Barn Raiser

Megachurches: Streaming to a Barn Near You As rural churches struggle to keep their doors open, megachurches like Minnesota’s Eagle Brook are embracing technology to fill the void.

How Pete Hegseth’s former Minnesota church is leading the new Christian “crusade”

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What Counts as American Religion? A new history history offers a corrective to narrow visions of American religion that begin with Plymouth Rock.

A new history reconsiders who belongs in American religious history and what should count as religion

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When We Win: Stories From the Frontlines of Ecological Resistance After decades of struggle, indigenous leaders and organizers have shown how to win against billionaires and large corporations.

"This is a story about how sacred places, and sacred beings, remain protected through the work of people. Many who are still here, and some who have passed on. This is a story about what did not happen and how life remains." barnraisingmedia.com/when-we-win-...

Farm Aid, at 40, Offers a Lifeline for Farmers Facing Their Worst Crisis in Decades Farm Aid marked its milestone anniversary benefit concert as family farmers face the worst economic crisis in decades.

Farm Aid marked its 40th anniversary on September 20. Organizers, farmers, advocates, musicians and concert goers gathered at Huntington Bank Stadium to bring a message of resistance against corporate greed and consolidation in the agriculture industry.

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How an Oil Boom Town Is Building New Opportunities Outside of the Oil Field A decade after the Bakken oil rush, Watford City has remade itself into a growing community by keeping young people local

A decade after the Bakken oil rush, Watford City has remade itself into a growing community by keeping young people local

barnraisingmedia.com/how-an-oil-b...

When We Win: Stories From the Frontlines of Indigenous Ecological Resistance - Bucks County Beacon After decades of struggle, indigenous leaders and organizers have shown how to win against billionaires and large corporations.

When We Win: Stories From the Frontlines of Indigenous Ecological Resistance | After decades of struggle, indigenous leaders and organizers have shown how to win against billionaires and large corporations, writes Winona LaDuke at @barnraiser.bsky.social. #IndigenousPeoplesDay

When We Win: Stories From the Frontlines of Ecological Resistance After decades of struggle, indigenous leaders and organizers have shown how to win against billionaires and large corporations.

After decades of struggle, indigenous leaders and organizers have shown how to win against billionaires and large corporations

barnraisingmedia.com/when-we-win-...

When Language Becomes a Barrier to Health Care Language barriers often represent a form of racial exclusion in rural health care. Maryland’s immigrant communities are finding ways to create equal access.

Lack of interpreters and clinician bias creates unequal access for rural immigrants

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A Winning Food and Farm Policy for Rural America To revive rural communities, we need to help farmers regain independence from multinational corporations to provide a more secure food system.

"In 1888, Iowa had the proud distinction of passing the first ever antitrust law as farmers confronted monopolies in the railroads, bank lenders and grain elevators. Now, in 2025, farmers face even more consolidated markets." barnraisingmedia.com/a-winning-fo...

How Rural Post Offices Sustain Community The rural postal network serves as a living map of relationships and historical narratives, a legacy under threat by new austerity measures.

Reflections on the post offices of Benzie County, Michigan, as a living map

barnraisingmedia.com/how-rural-po...

When Language Becomes a Barrier to Health Care Language barriers often represent a form of racial exclusion in rural health care. Maryland’s immigrant communities are finding ways to create equal access.

Language barriers represent one way systemic racism shows up in rural health care. Immigrants on Maryland’s Eastern Shore turn to each other when the system fails. barnraisingmedia.com/when-languag...

Farm Aid, at 40, Offers a Lifeline for Farmers Facing Their Worst Crisis in Decades Farm Aid marked its milestone anniversary benefit concert as family farmers face the worst economic crisis in decades.

Indeed, Farm Aid’s anniversary celebration was colored with the many echoes between the 1980s farm crisis and farmers’ current struggles. barnraisingmedia.com/farm-aid-at-...

These Rural Counties Grow Crops for the World. They’re Also Going Hungry. Food insecurity rates are rising faster in farm-dependent counties than almost anywhere else in the nation.

Food insecurity rates are rising faster in farm-dependent counties than almost anywhere else in the nation

barnraisingmedia.com/these-rural-...

Megachurches: Streaming to a Barn Near You As rural churches struggle to keep their doors open, megachurches like Minnesota’s Eagle Brook are embracing technology to fill the void.

How Pete Hegseth’s former Minnesota church is leading the new Christian “crusade”

barnraisingmedia.com/megachurches...

The False Promises of VA Privatization Congress is funneling millions of dollars of VA money to private providers, claiming better access to care. Rural veterans disagree.

Thanks to Congress, accessing health care will now be more difficult for rural veterans

barnraisingmedia.com/the-false-pr...

Megachurches: Streaming to a Barn Near You As rural churches struggle to keep their doors open, megachurches like Minnesota’s Eagle Brook are embracing technology to fill the void.

A look into the church of Pete Hegseth's youth, and the rise of rural "viewing churches." by Betsy Froiland @barnraiser.bsky.social

barnraisingmedia.com/megachurches...

How an Oil Boom Town Is Building New Opportunities Outside of the Oil Field A decade after the Bakken oil rush, Watford City has remade itself into a growing community by keeping young people local

Outside of oil, housing became the most prized commodities, with rents in some places surpassing those in San Francisco. In 2013, Williston, a town just north of Watford City in Williams County, had the highest rent prices on average in the country.

barnraisingmedia.com/how-an-oil-b...

Megachurches: Streaming to a Barn Near You As rural churches struggle to keep their doors open, megachurches like Minnesota’s Eagle Brook are embracing technology to fill the void.

As rural churches struggle to keep their doors open, megachurches like Minnesota’s Eagle Brook—one of the largest churches in the country—are embracing technology to fill the void. One scholar describes this rise of big box Christianity as the “Walmart effect.”

barnraisingmedia.com/megachurches...

Field of Dems A host of candidates want to be the Democratic nominee who will vie for Iowa's open Senate seat, currenly held by the GOP's Joni Ernst.

Who dreams of replacing Joni Ernst as U.S. Senator from Iowa?

barnraisingmedia.com/field-of-dem...

The False Promises of VA Privatization Congress is funneling millions of dollars of VA money to private providers, claiming better access to care. Rural veterans disagree.

Thanks to Congress, accessing health care will now be more difficult for rural veterans

barnraisingmedia.com/the-false-pr...

How an Oil Boom Town Is Building New Opportunities Outside of the Oil Field A decade after the Bakken oil rush, Watford City has remade itself into a growing community by keeping young people local

“The local is the minority,” says Daniel Stenberg, McKenzie County economic development director. “That’s the unique thing I think about our community. … But when we’ve got people kind of moving in every month, soon you become the old timer.”

barnraisingmedia.com/how-an-oil-b...

These Rural Counties Grow Crops for the World. They’re Also Going Hungry. Food insecurity rates are rising faster in farm-dependent counties than almost anywhere else in the nation.

Over the last four decades, America’s agricultural output has nearly doubled.

But in the rural communities that have made the United States a global food power, residents are increasingly finding it difficult to access enough food for themselves.

barnraisingmedia.com/these-rural-...

These Rural Counties Grow Crops for the World. They’re Also Going Hungry. Food insecurity rates are rising faster in farm-dependent counties than almost anywhere else in the nation.

Food insecurity rates are rising faster in farm-dependent counties than anywhere else in the nation.

barnraisingmedia.com/these-rural-...

These Rural Counties Grow Crops for the World. They’re Also Going Hungry. Food insecurity rates are rising faster in farm-dependent counties than almost anywhere else in the nation.

Farming communities see a rise in #hunger over the last decade. While still line with the national average, rates are up 11.7%. With crop prices tanking & groceries getting more expensive, could get worse barnraisingmedia.com/these-rural-... @barnraiser.bsky.social @investigatemidwest.bsky.social

How an Oil Boom Town Is Building New Opportunities Outside of the Oil Field A decade after the Bakken oil rush, Watford City has remade itself into a growing community by keeping young people local

A decade after the Bakken oil boom, Watford City, North Dakota, has remade itself into a thriving community by expanding education in the skilled trades.

barnraisingmedia.com/how-an-oil-b...

Can a Family Resurrect the American Chestnut Tree in Appalachia? Virginia family farmers have planted American chestnut seedlings that come from an old grove that survived the 20th century blight. Will the trees survive?

Virginia tree farmers reintroduce an iconic tree that was decimated by blight

barnraisingmedia.com/can-a-family...

How the U.S. Enlisted Farmers to ‘Feed the World’ in the 20th Century It was also a time when the federal government took a more active role in rural communities. Simons explores how the Lend-Lease Act of 1941—which enabled the U.S. to supply Great Britain, the Soviet…

As Trump eliminates U.S. international aid programs, a new history details the instrumental role Midwestern farmers played in establishing them

barnraisingmedia.com/global-heart...

Farm Aid, at 40, Offers a Lifeline for Farmers Facing Their Worst Crisis in Decades Farm Aid marked its milestone anniversary benefit concert as family farmers face the worst economic crisis in decades.

As a new farm crisis hits rural America, Farm Aid founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp joined Bob Dylan and other artists to support family farmers.

barnraisingmedia.com/farm-aid-at-...

Wisconsin Notches a Win Against Big Ag—For Now A Wisconsin appeals court has ruled that large livestock operations must apply for permits under the state’s water pollution permitting program.

Appeals court rejects Big Ag’s attempt to deregulate water pollution permits. But the battle for local control continues.

barnraisingmedia.com/wisconsin-no...

Iowa Republicans Are Erasing the State’s History Iowa elected officials are preparing to trash 60% of the state’s historical archives with no transparency or input from the public.

Sixty percent of the historical society archives are being trashed with no transparency

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