Rural towns need more than just dollar store chains and gas stations.

But grocery stores in rural America have been disappearing. Local grocers have been upended by competition from Amazon, Dollar General, and big-box stores like Walmart in larger towns. As a result, small towns are left without produce, bread, meat, and other necessities. Rural communities still need a grocery store on Main Street.

But 76 counties nationwide have no grocery store at all. In Kansas, one in five rural grocers closed between 2008 and 2018. A devastating loss for local communities and economies.

But it wasn't always this way. Town grocery stores were an essential part of rural communities: spaces that provided more than just a place to pick up dinner. They were centerpieces where everyone can catch up on the local news, peruse the community bulletin board, and check in with neighbors.

And it's time that our local and national leaders step up for rural development in a big way.

Right now, bills are winding their way through Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska that follow the playbook of places like Minnesota, North Dakota, and Oklahoma who have successfully invested in rural development.

Proposed legislation would create special funding mechanisms in the form of grants, loans, and tax incentives that allow grocers to make essential capital improvements that will help them compete for customers. Things like cooler repairs, new freezer gaskets, butcher equipment, and more that will help them operate.

The simple fact is that there's an expiration date for towns without a functioning grocery store. Families just can't live without an accessible local market. They're integral and our elected officials must do more to support our small towns and the grocery stores that help them thrive.

J.D.



J.D. Scholten [[link removed]] J.D. Scholten
Iowa State Representative

J.D. Scholten, a 5th generation Iowan, ran a creative grassroots campaign for Iowa's 4th Congressional District that drew national attention to how Democrats can compete in rural areas. In 2018, his campaign lost by just 3% — fewer than 11K votes— in a district with 70,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats and where Trump won by 27% in 2016. J.D. represents Iowa's 1st District in the State House and continues to advocate for residents in small towns across Iowa. Express Donate:
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Founded by former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), the One Country Project is dedicated to reopening the dialogue with rural communities, rebuilding trust and respect, and advancing an opportunity agenda for rural Americans. Our mission is to ensure rural America’s priorities and values are heard, understood, well-represented and reflected in policy in Washington.
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