Rural communities across the country are grappling with food insecurity. Schoolchildren, seniors, grocers and even farmers face a food crisis compounded by government cuts and soaring costs. Nine stories publishing in September 2025 will reveal how communities are navigating — and reimagining — the systems that have left them hungry.
With food insecurity rising, Kentucky continues to aggressively investigate individuals on fraud allegations, with some legal experts claiming they rely too much on faulty evidence.
Tribal nations in Oklahoma have historically been leaders in getting food to hungry people — both native and non-native. But uncertainty created by federal funding changes is causing concern for leaders of the Osage Nation and other tribes.
From grocery stores to food distribution services, Black women are leading efforts to feed their communities.
At Neighbor’s Cupboard in Winterport, funding cuts aren’t the biggest challenge. It’s keeping volunteers, especially as they get older.
Amid expanding food deserts and soaring prices, investments in rural Kansas are keeping small grocery stores afloat.
Food insecurity rates are rising faster in farm-dependent counties than almost anywhere else in the nation.
Small-town grocers feel a strong sense of responsibility to their communities, but the threat of closure often looms.
A program that brought fresh, local produce to schools is gone, and rural districts are scrambling to fill the gap
The bounty that the seas and network of small farms produce masks an omnipresent reality in Jefferson County — food insecurity.
Associated Press data reporter Kasturi Pananjady contributed to this report. This reporting is part of a series called Sowing Resilience, a collaboration between the Institute for Nonprofit News’ Rural News Network and The Associated Press. Nine nonprofit newsrooms were involved: The Beacon, Capital B, Enlace Latino NC, Investigate Midwest, The Jefferson County Beacon, KOSU, Louisville Public Media, The Maine Monitor and MinnPost. The Rural News Network is funded by Google News Initiative and Knight Foundation, among others.
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