CURE originated Farmer Benefit Plans & hails announcement as vital for farmers & rural communities In early March, at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) PowerXchange gathering, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) use of Farmer Benefit Plans for Empowering Rural America (New ERA) and Powering Affordable […]
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At the end of January, CURE bid a temporary “bon voyage” to Energy Democracy Director Erik Hatlestad as he started serving a six-month detail with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, Rural Utility Service (RUS) as a Clean Energy Benefits Advisor. During his detail, Hatlestad will help the RUS implement the Empowering
Kelsey Olson (she/her) joined CURE in 2025 as its Director of Environmental Stewardship. As a skilled environmental naturalist, Kelsey’s work focuses broadly on environmental education and advocacy with a keen focus on rural land use and how that use impacts our environment and climate. Working Lands, how land is used to support agriculture and forestry, is a key focus of her work. She brings 15 years’ experience in public communication, environmental education, and rural community engagement – strong communication strategies are core in her work. This includes two terms of service with AmeriCorps in the VISTA program in Oregon and Maryland and a nearly 10-year career as a naturalist followed. She recently worked on communications and marketing for rural economic development.
Kelsey lives in New London, MN, with her young children, husband, dog, and two cats. They enjoy spending time together outside and finding small treasures in nature. Visits to Minneapolis often include visits to one of their favorite historical museums, the Minnesota Swedish Institute. Kelsey enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, whether this is canning local produce, making kombucha, or other treats!
