Isa Luzarraga

Aug 12, 2024 | kosu.org | Isa Luzarraga

Sandro Lopes and his 11-year-old daughter Maria, ambled through their nine-acre property in David City, Nebraska, discussing the future of their family farm. A dilapidated white and red farmhouse sagged to the right of the driveway, and their newly repaired barn sat a couple of yards to the left. The two eventually came to a stop under a willow tree, one Maria said she imagines reading a book under, though she would rather be doing other things like practice presenting her ducks for 4-H shows.

Aug 7, 2024 | nebraskapublicmedia.org | Isa Luzarraga

Corazones Azules currently has about 100 members statewide. While the groups are primarily made up of Latino immigrant families who speak Spanish, the Columbus group has six families that are English-speaking and a French family wanting to join once the group finds a translator. “One of the reasons Corazones Azules started is to help be the bridge to the community, to help them understand,” Lucar said. “Everybody cares about each other’s tears. They could be for happiness, could be for pain.

Jul 30, 2024 | kcur.org | Isa Luzarraga

Sandro Lopes and his 11-year-old daughter Maria, ambled through their nine-acre property in David City, Nebraska, discussing the future of their family farm. A dilapidated white and red farmhouse sagged to the right of the driveway, and their newly repaired barn sat a couple of yards to the left. The two eventually came to a stop under a willow tree, one Maria said she imagines reading a book under, though she would rather be doing other things like practice presenting her ducks for 4-H shows.

Jul 29, 2024 | nebraskapublicmedia.org | Isa Luzarraga

Barriers to accessWhen Lopes founded NaTerra Farms in 2022, he applied for a grant through EQIP, a USDA program that provides aid to farmers and ranchers who integrate conservation into their practices. Lopes needed initial funding to rebuild and repair the acres of property in David City. His application was denied in 2023. A local USDA agent said NaTerra needed to have at least two years of production to be eligible for the grant. “This is my first year,” Lopes said.

Jul 7, 2024 | latinonewsnetwork.com | Isa Luzarraga

Lizzie Turner has witnessed the impact of unaffordable housing and discrimination firsthand. As a community organizer for non-profit Nebraska Appleseed’s housing justice program, Collective Impact Lincoln she advocates for people who are trying to find safe and affordable places to live. One of the Lincoln residents Turner works with is a Black woman with children, who was forced out of her current living arrangements due to what she believed to be racial discrimination.