Who we are

Welcome
to the Rural Assembly

We know that rural America is more than the convenient stereotypes and stories that dominate public discourse. It is a place of innovation, tight-knit communities, and civic participation. It is fire departments and schools and local organizations making a difference. There is an opportunity right now to draw the connections between rural and its counterparts, to name the roads, fibers, and futures that connect us. To craft a future of us and ours. We hope you’ll join us.

What we're working on now

Live Webinar
Rural Data: Telling Stories with Numbers | Dec. 7 2 p.m. ET 

Rural datasets can be difficult to find and even more difficult to analyze. But utilizing data in telling rural stories is a great way to interrogate, and disprove, widespread misconceptions about rural America. Join panelists Daily Yonder Editor Tim Marema, Daily Yonder Data Correspondent Sarah Melotte, and Dr. Megan Lawson, researcher at Headwaters Economics to
talk about where the to get rural data, the relationship between datasets and story ideation, and review some of our favorite data stories. 

Everywhere Radio is now Rural Remix, a new podcast that tells a deeper, richer story about life in rural places.

Together with our partners at the Daily Yonder and Center for Rural Strategies, we’ll bring you unexpected rural stories that talk back to the stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding rural communities. 

Listen to our debut series, The Rural Horror Picture Show, five episodes exploring the depiction of rural people and places in horror films — and why it matters.

From Our Blog

Drawing Resilience: Hannah Evans

Drawing Resilience: An interview with Hannah Evans, former Executive director of Virginia Food Works, a nonprofit that helps farmers and small businesses can their produce and create value-added products like salsa, hot sauce, and pasta sauce.

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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