Ben DeJarnette wrote this article for YES! Magazine . Ben is a freelancer writer based in Portland, Oregon. His work on rural economic issues has been featured in print and online for InvestigateWest, High Country News, Oregon Business, and others. Follow him on Twitter at @BenDJduck

Rural America
Minnesota Farm Towns Get Tired of Waiting, Form Broadband Cooperative With Neighbors
Ben DeJarnette
Announcing In These Times’ New Agreement with the National Writers Union
Freelance contributors are essential to the quality and success of In These Times and independent media, and this agreement is one way to demonstrate their value to our publication and our commitment to transparency.
For more information about the National Writers Union, visit nwu.org.
Read the full agreement, which reaffirms a floor for the rates of our freelance editorial content, as well as our current rates (which are higher) and submissions guidelines below.