Archive for the ‘Economic Development’ Category

Talent attraction: Let’s start a conversation

April 5th, 2012

What makes New York City so successful?  Mayor Michael Bloomberg says NYC’s economic growth is directly connected to its ability to attract talent.
Many newly successful cities on the global stage – such as Shenzhen and Dubai – have sought to make themselves attractive to businesses based on price and infrastructure subsidies. Those competitive advantages can work in the short term, but they tend to be transitory. For cities to have sustained success, they must compete for the grand prize: intellectual capital and talent.” (Source:  “Cities must be cool, creative and in control,” Michael Bloomberg, Financial Times, March 27, 2012)
Competing for talent is a subject many cities are focused on.  The idea is that attracting talented, innovative people will lead to economic development because talented, innovative people are the people who create jobs and economic growth.

So, does the same apply to small towns as well?

There’s been a lot less research conducted on this subject in rural communities, but I think talent attraction applies to rural communities as well.  Just think of Wall, SD.  Where would that small town in Western South Dakota be today if they had not attracted Ted and Dorothy Hustead to start a pharmacy in 1931?  Rather than being a bustling tourism community, I suspect it would have dried up like most other communities in the region.  (Incidentally, the Husteads lived in Miner County, SD prior to moving to Wall.  Our loss was Wall’s gain.) Accepting that economic development is not just about job attraction is a difficult premise for many people here in South Dakota to embrace.  I’m hopeful, however, that the idea will pick up steam because more communities are beginning to think about what they need to do to attract workers to fill their labor shortages.  The two are not totally disassociated.

What does it take to attract talent?

I’m excited to see that Rebecca Ryan of Next Generation Consulting will be making the keynote presentation next week at the SD Governors Office for Economic Development Annual Conference.  I’m hoping her message there offers insights to South Dakotans on what it takes for communities to attract talent.   Ryan has been a leading advocate of the complimentary idea that young people choose the places they live, not because the community offers them a job, but because the community is a great place to live. I first became aware of Ryan’s work after a 2008 presentation helped inspire the residents of Iron County, WI  and Gogebic County, MI to better understand why people move to and live in the region.  From what I’ve read, there were community leaders listening that night who felt Ryan’s ideas applied more to young people in cities than in rural areas. But thanks to research that this project – called the Gogebic Next Generation Initiative – has produced since Ryan’s original presentation, we know that her ideas hold true for rural areas as well.  (Click here to read more about past articles on this initiative and its research.) If you haven’t heard of Rebecca Ryan before, I encourage you to watch the video embedded above.  It’s a bit promotional, but you’ll see she’s a dynamic presenter and offers great insights. Jobs are important to the future of communities across Rural America.  But we also need to think about and develop strategies that attract people.  I’m hoping Ryan can help start that conversation here.

Posted in Economic Development, Gen Y, Quality of Life, Rural | Comments (0)

I Guess I’m A Rural Lawyer – - Go Figure!

April 4th, 2012

Guest blog by Bob Morris,Chair Project Rural Practice Task Force State Bar of South Dakota When South Dakota State Bar President Pat Goetzinger asked me to Chair the Project Rural Practice Task Force, we discussed that out of the 1,800 practicing lawyers in South Dakota, 65% of those lawyers were located in Rapid City, Pierre, Sioux Falls, and Aberdeen. I affectionately call them “The Big Four.” That would mean 35% of the lawyers are spread out everywhere else. Naturally I assumed that President Goetzinger asked me to be the Chair of the PRP Task Force because of my charisma, charm, and other attributes. So I asked him why me? He answered – “You are a rural lawyer.” My first thought was – I am? It’s funny how you don’t realize something until someone points it out to you. I came to Belle Fourche  in 1988. The population of the town was about 4,500 then and has grown to about 6,000 today. Although we are the “Center of the Nation” there is a lot of wide open country to the west and north. Everything is south or east of Belle Fourche. Naturally when I graduated from law school, I wanted to work in Sioux Falls. Who doesn’t? I thought it would be a natural fit. My wife was a Professional Registered Nurse who had an outstanding job at what was then known as Sioux Valley Hospital. We lived in Sioux Falls for 8 years. I commuted to Brookings for undergrad and to Vermillion for law school. Apparently I took too much for granted. I interviewed with a half of dozen or so law firms without success. Fortunately, one of my law school professors, Professor Robert “Mike” Driscoll, knew of a friend in Belle Fourche who was looking to hire an associate attorney. I distinctly recall him walking up to me in the hallway at the law school, looking at my cowboy boots, blue jeans, pearl-button down shirt, and belt buckle, and saying “I have a friend that is looking to hire an associate, I think you’ll fit right in.” Many suits, ties, and pairs of dress shoes later, here I am. That was twenty-four years ago. You are probably asking why and have a lot of questions. Well, I have some answers. “Where do a rural lawyer’s clients come from?” Those clients come from Canada, Germany, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado to name a few. A rural lawyer’s clients also come from Sioux Falls, Watertown, Aberdeen, Yankton, Dakota Dunes, Pierre, Winner, Brookings, Rapid City, Hot Springs, Spearfish, Deadwood, Lemmon, and of course Belle Fourche to name a few. A rural lawyer can also represent the State of South Dakota and its employees, and a handful of municipalities across the State on special legal projects. “What would I do as a rural lawyer in the town I live and practice in?” You will be the President of the Chamber of Commerce, President of the Lions Club, announce at the annual Fourth of July parade, volunteer for various projects in the community, emcee at Chamber of Commerce Banquets, Ag Banquets, Fireman’s Banquets, and Sportsman’s Club Banquets. You will have to learn to manage your time. You will also have to learn how to say “no thank you” sometimes also. “As a rural lawyer will I handle big cases?” First of all, it is important to note that every client thinks their case is a big case and it should be to you. If your view of a big case is the amount of dollars and cents involved, a rural lawyer is involved in million dollar plus cases involving death, injury, construction disputes, and business litigation to name a few. A rural lawyer also handles disputes between farmers/ranchers regarding easements, right of ways, fence disputes, trespassing cattle, and diseased cattle, to name a few. As a rural lawyer you may also experience your most rewarding case -- the one where you help a 72 year old female bus driver get her job back after she was told she was too old to be working. Not to mention, convincing the employer to pay your client $7,000 for its illogical, illegal, and irresponsible conduct. “Can a rural lawyer give back to the profession?” A rural lawyer can serve as a Bar Commissioner for six years (two 3 year terms); serve as President of the State Bar of South Dakota; serve as President of the South Dakota Trial Lawyer’s Association, and serve on other professional affiliated committees. In fact, in the past twenty-four years, at least six rural lawyers from Belle Fourche have served as State Bar Commissioners; three have served as Presidents of the State Bar of South Dakota; four have served as President of the South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association; and one has served as President of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation. “How does a rural lawyer accomplish many of the things you have mentioned?” To be truthful, it’s not easy, yet it’s not difficult. The first thing is to have good mentors. These mentors can guide you through the nuances and difficulties facing lawyers early in a career. These mentors can also guide you and assist you in building relationships throughout your career. It is the relationship building process that should start from day one which will allow you to realize the sky is the limit. An outstanding work ethic and willingness to work long and hard is also important. People from other countries, other States, and other communities usually do not “let their fingers do the walking” in the Yellow Pages to find a rural lawyer. Many times they may contact a lawyer in one of “The Big Four” and because you have established a relationship with a good lawyer who thinks you are a good lawyer, you will get a referral. Naturally, whether those referrals continue is up to you. This may mean working 20 hours a day during a two week trial in Pierre. It may mean traveling thousands of miles a year and wondering why not move closer to where I work. But when you get back home, you realize your home is where your heart is due to the quality of life, the people who wave at you while driving down the road and the people who call you by your first name as you walk into a business establishment or walk down the street. “Okay, I realize there are opportunities for a rural lawyer, but what about a rural lawyer’s spouse?” Well, first of all, if you are married, you probably are not able accomplish much of anything without the love, loyalty, trust, and support of your spouse. You are a team and there is no majority, only unanimous consent. Your spouse could work as a Professional Registered Nurse in the big city, working twelve hours a day-three days a week and commuting 120 miles per day. Your spouse could after three years working in the big city, express her desire to expand her opportunities and attend the University of North Dakota School of Medicine for a year to become a Physician’s Assistant/Nurse Practitioner. Of course, you support her as much as you can because she has supported you in your adventure. Besides, you moved her from the big city to the rural area, you owe her! After a year of school, your spouse could be fortunate to get a job in the medical field, but she probably will still have to commute 50 miles round trip a day, four days a week. But in the meantime, she can obtain her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from SDSU and her Masters in PA Studies from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Your spouse can do this. Just because you live in a rural area does not mean you are isolated from opportunities. You will have to be a bit more creative, patient, and determined, but the sky is still the limit. You may have to drive a little farther, work a little harder, but surely the rewards are there. Besides, there are no traffic jams but you may have to wait for a herd of cattle to cross the road. And if your spouse is still by your side after almost 30 years, you are doing something right. Right? Are there more questions? Of course there are. But what is life without taking some risk and seeing what happens? My suggestion is that you should give being a rural lawyer a try. You and your spouse may agree to give it a couple of years and see what happens. Twenty-four years later you will wonder, “What happened?”

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Posted in Community Development, Economic Development, Rural, Uncategorized | Comments (3)

Civic Branding: A refresher

March 20th, 2012

Thanks to Aaron Renn at the Urbanophile, I received a great refresher on civic branding.  In a brief post titled "Don't Brand Your City," Renn shares a fifteen minute Chicago Public Radio interview  with Jeff Leitner and Howell J. Malham of Insight Labs.  The central question they analyze:  Is it possible to successfully brand a region (like the Great Lakes) for tourism and economic development? A lively interview, Leitner and Malham question the concept. Now, let me be clear, I still think that every rural community needs to be concerned about its brand.  Your town’s identity does matter.  But we need to be smarter about how we attempt to strengthen our brands. I hope you listen to the audio interview embedded below and then take a look at a few of my follow-up comments.  If you have some additional thoughts on the topic of branding rural communities, we’d love to hear them.

Click here to listen - Luring tourists to the Great Lakes region (WBEZ91.5, Nov. 15, 2011)

My take aways

First, before we start, let’s make sure we're on the same page when we say the word branding.  To me a community’s brand is its identity.  It’s what people think and talk about your community.   Logos and jingles are nice, but let’s not be fooled into thinking that they are your community’s brand.  Their just a part of it;  a small part of it. Second, if you want a strong brand, you need to have strong features that make your community special.  In the interview, Jeff Leitner drives this point home with the Seth Godin truism “The best way to be remarked on is to be remarkable.” This means saying “Our town is a great place to live and raise a family,” isn’t good enough.  It is a start….but it is not the end game.   What are your community’s remarkable features that make it an awesome place to raise a family? Perhaps it’s a remarkable lake with an incredible bike path; perhaps it’s an incredible summer festival that brings everyone in the community together;   or perhaps it’s exceptional outdoor activities that families can do together. If your town doesn’t have those things, you’re time and money are best invested I developing them -- before trying to promote your brand. A third take away is that branding is not about you (or in this case your community); it’s about your audience.  While commenting on the ability of branding to help develop an affiliation with a region, Leitner tells us that the way to do this is by “demonstrating to the world what you are going to help them do.” In other words, don’t just tell me that your community is filled with great businesses.  Demonstrate to me how your community can help me become a successful entrepreneur.  What types of assistance will I get in your community that I can’t get somewhere else?  Do you have an entrepreneurship support system in place? And while demonstrating value, remember the power of stories.  If our community does have a system for supporting entrepreneurs, share the stories of entrepreneurs who have benefited from it.  That’s a “demonstration” that people will believe.

 Wrapping it up

Listening to the interview, some people will throw up their arms and decide that civic branding is a waste of time.  I think that is a mistake. Rural communities need to develop stronger brands so that people recognize the value they have to offer.  Just realize that the first step isn’t to hire someone to build the build the brand for you.   (Note:  My apologies for originally mispelling Howell Malham's last name.) Photo credit: Punk Toad - Flickr

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Posted in Economic Development, Rural | Comments (2)

Don’t know and don’t care

February 7th, 2012

Writer and photographer Lisa Hamilton traversed the California countryside last year, intending to explore the health of rural communities.  She ran into two problems.  She describes those barriers in a recent article titled “California's Real Rural tells hidden stories,”
First, people in our cities generally don't know much about "the rest of California," have barely ventured off Interstate 5. Second, they don't really care. Surprise Valley? Lost Hills? Mecca? Why should it matter what happens in these distant, faceless places? Why, in fact, did I care about these places, so many of which I had never even seen? I thought about it as I traveled those many miles.” (source:  "California's Real Rural tells hidden stories", Lisa M. Hamilton, San Fransisco Chronical, Jan 29, 2012).

Don’t know and don’t care

Although these attitudes are less prevalent here in the Upper Midwest, they do still exist.  And they serve as major barriers to the ability of rural towns to attract the people and businesses they need to grow and prosper. In response, Hamilton decided to change her focus and reintroduce rural Californians to urban dwellers by telling the stories of the people who live in rural places -- people who often go unnoticed. Hamilton has posted her stories and photography to RealRural.org.  They are compelling and insightful. In the near future, people will also be able to view her works in the San Francisco BART trains, the Los Angele’s public transportation system, and at the California Historical Society.  (I hope the later is not intended to imply that rural life is a thing of the past.)

What does this mean for us?

As I read the about the project, I couldn’t help but think: “Wouldn’t it be great to recreate this project in South Dakota or Minnesota, or Iowa?  Wouldn’t a similar effort help urban dwellers better understand the opportunities life in our rural towns offer?” Another option, however, is to do what I’ve recommended many times before.  Rather than rely on other people to tell our stories, we need to tell the stories  ourselves.  Every community has interesting people. Every town has daily occurrences that don’t occur in urban settings.  Every rural place can boast of offering a lifestyle that someone, somewhere is seeking.  And with the advent of modern technology, it’s relatively easy to capture these stories via a camera and share them on a community website.

Why wait?

So don’t sit back and wait for someone else to tell your stories. The stories you tell may not be as "professional" as Hamilton’s, but I think people will recognize the authenticity and will connect with them. And once you’ve shared your stories. Stop back and share them with everyone here at Reimagine Rural. Tell us how you produced them and what you’ve learned. Your work can be an inspiration to us.  

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Posted in Economic Development, Rural | Comments (6)

Maroney Commons: “Uncommon innovation” made common

December 28th, 2011

It’s old news now, but worth repeating. The Maroney Commons, a conference and training center in Howard, SD, recently received the 2011 Rural Smart Growth Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Smart Growth is a set of community design and transportation principles that govern the sustainable development of communities. In many ways, these principles are the vanguard against the urban sprawl that plagues our country. But the principles have impact in many other areas; hence the reason it makes sense to honor a rural project, where sprawl isn’t as much of an issue. The Maroney Commons, a project developed by the Rural Learning Center, received this recognition for numerous reasons: First, it was built on Howard’s Main Street, rather than on undeveloped land outside of the town’s center. Second, it was designed through a process that engaged local citizens; community members provided input through a series of meetings on what they thought the project should look like and be like. And third, the Commons was built to LEED Platinum standards, making use of building materials from old, dilapidated buildings and state-of-the-art renewable energy. To learn more about the project, I would encourage you to check out the facility's website and watch the EPA video embedded below.   I’d also encourage readers to watch the Keloland television news story about the award. Titled “Uncommon Innovation,” it highlights the potential of innovative thinking as an economic development strategy. As reporter Perry Groten states:

So many small towns struggle to keep jobs. But by going green, the Maroney Commons could become a high-tech hub that employs a strategy of recycling to revitalize the rural economy.”

 

The economies of urban and rural economies alike are being driven by innovation. As we’ve talked about previously, rural communities need to reimagine and reinvent themselves. They need to develop and tap into new competitive advantages -- or they won’t have a reason to exist. That doesn’t mean that every rural community needs a conference center like the Maroney Commons. But Rural America would be a stronger place today if more communities made “uncommon innovation” more common.    

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Posted in Community Design, Community Development, Economic Development, In the News | Comments (2)

My Return and “Rewriting the Rural Narrative”

December 21st, 2011

My return to Reimagine Rural as a guest blogger is finally at hand.  And fittingly, the subject of my post is a Lakeland Public Television interview with Minnesota Extension Researcher Ben Winchester. Titled “Rewriting the Rural Narrative,” the interview focuses on how many of the messages we hear about Rural America – and assume to be true – are often incomplete.  For instance, Ben’s research shows that while young people do move away from their hometowns following high school, there is a movement of college educated adults age 30-45 year olds who are moving to small towns.  In that context, saying Rural America struggles from “brain drain” is not completely accurate. Regular readers of Reimagine Rural know that story; we’ve shared Ben’s research numerous times.  What I enjoy about this interview, however, is that Ben fleshes out additional advice for rural communities.   For instance: I could go on and on with pieces of information like the above.  Most 30 minute interviews are long for my tastes.  But this one is a gem and is worth watching more than once. I wasn’t able to embed it in this post, so you will need to click on the link to watch it.  I’m thankful Ben sent me an e-mail with a link to the interview.  If you find it as valuable as I did, you will share it with others.

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Posted in Community Development, Economic Development | Comments (2)

The Great Wide Open – Revisited

October 13th, 2011

I have a love-hate relationship with urban reporters who write about the demise of rural South Dakota.  I love that they care enough about the problems we deal with on a daily basis to write about them.  But hate that these stories often perpetuate stereotypes and myths created by a lack of familiarity and understanding with the subject. For instance, Maureen Callahan recently wrote an article about the demise of Rural South Dakota in the New York Post.  Callahan appears to be a talented writer who flew into Rapid City, drove out to small towns in Western South Dakota like Belvidere (pop: 49), Cottonwood (pop. 6), and Scenic (pop. 1), and interviewed anyone she could find.  She also contacted both local officials and subject matter experts.  It’s hard to find fault with her research.

Insightful or Substandard?

Throughout her work, she produces some interesting insights.  For example, she compares the depopulation problems of Rural America to the decline of Detroit. 
In many ways, what’s happening here mirrors what’s happening in Detroit, on the decline for so many decades but now in critical condition, with the population declining 25% in the past 10 years. The city is planning to raze 10,000 empty residential structures, with the goal of moving those holdouts who live in deserted areas closer to the centralized, functioning part of town, with its hospitals and grocery stores and taken-for-granted goods and services. America on the whole, it seems, is downsizing.”  (Source:  Maureen Callahan, “Great wide open:  How rural America has become a vanishing way of life,” New York Post, Oct. 8, 2011)
I recognize the similarities.  For me, the major difference is that people are generally concerned about Detroit's future and don't assume that the city's decline is inevitable.  I wish the same were truer for Rural America. Mixed with those insights are occasional sour notes.  Callahan hits one of them when she quotes state demographer, Mike McCurry, who describes the people who want to stay:
Our small communities lack the threshold of people to keep kids doing their best. I grew up learning that I was an export commodity -- that there were going to be no jobs for me. The young people here have basically disappeared. If you want to keep a kid in South Dakota, you want him to be a dropout.
There’s much truth in the statement.  It stings, and I hate to admit it.  The problem, however, is that the statement is not the whole truth.  I know of two residents of a nearby town of approximately 1000 who have built successful careers in the field of technology (one of whom helps produce the infamous TED Conference).   Why not include people like them in the story? There are other opportunities that she misses.  For instance, she quotes Pierre, SD’s community development coordinator, Scott Carbonneau, about his belief that Pierre has an opportunity to attract young professionals who want to return after seeing the world.  Instead of supporting his statement with “brain gain” research, she focuses on the negative aspects of attracting young people to rural communities.  To be fair, however, I can’t blame Callahan for not highlighting those who seek to return.  After all, those of us who live here do a poor job of lifting up successful entrepreneurs and talented rural residents.  We’re also guilty of focusing on the negative, thereby reinforcing the image that our towns hold no future for young people. 

What does this mean for us?

There are many ways to react to stories like this.  Many rural South Dakotans will ridicule the erroneous, stereotypical elements of the story.  In fact, I first learned of the article from Cory Heidelberger at Madville Times who falls into this camp: 
Callahan’s article smells of condescension and superficiality: for example, she deems Rapid City “ridiculously clean” and “almost entirely white.  Hmm… did she go anywhere other than the airport before heading out to find a few colorful rural characters to reinforce her readers’ big-city stereotypes of South Dakotans?  (source:  Cory Heidelberger, “NY Post Finds Rural South Dakota in Decline; What to Do?” Madville Times, Oct. 11, 2011)
Other people will simply dismiss the article altogether because they don’t want to hear outsiders point out our blemishes.  Another approach is to figure out how we can use the article to better our rural communities. According to Bernie Hunhoff at the South Dakota Magazine, that’s how residents of Gregory, SD responded a few years ago when the Chicago Sunday Tribune published an article describing Gregory as a dying community.  According to one resident, the negative story spurred the community to action.   As Bernie writes, “So right or wrong, a critique can be a kick in the butt.”  (Source:  Bernie Hunhoff, “Diane Sawyer on the Rez,” South Dakota Magazine, Oct. 11, 2011) With that in mind, I hope everyone read Callahan’s article.  Agree or disagree, my guess is that reading it will spark strong emotions.   It’s then up to you to decide how to spend the energy this emotion creates.  You can expend it by grumbling about big city folks who don’t understand rural folks.  Or you can use it to reflect and act on what needs to change in your hometown.  I hope you’ll do the latter.

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Posted in Economic Development, Rural, Rural Life | Comments (2)

What’s the role of advertising in rural economic development

September 30th, 2011

What is the role of advertising in your community’s economic development strategy?  That question came to mind awhile back when I read a post titled “Is Advertising a Waste of Money?” Ed Burghard, the post’s author, heads up the Strengthening Brand America Project, an effort targeted at “helping economic development professionals in every state better understand how to leverage the power of place branding as a strategy to become more globally competitive for foreign direct investment.”  The blog he has helped create maintains a clear focus on recruiting businesses and investments as a form of economic development. In this post, Burghard admits that he regularly hears complaints from economic development professionals who say advertising is a failure because it doesn’t lead companies to relocate to their community.  He goes on to say that measuring business relocation is the wrong measure:
The most appropriate measure of success is a positive impact on the perception of your community and an increased willingness to learn more. You need to determine if that outcome is worth the investment given the resources you have available to attract capital investment.” (source:  “Is Advertising a Waste of Money?” Ed Burghard, Strengthening Brand America blog,  Sept. 5, 2011.)
In other words, advertising should help build the brand awareness that opens the door to a conversation about a business relocating to your community. The post sparked a great conversation among economic development professionals on the value of advertising.  Both the post and the comments are definitely worth the read. Although I think Burghardt offers great advice in this post, it feels like the subject is less relevant to small, rural communities.  It’s been my experience that most small towns simply don’t have the finances necessary to significantly change peoples’ perceptions.  That is why I think investing in the product (i.e. – the community itself) will often achieve a greater impact than advertising.  Do great things and offer great value and then word-of-mouth will help build the brand awareness in lieu of the advertising.  Of course, this advice is not universal.  Some rural communities probably benefit from advertising.  And that’s why I ask “What’s the role of advertising in your rural community’s economic development strategy?”  If your community has had a good or bad experience, we’d love to hear about it.

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Posted in Economic Development, Rural | Comments (3)

Training the next generation of farmers

September 22nd, 2011

I hear a lot of talk among my farmer friends about how tough it is for young people to become farmers.  My wife and I have a nephew who was born to be a farmer.  Luckily, his father and grandfather both farm.  Over time, they will provide access to land.  In the meantime, and equally important, they will help him learn the ropes of farming.  Not everyone, however, is so fortunate. If you don’t have access to land and/or mentors, what do you do? Going back to college for a degree in agriculture might be an answer.  But not everyone can afford (in either time or money) to take that option.   That’s why I appreciate the efforts of Dakota Rural Action.  For the last three years, they have offered a new farmer course called Farm Beginnings. It’s geared toward newcomers to the field of sustainable agriculture, and their classes are held on Saturdays during the winter months.  I’ll let you check out the details of the class on the Dakota Rural Action website.  I’d point out that class size is limited and scholarships are available.  The deadline is September 30th.  I’d also recommend that people check out profiles of people who have graduated from the program.  It’s always nice to hear about the impact training programs have on people’s lives.  The Farm Beginnings class is a great opportunity for people who live in eastern South Dakota, northwest Iowa, and southwest Minnesota – but not so great for people in other parts of the country. It’s made me wonder what other options are available around the country to train the next generation of farmers?  Whether traditional or sustainable agriculture, I’d be interested in learning about what other people are doing.   Photo:  Aaron (program graduate) & Kirstin Johnson.  Photo by Kirstin Johnson.

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Posted in Economic Development, Rural, Training and Events | Comments (5)

Population Decline: a “Main Event”

September 7th, 2011

Population decline is the “main event” and just not a symptom of another problem (i.e. – the lack of jobs).  That’s the message shared by Caleb Pollard in a recent blog post titled “Solving Population Decline in Rural Nebraska.” Caleb is the Executive Director at the Ord Area Chamber of Commerce.  He makes this point while advocating that Nebraskans support a legislative resolution authorizing an interim study on rural population decline.  For some people, this argument may seem like semantics.  After all, economic opportunities and population growth or decline are tightly connected.  I for one agree with Caleb.  It is time that we look at the health of our communities through the lens of why people move to and from rural communities.  Luckily, I see good resources beginning to be developed in this area.  For instance the Center for Applied Rural Innovations has created a section on their website called the Buffalo Commons.  Similarly, the University of Minnesota Extension has begun sharing similar resources on their website in a section titled Brain Gain in Minnesota.  I'm not sure what a legislative study on rural population decline will accomplish, but I think it's a significant step that Nebraska's policy makers are begining to see rural population decline as the "main event."

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Posted in Community Development, Economic Development, Rural | Comments (5)

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