The Contract With Rural America

The Contract With Rural America

A Back Forty Action Initiative

Dear friend,

I didn't learn about rural America in a briefing room. I learned it on a tractor at my grandparents' farm in Southwest Missouri — where the land wasn't just a livelihood, it was who we were.

For the past few years, I've traveled this country, sitting in barns, kitchens, and church basements, listening to folks who feel like nobody is looking out for them anymore – especially not in Washington. Hospitals are closing. Schools are stretched thin. Family farms are disappearing. Too many of our kids are leaving and not coming back.

That's why we built the Contract with Rural America — not another empty promise, but a concrete commitment to health care, education, and economic opportunity for the communities that feed, fuel, and sustain this nation.

By signing Back Forty Action's Contract with Rural America, you can help elevate rural voices and ensure that every American—no matter where they choose to live—has a seat at the table and a voice in the policies that shape their communities.

Join us in this fight. Sign the Contract, and let's get to work.

In the fight,

Farmer and Founder of Back Forty

Listen. Learn. Get To Work.

The strength of America depends on the strength of rural America. Hospitals are closing, schools are losing resources, and family farms are disappearing.

It doesn't have to be this way. The Contract with Rural America is a commitment to rebuilding prosperity and restoring hope for the millions who call rural communities home — built on three pillars: health care, education, and economic opportunity.

Getting To WORK

Getting to work is the foundation of this contract. In signing, we commit to listen and learn from one another — then take action:

Volunteer in your community
Get civically involved — attend meetings, call and write your elected officials
Share our stories, in person and online
Advocate for the issues that matter to rural America
Vote in every election

Three Pillars of Rural Prosperity

Our Prioritires

HEALTH CARE

Guarantee access to health care for every rural American.

Save rural hospitals — raise Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, protect critical access hospitals
Build the rural health care workforce through residencies and loan forgiveness
Expand telehealth, remote monitoring, and broadband access
Restore maternal and mental health care in every ZIP code
Strengthen EMS and ambulance services

Education

Every rural child deserves the same opportunity.

Ensure fair, geography-adjusted school funding
Solve the rural teacher shortage with scholarships and housing incentives
Close the broadband gap for every student
Expand college, career, and technical education pathways
Strengthen schools as community hubs

Economic Opportunity

Strong farms, small businesses, and local ownership.

Strengthen family farms and ranches for the next generation
Increase competition so farmers get a fair return
Expand access to capital for rural entrepreneurs
Build affordable housing and modernize infrastructure
Keep young people — and opportunity — in rural America

Join Us in the fight

Sign the contract with Rural America

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