ADVERTISEMENTKennedy’s message was received at a time when the permitting of hog feedlots caused controversy and division across the Midwest. His answering machine message said he wanted to speak with me about feedlots and the threats that they posed for rural America. The divide in rural communities was the greatest I’d seen since the economic collapse of the 1980s, when some farmers received loan write-downs and forgiveness while others did not. History speaks about other times when rural America was experiencing similar challenges. Meanwhile, rural America continues to deal with a basic issue.