Rural Affairs
Here’s How This Year’s Drought has Battered the Midwest — and What it Might Mean for Next Year
From deadly wildfires to choking dust storms to decimated crop harvests, this year’s drought has left its mark across the country. For the hardest hit areas, such as the Great Plains, recovering from the far-reaching impacts of this historically dry year won’t be easy.
How the Drought Killing Kansas Corn Crops Could Make You Pay More for Gas and Beef
Drought is taking its toll on western Kansas cornfields this year. And all that dead corn could mean higher prices for ethanol-infused gasoline and corn-fed beef.
How Kansas Could Lose Billions in Land Values as its Underground Water Runs Dry
The water in the Ogallala aquifer is worth billions of dollars to western Kansas, but it’s rapidly disappearing. And it’s been a challenge to find ways to slow the depletion.
Cleared for Takeoff: How Small Town Airports Elevate Communities
Small general aviation airports can drastically improve the growth and development of rural communities.
As Fertilizer Pollutes Tap Water in Small Towns, Rural Kansans Pay the Price
For towns with only a few hundred residents, keeping tap water clean and safe can pose a crippling expense. The predicament is likely to become more common in western Kansas as farm chemicals seep into dwindling water supplies.