Double Whammy: Interest Rates and Extreme Weather Threaten Rural America
One Country Hot Dish
By Heidi Heitkamp and Joel Heitkamp
Rural farmers are facing a slew of challenges. Ongoing interest rate hikes are placing further financial pressure on farmers as the cost of lending increases. And prices aren’t the only thing rising in rural America. In the coming decades, global warming will force farmers to find new ways to adapt to increasing heat. On this episode of The Hot Dish, we look at these two forces and what this means for people in rural America.
Joel and Heidi first speak with Brad Nordholm, the President and CEO of Farmer Mac. Farmer Mac is a financial services company servicing rural communities across the United States.
Later, Joel and Heidi are joined by climate scientist Dr. Mason Fried to talk about his new report on what rising temperatures will mean for rural America.