May 2004 Volume II, Number 4

Compiled and Edited by Deb Miller Slipek & Jane Leonard

In this issue:

-2004 Minnesota Rural Summit UPDATE
-BREAKING NEWS
-Federal home loan bank – NEWS FROM “a dialogue on the economic future OF rural america”
-Policy
-Funding Options
-Training/Conferences
-Tools
-AND FINALLY………..

Save the Date!
7th Annual Minnesota Rural Summit
Gearing Up for the Innovation Economy
August 18-20, 2004
Hibbing Community College, Hibbing, Minnesota, USA.

Rural Minnesota and Rural America have the advantage in an Innovation Economy. That’s because smaller scale places and enterprises are more skilled & efficient at transforming 21st century technology, community amenities, and know-how into innovation that creates first-rate communities, businesses and jobs.

Come to Hibbing in August and we’ll explain. For more information, go to http://www.minnesotaruralpartners.org/2004_summit/

BREAKING NEWS

BizPathways & Governor Pawlenty on National Telecast
Today BizPathways, the Virtual Entrepreneurial Network project created by Minnesota Rural Partners, was featured on a national satellite broadcast (Tuesday, May 4, at 2-3:00 p.m. CST) as an innovative state model for supporting rural entrepreneurship. Governor Pawlenty represented the BizPathways project on the panel, New Directions and Opportunities in Rural Economic Development, hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce and several national development associations. The show also focused on issues raised in the Economic Development Administration-funded report by Harvard University's Michael Porter -- "Competitiveness in Rural U.S. Regions: Learning and Research Agenda." – available at http://shorl.com/dabrohosubyfy.

BizPathways Needs You!

Ironically, as the BizPathways project was being touted nationally, funding for the services it provides is running out. As many of you know, the development of BizPathways was funded in part through a three-year federal grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce beginning in 2001. We have never received any state funding to develop or provide BizPathways services. MN Rural Partners is a nonprofit organization that would like to continue to provide BizPathways service because we believe so strongly in small business development as the economic engine in our state. We need your help to keep BizPathways going when the federal grant ends this summer. Annual costs to maintain the BizPathways services, which currently assist 1000 registered members, help 5,000 visitors each month, and promote the events, tools, and resources of 2500 service providers, are about $150,000. Please consider a tax deductible donation if you use BizPathways currently or want to support its efforts to assist small business development. http://www.minnesotaruralpartners.org/bpdonations.htm

FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK CONFERENCE - “A Dialogue on the Economic Future of Rural America” – Ten things a community should do to thrive in the 21st Century.

Several Minnesotans involved in rural development and rural capital development traveled to Des Moines last month to attend the first-ever Federal Home Loan Bank conference called “Capitalizing on Rural America.” Meant to explore how rural America is developing new ways of generating capital and working towards economic prosperity, the event featured an hour-long appearance and speech by President George Bush. President Bush lauded America’s Heartland and said that small business and entrepreneurs were critical to 21st Century growth. North Dakota native and current publisher of Forbes magazine, Rich Karlgaard, was the evening keynoter speaker and covered the 10 things states/communities need to have if they are to thrive in the 21st Century.

They are:

(1) Proximity to universities – the 21st century is the Knowledge Century.

(2) Quality of K-12 schools

(3) Presence of research dollars --- gotta have it to attract smart people to create and innovate

(4) A reasonable tax structure – Karlgaard said that people don’t mind taxes in the Midwest because here in the Heartland, we DO something with the state and local tax money – it is invested in infrastructure and education for the benefit of all

(5) Fast-track bureaucracy – make it simple to help businesses start and grow

(6) The political tenor is moderate – more common sense than extremism

(7) Importance of local heroes to spark action, especially among the small and medium-sized business community

(8) Civic involvement that is steadfast ---no “moonshots” – don’t chase the rainbows, but steady attention and lots of little stuff, adding up over time - perseverance

(9) Tolerance for diversity

(10)Passing the entrepreneurial cocktail party test. If you quit your job today and had 200 people over for a party to celebrate because you were starting your own company, would they react with “Great!” or look askance at your crazy action? The community passes the test if they say “Great!” and support you. Honest failures should be accepted.

More info on the conference is available at http://www.fhlbdm.com

POLICY

The Center for Rural Policy & Development reports continued growth in rural broadband adoption, deployment and demand in Minnesota. High-speed Internet access, often called broadband, continues to advance throughout rural Minnesota according to their latest broadband survey. Of the 780 rural places examined in the new study, 85 percent were served by at least one broadband provider, while 15 percent had no access to broadband technology. And of those communities that had access to broadband, 35 percent had competitive services, i.e., two or more providers serving the community.

Other highlights of the study include:

- While DSL and cable providers have the majority of rural broadband customers, fixed wireless broadband providers have taken hold in rural Minnesota. The report identified more than 140 rural communities that are being served by wireless providers; and 41 rural communities that have wireless as their only access to broadband technology.

- Growth in the demand for broadband among rural Minnesotans continues to be strong at a rate of 77 percent between 2002 and 2003; while growth in dial-up Internet service slowed to 5.5 percent.

- Residential broadband prices, while coming down, are still high with average monthly rates for DSL at $38.95; cable modem at $39.95; and wireless broadband at $50. In addition, median installation fees for wireless broadband were $150.

The report also suggests that while the majority of Minnesotans who live in rural cities and towns now have access to high-speed services, not enough is known about the access of those who live out in the open countryside. Overall, the report suggests that rural Minnesota appears to be outpacing the rest of rural America in its adoption of both Internet and broadband technology. http://www.mnsu.edu/ruralmn/pages/Publications/reports/
Providers%202003.pdf

Check out MRP’s Broadband Promotion Project for information on how small towns can make use of broadband for a variety of community and economic development applications. http://www.minnesotaruralpartners.org/broadband

FUNDING

-- Time is running out to apply for the “New Times, New Tools” grants. This Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation grant program is designed to improve organizational effectiveness and build capacity of health services organizations in Greater Minnesota. Eligible nonprofit health services delivery organizations may apply for one-year grants of up to $10,000 to increase their organizational effectiveness through such strategies as strategic planning, volunteer recruitment and retention, planning and feasibility studies for shared services, restructuring and other efforts to improve efficiencies and health care access, among others. To apply, eligible organizations must have their primary location outside of the seven county Twin Cities metropolitan area and must be tax-exempt under Section 501(c) 3 of the IRS code or a unit of government. Materials will be available on the Foundation’s Web site at http://www.bluecrossmn.com/public/foundation/ntnt.html. Letters of intent are due May 21 with full proposals due July 9, 2004. For more information, contact Joan Cleary at joan_cleary@bluecrossmn.com or Kaying Hang at kaying_hang@bluecrossmn.com

--Building Social and Economic Capital Implementation Grants are now available. These grants will support community economic development partnerships involving at least one institution of higher education and at least one community-based organization that engage students and other institutional resources to meet locally defined needs. Proposals may be submitted requesting $25,000 to 40,000. Approximately 5-7 grants will be made for activities taking place during a one-year period, from October 1, 2004, to September 30, 2005. Preliminary proposals are due May 28, 2004. For the full RFP go to http://mncampuscompact.org or contact Julie Plaut at julieplaut@mncampuscompact.org or 651-603-5084.

--Communities Eligible for Greenways Planning Grants. The Kodak American Greenways Awards Program, a partnership project of the Eastman Kodak Company, The Conservation Fund, and the National Geographic Society, provides small grants to stimulate the planning and design of greenways in communities throughout America. Applications are due June 1, 2004. For more information go to: http://www.lgean.org/html/whatsnew.cfm?id=734.

--USDA Rural Development’s Rural Business Opportunity Grant Program applications are due by June 4, 2004. Individual grants may range up to $50,000. For multi-state projects, the figure is $150,000. For further information go to http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/busp/rbog.htm or call 651-602-7791.

--Financial Assistance Available for Minnesota Resort Improvements and Expansions.
Minnesota resort operators who hope to make capital improvements or expansions can still access DEED’s Tourism Loan Program. This program expires on June 30, 2004. DEED also has federal funds from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for eligible resorts to make septic system upgrades. Resort operators who want to tap into these resources can get detailed information by contacting their city, county or regional economic development offices, or call Paul A. Moe, DEED's Director of Business Finance, at 651-297-1391. Other financial resources for tourism-related investments in Minnesota include:
Minnesota Business Finance, Inc. in St. Cloud. Contact Tom Saehr, 320-255-1685.
Minnesota Community Capital Fund in Duluth. Contact Bob Palmquist, 218-529-7562.

TRAINING/CONFERENCES

-- Don’t miss this opportunity to see Robert Putnam for FREE on May 13th at 7:00 PM. He will be giving a keynote address entitled “Social Capital in a Changing, Diverse America” at the Walter F. Mondale Hall on the University of Minnesota campus. For more information go to: http://www.socialcapitalumn.org

--Round-Ups and Innovation Inventory: In anticipation of the 2004 Minnesota Rural Summit, Minnesota Rural Partners (MRP) is hosting a series of 12 Rural Resource Round-ups where we will be collecting and sharing stories of Innovation across Minnesota. If you have an Innovation Story you would like to submit for the Innovation Inventory, please click on http://www.minnesotaruralpartners.org/innovation_stories.htm and watch the MRP webspace and BizPathways site for the Round-Up schedule as it becomes available.

--Vital Aging ~ Vital Communities: The 2004 Summit sponsored by the Vital Aging Network will be held on May 13, 2004 on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota. This Summit is for individuals in midlife and beyond, civic leaders and policy makers, community program coordinators and service providers, and educators and advocates. This is one of those over-arching issues that affects all in a multitude of ways. The conference will have an array of intriguing speakers, including: Connie Goldman former NPR host of “All Things Considered,” John (Jody) Kretzmann from the Asset-based Community Development ( ABCD) Institute at Northwestern University, and Jim Scheibel former director of the federal Volunteers in the Service to America and former mayor of St. Paul. Scholarships are available for community teams of 2 or more persons from rural communities more than 100 miles from the Twin Cities—that means registration is FREE for you folks! For more information go to : http://www.van.umn.edu or contact Barb Muesing at 612-624-0789.

-- The Center for Small Towns and the Minnesota Association of Small Cities
will sponsor the Second Annual Symposium on Small Towns “Rural Communities Adapting to the New Century” on June 8 - 9, 2004 in Morris, Minnesota. With a unique focus on small towns and rural areas, this event features opportunities to learn and discuss our political framework and issues, showcase the best practices of small town projects, actively engage participants in project development, and celebrate towns and rural living. For more information, visit http://www.centerforsmalltowns.org and click on "Symposium" or call the Center for Small Towns at (320) 589-6451 or contact the Minnesota Association of Small Cities website at http://maosc.homestead.com/home.html

-- Community Wind Energy is a national conference that will identify and discuss model public policies, address barriers and provide practical tools for wind energy development. It will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on June 23-24 and is sponsored by Windustry. For further information go to http://www.windustry.org

--Get That Grant: Grantwriting from Conception to Completion will be held in St. Cloud, MN on June 21-24, 2004. This hard working hands-on, how-to-do workshop includes the COMMUNITY SYSTEMS detailed 318+ page grantwriting training/resource manual. Workshop participants receive extensive individual consultation during the workshop as well as a follow-up critique of their grant proposals. For further information on this limited enrollment grantwriting training program or to register for the comprehensive workshop contact Three Rivers RC&D in Mankato, MN at 507-345-7418 ext. 5.

--Business and Diversity Strengthening Rural Communities will be held on August 10, 2004 at the Marshall High Scholl in Marshall, MN. The focus of this conference will be to share the message that immigrants have a tremendous and critical economic impact to the survival of rural communities and to showcase innovative practices in various areas of community life. For further information go to http://www.marshall-mn.org or call 507-537-7046 .

--Grassroots & Groundwork Conference will be held in St. Paul on Sept. 12-14, 2004. The Northwest Area Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation will co-sponsor the conference to showcase innovative models communities are using to get out and stay out of poverty. The sponsors invite organizations to share practical, system-level models being used in communities of all types: urban, rural, regional, Indian reservations, and communities of interest. Each model selected for presentation can earn up to $2,000 to promote further sharing of ideas. For information go to: http://www.grassrootsandgroundwork.nwaf.org

TOOLS

--Latest Minnesota Salary Survey Now Available! The Minnesota Salary Survey, the state’s most comprehensive survey of its type, is now accessible online from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Labor Market Information Office. Current Minnesota employment and wage data for over 770 detailed occupations are available at http://www.mnwfc.org/lmi/oes Employment numbers in the survey are taken from the Occupational Employment Statistics Program for 2003, and wages are updated to 4th Quarter 2003. The overall median wage in the state is $14.86 per hour. By comparison, the 13-county Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area is seeing a median hourly wage of $16.18.

AND FINALLY……………………..

--Merger of Two Statewide Indian Organizations: The Minnesota American Indian Chamber of Commerce (MAICC) officially brought the Minnesota American Indian Tourism Association under its 501 (c) 3 umbrella during its annual members meeting. The chamber will promote responsible tourism as a means of economic development while respecting the integrity of tribal cultures, traditions and natural resources for the benefit of all. As a result, partnerships will be established wherein both Indian and non-Indian people will acknowledge the necessary role American Indian people can play in Minnesota tourism. Contact: Karri J. Plowman, Marketing Coordinator, Minnesota-American Indian Chamber of Commerce, 1508 E. Franklin Ave, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55404. Phone: 612-870-4533, or kplowman@maicc.org

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK OF THE MRP RURAL ROUND-UP NEWSLETTER! Send an email with your comments, ideas, and news contributions to jleonard@minnesotaruralpartners.org. And big thanks to Deb Miller Slipek for her incredible news and resource gatherings for these monthly newsletters.

Check out our calendar of events

Archive Issues:

April 2004
Mid-March 2004
March 2004
March 2004 Press Release
June 2003
Mar 2003
June 2002