Barn Raiser

Rural History Teachers Choose Education Over Politics Rural public school history teachers who remain resilient amid culture wars battles and attempts by the Right to censor what is being taught

These rural educators remain resilient amid culture war battles

barnraisingmedia.com/rural-histor...

Wonderful article by our colleague Greg Wickenkamp about rural educators who, despite censorship campaigns and laws, "take pains to present history in all its complexity, encouraging students to develop their own informed stances through critical thinking." ⬇️ #TeachTruth

Five Seismic Shocks to the Military in 2025 Today’s military is more diverse than ever. A year into the Trump administration, service members say they are facing more threats to their freedoms than ever.

"I fear that the Christian Nationalists will initiate a nuclear exchange because this will serve as a handy lubricant or accelerant for them to bring about the ‘end days’ as they view them in their twisted version of Christianity through the lens of the Book of Revelation."

USDA Can Address the PFAS Crisis on Farmland, Report Finds The National Academies recently found “sufficient opportunities” for the USDA to address the PFAS crisis facing 70 million acres of farmland.

PFAS can also spread to farmland through pesticides laced with them—on average, 2.5 million tons of PFAS-containing pesticides are sprayed on crops in California alone.

barnraisingmedia.com/usda-can-add...

Rural History Teachers Choose Education Over Politics Rural public school history teachers who remain resilient amid culture wars battles and attempts by the Right to censor what is being taught

Since 2020, hundreds of federal, state and local laws have censored history education and ideas deemed “controversial” or “divisive.” Barn Raiser spoke with rural history teachers across the country about how they teach while in the culture war crosshairs. barnraisingmedia.com/rural-histor...

Data Centers Are Reshaping Local Politics in the Great Lakes Across the Great Lakes region, data center proposals have exploded in the past year as builders seek to tap into the region’s fresh water and reap tax breaks.

"We’ve witnessed numerous corporations exploit and pillage Michigan’s natural resources for their own gain … history shows that we cannot rely on a corporation’s goodwill or on being a good neighbor to do what’s right for Michigan residents." barnraisingmedia.com/data-centers...

Richard Ojeda Takes on MAGA in Deep Red North Carolina Candidate Maj. Richard Ojeda (Ret.) defends veterans' benefits and says he is “standing up and fighting for the things we deserve”

"People are waking up because they’re losing their health care. People are sick and tired about losing their benefits." barnraisingmedia.com/richard-ojed...

The Candidate From Rural Maine Fighting Big Money Troy Jackson, a 5th generation logger from Allagash, Maine, is challenging his opponents in the governor’s race to reject corporate and dark money.

To get dark money out of politics, Democrats need to reform primary elections

barnraisingmedia.com/the-candidat...

USDA Can Address the PFAS Crisis on Farmland, Report Finds The National Academies recently found “sufficient opportunities” for the USDA to address the PFAS crisis facing 70 million acres of farmland.

Rep. Pingree of Maine calls for a federal safety net to support farmers affected by PFAS pollution

barnraisingmedia.com/usda-can-add...

USDA Can Address the PFAS Crisis on Farmland, Report Finds The National Academies recently found “sufficient opportunities” for the USDA to address the PFAS crisis facing 70 million acres of farmland.

The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine recently found “sufficient opportunities” for the USDA to address the PFAS crisis facing farmers and rural communities. PFAS has potentially contaminated 70 million acres of farmland. barnraisingmedia.com/usda-can-add...

🌲 In Maine’s governor’s race, Troy Jackson is drawing a line.

As Our Rev's Larry Cohen writes in @barnraiser.bsky.social, @troyjackson207.bsky.social — a lifelong fighter for working ppl — is challenging opponents to reject dark & corporate money in the primary. tinyurl.com/yhk52f48

The Candidate From Rural Maine Fighting Big Money Troy Jackson, a 5th generation logger from Allagash, Maine, is challenging his opponents in the governor’s race to reject corporate and dark money.

Troy Jackson, a 5th generation logger from Allagash, Maine, is challenging his opponents in the governor’s race to reject corporate and dark money. His “People’s Pledge” is part of a movement for campaign finance reform in Democratic primaries across the nation. barnraisingmedia.com/the-candidat...

Richard Ojeda Takes on MAGA in Deep Red North Carolina Candidate Maj. Richard Ojeda (Ret.) defends veterans' benefits and says he is “standing up and fighting for the things we deserve”

Maj. Richard Ojeda (Ret.) says he is “standing up and fighting for the things we deserve”

barnraisingmedia.com/richard-ojed...

Data Centers Are Reshaping Local Politics in the Great Lakes Across the Great Lakes region, data center proposals have exploded in the past year as builders seek to tap into the region’s fresh water and reap tax breaks.

“Data centers require incredible amounts of electricity, and this is straining the power grid in the regions where data centers are located."
barnraisingmedia.com/data-centers...

‘Disciples of White Jesus,’ Disciples of Trump For her new book Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood (Broadleaf Books, 2025), Denker again traversed the country. This time she was investigating the radicalization of…

"Part of the reason you see this attraction to Trump is that rural areas in the Midwest are becoming less white for the first time in a long time, with the influx of...immigrants. So people are thinking, “Well, wait a minute, we thought that this was ours.”"

Richard Ojeda Takes on MAGA in Deep Red North Carolina Candidate Maj. Richard Ojeda (Ret.) defends veterans' benefits and says he is “standing up and fighting for the things we deserve”

Retired Army Major Richard Ojeda hopes to flip a North Carolina district that has not sent a Democrat to Congress since 1963. “People are waking up,” he says. “It’s about standing up and fighting for the things that we deserve.” barnraisingmedia.com/richard-ojed...

Five Seismic Shocks to the Military in 2025 Today’s military is more diverse than ever. A year into the Trump administration, service members say they are facing more threats to their freedoms than ever.

"Commanders forcing their religious views on subordinates is arguably the most egregious forms of religious freedom violation encountered in the military, but Hegseth’s monthly prayer services took it to a new level by using his institutional power to promote his faith."

Organic Farmers Unite to Keep Your Food Healthy In September 2025, the Real Organic Project hosted its third annual conference at Churchtown Dairy, in Hudson, New York, under the title “Saving Real Organic: Antitrust & Food.” Barn Raiser…

In September, the Real Organic Project hosted its third annual conference at Churchtown Dairy, in Hudson, NY, under the title “Saving Real Organic: Antitrust & Food.” Barn Raiser videographer Jon Williams spoke with the conference organizers, farmers and attendees.
youtu.be/PsREfTEt1a8?...

Organic Farmers Unite to Keep Your Food Healthy These farmers say the USDA’s organic label is broken. Now they’re leading a movement to redefine organic standards and challenge the monopoly power of Big Ag.

Meet the farmers, organizers and eaters changing our food system from the ground up

barnraisingmedia.com/organic-farm...

Rural America Knows How Greenland Feels. We Just Don’t Have Its Universal Health Care. Like Greenland, rural America has a history of decisions being made by people far away. The difference is Greenland has universal health care.

"Rural America—including the Native land that is part of many rural areas—has long been treated as the place to put what cities do not want nearby. Landfills. Waste transfer stations. Industrial byproducts. Hazardous materials. Pipelines." barnraisingmedia.com/rural-americ...

What if Big Ag Didn’t Control Our Food? Austin Frerick shares big ideas for how to transform food in the United States. For Frerick, radical change starts with radical imagination

"I personally don’t put much weight to the USDA’s organic label anymore because there’s so much fraud. When I’m at Trader Joe’s if I see an organic product is from Turkey, I don’t trust that label because I know Turkey is known for rampant organic fraud." barnraisingmedia.com/what-if-big-...

Organic Farmers Unite to Keep Your Food Healthy These farmers say the USDA’s organic label is broken. Now they’re leading a movement to redefine organic standards and challenge the monopoly power of Big Ag.

These farmers say the USDA’s organic label is broken. Now they’re leading a movement to redefine organic standards and challenge the monopoly power of Big Ag. barnraisingmedia.com/organic-farm...

Data Centers Are Reshaping Local Politics in the Great Lakes Across the Great Lakes region, data center proposals have exploded in the past year as builders seek to tap into the region’s fresh water and reap tax breaks.

Rural communities raise the alarm about rising costs and water use

barnraisingmedia.com/data-centers...

County Before Country A Wisconsin pastor has won over conservatives by promulgating resistance to state and federal “tyranny.” Now, he’s intent on bringing “judgment” to the Republican Party and Western Christianity.

How a Wisconsin pastor is leading the far-right crusade to criminalize LGBTQ people and destroy Western Christianity

barnraisingmedia.com/county-befor...

Who Does Lake Michigan’s Shoreline Belong To? Public property. No trespassing? Man hopes his $313 ticket will reshape Lake Michigan shoreline access.

Public property. No trespassing? Man hopes his $313 ticket will reshape Lake Michigan shoreline access

barnraisingmedia.com/who-does-lak...

Data Centers Are Reshaping Local Politics in the Great Lakes Across the Great Lakes region, data center proposals have exploded in the past year as builders seek to tap into the region’s fresh water and reap tax breaks.

Our local experience in new piece on @barnraiser.bsky.social - I’ll add that Gretch opened the floodgates with incentives for big tech but our state government has provided no education or support to rural areas that are fielding these data center plans.

barnraisingmedia.com/data-centers...

Data Centers Are Reshaping Local Politics in the Great Lakes Across the Great Lakes region, data center proposals have exploded in the past year as builders seek to tap into the region’s fresh water and reap tax breaks.

wrote about communities organizing against data centers for @barnraiser.bsky.social

Data Centers Are Reshaping Local Politics in the Great Lakes Across the Great Lakes region, data center proposals have exploded in the past year as builders seek to tap into the region’s fresh water and reap tax breaks.

Data center proposals have exploded in the past year as builders seek to tap into Great Lakes fresh water and reap tax breaks. In response, grassroots organizers have sparked community opposition. @milesmacclure.bsky.social

barnraisingmedia.com/data-centers...

Big Ag Has Corrupted Our Food System. Here’s How We Can Rebuild. Austin Frerick explains how corporate monopolies captured farm bill policy, and how farmers and eaters can unite to fix our food system.

"The scariest thing to me right now in the beef market is this: Normally in moments like this where prices are high and herd populations are low, ranchers expand the herd. But they’re not doing that. We’re not seeing herd expansion." barnraisingmedia.com/big-ag-has-c...

What if Big Ag Didn’t Control Our Food? Austin Frerick shares big ideas for how to transform food in the United States. For Frerick, radical change starts with radical imagination

"My favorite joke in the dairy world is: “Only five people understand the dairy program and four of them are dead.”"

barnraisingmedia.com/what-if-big-...