A report Higher for Longer-A Drag on the Rural Economy was recently issued by the CoBank Knowledge Exchange Division. The authors point to the effects of the sequential increases in interest rate imposed by the Federal Reserve Bank.  Advancing the benchmark rate to 5.25 to 5.50 percent range in successive 0.25 percent increments has dampened inflation, but at a cost that is born disproportionately by rural regions and defined demographics and industries.  CoBank notes the effect of high interest rates on margins for agricultural products with consequential undesirable impacts on rural employment and opportunities that are especially damaging for farming communities.