Posts Tagged ‘brain gain’

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:

Rural communities are not all about agriculture. Ben cites statistics suggesting that fewer than 10% of rural Minnesotans are engaged in agriculture. Communities need to understand this statistic when making decisions about their future.
The main reasons people move to rural Minnesota are not jobs. Ben’s research identifies the top three reasons as: slower pace of life, safety and security, and the low cost of housing. Rural communities need to consider how to tap into these reasons as they seek to attract new residents.
Broadband Internet connections are not necessarily a pull factor for new residents. People have come to expect quality access. If you don’t have it, it will push people away.
It’s just not people who grew up in rural communities who move to rural communities. Ben’s research suggests that only 43% of newcomers have a previous relationship to the community. Their connections are much more anecdotal; perhaps they visited the region once, liked it, and decided to return.
Rural leaders need to remember that rural residents live in a regional economy. Some of Ben’s anecdotal research indicates that rural residents drive up to 45 miles to eat, shop, work, and play. With that in mind, communities would be foolish not to promote great restaurants and entertainment options in neighboring communities – even though those communities may be looked at as rivals.

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.

Tags: Ben Winchester, brain gain, Minnesota
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.

Tags: brain gain, New York Post
Posted in Economic Development, Rural, Rural Life | Comments (2)

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."

Tags: brain gain, Minnesota Extension, Nebraska, Ord NE
Posted in Community Development, Economic Development, Rural | Comments (5)

Reflections: Strategies to attract & retain newcomers in West Central MN

June 15th, 2011

If your rural community is serious about growing its population, then you need to develop a people attraction and retention plan. And that plan has to be something more than hiring a person to manage your community’s business recruitment strategy. A few weeks ago, I recommended that communities begin the process of developing an attraction and retention plan by asking newcomers, “Why did you move here?” Both projects I highlight in that post – the West Central Minnesota project and the Gogebic Next Generation Initiative – began with this approach. But then what? What does a community do after it discovers the motivations of people moving to the region? How can they use this information to create a plan? Ben Winchester, Research Fellow with University of Minnesota Extension, has some thoughts.

What does Ben recommend?

Ben is the guy who coordinated the research for the West Central Minnesota project. He published the research in a paper titled “Regional Recruitment: Strategies to Attract and Retain Newcomers.” At the end of the report, he offers eight strategies for communities to consider as they develop a people attraction and retention effort. The strategies Ben recommends fit into three broad categories:

1) Putting the region on the map strategies; 2) Employment strategies; and 3) Newcomer support strategies.

Rather than summarize each strategy, I want to highlight a few of my reflections on Ben’s recommendations.

Five thoughts I want to share

1) Putting the region on the map is more than advertising. Rather than “selling” their communities to outsiders, Ben recommends that rural community leaders would be better served by focusing on how they can help individuals who are trying to decide if they can and should move to a small town. In other words, give them the information that helps them make their decision. Ben offers some advice on what information potential newcomers to West Central Minnesota are seeking. And while you should use this as a starting point, I highly recommend that you start with your own research. In the end, your effort will be more successful because of it. 2) Share stories about people who have recently moved to the region. We talk a lot about the power of stories here at Reimagine Rural. Potential newcomers will see themselves in the stories you share and will say, “I want what that person (who just moved to your town) has.” As Ben notes, this can be accomplished most effectively through social media tools. But if your community is not ready to take that step, stories can be shared on traditional websites as well. 3) Think regionally. People live in or near towns, but towns are a part of a larger eco-system. A person may live in one town, work in another, go to the movies in third, enjoy friends in a fourth, and go shopping in still other communities. If your effort focuses solely on your town, potential newcomers will develop a limited impression of what life will be like for them in your town. 4) Business recruitment is not the only way to help create employment opportunities. Of the four “employment strategies” Ben offers, none involve recruiting businesses. I appreciate that because I believe there are many other ways for rural communities to help create economic opportunities. Now, if your community already has a successful business recruitment strategy, then you should continue. If not, consider one of the more personalized approaches Ben describes. Even if you are unsuccessful at helping each newcomer to your community discover or develop an economic opportunity, they will appreciate and remember your efforts to help. 5) Don’t overlook the importance of helping newcomers connect with the community. If I had to select only one retention strategy, it would be to develop a process for helping newcomers connect. We often assume that it is easy for new residents to make new friends and get involved in our rural communities. But research in West Central Minnesota reflects the opposite; newcomers actually had difficulty connecting in the region. Don’t make the mistake of assuming your community is any different. To be honest, we haven’t formulated a people attraction and retention effort in Miner County. We’ve dabbled in many of the strategies Ben recommends in his report, but attraction and retention hasn’t been a clear focus. Hopefully, that changes in the future. And when it does, one of the first places I’ll recommend we start is with this report. We can learn a lot from our friends in West Central Minnesota. Photo Credit: DonkeyHotey - Flickr

Tags: Ben Winchester, brain gain, marketing rural communities, Minnesota, people attraction, storytelling
Posted in Community Engagement, Economic Development, Quality of Life, Rural | Comments (4)

Homework Assignment: Why are people moving to your region?

May 27th, 2011

I’ve got a homework assignment for you. And it’s going to take a little research. Last week I identified the 30-44 year-old age group as a potential sweet spot for rural communities seeking to attract new residents. At the same time, I challenged people to do their own research and decide for themselves what age group makes sense for community. The challenge begs the question, “Why do people move to your rural town?” Many of us have general answers to this question: It’s a great place to live. Good schools. Lower housing costs. But those answers lack the specificity and details communities need if they hope to be serious about attracting new residents. I know of two projects in the Upper Midwest who are serious about attracting and retaining new residents, and they’ve been doing their homework. The first is located just across the border in Minnesota, where the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (UMVRDC) recently conducted a study titled “Regional Recruitment: Strategies to Attract and Retain Newcomers.” Although the region has typically fared better economically than rural South Dakota, farming and the “prairie pothole” topography dominate. The second effort is a bit further away. Called the Gogebic Range Next Generation Initiative (NGI), this project is located in Iron County, WS and Gogebic County, MI. Although different in geography and environment – iron mining, trees, and low mountains dominant – we share similar outmigration patterns. Like us, the region’s population peaked in the 1920s, and young people are often encouraged to move away. While both regions deserve an “A” for their research efforts, I don’t believe it is cheating when other rural communities take what they learn from this research and apply it to their own communities. To help, I’ll share a few highlights from my notes.

Newcomers have different characteristics

In the case of West Central Minnesota, the study showed that new residents have slightly different characteristics than current residents. Dawn Hegland, Executive Director of the UMVRDC, recently identified a few of these differences in a report to the Yellow Medicine County Board. She explained that new residents:

tend to be well-educated with higher-than-average incomes, and are more likely to buy or start businesses, take leadership positions in the community, and engage in volunteer activities. Sixty percent of them had no previous ties to the area.” (source: "Yellow Medicine County Doing OK," Steve Browne, Marshall Independent, May 11, 2011.)

She also noted that some of newcomers moved to the region without having a job in place. That’s an interesting dynamic worth further investigation.

Gogebic Next Generation Initiative

Among the discoveries I find most compelling from the Next Generation Initiative research is a ranking of the “location preferences” that attract new residents to the Gogebic region. Two factors stand out in this research: First, because the study parallels existing research from the Michigan Cool Cities Study, we see that the reasons people move to this rural region are very different from the reasons people move to urban areas. (see image below) As the project leader, Will Andresen notes rural communities who focus on developing and promoting community assets that urban places have in abundance, may be investing in areas that their target market does not seek. A better approach would be to invest in existing assets that attract new residents. Why not make those assets even better? (source: “Voices of Rural Wisconsin Part Four: Shaping a Healthy Future,” Portal Wisconsin, audio interview)

A second take away from the NGI research is that people who move to the Gogebic region do not rank the need for a job as a top priority. This does not imply that economic opportunities are not important. People have to be able to make a living. But it does suggest that communities can’t place all of their eggs in the job creation basket.

Are you ready to get started?

The West Central Minnesota and the Gogebic projects offer us a glimpse into why people are moving into two rural regions. I’d be interested in hearing how closely what they have discovered matches with what you’ve experienced in your community. I also hope that you will share the results of any research you’ve conducted. Having access to your research won’t eliminate the need for communities to do their own homework. But it will give them a jump start on the process. Photo Credit: jsorbieus - Flickr

Tags: brain gain, Michigan, Minnesota, Next Generation - Gogebic, people atttraction, UMVRDC, Wisconsin
Posted in Community Development, Community Engagement, Economic Development, Rural | Comments (0)

It’s 30-44 year olds, stupid!

May 18th, 2011

Your community wants to attract new residents, right? “Live, Work, Play,” proliferates on websites today. But who are you trying to attract? Too often the answer is “everyone and anyone.” The idea being that we can’t afford to miss any opportunities. But marketers everywhere know better. Trying to create and promote a product for everyone is a surefire way to create and a product that nobody wants. But who should you target? That’s the tough question. Jim Russell from Burgh Diaspora believes he has the answer: It’s people ages 30-44.

Why 30-44 year olds?

For those who don’t know, Russell is a “geographer with a special interest in diaspora economics.” He believes retention strategies are “a colossal waste,” that economic development happens when talent is abundant, and that cities can benefit from the talent they export. He’s passionate about Pittsburgh, even though he doesn’t live there. There’s usually no middle ground with Russell, but he shares innovative ideas – and usually supports them with research. He’s definitely worth following if you want to better understand the attraction game. In a recent post titled “Retention Efforts Target Wrong Age Group”, he cites Australian research suggesting that college graduates leave to see the world, but they often return, sometime between ages 30-44. This leads Russell to write: “I've advocated for the attraction of the 30-44 cohort. They are likely to stick around once you get them there. Good luck retaining a recent college graduate who moved to your city. You might call them place sluts. Hipsters are particularly salacious, following the scene wherever it might pop up. The good news is that they pave the way for thirtysomethings, who price out all the twentysomethings your town spent so much money trying to retain.” The message is: Younger adults are going to leave because it’s in their DNA to leave. But they might seek to return in their thirties or early forties when it’s time to raise a family.

Minnesota research concurs

Several years ago, Ben Winchester, a research fellow with Minnesota Extension, discovered a trend that supports Russell’s analysis. In a paper titled “Rural Migration: The Brain Gain of Newcomers”, Ben shared research showing that rural counties in West Central Minnesota were losing high school graduates, but were gaining college educated adults who were migrating to small towns to raise their families. But here again, we see an opportunity to narrow the field as we seek to build and market our communities.

Does one size (or age) fit all?

While focusing on people age 30-44 makes sense in most cases, there may be situations where other age groups should be considered. Perhaps conditions in your community are unique, enabling you to focus on younger adults or Baby Boomers. The point is, do your research and figure out what makes sense for your community. And above all, don’t fall into the trap of trying to be something for everyone. That’s a surefire recipe for disaster. Photo Credit: Doug Wallick - Flickr

Tags: Ben Winchester, brain gain, marketing rural communities, Minnesota
Posted in Community Development, Economic Development, Rural | Comments (5)

Buy Neem Without Prescription

August 13th, 2010

I'll be attending the Midwest Rural Assembly Buy Neem Without Prescription, next Monday. One of the aspects of the Assembly that I appreciate most is that in addition to the policy talk, it's a great opportunity talk with rural leaders from around the Midwest. This year, I'm particularly interested in learning about communities that are successfully addressing the issue often referred to as "brain drain."

By now, most everyone has heard about "brain drain." Miner County, SD is a classic example of the phenomena: for decades now, young people have graduated from high school, left for college, and settled in cities where opportunities appear to be more abundant.

The phrase captures our attention today more than ever before because rural communities appear to be losing their "best and brightest" at a time when economists are recognizing the importance of "human capital" as a driver of economic development.

But as Ben Winchester, a research fellow for University of Minnesota Extension , has noted this is only part of the story. Many rural communities are experiencing a "brain gain" as people age 30 to 49 begin to move back to rural communities to raise families. (source: "Rural Migration: The Brain Gain of Newcomers," Ben Winchester)

We need to be intentional

I find Winchester's research significant because this trend is occurring without most people knowing it. Just think of the results if more communities decided to be intentional and work at attracting new residents. I'm already aware of numerous efforts of this nature. For instance:

Clinton County, Neem paypal, Buy generic Neem, Ohio appears to be doing a nice of changing their community brand as a way of attracting young people. They've created the Clinton County Fellows program and are challenging young people to come back and do something special in their hometown, online buy Neem without a prescription. Over the counter Neem, I've also been very impressed with the work of the Next Generation initiative of the Gogebic Range of Iron County, Wisconsin and Gogebic County, where can i order Neem without prescription, Purchase Neem online no prescription, Michigan. They've developed a four pronged approach that includes youth retention, new resident attraction and new resident retention.

While these Midwestern projects deserve attention as "bright spots, Neem medication, Neem craiglist, " I'm also interested in efforts further west as well. My friends at the Strom Center have identified some good work in the oil country of North Dakota, and I just learned of another effort emerging out of the Upper Minnesota Regional Development Commission. I'll dig into these bright spots in the future.

Look me up at the MRA

As I stated earlier, order Neem from mexican pharmacy, Buy Neem online with no prescription, I'm hoping other people attending the Midwest Rural Assembly share my interest in the subject and will look me up. I've even included a profile picture in case we haven't met.

If we don't meet before hand, I think there's an opportunity Monday afternoon from 3:00 - 5:00 for us to get together as well. If I understand the agenda correctly, Neem for sale, Neem san diego, the session is intended as an opportunity for people to gather around topics of interest, identify what is working well, Neem from international pharmacy, Order Neem online c.o.d, and then talk about policies that need further attention. I intend to stand up and identify my interest in "people attraction and retention." If enough people are interested, I'm sure we'll generate some good discussion, where to buy Neem. Neem discount, I'm really looking forward to the event, and I hope you are as well.

Note: I'll be Tweeting (@Michael_Knutson) using the #MRA10 hashtag, saturday delivery Neem, Buy Neem online without prescription, and hopefully blogging from the event on Reimagine Rural. Neem in uk. Neem price, coupon. Buy cheap Neem no rx. Neem overseas. Buy Neem from canada. Neem gel, ointment, cream, pill, spray, continuous-release, extended-release. Neem in japan. Neem from canadian pharmacy. Neem prescriptions. Sale Neem. Neem in canada. Online buying Neem hcl. Order Neem from United States pharmacy. Purchase Neem online. Neem in australia. Where to buy Neem. Buy cheap Neem. Neem to buy online. Buy Neem online no prescription. Buy Neem no prescription. Buy no prescription Neem online. Buy Neem without a prescription. Neem in us. Where can i buy cheapest Neem online. Neem prices. Buy Neem online cod. Neem in india. Fast shipping Neem. Buying Neem online over the counter. Purchase Neem. Order Neem no prescription. Rx free Neem. Buy Neem from mexico. Next day Neem. Neem in usa. Buy Neem without prescription. Real brand Neem online. Order Neem online overnight delivery no prescription. Buy Neem online without a prescription. Delivered overnight Neem. Neem buy. Neem in mexico. Real brand Neem online. Saturday delivery Neem. Buy Neem without prescription. Buy Neem online no prescription. Cod online Neem.

Tags: brain gain, midwest rural assembly, Next Generation - Gogebic, people attraction strategy
Posted in Community Development, Economic Development, education, Rural | Comments (0)

Buy Artane Without Prescription

February 5th, 2010

Buy Artane Without Prescription, Ben Winchester's research on "rural brain gain," has drawn some interesting responses in North Dakota. Based on an article titled "Report suggests ‘brain gain' instead of brain drain," which appeared in the January 28, buy Artane without prescription, Buy no prescription Artane online, 2010 Grand Forks Herald and was reprinted in the January 30, 2010 Fargo-Moorhead InForum, where can i order Artane without prescription, Online buying Artane hcl, I'd have to say North Dakotans don't find a lot of applicability in Winchester's research for their state. (If you are into negative comments, you'll want to check out the comments at the end of the InForum article.)

Does Minnesota research apply elsewhere?

The skepticism begins with North Dakota demographer Dr, Artane to buy. Purchase Artane online no prescription, Richard Rathge who questions the applicability of research about rural Minnesota compared to rural North Dakota. As he notes, people are more inclined to move to rural places that are high in natural amenities (e.g., Artane craiglist, Buy Artane from canada, West Central Minnesota) than to places with few natural amenities (e.g. North Dakota), where to buy Artane.

No doubt. USDA research supports Rathke's assertions, Buy Artane Without Prescription. Artane discount, But my gut still tells me that there's something to Winchester's research. I've personally witnessed numerous examples of people who move to Miner County to raise their children. The number of people moving in may not be as high as that Winchester found in his study. But they definitely didn't move to Miner County for the natural amenities.

And that's why Winchester's research is valuable. We need to better understand what groups of people are moving to rural communities, Artane price, coupon, Artane in usa, and what's their motivation. Just saying young people are moving out isn't good enough.

Does the term "Brain Drain" hurt marketing efforts?

When I originally raised the question "Should we banish 'brain drain' from our vocabulary?" in a blog post a couple weeks ago, where can i find Artane online, Where can i order Artane without prescription, I was trying to figure out if the term "brain drain" does more harm (in promoting our communities) than good (in raising awareness of a problem). I've yet to reach a definitive answer, buy cheap Artane no rx.

Based on what I've read in the Buy Artane Without Prescription, Grand Fork's article, I've concluded that Rathge would say that the question is mute. At the end of the Grand Forks article, Artane in mexico, Order Artane online overnight delivery no prescription, he is quoted saying:

"Here in North Dakota, we've seen many decades of outmigration of young adults, rx free Artane. Where can i buy Artane online, Community builders have been talking for decades about ways to hold them, including being positive rather than negative."

"The bottom line is we need to provide opportunities for people who want to stay, ordering Artane online. Artane in australia, We have to be serious about economic development in North Dakota." (source: Chuck Haga, "Report suggests ‘brain gain' instead of brain drain, Artane in uk, Purchase Artane, " Grand Forks Herald, 1-28-09)

It's more than a job

Getting serious about economic development in rural communities is vitally important. But it requires a strategy that is more complex than new business recruitment alone, Artane overseas. Where can i find Artane online, That's what I like about the research being conducted by Dr. David Ivan with his "Can small towns be cool?" project. The themes he identifies in his presentations (which I outline here) offer rural communities a model for rural economic development worth consideration, saturday delivery Artane. Buy Artane online without prescription, So, whether it's brain drain or brain gain in our communities, Artane in canada, Over the counter Artane, I hope we'd all agree that it is something we ought to pay attention to.

Note: Access to the Grand Forks Herald and Fargo-Moorhead InForum articles may require individuals sign up for a free membership with Forum Communications have been archived. I did notice it has been reprinted and can be read on the Farm Bureau site, Artane craiglist. Artane san diego. Artane medication. Buy Artane from mexico. Sale Artane. Artane buy. Order Artane online c.o.d. Artane for sale. Buy Artane from canada. Order Artane from mexican pharmacy. Buy Artane online without a prescription. Buy Artane without prescription. Online buying Artane hcl. Artane tablets. Buy no prescription Artane online. Artane price, coupon. Artane from international pharmacy. Where can i buy cheapest Artane online. Where to buy Artane. Buy Artane without a prescription. Buy cheap Artane. Buy Artane online cod. Artane paypal. Artane to buy online. Artane trusted pharmacy reviews. Artane discount. Fast shipping Artane. Artane to buy. Purchase Artane online no prescription. Real brand Artane online. Buy Artane no prescription. Artane prescriptions. Free Artane samples.

Tags: brain drain, brain gain, North Dakota, people attraction
Posted in Community Engagement, Economic Development, Rural | Comments (0)

Buy Carbamazepine Without Prescription

January 19th, 2010

Last week I had an interesting conversation on Twitter concerning a ReImagine Rural blog post I wrote titled "Should we banish ‘brain drain' from our vocabulary." Buy Carbamazepine Without Prescription, The post focuses on Ben Winchester's research suggesting much of rural Minnesota is experiencing an in migration of college educated adults age 30-45. Carbamazepine from international pharmacy, The Twitter conversation emerged when Joe O'Sullivan (@jaosullivanx) a reporter from Watertown, SD, Carbamazepine over the counter, Purchase Carbamazepine online, sent me a tweet saying, "I see people here who grew up rural return 15 years later w/ degrees, saturday delivery Carbamazepine. Where can i find Carbamazepine online, Positive development, but can you bank on it?"

My response was, fast shipping Carbamazepine, Buy Carbamazepine without a prescription, "B Winchester tells us that there are more who move back than we realize. But that's also why we need (to) intentionally work at it." Later I sent him a second tweet with a link to a report that highlights the importance of rural communities being intentional about developing people attraction strategies.

Joe responded writing, Carbamazepine buy, Carbamazepine in india, "I like. But it seems that communities have either a lack of vision, buy Carbamazepine online cod, Carbamazepine in australia, or resources, or both, Carbamazepine from canadian pharmacy. How do you get around that?"

"...lack of vision, or resources, or both"

It's a valid point and good question. In making the statement, I think Joe is trying to bring "reality" into the conversation about the future of rural communities. Too many of our rural communities don't have a vision for the future and they don't think they have any resources. So what do we do about it, Buy Carbamazepine Without Prescription. Online buying Carbamazepine hcl, My mind was flooded with thoughts, which would have required a 2-3 page essay to convey; something Twitter's 140 character limit prevents. Instead, where to buy Carbamazepine, Where can i buy Carbamazepine online, I paired my thoughts down to, "No doubt, buy cheap Carbamazepine. Buy Carbamazepine from canada, And add determination. No easy answers, Carbamazepine prescriptions, Carbamazepine san diego, but I'd say use appreciative inquiry and stick with it. What do you think?"

I recommended appreciative inquiry because I firmly believe that every community has assets. They just need to approach their vision for the future by leveraging existing assets. In many ways that's what we did in Miner County, buy generic Carbamazepine, Where to buy Carbamazepine, and assets started multiplying exponentially.

I also mentioned determination because community and economic development work is fraught with frustration; economic growth seldom happens in a flash. Only those with determined community leaders emerge successfully.

I hope that my advice was good, buy no prescription Carbamazepine online, Buy Carbamazepine no prescription, but I realize that I'm no expert on the subject. What works in one rural community is not universally right for all rural communities. So, let me repost the question here: How do you get around rural communities who lack vision and resources or both, where can i buy cheapest Carbamazepine online. Free Carbamazepine samples,

Photo credit: BozDoz - Flickr. Where can i order Carbamazepine without prescription. Carbamazepine price, coupon. Order Carbamazepine online overnight delivery no prescription. Order Carbamazepine no prescription. Carbamazepine in usa. Carbamazepine trusted pharmacy reviews. Buy Carbamazepine online without a prescription. Buy Carbamazepine online no prescription. Buy Carbamazepine online with no prescription. Carbamazepine in mexico. Rx free Carbamazepine. Order Carbamazepine from United States pharmacy. Carbamazepine in japan. Carbamazepine tablets. Purchase Carbamazepine online no prescription. Carbamazepine pills. Carbamazepine for sale. Next day Carbamazepine. Order Carbamazepine from mexican pharmacy. Order Carbamazepine online c.o.d. Carbamazepine to buy. Carbamazepine paypal. Buy Carbamazepine online without prescription. Online buy Carbamazepine without a prescription. Carbamazepine discount. Online buy Carbamazepine without a prescription. Buy Carbamazepine online no prescription. Buy cheap Carbamazepine. Carbamazepine buy. Rx free Carbamazepine. Carbamazepine discount. Carbamazepine in india. Carbamazepine to buy online. Carbamazepine medication. Carbamazepine for sale. Online buying Carbamazepine hcl. Order Carbamazepine online overnight delivery no prescription. Order Carbamazepine from mexican pharmacy. Cod online Carbamazepine. Saturday delivery Carbamazepine.

Tags: appreciative inquiry, brain drain, brain gain, people attraction
Posted in Community Development, Economic Development, Rural | Comments (0)

Buy Nebivolol Without Prescription

January 8th, 2010

In his report Buy Nebivolol Without Prescription, "Rural Migration: The Brain Gain of Newcomers," Ben Winchester tells us that many parts of rural Minnesota are experiencing a brain gain with new residents age 30-45 moving in. This is a very important occurrence because rural areas tend to lose younger individuals as they go off to college.

For those who haven't read the report, I want to share a few insights Ben sent me via e-mail.

First, Ben's research leads him to believe the trend he discovered in Minnesota is widespread across the Rural Midwest, including South Dakota. While I trust Ben's academic prowess, I'd still like to see some research to support it. After all, my South Dakota heritage tells me that all the good stuff happens to Minnesota and not South Dakota.

Second, he highlights a point made explicit in his report: Over half of the residents moving to rural communities come with college degrees. This trend has helped raise the educational attainment level of rural communities. In other words, the communities are getting smarter, not dumber, which leads to his last point.

Finally, using the word "brain drain" to describe the rural population movement creates problems for us as we try to move rural communities forward. As Ben writes, "the use of negative language to describe the dynamics of our small towns (brain drain, outmigration) makes it difficult to foresee a way forward for our rural people."

This last point is one that I've long agreed with. From my economic development specialist's perspective, using "brain drain" creates a marketing challenge. Why would we expect outsiders to look positively at our communities when we imply that the smart people are all moving away.

But I've continued to use the phrase anyway for a couple reasons. First, Nebivolol for sale, Nebivolol in india, even though it's negative, the phrase helps focus our attention on the issue of young people moving out of our communities. And second, Nebivolol prices, Where can i buy Nebivolol online, I'm not aware of a term to replace it with.

Ben and I hope to get together sometime in the near future to discuss this and other issues. I'm open to the possibility of banishing the word from my vocabulary. But before I do, want to throw the topic out to our readers here at ReImagine Rural.

Should we banish the phrase "brain drain" from our language? And if so, Nebivolol from canadian pharmacy, Purchase Nebivolol online, how can we continue to focus attention on the need to create change in our rural communities so that they become more attractive places for young people? What do you think.

Photo Credit: spierzchala - Flickr, Nebivolol in japan. Nebivolol overseas. Buy Nebivolol without a prescription. Nebivolol price, coupon. Order Nebivolol from mexican pharmacy. Nebivolol tablets. Buy Nebivolol from canada. Nebivolol to buy. Buy Nebivolol from mexico. Nebivolol in canada. Purchase Nebivolol. Nebivolol paypal. Where can i buy cheapest Nebivolol online. Nebivolol buy. Buy cheap Nebivolol no rx. Where to buy Nebivolol. Nebivolol to buy online. Buy generic Nebivolol. Where to buy Nebivolol. Buy Nebivolol online with no prescription. Buy Nebivolol online without a prescription. Buy Nebivolol online without prescription. Fast shipping Nebivolol. Rx free Nebivolol. Nebivolol pills. Buy no prescription Nebivolol online. Online buying Nebivolol hcl. Nebivolol san diego. Nebivolol medication. Nebivolol from international pharmacy. Buy cheap Nebivolol. Nebivolol over the counter. Buy Nebivolol without prescription. Nebivolol trusted pharmacy reviews. Nebivolol in mexico. Order Nebivolol from United States pharmacy. Cod online Nebivolol. Nebivolol in uk. Nebivolol in us. Over the counter Nebivolol. Where can i order Nebivolol without prescription. Ordering Nebivolol online. Where can i find Nebivolol online. Nebivolol discount. Nebivolol prescriptions. Buy Nebivolol no prescription. Buy Nebivolol online no prescription. Nebivolol gel, ointment, cream, pill, spray, continuous-release, extended-release. Order Nebivolol no prescription. Saturday delivery Nebivolol. Sale Nebivolol. Order Nebivolol online c.o.d. Online buy Nebivolol without a prescription. Nebivolol in australia. Delivered overnight Nebivolol. Next day Nebivolol. Order Nebivolol online overnight delivery no prescription. Nebivolol in usa. Buying Nebivolol online over the counter.

Tags: brain drain, brain gain, Minnesota, people attraction strategy, population movement
Posted in Community Development, Economic Development, Rural | Comments (16)

« Older Entries

Buy Epogen Without Prescription

Connect with us on Twitter

Popular Posts

Tag cloud

Search

Blogroll