Rural Revival

Reflection and Action on Rural Issues

Mission:

  • promote and enhance local food markets
  • provide information and tools for thoughtful generational land transfer
  • educate the community on a diverse set of rural issues

Meetings

  • the 4th Monday evening of each month
  • open to the public
  • at the Freeman Public Library

The Latest News & Stories

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Intimacy with the Land

By S. Roy Kaufman on Mar 5, 2013

One of the beauties of farming as a way of life is the intimacy that it affords farmers with land and the natural community of life among which we humans live. Writing in the Iowa State University newsletter of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Fred Kirschenmann writes, “Every farmer ultimately knows that good management requires intimacy. Like all living organisms, farms constantly change and therefore close involvement with the plants, animals and soils of the farm is essential to skillful farming.

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Look Who's Knockin'

By Paul Ortman on Mar 10, 2012

A reader’s theatre production of the play Look Who's Knockin’ by Doug Nopar will be presented at the Freeman Community Center on Tuesday, April 10 at 7:30pm. The play will be presented by Phyllis Schrag and Jim Graber in the roles of Nettie and Gerald, a retiring farm couple trying to decide the future of their farm. The play raises questions of land ethics and the moral dilemma posed by wanting to get top dollar for selling one's land while desiring to help the next generation of farmers get started farming.

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Program on Generational Land Transfers

By Paul Ortman on May 2, 2011

Rural Revival is hosting an informational program on “Establishing New Farms: Passing Land on to the Next Generation of Farmers,” at the Salem Mennonite (South) Church, 28103 443rd Avenue, Freeman, on Sunday evening, May 15, at 7:00 p.m. The program will feature a panel discussion of representatives from Dakota Rural Action, Brookings, S. D., and Center for Rural Affairs, Lyons, Neb. Each of these organizations facilitates the generational transfer of land from established to incoming farmers throughout the Midwest, with specific “farm beginning” programs.

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Informative Fish Meeting

By Paul Ortman on Apr 18, 2011

It's worth noting that on April 18th at noon, Dr. Mike Brown will be presenting an informative overview of modern aquaculture. The presentation will take place at the Freeman Community Library at 12pm and should run between 1 and 2 hours depending on question and answer sessions, etc. The public is welcome, but space is limited and thus limited publicity has been put forth. The presentation will cover a swath of issues, but will likely have some focus on how fish farming could possibly apply to rural Freeman, SD — not exactly the place you might think of when it comes to fish.

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