Yonder Radio

Yonder Radio 5/28/26

Civic Media — Thu, 28 May 2026 20:00:00 +0000

This week on Yonder Radio, we start out talking to Julia Tilton about Sangamon County, Illinois, where the county board recently approved a major data center project even as a major regulatory bill aiming to address data centers is caught up in the state legislature.

Then, we’re going on a road trip around the Great Lakes with Tim Marema and Liz McGeachy in their music-filled camper van, and celebrating the humanity of the roadside rest stop with columnist Claire Carlson. Then we move on to the dry farming movement, which helps farmers use less water for a more sustainable farming future. And finally, we’ll end up in a men’s shed, where older Iowans are building community, and crafts, over coffee and power tools.

The musical guests this week are Larry & Joe, a duo that fuses Venezuelan and Appalachian folk music. Tune in for all that, and more, on this week’s episode of Yonder Radio.

Yonder Radio 5/21/26

Civic Media — Thu, 21 May 2026 20:00:00 +0000

This week on Yonder Radio, we have more data center coverage as reporter Julia Tilton explains how nearly a quarter of a million dollars of federal funds meant for affordable housing is going toward a data center instead.

For Memorial Day and Mental Health Awareness Month, we are learning about an organization leading important conversations around PTSD and veteran support in rural areas. Also, we have a conversation about a rural faith project and the status of faith in rural America. We also walk through the Colorado prairies to learn about the landscapes’ past, present, and future.

And of course, the musical guest this week is an incredible duo from the San Luis Valley playing under the name The Beauty & The Horror.

Tune in for all that and more on Yonder Radio.

Yonder Radio 5/14/26

Civic Media — Thu, 14 May 2026 20:00:00 +0000

This week on Yonder Radio, we begin with a conversation with Jim Checkel, who grew up wanting to be a farmer in rural Minnesota, and ended up as the lead lab technologist for the Mayo Clinic. His experience and insights have helped shape rural medicine at one of the top medical institutions in the world.

Then, we talk with actor Kiki Bush about filmmaking in rural Kansas, and her efforts to promote film tax credits, which could transform the kinds of stories that get told about her home state. Daily Yonder columnist Donna Kallner shares some wisdom about how rural communities can get younger generations involved in local leadership, and we travel back to 1920s Appalachia, the site of the world’s first cooperatively-owned coal mine.

ICT takes us to Onchiota, New York, where 600 acres of land have been returned to indigenous ownership, and we have a laugh with comedian Eeland Stribbling, a very funny guy and avid Colorado outdoorsman.

And our musical guest this week is the talented poet, producer, and musician shirlette ammons.

Tune in for all that and more on Yonder Radio, rural conversations with national reach.

Yonder Radio 5/7/26

Civic Media — Thu, 07 May 2026 20:00:00 +0000

This week on Yonder Radio, we’re starting out with a story about thriving newspapers in the Ozarks. We’re headed to Minnesota to learn about a new program for people running for local nonpartisan office, and to Arkansas to learn about another civic engagement program, Lead for America. We’ll hear about a unique festival in a small town in the Colorado mountains and learn about rural education with the National Rural Education Association. Back in the midwest, we’ll visit a small town with the world’s largest rocking chair with Arts Midwest. Our musician this week is Landon Hughes, a young artist from Appalachia who was a recent competitor on American Idol.

All this and more on Yonder Radio, rural conversations with national reach.

Yonder Radio 4/30/26

Civic Media — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +0000

This week on Yonder Radio, we’re starting out with an update from reporter Julia Tilton about a proposed moratorium on building large-scale data centers in Maine. Then, we take a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to report on rural health care in West Texas. Daily Yonder reporter Madeline de Figueiredo walks us through innovative telehealth solutions in communities with limited access to broadband, and the powerful magic of your average rural librarian.

Then, we hear from travel writer-turned-culture critic Rolf Potts about big screen depictions of small towns, and why it matters that most Hollywood representations of Kansas aren’t actually filmed there. We head to Appalachia to learn about the time-honored tradition of grave sweeping, and talk to Paul Fennell, the creator of one of rural Colorado’s most exciting new music venues.

And throughout the episode we’ll hear music from Brigid and Johnny Reedy, a brother and sister keeping the western music tradition alive in Dillon, Montana. You’ll hear all that, and more, on this week’s episode of Yonder Radio.

Yonder Radio 4/23/26

Civic Media — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +0000

This week on Yonder Radio, we’re talking about the results of a new poll of rural voters, conducted by us here at the Center for Rural Strategies and expert pollsters Lake Research. Then, we’ll hear a conversation among community members in the Florida Panhandle about their efforts to save a pristine local watershed from a proposed sewer plant. And, we’ll head to Quilcene, Washington to talk to a forest farmer about producing syrup from big leaf maple trees. Then we’ll hear about the Rural Health Transformation Fund from Sarah Jane Tribble of KFF Health News, and an interview with the deputy editor of the Midcoast Villager, a hard-hitting rural newspaper in Camden, Maine. And throughout the show, we’ll hear music from Holiday Friends, an indie rock band out of Astoria, Oregon. It’s all happening on this week’s episode of Yonder Radio.

Yonder Radio 4/16/26

Civic Media — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +0000

This week on Yonder Radio, we’re talking about how we can bring more virtual mental health resources to crisis care to support rural law enforcement with Daily Yonder reporter Madeline de Figueiredo. Our musician of the week is Sparrow Smith from western North Carolina, who paints a picture of the North Carolina mountainside. We’ll visit outer space for Earth Day to talk about alien movies, and we’ll learn about data center development in southern Virginia. We’ll hear about farm succession in Montana from podcaster Megan Torgerson and learn about a blacksmithing program that turns swords into plowshares in Appalachia. Also, we’ll take a trip upstream in the Pacific Northwest with ICT to hear about salmon returning after dam removal.

Join us for all that and more on Yonder Radio, rural conversations with a national reach.

Yonder Radio 4/9/26 (Podcast version, no breaks)

Civic Media — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +0000

This week on Yonder Radio, we’re starting out with a conversation about rural childcare and its many challenges, as well as innovative solutions from communities like Medicine Lodge, Kansas, where an empty building on Main Street was transformed into a cluster of small-scale childcare centers. We’ll also learn about the resurgence of traditional weaving in Appalachia. Then, we’ll talk about efforts to preserve southern Rosenwald schools, historic buildings that represent one of the most important educational movements in the country’s history. We’re celebrating the beginning of baseball season with a look at central Kentucky’s historic Tobacco League, and catching up with Clinton Harris, a writer roving the country in his van. And it’ll all be tied together with great music from Catgut String Band out of Lawrence, Kansas.

Join us for all that and more on Yonder Radio, rural conversations with a national reach.

Yonder Radio 4/2/26 (Podcast version, no breaks)

Civic Media — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:00:00 +0000

This week on Yonder Radio, we’ll hear about an innovative healthcare approach in rural Wisconsin that combines daycare with elderly care. Intergenerational care, as it’s called, has been shown to improve community connections along with well-being and social skills. We’re also talking rural representation in reality TV this week, breaking down the TLC show Suddenly Amish, which follows six participants who leave their digital worlds and modern-day comforts behind to join an Amish community in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This week we’re also digging into the numbers about how remote workers compare in rural and urban places, and we’re bringing you reflections from a canoe journey 50 miles down the Hudson River. Plus, we’ll hear tunes from folk musician and South Dakota rancher Eliza Blue. She speaks about life in the prairie, along with the album of songs she created based on conversations in the Beyond The Clock podcast series.

Join us for all that and more, this week on Yonder Radio.

Yonder Radio 3/26/26 (Podcast version, no breaks)

Civic Media — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:00:00 +0000

This week on Yonder Radio, we start with a Daily Yonder story about rural counties whose sheriffs are collaborating with ICE to increase immigration enforcement. We’ll also hear from Boris McCutcheon, a musician from New Mexico, whose music will grace your ears throughout the episode. Later, you will hear a Reveal and Daily Yonder collaboration about the Trump Administration’s cuts to funding for solar development in Montana. Also, we’ll hear about seed savers with reporting from the annual Appalachian Seed Swap. Finally, we’ll take a trip to a small town in Washington state where artist Perri Lynch Howard uses sound to create art and bring awareness to the importance of quiet spaces. Join us for all that and more on this week’s episode of Yonder Radio.