Donate

A Podcast Connecting the Dots Between Policy & Rural Everything

Hear from the problem solvers, advocates, storytellers, and policy pros, who I'll ask to help sort out the complexity of critically important issues and dial into the details that listeners will appreciate learning and understanding. On each episode, we'll share resources that help inform our discussions and encourage our listeners to keep the conversations going, and ultimately, inspire movements toward rural equity and prosperity. 

A Podcast Connecting the Dots Between Policy & Rural Everything

Hear from the problem solvers, advocates, storytellers, and policy pros, who I'll ask to help sort out the complexity of critically important issues and dial into the details that listeners will appreciate learning and understanding. On each episode, we'll share resources that help inform our discussions and encourage our listeners to keep the conversations going, and ultimately, inspire movements toward rural equity and prosperity. 

Subscribe in your favorite player.

Listen Now

Thanks to our partners making a rural impact.


The Rural Impact is proud to be supported by Wipfli. Visit Wifpli.com

Parter with us.

Expand your rural reach, connect with influencers and an audience with an enthusiastic interest in rural ideas, policies, communities, challenges, and opportunities.

Learn More

Join our list.

Receive information about upcoming episodes and information about rural-focused events, people, places and policy matters that are important to you.

Subscribe

Get show resources.

When the conversations reference a study, stats, books, and other relevant resources, we’ll share them here because, we know you don’t always have a pen handy!

Click Here

Why Rural Impact?

736,000,000, the number of results returned when searching "Rural America" on Google.

From the Census to housing, poverty, and prosperity, from transportation to food, water, energy, education, elections, employment, and of course, healthcare -- the policies involved with each of these impact rural populations differently than non-rural ones.

But no matter your zip code, what happens in rural impacts you. On this podcast, we're connecting the dots between policy and rural everything.

A Host with a Long History of Rural World Knowledge

I'm Michelle Rathman. I've been working in rural health for over 25 years and served as the host of another rural-focused podcast for three years. In other words, I've facilitated a lot of candid conversations! 

On my new podcast, The Rural Impact, we're bringing you fascinating discussions about policies and how they affect rural communities and people - directly and indirectly.

Joining me, you'll hear from the problem solvers, advocates, storytellers, and policy pros, who I'll ask to help sort out the complexity of critically important issues and dial into the details that listeners will appreciate learning and understanding. On each episode, we'll share resources that help inform our discussions and encourage our listeners to keep the conversations going, and ultimately, inspire movements toward rural equity and prosperity. 

However, or whatever your connection to Rural. I invite you to listen to the Rural Impact! Coming to you wherever you like, tune out the noise and tune in to the topics relevant to rural vitality.

Topics on Tap

The Rural Impact looks at important topics from several angles. In each series, we’ll begin by presenting a hot topic. Next, over a few episodes, we’ll talk to experts, authors, thought leaders and policy makers who offer informed insights, data, and details that help us understand what’s important, why it matters, and the policies driving decisions and outcomes.

Series 4

Arriving at Thriving
Listen In

Series 5

Housing and Homelessness in America’s Rural Places
Listen In

Coming Soon

Breaking Structural Barriers to Postsecondary Education for Rural Adults

Coming Soon

Courageous Conversations About the 2024 Election – Rural Issues Impacting Real Lives

Coming Soon

The Impacts of Research and Workforce on Postsecondary Education Access & Success

Coming Soon

At the Intersection of
Philanthropy & Policy

Coming Soon

Stalled: Solutions to Solving Rural Immobility

Coming Soon

The Improbability of Aging in Place – Facing our Failures in Long Term Care

Topics from 2023

Our inaugural year featured enlightening conversations about the ways in which all of these matters are connected to policy.

SERIES ONE

Rural Health on Life Support

Listen In

SERIES TWO

Food for Thought - Facing the Facts About Food Insecurity

Listen In

SERIES THREE

Do the Math - Calculating the Future of Rural Education

Listen In

Make a donation.

The Rural Impact podcast will always be free, but there are associated costs with producing the podcast, from hosting and production to administrative costs.

If you would like to donate to help keep important rural focused discussions on the air, we offer our many thanks! Click Venmo or Paypal below to give today.

(Please note: The Rural Impact is not a non-profit organization and therefore donations are not tax-deductible.)