POST sD NEWS-CHROYICLE lj* WEDNESDAY WEEKLY BENKELMAN, NE Circulation = 1 15 1

0611 012009

~ b n e REAP Hours in McCook Dena Beck, central and

southwest Nebraska Business Specialist with the Center for Rural Affairs' Rural Enterprise Assistance Project will hold office hours in McCook on June 19th. Hours ,will be 10 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. McCook Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) will handle the ap- pointments; (308) 345- 1200. MEDC office is located at 301 Norris Avenue, Suite 200.

The Center for Rural Af- fairs ' Rural Enterprise As- sistance Project (REAP) and its services are available to rural communities across Ne- braska. REAP offers technical assistance, educational and

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networking opportunities, and a loan program for small busi- nesses. REAP is designed to assist all types of small busi- nesses, including businesses with 5 or fewer employees, self-employed full-time, part- time, home-based, farm-based, start-up, and store-front busi- nesses. REAP has six region- ally based Business Special- ists across Nebraska. These Business Specialists can get involved in assisting entrepre- neurs at various stages of their business progress.

MEDC is pleased to part- ner with REAP in order to offer an expanded list of services to businesses of all sizes.

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TIMES-REPUBLICAN THURSDAY WEEKLY HAYES CENTER, NE Circulation = 748

-1 June REAP Hours in McCook

1 Dena Beck, central 'and southwest Nebraska Business Specialist with the Center for

- jC Rural Affairs' Rural Enterprise Assistance Project will hold office hours in McCook on

- June 19th. Hours will be 10 a.m. until 2;45 p.m. McCook Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) will handle the ap- pointments; (308) 345- 1200. MEDC office is located at 301 Norris Avenue, Suite 200.

The Center for Rural Af- fairs' Rural Enterprise As- sistance Project (REAP) and its services are available to

-rural communities acrbss Ne-- braska. REAP offers technical assistance, educational and

-

networking opportunities, and a loan program for small busi- nesses. REAP is designed to assist all types of small busi- nesses, including businesses with 5 or fewer employees, self-employed full-time, part- time, home-based, farm-based, start-up, and store-front busi- nesses. REAP has six region- ally based Business Special- ists across Nebraska. These Business Specialists can get involved in assisting entrepre- neurs at various stages of their business progress.

MEDC is pleased-to part- c nerwith REAP in order to offer an expanded list of services to businesses of all sizes.

(402) 342-31 78

CEDAR CO. NEWS WEDNESDAY WEEKLY

HARTINGTON, NE 1 Circulation = 2091

HARTINGTON - Many individuals are looking to improve and promote the area and region and are working together in putting together a regional DVD and a website.

The communities of Hartington and Fordyce along with the Center for Rural Affairs are spear-heading the projects and are looking for individuals or businesses who would just like to say a few words about how great Northeast Nebraska is to live, work. and play and to promote the area. Businesses are also encouraged to come forward to talk about how their business has developed and that Northeast Nebraska is a great place to start a business. Ifanyone has photos or video clips of school events, area festivities or other interesting happenings within the region. Please consider sharing them for either the DVD or website promotion.

Throughout the summer a regional website will also be in the planning stages to promote rural comnlunities. Communities will be able to choose if they want to be involved in this website to promote available jobs, buildings, business opportunities, and other amenities of the area. The goal of the DVD and regional website is to draw people to our rural communities. There are many opportunities in Northeast Nebraska. It is a great place to live, raise a family and start a business; has an abundance of recreational opportunities, and is a great place to retire.

If any person or business would like to be a part of the regional DVD. please call Carla Becker, Hartington Economic Development, 402-254-6357 or email devcoor@hartel.net. This project is funded in part by a grant from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development administered by the Nebraska Rural Development Commission.

~- Testimonials, pictures needed for Regional DVD, Website

I HITCHCOCK CO. NEU7S WEDNESDAY WEEKLY TRENTON, NE Circulation = 970

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June REAP Hours in McCook Dena Beck, central and

southwest Nebraska Business Specialist with the Center for Rural Affairs' Rural Enterprise Assistance Project will hold office hours in McCook on June 19th. Hours will be 10 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. McCook Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) will handle the ap- pointments; (308)' 345-1200. MEDC office is located at 301 Norris Avenue, Suite 200.

The Center for Rural Af- fairs' Rural Enterprise As- sistance Project (REAP) and its services are available to rural communities across Ne- braska. REAP offers technical assistance, educational and

networking opportunities, and a loan program for small busi- nesses. REAP is designed to assist all types of small busi- nesses, including businesses with 5 or fewer employees, self-employed full-time, part- time, home-based, farm-based, ...

start-up, and store-front busi- nesses. REAP has six region- ally based Business Special- ists across Nebraska. These , Business Specialists can get . involved in assisting entrepre- ,

neurs at various stages of their ' business progress.

MEDC is pleased to part- ner with REAP in order to offer i an expanded list of services to businesses of all sizes. 1'

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STANDARD THURSDAY WEEKLY OXFORD, NE Circulation= 819

. . .... . . .,..

June REAP office . . )( . . .., .... :it. hours in McCook z.. .

Dena Beck, central and southwest Nebraska Business Specialist with the Center for Rural Affairs' Rural Enterprise Assistance Project will hold office hours in McCook on. h n e 19th. Hours will

::: be 10 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. ,McCook I; Economic Development Corp. ' (MEDC) will handle the 2 appointments; (308) 345-1200. ij MEDC of ice is located at 301

Norris Avenue, Suite 200. , The Center for Rural Affairs' '; Rural Enterprise Assistance Project ': (REAP) and its services are: : available to rural communities

across Nebraska. REAP offers technical assistance,

1 educational and networking i opportunities, and a loan program : for small businesses. ~ A P is'

designed to assist all types of small businesses, including businesses with 5 or fewer employees, self- employed full-time, part-time, home-based, farm-based, start-up and store-front businesses.

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(402) 342-3178 e NEWS THURSDAY WEEKLY ORCHARD, NE

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Rural Mental Health A ; ,- ' HEALTH, cont'd from pg 6.. . Overlooked and Disregarded - -

Rcporf aaniir?cs thc ulur;ii~ing d 4 - - ciencies of /he n~etital heulth '-are

systenr in rural America Today, as National Mental

Health Awareness Month is draw- ing to a close. theJZenter.for Bra! Affairs released a report entitled. - .- Mental Health: 01)c.rlookc.d ur7d Disrc)gardrrl it7 Rlrrtrl Amcil-ictr. The report examines whal one author. Ki ln Preston. calls. "the alarming deficiencies o f the mental health care system in rural Ameri- -- I t &a.

According to Preston, Rural Re- search Assistant for the Center for Rural Affairs. rural Americans se- main undeserved in terms ofmenLG, health care providers and healtl~

' insurance coverage for mental health services despite the fact rural Americans suffer just as much from mental illness.

"This report fui-ther demonstrates that rural America's econonlic de- pendence on s~nall business and self-en~ployment calls for health care reform that includes an afford-

r - HEALTH, cont'd on pg 8.. .

able, meaninaul public health in- surance option. And that any such reform should also ensure that all Americans, rural and urban, have reasonable access to quality mental health care," Preston added.

The Center for Rural Affairs, in '

collaboration with Dr. Dianne Travers Gustafson, Creighton Uni- versity, Omaha. Nebraska, recently undertook the task o f evaluating rural Americans access to crucial =-' mental health care services. This i s the fourth in a series o f Center for Rural Affairs reports examining crucial health care issues in rural America. Previous reports can be found on the front page o f the Cen- ter's website (wl?~w:cfra.grg).

A full copy o f the report can be viewed and downloaded athttprllfiles.cfra.org/p~fl.~ental~ - Health-Overlooked-and- --. -- - - . .- - Disregarded-in-Rural-America.pdf .

Crucial Findings: Depression - :

~ajor-hepression rates in some rural areas significantly exceed i those in urban areas. Teens and i older adults in rural areas have sig- nificantly higher suicide rates than

- their urban counterparts. a

Stress - Stress,is gsspciatd i i t h increased mental healtfi disofders

n and rural people e\perlence stress with cyclical farm crises, natural disasters and social isolation.

- Barriers o f Availability - More

than 85 percent o f the 1,669 feder- ally designated mental health pro- fessional shortage areas i re rural.

Lsck o f Accessibility - Only in rural America did the National Ad- visory Committee on Rural I-lealth (1993) find entire counties with no practicing psychiatrists. psycholo- gists, or social workers.

Social Stigma - The social stig- ma attached to mental health prob- lems in combination with a general lack o f anonymity in many small communities leads some people to

\. forego treatment.

Lack of affordable, meaningful health insurance coverage - Rural Americans are less likely than ur- ban Americans to have health in- surance that covers mental or beha- vioral health services

U NIVERSAL lnformatlon Serv~ces, Inc .

(402) 342-31 78 i;; INDEX WEDNESDAY WEEKLY MITCHELL, NE Circulabon = 893

0611 012009

L -. . . .. - - . .. -

Center for Rural Mffairs - \\

Three Reasons For Teen Obesity By Alysha Peterson, Center for Rural Affairs

Ever wonder why it's so In small communities, numer- easy for kid$ to gain weight ous things such as gyms and instead of lose it? 1 have and health food stores aren't avail- for that reaqon, I've come up able. As a solution, teens and with a list of three reasons why their parents could raise a gar- - kids gain weight. den with fresh produce, or

As a teen, it's hard to jug- shop at their local Farmer's gle various activities and still _Market,Adolesc_ents could try ' - lose the pounds. Hectic sched- running in their town. using the - ules contribute to poor food gym at their school, or perhaps choices. take the "Walking School

Second, is modeni trans- Bus," which is like a carpool portation. According to an arti- that gives parents the responsi- cle I read, 40 years ago half of bility to walk the "bus" riders all schoo! kids walked or bicy- to school. These are a few so- cled to school. Today, fewer lutions that we could choose to than 15% do because of traffic stay healthy and avoid obesity. safety concerns. See the full report at http://

Also, the food we eat. It's w w w . c f r a . o r g / O 9 / 0 11 easy to eat at fast food chains healthreport. instead of making something Alysha Peterson is a nutritious. Many tecns have sophomore at Lyons-Decatur limited access to healthy food. Northeast high school in Ly- Some rural towns don't have a ons, NE She is completing an grocery store and residents rely internship over the summer on convenience stores for their with the Center for Rural Af- -

food, which offer few if any fairs as a part of her Super- healthy choices. vised Agricultural Experience 1

For rural tecns, finding (SAE) for FFA. Alysha is cur- 1 4 I ways to overcome the chal- rentlv interested in a career in ,

lenge of obesity can be tricky. agricultural jozwnalism

l u NIVERSAL lnformatlon Services. I nc ':

(402) 342-31 78

I ARTHUR, NE Circulanon = 357

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~ k r n and ranch programs available to aid in operations - rarmers and ranchers across

the country who are wondering if there are any farm bill pro- grams available to aid in their operation, assistance is just a phone call or email away.

The 2008 Farm Bill included many new programs that farmers and ranchers, especially begin- ners, should consider tapping into. The center for Rural ~ffairs;' Farm Bill Helpline offers assistance from a real per- son who is knowledgeable about these programs and the rules that govern farmers and ranchers access to them.

Assistance is available for the Conservation Stewardship Pro- gram, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

Organic Initiative, the Value needed to apply for the Environ-

Added Agricultural Market mental Quality Incentives Pro- Developnient Program and a gram Organic Initiative. He s ~ - host of Beginning Farmer and cessfully applied and will receive Rancher provisions. a contract through the Natural 1

In the last several weeks, we Resources Conservation Service , have fielded numerous phone to help him convert to organic \

calls and emails. production. C

I A farmer from Idaho wasn't y,,U mighr be eligible too,

sure if the EQIP program was for Call (402) 687-2100 and ask for 2 her, so she contacted our Help- the Farm ~~l~ Helpline. Or you ; line. We answered her questions can send an email to tracib@ and provided resources so she cfra.org or visit www.cfra.org. \

understood parts Of the pro- By Elisha Greeley Smith, Center , f gram fit her farm. for Rural Affairs

Another farmer from Iowa - -II - r

called us wondering if there were . .s

any programs that could help him : convert his farm from conven- ' tional production to organic. We :

~- provided him with information he

2:

UNIVERSAL 5 lnformatlon Services, Inc,l: -

(402) 342-31 78

MIRROR-SUN THURSDAY WEEKLY LYONS, NE ' C~rculation = 735 i 0611 112009

-

1Three reasons for teen obesity

t CFRA guest opinion Ever wonder why it's so easy rely on convenience stores for

for kids to gain weight instead their food, which offer few if of lose it? I have and for that any healthy choices. reason, I've come up with a For rural teens, finding ways

1 list of three reasons why kids gain weight.

As a teen, it's hard to juggle various activities and still lose the pounds. Hectic sched-

-ules contribute to poor food choices.

Second is modem transporta- tion. According to an article I read, 40 years ago half of all school kids walked or bicycled to school. Today, fewer than 15% do because of traffic safety concerns.

Also, the food we eat. It's easy to eat at fast food chains instead of making something nutritious. Many teens have limited access to healthy food. Some rural towns don't have a grocery store and residents

By Alysha Peterson . Media Intern

to overcome the challenge of obesity can be tricky. In small communities, numerous things such as gyms and health food stores aren't available. As a solution, teens and their parents could raise a garden with fresh

produce, or shop at their local Farmer's Market. Adolescents could try running in their town, using the gym at their school, or perhaps take the "Walking School Bus," which is like a carpool that gives parents the responsibility to walk the "bus" riders to school. These are a few solutions that we could choose to stay healthy and avoid obesity. See full report at http://www.cfra.org/09/01/ healthreport.

Editor's Note: Alysha Peter- 7 son is a sophomore at Lyons- DecaturNortheast Highschool ' in Lyons, NE. She iscompleting an internship over the summer - with the Center for Rural Af- fairs as apartofherSupewised Agricultzlrcrl Experience (SAE) for FFA. Alysha is currently interested in a career in agri- cultural journalism.

U NIVERSAL lnformat~on Services, Inc 2

NEMAHA CO. HERiLD FRIDAY WEEKLY AUBURN, NE Circulation = 2628

0611 112009

f ' 1 'West Blue Farm Will Host Organic Farm Tour On Monday, June 15, Near Milford

Dave and Deb Welsch of West Blue Farm, located near Milford, will host a farm tour on Monday, June 15th. The tour will begin at 2:00 pm with a look at the planting and cultivating equipment followed by a field demanstration. After viewing the organic crop rotation the tour will take a pasture walk to look at the rotational grazing and cow/calf herd. The tour will conclude with a look at the chicken operation and a light meal around 4:30 pm. RSVP's to Dave at 402-826-5361 or dwelsch@westbluefarm.com are appreciated. :-The West Blue Farm has been certified organic since 1993. They also participate in the Conservation Security Program as well as the Environmental Quality Incen- tive Program - Organic Initiative. Both programs will

, b ~ discussed during the tour. They have also been direct

marketing chickens and beef for 20 years. The tour will begin at 2261 Rokeby Road. From South-

east Community College in Milford, follow thd pavetl road 4 miles south and 1 mile east. Fro111 Crete go 3 ruiie. west on Highway 33 to County Road 1900 then go north 5 miles to the West Blue Church. Go 1 mile north of th.. church to the first tour stop.

This organic farm tour is being made possible througlt the cooperation of West Blue Farm, the Five Rivers Re source Conservation and Development, Inc. in Tecumseh, the Great Plains Resource Caiservation and Development, ,--

Inc. in David City, the Center for Rural Affairs. the IJSDA - NRCS (an equal opportunity provider and employer'i and through a grant from the Nebraska dnvironmentai Trust Fund. >

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Titonka Topic Titon ka,lA Circ. 633

From Page: 5

611 812009 O d

Help Is Just A Phone Call Away -. . - Fa* attd rph&rs a m we country ~hd.%~wondering ii there are any farm MII.programs available to aid in their operation, assistance is just a phone call or ernail away.

The 2008 Farm Bill induded many new programs that Panners end ranchers, especially begin- m, should consider tapping into. The nter for Rural Alfairs' Farm 9 Bill He mne-offers assistam from a real petson who is knowledge- able about these W m s and the rules that govern farmers and ranchers access to them.

Assistants is available for the Conservatl~n Stewardship Pro- gram, the fmrironmental Quality InCentives Program (EQIP) Or- - Initiative, the \)slue Added Ag riculturel wbt Dev$opmertt P o ghmdndahostiJBegknhg Farmer and-prgviskns.

in Ihe la@ sevwal weks, we haveneldednumerolrsphonecalls and emails.

. Afmlerfrwnklcrho~88ntsw~ YtheMIPp~ugramwasbrher,sc, s h e ~ o u r ~ . W e a r t fAfm3dherquestknsandpcwided ~rcessoshevdersfroodwhet pS& ofthe program fit her farm.

/Mher-from lcma called us&mbing iftherewere a n y p gqms ttpt could help him convert .M,FsFsm,.pJm amenthal produe tkn b organic. We provided him with information he needed to a p ply for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program Organic Initia- tive. He successfully applied and will receive a contract through the Natural Regources Conservation Service to help him convert to or- ganlc production.

I UNIVERSAL lnformat~on Serv~ces Inc ?

(402) 342-31 78

MONITOR THURSDAY WEEKLY BLOOMFIELD, NE Circulation = 1405

- he lp is just a Phone Call Away

By Elisha Greeley Smith, el- ishas@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs

Farmers and ranchers across the country who are wondering if there are any farm bill programs available to aid in their opcration, assistance is just a phone call or email away.

The 2008 Farm Bill included many new programs that farmers and ranch- ers, especially beginners, should con- sider tapping into. The Center for Rural Affairs' Farm Bill Helpline offers as- sistance from a real Eerson who is

- knowledgeable about these programs and the rules that govern farmers and ranchers access to them.

Assistance is available for the Con- servation Stewardship Program, the Environn~ental Quality Incentives Pro- gram (EQLP) Organic Initiative, the Value Added Agricultural Market De- velopment Program arid a host of Be- ginning Fanner and Rancher provi- sions.

In the last several weeks, we have fielded numerous phone calls and emails.

A farmer from Idaho wasn't sure if the EQIP program was for her, so she :

contacted our Helpline. We answered her questions and provided resources so . - she understood what parts of the pro- gram fit her farm.

Another farmer from Iowa called us wondering if there were any programs that could help him convert his farm from conventional production to or- ganic. We provided him with informa- tion he needed to apply for the Envi- ronmental Quality Incentives Program Organic Initiative. He successfully applied and will receive a contract through the Natural Resources Conser- vation Service to help him convert to organic production.

You might be eligible too. Call (402) 687-2100 and ask for the Farm Bill Helpline. Or you can send an email to tracib@cfra.org or visit www.cfra.org.

I u NIVERSAL Information Services, Inc =

I (402) 342-31 78

MONITOR THURSDAY WEEKLY BLOOMFIELD, NE Circulation = 1405

-learning to lead I - Program a Success in Northeast Nebraska

Organizers Looking to Simulate Program in other Northeast Ne- braska Communities

LYONS - A leadership program that recently concluded is going to be repli-

I -

cated in other Northeast Ncbraska communities.

The successful Learning to Lcad in Cedar County Program concluded on May 26. The program consistcd of eight classes which providcd leadership skills and economic development in- sights.

Prograrn participants agreed that thc opportunity to learn and devclop lcad- ership skills is important, and strong leadership skills are an intcgral part in maintaining a successful comn~unity. "I was especially impressed by the Eco- nomic and Demographics Trends report that we discussed," commented Diann Ballard, Economic Developer from Pendcr. "Our small towns and counties havc so much to offer but so many of our pcoplc don't share in the vision. These classes help evcryone to see what we can do to foster entreprcneu- rial leadership and innovation to pro- duce positive outcornes for our com- munities."

The Learning to Lead series of classes provided local and regional participants the chance to learn about themselves, others, leadership skills and economic development.

Organizers cited a strong partner- ship between UNL Extension, Ne-

- braska Deparflnent of Economic De-. . velopment, Nebraska Rural Develop- ment Commission, USDA Rural De- velopment & Housing Services and the Center fol Rural Affairs as critical to bring these leadership programs to Hartineton and northeast Nebraska. " "These classes encourage individuals to develop not only their leadership skills but also their confidence in becoming more involved in their communities," stated Carla Becker, Economic Devel- opment Coordinator for Hartington.

"As a result of the Leaming to Lead in Cedar County Program, we found a need and an intense desire to further develop strong leadership within north- east Nebraska," said Stephanie Fritz with the Center for Rural Affairs. "We are taking a regional approach to con- tinued development of future leadership training and project development. We know this is how rural northeast Ne- braska will continue to provide a qual- ity of life we all enjoy."

Those who would like to get in- volved and provide input for future programs in northeast Nebraska should contact Carla Becker at 402-254-6357 or devcoor@hartel.net.

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Thursday. July 02. 2009 MABEL, MN

Page: 8 Keyword: Center For Rural Affairs

Uninsured farm families feel pinch of health care costs

From Center for Rrrrrrl Affcrirs A new . report released

Wednesday. ~ u n e 24. by The Access project found that farm and ranch operators. like many self-employed Americans. cannot afford the cost of health insurance offered to small business owners. While family fvnlers and ranchers are insured at a rate higher than the general population. still one in 10 was uninsured. or had an unin- sured family member. sometime during the previous year.

The report. "Who is Uninsured'?" is based on data gath- ered through the 2007 survey of farm and ranch operators in seven Great Plains states. The report found that uninsured farm and ranch opcrators wcre Inore ,likely to say that their principal occupa- tion was fml ing or ranching than their insured counterparts. Thcy also had lower inco~nes and were more likely to live alone.

'Those h o s t reliant on income derived from the family farm or ranch are least likely to be able to afford private health insurance." said Carol Pryor. lead author of the report and Policy Director at The Access Project. 'This threat- ens both their health and their livelihoods. Washington must act to develop alternatives to a private market that is unwilling or unable to provide affordable protection to the self employed and small busi- ness owners."

The survey found that more than one-third of the uninsured farm and ranch operators spent more than 10 percent of their income on health care costs. They were also four times more likely to have incomes under $20.000 than those with insuc~nce.

The Access Project's report is

the fifth in a series of issue briefs based on a 2007 survey of farm and ranch operators in seven Great Plains statcs: Iowa. Minncsota. Missouri. Montana. Nebraska. North Dakota. and South Dakota. The Access Project and its part- ners at Brandeis University and the University of North Dakota School of Medicine's Center for rural health contracted with the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service to survey more than 2.000 non-corporate Fml and ranch operators (those operating as sole proprietors o r partner- ships).

The report finds that uninsured farmers and ranchers face much greater baniers to getting care and suffcr highcr lcvcls of financial hardship than those with insur- ance. They delayed needed care more than twice as frequently as those with insurance - more than a third of the u~linsured delayed care (34 percent) versus 15 per- cent of the insured. Compared to the insured. the uninsured wcre also more likely to:

Draw down resources. sucll as withdrawing money from savings o r taking out loans to pay for Ilealth care (40 percent vs. 25 per- cent):

Spend more than 10 percent of their income on health care (34 percent vs. 29 percent);

Report that health care costs contributed to financial problems (32 percent vs. 22 pelrent):

Accrue medical debt (32 per- cent versus 16 percent).

While these figures de~nonstnte the cllallenges faced by uninsured farm and ranch opcrators. they cannot describe the fear and frus- tration they face. Isa Kirk. who owns a horse ranch in South Dakota with her husband Jack,

was uninsured when she was diag- nosed with cervical cancer'. It was only because she was able to get coverage from All Women Count. a program run by the South Dakota Department of Health. and from Medicaid. that she was able to afford care. She said. "If not for All Women Count. Jack and I might have lost our home. ranch and livelihood due to nledical bills." But now that she no longer qualifies for those programs. she is once again uninsured. She said. "We are determined to continue to live a healthy lifestyle and have faith. since it seenls very unlikely for me to obtain health coverage. at least affordable coverage."

Jon Bailey. director of rural research and anal ysis at the Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons Neb.. noted that plans to refor111 the health carr systenl notionally must take into account the needs of run1 businesses and conlnlunities. "llealth reform that continues to rcly solcly on thc privatc insur- ance market and a t te~l lp ts to strengthen employer-provided insurance. no matter how regulat- ed or reformed. will be irrelevant to a large number of lunl people. If you want farmers to conti~lue crowing the food for our families.

0 2009 NEWS-RECORD All R i h b Rerewed.

Account: 182096 (24092) MN-191

For repdnb or -he, pleare mntau me publisha

- - and if you want rural conl~nu~lities to thrive. then availability of affordable and quality health insurance must be effectively addressed."

The findings fro111 this report raise questions regarding the availability and affordability of health insurance coverage. espe- cially for those families without access to enlployer-based cover- age. Their lack of insurance inay not oilly put their health at risk. but also their businesses. Thc

Page 1 of 2

Thursday, MABEL, MN July 02, 2009

Page: 8 Keyword: Center For Rural Affairs

Access Project urges policymak- ers. as they work to refor111 our nation's health care system. to consider options for expanding thc availability of comprehensive insurance coverage and ensuring that this covcragc is affordable for lowcr income Families.

Thc full report is available 011li11c at: www.cfra.org/files/AccessProject- 2 0 0 7 - H e a l t h - I n s u r a n c e - Far111Rancl9urvey.pJS.

Tlre C E I I I ~ I . for R1rrc11 Afferir-s ~ o s c,srobli.shecl irr 1973 cis crrr rrr~oJilicr/ed I I O I I ~ I ~ ( I J ~ / c~or/~t~rcr/ior~ rrrrdrr. IRS code 5 0 I ( c ) 3 . Tlrr Certrt*r- f i r - rrrr-ul Afycrirs ~ c ~ r s forrrled iy rrrrol Nehr-crsktrrrs mrr- c.crrrcd ohorrt ftrrrrily ferrrrrs errrcl r-rrr-a1 corrrrrrrrrri/ies, trrad )cvc work l o p s/ren,y/hen srirtrll birsirresse.~, ,foniily for-111s nrrd rcirrclrcs, orrd

Page 2 of 2

0 2009 NEWS-RECORD All Riihb Reserved.

Account: 18209C (24092) MN-191

For repinb or rghb, please mnmumc publshal