Census data shows the life expectancy rate for rural Americans has dropped over time and is now less than that in urban areas. It is something the National Rural Health Association has been studying and says there is one major reason for the switch.
“Lack of access to healthcare, first and foremost, and if you can’t get to your doctor for preventive care or a checkup, you wait until things get really bad, and then you go into the emergency room. Environmental issues. You know, for our ranchers and farmers, that’s a tough, difficult profession to be in by itself. Then you get into lifestyle choices, a lot of processed fast food, which is easy to get and cost less, well that impacts your health. And then on top of that, you just have higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and cancer across the board,” said Alan Morgan.
The 2022 Census of Ag showed around 60 percent of farmers received healthcare in the past year.
Water access—not acreage alone—is driving where irrigation expands or contracts.
December 07, 2025 12:00 PM
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December 05, 2025 03:31 PM
The FAO Food Price Index for November fell by more than 1 percent in November, marking the third straight month of declines.
December 05, 2025 11:54 AM
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Texas livestock producers face a heightened biosecurity threat as New World screwworm detections in northern Mexico coincide with FDA approval of the first topical treatment.
December 05, 2025 11:27 AM
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“The Expanding Access to Risk Protection (EARP) Final Rule streamlines requirements across multiple crops, responds to producer feedback, and strengthens USDA’s commitment to putting America’s farmers first,” said the USDA.
December 05, 2025 10:49 AM
Dr. Sally DeNotta with the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) provides horse owners with guidance on the recent outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV).
December 04, 2025 12:22 PM
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