talks with Custer County Commissioner Jason Strouf and Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer about data center development in their communities. They explore the economic opportunities these projects can create, along with questions about land use, water, infrastructure, private property rights, local planning, and the importance of involving rural residents in decisions with long-term impacts.

In Part Two, Michelle is joined by Rebekah Pierce, Owner and Operator of J&R Pierce Family Farm, as well as a freelance writer and author of Agri-Energy: Growing Power, Growing Food. Pierce shares how her family farm uses sheep and cattle to manage vegetation on community-scale solar sites, allowing the same land to support both food and energy production. She discusses solar grazing, farm economics, land preservation, animal health, renewable energy policy, and why farmers need a meaningful voice in conversations about the future of agricultural land.

Two different approaches to land use. One larger conversation about powering rural communities while protecting the people, land, and livelihoods that make them rural—and ensuring rural voices help shape that future.