But what’s really going on in rural America, beyond presidential elections and corporate-backed media? What’s the truth of rural-urban political polarization? Who’s behind it? And most importantly, who’s in front of it?

HomeGrown by Dirtroad Organizing is a multimedia series answering these questions through real-time insights and first-hand accounts from dozens of everyday people turned rural organizers running campaigns in this year’s mid-term elections.

They are parents, farmers, medical professionals, scientists and business owners working to revive a movement of class-conscious rural progressives. HomeGrown is an opportunity to hear and learn from them, as they have heard and learned from voters.

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Released bi-weekly this summer, dispatches will focus on specific insights shared by HomeGrown’s Cohort of fifteen Dirtroad Organizing alumni, and will be accompanied by video interviews and case studies from them and a growing community of HomeGrown storytellers.

The future of progressive power depends on investing deeply in rural organizing, and that means supporting and uplifting the leadership of those at the vanguard of this work. Follow along as we cover the hard-won lessons and opportunities about what’s working — and what the work is leading to — from those taking on a democratic revival in the country’s most rural corners.

Meet the HomeGrown storytellers:

About Dirtroad Organizing

Dirtroad Organizing is empowering the next generation of rural organizers, staff, and candidates via their network of 200+ rural leaders, with representation from 39 states. Through multiple election seasons and across party lines, these courageous organizers have had thousands of conversations with rural voters to help revive local democracies and understand what it takes to transform the possibilities of rural politics. Learn More