Rural Remix

In the final episode of Twang, host Lane Wendell Fischer and Daily Yonder reporter Ilana Newman explore queerness in country music’s past and present. Though there is only one openly queer artist currently signed by a major country music label, the rising popularity of artists like Chappell Roan, Orville Peck, and Brandi Carlile mark the increasing visibility of queer artists in the genre. Lane an...

In the third episode of Twang, host Lane Wendell Fischer is joined by writer, marketing specialist, and country music enthusiast Tracy Staley to discuss the role women have played in the development of country music. Despite the genre’s conservative reputation, iconic artists like Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Reba McEntire have used country music as a platform to discuss issues from birth contr...

This week, Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton are continuing the conversation about environmentalism in rural places. In this episode, Claire and Julia dig deeper into the conservative corner of the climate movement. They speak with Chris Barnard, the president of the American Conservation Coalition (ACC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing young conservatives aro...

In the second episode of Twang , host Lane Wendell Fischer is joined by music journalist and cultural critic Taylor Crumpton to explore the deep-rooted, often erased contributions of Black, Mexican, and Indigenous artists to the genre. From Southern guitar traditions and borderland ballads to the Chitlin Circuit to Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter, we trace how cultural exchange shaped the sound of country...

In the first episode of Twang , host Lane Wendell Fischer unpacks the origin story of country music with Tim Marema. We explore how a rich mix of rural traditions became a genre — and how race, class, and geography shaped which stories got told. From front porch fiddles to the invention of the “hillbilly” record, we trace the transformation of a diverse musical culture into a commercial industry t...

More than 55 years after the first U.S. Earth Day was celebrated in small towns and cities by people of all political stripes, the term “environmentalism” conjures different connotations today. Media coverage might have something to do with it. Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton are joined by Meg Haywood Sullivan and Amelia Joy of Nature Is Nonpartisan, a new organization worki...

For Christians around the world, the lead up to Easter is a time of fasting. Lent is an opportunity to give up your vices and turn your thoughts to God. But for many churches in Appalachia, this time is less about abstaining and more about creating some of the richest, most delicious candies you’ve ever tasted: Chocolate Easter Eggs.

Over the weekend, demonstrators organized in more than 1,200 cities and small towns across all fifty states to protest actions taken by President Donald Trump and his billionaire advisor, Elon Musk. For Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton, the demonstrations are the latest response to a question that’s been floating around their newsroom for several weeks: What does dissent look...

 How does a community balance historic extractive industries like logging, fishing, agriculture, and mining with tourism and recreation? It’s not as simple as wanting to move away from extraction and toward tourism. In this episode, we’re headed to Ilwaco, a small town on the coast of Southwest Washington. The communities of Pacific County have historically relied on fishing and logging, and the t...

Welcome to the Beyond the Clock Podcast! Ash Hanson from Department of Public Transformation and Anna Claussen from Voices for Rural Resilience are your hosts on a journey into the hearts, minds, and imaginations of rural artists, cultural workers, and change-makers across the country. In this episode, Anna and Ash converse with rural Minnesota-based artist and “slow-cycle change” champion, Nancy...

Low snowpack, drought, flooding, wildfires, warmer winters. Climate change is causing temperature shifts and natural disasters that affect outdoor recreation and the small town economies that depend on recreation. In this episode, we’re headed to New Hampshire ski towns with Daily Yonder reporter Julia Tilton and learning about how winter recreation economies in New England are changing because of...

This week, Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton unpack a recent conversation Claire had with former USDA official Jonathan Coppess, who served under President Barack Obama. Discussion points include changes at the USDA, what Coppess thinks journalists get wrong when covering agriculture, and why the government breaking a contract is the same as us breaking a contract with ourselv...

National parks capture the imagination of many travelers and road trippers seeking the Great Outdoors. But what do national parks do for the communities that serve as their gateways? We take a trip to New River Gorge National Park, the newest national park in the national park system, with Daily Yonder reporter Sarah Melotte, to learn about what Fayetteville, West Virginia is dealing with around t...

Housing is one of the biggest challenges for popular destination communities around the country. Second home owners and vacation rentals drive up prices in our recreation communities and locals get priced out. In this episode we’re headed to Moab, Utah, to learn about the Community Land Trust and the work they’re doing to support affordable housing. We’ll also visit Taos, New Mexico with Daily Yon...

Introducing the Rural Reporter’s Notebook, a behind-the-scenes look at rural stories from across the country. An evolution of their coverage on the Keep It Rural podcast, Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton host this biweekly series. Bringing in voices from inside and outside the Daily Yonder’s newsroom, Claire and Julia unpack today’s biggest headlines and what they mean for li...

Introducing the Rural Reporter’s Notebook, a behind-the-scenes look at rural stories from across the country. An evolution of their coverage on the Keep It Rural podcast, Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton host this biweekly series. Bringing in voices from inside and outside the Daily Yonder’s newsroom, Claire and Julia unpack today’s biggest headlines and what they mean for li...

In our first episode we talk to a few people who study the recreation industry and how it intersects with rural communities. We start out in Montezuma County, Colorado, Ilana’s home in Southwest Colorado and also visit Monte Vista, Colorado, another small town in Southern Colorado. These two communities are not necessarily known as tourism destinations, but the towns are invested in recreation dev...

Welcome to the  Beyond the Clock  Podcast, where rural stories take center stage! In this podcast, Ash Hanson from Department of Public Transformation and Anna Claussen from Voices for Rural Resilience are your hosts on a journey into the hearts, minds, and imaginations of rural artists, cultural workers, and change-makers across the country. In this episode, Anna and Ash converse with Beyond the...

From slashing electric vehicle infrastructure to cutting grants for farmers, the Trump administration’s attempt to “trim the fat” off government spending has caused chaos and confusion in Washington D.C. and beyond. Claire and Julia break down how two spending freezes have affected folks on the ground in rural America.(Photo credit Claire Carlson)

President Donald Trump has made it a priority in the first weeks of his second administration to cut diversity, equity and inclusion—DEI—programs across the federal government. Universities and corporations are largely following suit. On this episode of Keep it Rural, Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton are joined by Lane Wendell Fischer, a small-town Kansas native and Yale Univ...

The recent Los Angeles wildfires have highlighted something rural people already knew: no place is safe from fire as climate change exacerbates the conditions that make sparks fly. This reality makes federal disaster relief more important than ever, but the new Trump administration could make it harder for victims to get government help. Photo: Noah Berger/AP

On the heels of the news that 2024 was the hottest year on record — beating out 2023 for the top spot — Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton reflect on winter past and future. Claire shares stories from her holiday travels to rural Pennsylvania, where her grandparents met as young people on a frozen toboggan slide that hasn’t run since 2014. Julia shares stories from her grandmot...

Host Sara June Jo-Sæbo explores the transformative power of Recovery Court in Southwest Virginia, an innovative alternative to incarceration for individuals struggling with addiction. Through deeply personal stories from participants and judges, “On the Rebound” reveals how the program combines accountability, compassion, and fitness to support recovery and examines the pervasive impact of drug cu...

Donald Trump is preparing for his second term in the White House by making nominations for key Cabinet positions. Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton discuss two of Trump’s picks – those slated to lead the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Agriculture if approved by the Senate. Julia provides background on Lee Zeldin, the former New York Congressman Trump...

North Cove, Washington once had the fastest eroding shoreline on the West Coast. For the 72 cranberry farmers who call the area home, the erosion was an existential threat to the local community and economy. That was, until Connie Allen and her late husband David Cottrell got involved. Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton bring you the story of “Wash Away No More”, a grassroots e...