JAMESTOWN, N.D. -- The beef or chicken you buy from the grocery store is often processed by the same small number of companies.

Advocates for farmers and ranchers said it hurts producers and consumers, but they are encouraged by new federal efforts to steer the supply chain to smaller plants.

The Biden administration recently announced sweeping plans to bolster competition among a range of industries, including agriculture. Tied to that is a USDA investment to increase production capacity among non-corporate processing plants.

Donald Rude, a rancher from northeastern North Dakota, said it is hard to make a profit when the markets are dominated by only a handful of operations.

"We're making, say, $1.20, $1.50, and they're selling the meat in store for, say, $6, $7 a pound," Rude explained. "I mean, that's a big gap. And their gobbling up all the profit is not fair to the consumer."

He said the potential to shop their livestock around paves the way for better prices, and less sticker shock for consumers.

The USDA said because of consolidation, federally inspected meatpacking plants have declined by roughly 40% since 1990. Currently, there are only 18 licensed local slaughter plants in North Dakota for ranchers to consider.

Industry groups criticized the federal initiative, saying it will lead to unintended consequences for customers and producers.

Nathan Kroh, scientific information coordinator for the North Dakota Department of Agriculture's meat and poultry inspection program, said the 18 slaughter plants that offer inspections are the first step in getting a rancher's product to the masses.

But he noted the local plants often are overbooked, leaving producers in a bind.

"A lot of our ranchers will actually just sell through the auction market for the larger facilities to take, and then they're at that price," Kroh observed.

That means they have to take what they can get, versus looking for a better price structure on the local scene.

Kroh added the federal rollout includes a new $55 million grant program for plants trying to be certified for inspection status.

North Dakota has more than 70 sites that are currently custom-exempt, meaning the meat they take in can't be sold for retail.

A dozen rural Oregon counties have voted to leave the state over the past three years. It's a signal that large parts of the state don't feel like they belong.

Wallowa County was the latest to vote in favor of moving Idaho's border to include their residents, with the measure passing by eight votes.

A native of rural Oregon, Rozalyn Mock recently graduated from Harvard with a master's in public policy and is moving back to work in Roseburg.

She said people in these communities want to be part of the decision making process on the future of rural Oregon.

"They have really valuable perspective to provide but there's really no way to capture it," said Mock. "And I think there's been some work where we 'engage' with rural communities, but really we want a seat at the table. "

All twelve counties that have voted to join Idaho are in eastern Oregon, although the movement isn't likely to succeed because the move would need approval from the two states and Congress.

Mock also noted that while these counties are all east of the Cascades, rural Oregon is not a monolith.

She said there are ways to reach rural Oregonians, such as reviving the Office of Rural Policy, which was created in 2004 but got cut four years later during the Great Recession.

"What it would do," said Mock, "is it would increase rural capacity and improve the way our communities work with state and local government while also rebuilding trust in our state government."

Mock said urban Oregonians can help heal the state's divides.

"Knowing that understanding, respecting one another doesn't always mean we have to agree with each other," said Mock, "but knowing our rural and urban neighbors makes it really hard to divide us."




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A small Pennsylvania community is hoping Congress will remember the needs of rural areas as lawmakers negotiate the final, contentious debt ceiling deal.

Jamie Kinder, mayor of Meadville, said larger cities tend to get more attention and funding from federal and state governments, and small rural areas like hers are more likely to be left out. She added her town has benefited from Bipartisan Infrastructure Act dollars, which have funded projects and programs in the community.

Kinder contends federal funding for small, rural areas must continue.

"We have used that federal money; we bought a fire truck," Kinder pointed out. "That's what helped us be able to bring the EMS service into Meadville. We don't have a lot of money, we have no way of bringing in revenue for a city, right? They tie your hands at the state level. So, the only way you get money in a city is through property tax."

As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Pennsylvania is expected to receive about $13.2 billion over five years in federal funding for highways and bridges. In Meadville, road resurfacing on one major street is part of more than $12.5 million in state work scheduled this year by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Kinder emphasized Meadville relies on funding from the federal government, noting her town's economic needs are just as great as those in larger cities and suburban areas.

"We are a small community of 13,000," Kinder said. "And just because we are small doesn't mean that our citizens aren't worth as much, right? So, we want to make sure that we're giving the same opportunities to rural places as we are big cities and urban places."

Kinder added the town has also received grants to purchase ambulances and equip the fire station and historic Market House with solar energy. Meadville has also created a climate action plan focusing on its future.

State grants could bring high-speed internet access to nearly 15,000 Washingtonians.

The State Broadband Office is awarding $121 million to 19 projects largely designed to ensure broadband for rural communities.

Director of the Washington State Broadband Office Mark Vasconi said an even greater number of communities will need to be served after this round of grants.

"We received over $300 million worth of requests," said Vasconi. "So, I think that shows the need that's out there and, frankly, we were glad that we were able to award the projects that we did."

The state has a goal of ensuring every Washingtonian has access to 150 megabits per second speed internet by 2028.

According to the latest Federal Communications Commission broadband map, 93% of Washingtonians have access to internet with speeds of at least 100 megabits per second.

Vasconi said internet availability will equalize access to services for the people who live in Washington.

"You have access to services, access to information that you otherwise would not have," said Vasconi. "It's really essential in order to conduct your daily life, whether that be health care information, educational information, banking information."

Funds are going to counties and electric co-ops - as well as the Spokane Tribe, which is receiving about $3.4 million. The state is funding the project with investments from the federal Coronavirus Capital Project Fund.




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