Welcome to the Rural Assembly

Rural Assembly is a nonprofit dedicated to championing a movement that celebrates and empowers rural people and places. Our goal is to reshape perceptions, foster healing, and forge unity in a divided nation by amplifying rural voices through advocacy, partnerships and gatherings. Learn more about our mission to connect diverse voices, challenge harmful narratives, and recognize the untold stories, opportunities, and interconnected futures that bind rural and urban communities together.

Who we are

Welcome
to the Rural Assembly

Rural Assembly is a program of the Center for Rural Strategies dedicated to championing a movement that celebrates and empowers rural people and places. Our goal is to reshape perceptions, foster healing, and forge unity in a divided nation by amplifying rural voices through advocacy, partnerships and gatherings. Learn more about our mission to connect diverse voices, challenge harmful narratives, and recognize the untold stories, opportunities, and interconnected futures that bind rural and urban communities together.

We invite you to join us in naming the connections that unite us, shaping a future of inclusivity and shared success for all.

What we're working on now

clipboard with stethoscope

Rural Health Disparities: Navigating the Healthcare Landscape of our Communities
A new series from the Rural Assembly tackles the issues surrounding rural health disparities. 

Rural Remix podcast
Listen to our new podcast investigating how meth went from a rural-coded chemical moonshine to an endemic drug problem present in all the nation’s major cities.

From Our Blog

Drawing Resilience: Lissette Garay

Lissette Garay is a Michelin-trained Chef specializing in traditional Mexican cooking techniques. She and her wife Cassandra Garay own La Cocina, a restaurant in Port Townsend, Wa. Lissette has been working with the Organic Seed Alliance to create a type of masa corn for tortillas that will grow in the short daylight season of the Pacific Northwest. After years of research, the Garay’s and their staff are finally planting their first crop. Their dream is to make corn tortillas for their community with the smallest possible footprint, while creating jobs for local farmers and cooks.

Gatherings

Rural Assembly has a long history of bringing together rural leaders and allies. Check out recordings of our past events.

Summer 2023

View individual sessions from summer 2023.

Spring 2022

View individual sessions from spring 2022.

Fall 2021

View all of the sessions from  Fall 2021.

View all of the sessions from Spring 2021.

Issue

Issue

The Rural Assembly
is a program of the

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