IEDC President & CEO Nathan Ohle reflects on IEDC's centennial regional event in Rapid City, South Dakota, where more than 100 attendees from nine states gathered to discuss the future of economic development in the shadow of Mount Rushmore.

Congress took another major step toward Farm Bill reauthorization last month, when Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) released a discussion draft of the Agricultural Act of 2026, the Senate's proposal for a new five-year Farm Bill.

The release of legislative text marks the Senate's first comprehensive proposal for Farm Bill reauthorization this Congress. It provides the starting point for committee consideration and negotiations with the House-passed Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.

The Farm Bill is the primary federal authorization for USDA rural development programs and a broad range of initiatives that support economic opportunity in rural America. Beyond traditional agricultural programs, the legislation influences investments in broadband infrastructure, business financing, community facilities, water and wastewater systems, workforce development, energy innovation, and research — all of which help shape the long-term economic competitiveness of rural and regional economies.

Through our participation in the International Economic Development Council's inaugural Arizona Sustainable Economic Development Learning Lab, we — Erica Sturwold with Salt River Project (SRP) and Cameron Robb with Arizona Public Service (APS) — collaborated on a capstone project that transforms industrial transition into a vital economic development opportunity.

Using learnings from the course, we worked together to form a utility-led framework for sustainable economic development in decommissioned coal plant communities. The result is a model designed not only for Arizona, but for any utilities and communities across the country to adapt and replicate.