June-July 2007 – Volume V, Number 6 & 7
(Note we are issuing one newsletter for June & July – have a great July 4 holiday!)

Compiled by Deb Miller Slipek
Jane Leonard, Editor

IN THIS ISSUE:       
--Funding
--Meetings
--Opportunities
--Miscellaneous

FUNDING

--Minnesota Sesquicentennial Grants will be available starting July, 2007. Check out the website at www.mn150years.org for more information that will be posted next week.  (Also please add your events and projects to the Sesqui calendar – available on the same website. The Sesqui will be as special as we all make it – so contribute your great ideas, events, and projects!)

--The MN Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) through the Business and Community Finance Division is pleased to announce that the Application Packet for the 2008 Small Cities Development Program is now on their website.  Funds for the Program are provided to DEED from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the benefit of eligible non-entitlement local units of government (cities, counties, townships) on an open application, competitive basis for a variety of community development needs.
Find this new information at:   http://www.deed.state.mn.us/SCDP/ScdpAppPacket.htm.
If you have any questions, please contact Gloria Stiehl at 651-297-1530 or e-mail at gloria.stiehl@state.mn.us.

--The KnowledgeWorks Foundation, in partnership with the American Architectural Foundation is seeking submissions for the Richard Riley Award. The $10,000 award recognizes design and educational excellence in "schools as centers of community." It will be given to a public or charter school that provides social, civic, recreational, and artistic opportunities to students and the broader community. The deadline is July 9. For more information visit http://www.richardrileyaward.org/en/Index.asp.  

--Clean Renewable Energy Bonds applications are due July 13 for the second round of CREB tax credit allocation. This program will offer an additional $400 million in CREB financing authority. To learn more about the program and how Minnesota fared in the first round, see http://www.nextstep.state.mn.us/res_detail.cfm?id=2178 for additional information go to: http://www.elpc.org/energy/farm/crebs.php
--The Housing Assistance Council has Green Fund Capacity Grants of up to $15,000 to promote the effective use of green building technologies for the development of affordable rural housing.  Selected grant recipients must use the awarded funds to support green building/healthy homes techniques and practices in their housing development activities. Supported by Home Depot, applications are due July 15.    For information, visit http://www.ruralhome.org/infoAnnouncements_GreenFund07.htm.
 
--Patagonia Environmental Grants Program provides support for environmental work through grants to nonprofit organizations. The company supports small, grassroots organizations with provocative direct-action agendas and multi-pronged campaigns designed to preserve and protect the environment.  Patagonia funds environmental work that is action-oriented, builds public involvement and support, is strategic, focuses on root causes, accomplishes specific goals and objectives. Applicants must have nonprofit 501(c)(3) status or a tax-exempt  fiscal sponsor.  Most grants range between $3,000 and $8,000 each. Deadline is August 31, 2007. Visit the Patagonia Web site for complete program information:  http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/patagonia.go?assetid=2942

--NALAC Fund for the Arts - Supporting Latino artistic innovation, self determination and community empowerment.  The NALAC Fund for the Arts (NFA) has successfully completed a two year pilot and has begun its third year cycle in 2007.  NALAC members who are Latino working artists, ensembles and small and mid-sized Latino arts and cultural organizations are eligible to apply. Grants range in size from $2,500 to $10,000. NFA grants provide organizational support to help build the internal capacity of Latino arts organizations, support the creation and presentation of works by Latino independent artists and ensembles, and strengthen communities by investing in the creative and cultural assets of Latinos in the U.S.  Applications can be submitted in English or in Spanish. The NFA application and guidelines are available on the NALAC website:  http://www.nalac.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=4&Itemid=31

MEETINGS

--Active Living Minnesota Summit - best practices from Minnesota Communities. Discover the future of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota’s funding to the Active Living Minnesota movement and learn from other communities and colleagues throughout Minnesota. Nationally recognized physical activity and community design expert Mark Fenton will provide both insightful and entertaining perspectives.  Tuesday, July 17, 8:30. – 4:30 at the Oakridge Conference Center, 1 Oakridge Drive, Chaska, MN  55318. No fee but RSVP with Valerie Schoepf at 612-662-2844 or valerie_schoepf@bluecrossmn.com

--First Nations Oweesta Corporation and the Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund are pleased to offer Expanding Native Opportunity: Native Financial Skills Initiative, a comprehensive financial education training and technical assistance program for Native communities on August 28-30 in Minneapolis.  This initiative offers a three-day instructor training and certification program to help Native CDFIs, tribes and other Native organizations establish and sustain financial education programs in their communities.  Participants will also have access to free, customized follow-up technical assistance to assist with program implementation and delivery.  Each session will be open to ten Native CDFIs, tribes and other Native organizations.
Upon completion of the training, participants will be prepared to successfully pass the Building Native Communities certification exam to become certified financial education trainers.  The cost for the trainings is only $25.00 per person, but participants are responsible for their own travel costs.  Applicants must agree to send at least two and up to four participants.  For more information, contact Joanna Donohoe, Oweesta's Program Director for Financial Education and Asset Building at 561-626-9700 or joanna@oweesta.org.  To download an application, please visit www.oweesta.org/nfsi
 
OPPORTUNITIES

--Website Available for Public Input into Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan  The public/private partnership developing a Statewide Conservation and Preservation Plan (SCPP) for the state of Minnesota has announced that the Plan website (www.mnconservationplan.net) is now up and running, and is the best place for concerned citizens and organizations to provide input into the planning process. The site also provides information on the planning project’s goals, methods and deliverables; and will provide an opportunity for interested parties to view and provide feedback on the plan’s components as they are developed.

The SCPP project has been funded by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). The project team is led by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment in partnership with consulting firms Bonestroo and CR Planning. As this plan will guide natural resource conservation and preservation efforts within the state of Minnesota for the next 50 years, the LCCMR and the project team hope for the involvement of concerned citizens and organizations around the state with local knowledge to contribute and/or a vision to share.
The team is currently developing a Preliminary Plan (to be completed June 30th, 2007) which will:
• Gather existing data to summarize the current condition of natural resources in Minnesota
• Incorporate input from concerned citizens and organizations
• Identify major issues and trends affecting our natural heritage
For more information and to get involved:
Project website: www.mnconservationplan.net
Project email: info@mnconservationplan.net

--The MN Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), would like to invite you a listening session closest to you this summer.   The theme of the listening sessions: "Minnesota Competes: 21st Century Action for Economic and Workforce Development". There are eight listening session locations to choose from and you are encouraged to attend to share your ideas and comments.  All meetings are free and open to anyone who would like to attend.   For more information on these meetings visit:  http://www.positivelyminnesota.com/events/forummeetings.htm

--Heartland Community Action is hosting a "Bridges Out of Poverty Conference on Wednesday August 15 from 9 AM to 4 PM in Willmar, and invites our entire network to participate. This event is the first in at 3-Step Plan to end poverty in communities throughout Minnesota.  Registration fee is $10 and includes lunch. Registration Deadline is August 1. For more information contact Debi Brandt at Heartland Community Action Agency at 320-235-0850 or Debib@heartlandcaa.org

--2007 Governor’s Faith and Community Service Initiatives Best Practices Awards Nominations are now being accepted. Nominations are accepted through August 10. Nominees will be considered for entry into a best practices database where practices worthy of replication can be highlighted. Nomination forms and additional information about the awards criteria may be found at www.faithandcommunity.state.mn.us.

--The Rural Community Assistance Corporation accepting nominations for its 2008 Outstanding Rural Volunteer Award. Nomination forms are available online at http://www.rcac.org/doc.aspx?284. The honoree will receive an award, a reception held in his/her community and $4,000 to donate to a charitable organization in her/his community. The deadline is October 19.

    
MISCELLANEOUS

--HUD is asking for ideas for changes to its manufactured home standards, procedures, and enforcement.  It will accept comments continuously. See Federal Register, 5/4/07, p. 25327 or call 202-708-6409.

--The Housing Assistance Council (HAC) has release its newly updated guide, Lending on Native American Lands: A Guide for Rural Development Staff. It includes information on new USDA regulations and policies, as well as resources from other sources. To download, go to www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/aian/.
 
--2007 Farm Bill Feature - Agricultural policy affects not only the economic well-being of farm households, but also our food supply, the environment, and the future of rural communities. The current farm law (the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002) remains in force only through 2007. In the upcoming months, the agriculture committees in Congress will be crafting legislation that will become the next farm law, and they have already begun to debate the issues. ERS analysts examine the economic effects of current farm legislation on producers, consumers, taxpayers, and rural communities, and evaluate potential effects of alternative policies and programs. This expanded web feature presents a selection of ERS research and analysis on issues that the farm bill debate will address. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/Features/FarmBill2007/
 
-- America’s Diverse Family Farms, 2007 Edition -American farms encompass a wide range of sizes, ownership structures, and business types, but most farms are still family farms. Family farms account for 98 percent of farms and 85 percent of production. Although most farms are small and own most of the farmland, production has shifted to very large farms. Farms with sales of $1 million or more make up less than 2 percent of all farms, but they account for 48 percent of farm product sales. Most of these million-dollar farms are family farms. Because small-farm households rely on off-farm work for most of their income, general economic policies, such as tax or economic development policy, can be as important to them as traditional farm policy. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB26/
 
--Structure and Finances of U.S. Farms: Family Farm Report, 2007 Edition - U.S. farms are diverse, ranging from small retirement and residential farms to enterprises with annual sales in the millions. Nevertheless, most U.S. farms—98 percent in 2004—are family farms. Even the largest farms tend to be family farms. Large-scale family farms and nonfamily farms account for 10 percent of U.S farms, but 75 percent of the value of production. In contrast, small family farms make up most of the U.S. farm count, produce a modest share of farm output, and receive substantial off-farm income. Many farm households have a large net worth, reflecting the land-intensive nature of farming. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB24/

--AMBER WAVES, JUNE 2007 -Amber Waves presents the broad scope of ERS’s research and analysis.   This edition covers topics including the importance of farm payments, the economic disadvantages of rural low-wage workers, food security and much more.  See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/June07/
 
--Struggling to Feed the Family: What does it mean to be Food Insecure? - Food security—consistent access to enough food for active healthy living—is strongly associated with income, but household circumstances and State-level policies and economic conditions also matter. Health problems are more prevalent among members of food-insecure households than among otherwise similar individuals living in food-secure households. Food security statistics provide reliable information on the hardships households face in meeting basic food needs. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/June07/Features/Struggling.htm
 
--The Importance of Farm Program Payments to Farm Households - Less than half of all farms—43 percent in 2005—receive farm program payments. Large family farms represent 8 percent of all farms but they receive 58 percent of commodity program payments going to farms. Two-thirds of recipient farms receive less than $10,000 in payments, accounting for only 7 percent of their gross cash farm. Payments represent 13 percent of gross cash farm income for those that receive more than $30,000 in payments. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/June07/Features/FarmProgram.htm
 
--AMBER WAVES SPECIAL ISSUE, MAY 2007  This special issue of Amber Waves, the magazine of the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS), provides a closer look at key farm policy topics likely to be considered in the farm bill debate. The issue contains reprints and updates of articles and statistics highlighting: commodity programs, conservation, food and nutrition, rural development, and energy. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/May07SpecialIssue/

--Environmental Credit Trading: Can Farming Benefit? Environmental credit trading is a market-based approach to complying with regulations with the potential to achieve pollution abatement goals at least cost to society. Agriculture can contribute to credit trading programs by generating pollution-reduction credits through the adoption of environmentally preferred practices and selling the credits to regulated firms. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/May07SpecialIssue/Features/Environmental.htm
 
--Ethanol Reshapes the Corn Market - This article examines the possible market impacts of the ongoing expansion of the U.S. ethanol sector. To meet the sector’s growing demand for corn, some U.S. corn is likely to be diverted from exports and feed. In the future, corn may cease to be the main feedstock for U.S. ethanol production if cellulosic biomass is successfully developed as an alternative. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/May07SpecialIssue/Features/Ethanol.htm

--Managing Risk with Revenue Insurance -This Amber Waves article analyzes how crop revenue insurance offers farmers a way to manage revenue variability that results from yield and price risks. Revenue insurance has become a major part of the subsidized Federal crop insurance program but there are difficulties in using single-commodity and whole-farm revenue insurance as a farm income policy tools. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/May07SpecialIssue/Features/Insurance.htm

--Policy Options for a Changing Rural America - Rural communities have changed dramatically since 1990 due to increased population from urban areas, shifts in age and ethnic composition, and economic and industrial restructuring. Increasing competition from abroad and sectoral shifts in employment present new challenges and opportunities in the worldwide economy and raise the question - how can rural communities successfully build on their economic base and other assets to retain and attract population and employment?  And, when, where, and under what circumstances will rural development strategies be most successful? Rural policy for the future will need to encompass a broad array of issues, and these different rural issues will require different mixes of solutions. Strategies to generate new employment and income opportunities, develop local human resources, and build and expand critical infrastructure hold the most promise for enhancing the economic opportunities and well being of rural America. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/May07SpecialIssue/Features/Policy.htm
 
--Food Assistance: How Strong is the Safety Net? - Food-assistance programs provide a safety net to help U.S. households purchase sufficient food. These programs, particularly the Food Stamp Program, increase food spending and household income. In 2004, adding food stamp benefits to recipients’ incomes raised 9 percent of recipients out of poverty. Food assistance programs, particularly the school meals and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs, have also been promoted as offering access to essential nutrients and minerals, however, the nutritional effects of these programs are uncertain. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/May07SpecialIssue/Features/Food.htm

--Emphasis Shifts in U.S. Conservation Policy -This article describes the policy shift in the 2002 Farm Bill toward increased funding of conservation policies, and shifting conservation priorities. The share of conservation funds allocated to working lands (land used for crop production or grazing) will increase, a modest increase in retirement programs will focus largely on wetland restoration, and the role of benefit-cost targeting in working land programs will be reduced, potentially reducing the cost-effectiveness of these programs. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/May07SpecialIssue/Features/Emphasis.htm
 
--Unlocking Rural Competitiveness: The Role of Regional Clusters explores the question of what works best to promote economic growth in a specific rural area. It contains an online database with information for every state and county such as: the number of establishments and employees in each of the study’s 17 industry clusters and six manufacturing subclusters; educational attainment; average wage per cluster; housing information and building permits; labor force statistics; demographics; and, varying indices of rurality. The authors, a team from Purdue University’s Center for Regional Development, the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, and the Strategic Development Group, stress that rural economies are driven by more than just agriculture and that counties should not be classified as either rural or urban, but instead should fall along a continuum between the two extremes. Unlocking Rural Competitiveness: The Role of Regional Clusters is available at http://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/innovation/reports.html. To view maps illustrating the location of industry clusters across the country, visit http://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/innovation/maps.html. The online database may be accessed by visiting http://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/innovation/data.html.

--LISC’s Educational Facilities Financing Center (EFFC) has published the "2007 Charter School Facility Finance Landscape," an updated and expanded mapping survey of public and nonprofit financing programs for charter school facilities across the nation. With support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, it includes descriptions of financing products and geographic markets for 25 private nonprofit providers active in the sector and two public-private partnerships in Indianapolis and Massachusetts. This publication can be downloaded at http://www.lisc.org/content/publications/detail/5319. To request a hard copy of this report, please contact the EFFC at effc@lisc.org.

--The Spring 2007 issue of Community Investments is now available on the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's website.   This issue focuses on rural community and economic development issues, highlighting ways that practitioners and policy-makers are shifting their efforts toward the development of local assets, such as building leadership and entrepreneurial capacity, and looking for innovative ways to leverage limited resources to build housing, improve infrastructure, and reduce poverty.
Articles in this issue:
--Addressing Community and Economic Development in Rural America: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
--Si Se Puede: Developing Farmworker Housing in the 12th District
--Lending for Rural Development Projects: Infrastructure, Community Facilities, and Affordable Housing
--Morphing Rural Community Development Models: The Nexus between the Past and the Future
--Native Community Development Financial Institutions: Building a Foundation for Strong Native Economies
--Big Lessons from Small Rural Communities: Working to Reduce Poverty Long Term
--Ethanol Expansion in the United States: How will the Agricultural Sector Adjust?  A large expansion in ethanol production is underway in the United States. Cellulosic sources of feedstocks for ethanol production hold some promise for the future, but the primary feedstock in the United States currently is corn. Market adjustments to this increased demand extend well beyond the corn sector to supply and demand for other crops, such as soybeans and cotton, as well as to U.S. livestock industries. USDA’s long-term projections, augmented by farmers’ planting intentions for 2007, are used to illustrate anticipated changes in the agricultural sector. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/FDS/2007/05May/FDS07D01/
 
--Bioenergy - Rising fuel prices, environmental concerns, pressures for oil independence, and Federal energy policy are creating a strong market for renewable energy. Biofuel derived from plant materials is among the most rapidly growing renewable energy technologies. In the United States, corn-based ethanol is currently the largest source of biofuel as a gasoline substitute or additive. A new report and narrated slideshow highlight projected adjustments in the agricultural sector due to increased ethanol production. Market adjustments extend well beyond the corn sector to supply and demand for other crops, such as soybeans and cotton, as well as to U.S. livestock industries. As a consequence of these commodity market impacts, farm income, government payments, and food prices also change. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/Features/Bioenergy/

--WIC Program - The WIC Program Briefing Room provides a central point for obtaining information about research, publications, and data related to WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children). As the third largest USDA domestic food and nutrition assistance program, WIC serves over 8 million participants per month and costs exceeded $5 billion in fiscal 2006. See http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/WIC/
 
--"The Role of Small and Large Businesses in Economic Development" an article by Kelly Edmiston of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, examines traditional economic development approaches that rely on recruiting large enterprises.  Next, it explores whether promoting entrepreneurship and small businesses makes more sense as an economic development strategy.  Go to:
http://www.kansascityfed.org/PUBLICAT/ECONREV/ermain.htm?ealert=06053

--Blogging for civic engagement - join the conversation!  Campus Compact staff member John Hamerlinck started a new blog, Civic Engagement and Higher Education (http://campusincommunity.blogspot.com/), where civic engagement practitioners including college and university faculty, staff and students, community- based organizations and anyone else who is interested, can exchange their dreams and ideas for community-building as well as their suggestions for useful resources and partners in realizing those dreams and ideas.  Other blogs that might be of interest include:
• ·Peter Levine, director of CIRCLE (the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement - www.civicyouth.org) - www.peterlevine.ws/mt/  
• ·National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation: fostering a world of conversation, participation and action - http://thataway.org/index.php
• ·Smart Communities: Civic Change in Your Community and Beyond, by Suzanne Morse, director of the Pew Center for Civic Change - http://smartcommunities.typepad.com/suzanne/  
• ·Public Engagement, by Vic Bloomfield, Associate VP of Public Engagement at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities - http://blog.lib.umn.edu/victor/publicengagement/
 
--The Opportunities and Challenges of Educating "Newcomers"
Eight million newcomers or children of newcomers are in the US school system. Although the influx of newcomers poses challenges for schools, the knowledge, experiences, and culture the youth bring are also educational assets for educators. The current edition of "Voices in Urban Education" takes a look at how the diversity of immigrant students affects the education process and how a students' background impacts their ability to learn and succeed educationally. To learn more, visit http://www.annenberginstitute.org/VUE/spring07/Roth man.html.
 
--Our Native Circle (www.ournativecircle.org) has launched Circle Up, the Native community development listserve, in our ongoing effort to create a greater exchange of information for Native practitioners, Native CDFIs, Native communities, tribes, investors, funders and others.   Our Native Circle is the new online community development resource center, where members can blog, send stories, create forums, add events to the national calendar, etc.  Membership is free - http://www.ournativecircle.org/user/register and paid advertising, links and mini-sites are available.

--The Community Investment NetworkSM is your on-line, 24/7 Web-accessed resource for news, information, data, perspective and opinion, reliable research reports, and for networking; and, for easy access links to government, not-for-profit and corporate organizations and other information sources.  The Network contains helpful tools and resources for community development and investment interests in all locales and geographic areas.  The Network is available at no cost to community development leadership, civic leaders, public officials, journalists, researchers, public policymakers, funders, and thers. http://www.communityinvestmentnetwork.org/

--On Demand Ridesharing - this February the St. Paul Transportation Management Organization (TMO) brought the nation's first incentive-based ride network, a national web-based organization called NuRide, to the seven-county metro area. Estimating that a 10% increase in ridesharing decreases congestion delays by 50%, the TMO believes everyone would start getting around a bit more quickly if we all shared a ride once in a while.

NuRide is a free service is available to anyone with an organizational e-mail address (e.g., @state.mn.us, @target.com, @urbancoalition.org, @mcad.edu) and can be used for occasional single rides one-way or round-trip, for regular and semi-regular commuting, and for conference organizers who wish to facilitate carpooling to their events.

Working like a ride board, individuals who live and/or work in the Twin Cities metro area (or in the Houston, New York City or Washington, D.C. metro areas) can use NuRide up to 30 minutes before they need a ride. Like Metro Transit's carpooling service, riders/drivers can specify constraints (for example, only male riders, only non-smokers, number of riders, etc.). Riders and drivers "grade" each other anonymously so, for example, a rider might decide not to accept a ride offer from a driver who is ranked low on the punctuality scale.

For every trip, NuRiders (riders and drivers) earn roughly 100 points (equals about $1.00) which can be redeemed at local businesses (who help financially sponsor NuRide).  To learn more about NuRide and try it out, register at their web site http://www.nuride.com  For more detail and to request a speaker for your organization, contact Alex Stokman of the TMO at alex@saintpaulparking.com or 651/224-8999.

And Finally – last but not least - we have to put a plug in for the city of Wahkon, which I consider to be my hometown, the Small Town that Does It Big! – celebrating its Centennial this summer. My great-grandparents settled in Wahkon at the turn of the last century, immigrants from Sweden and Nova Scotia, and we still have the family farm on Hazelglade Lyback Road between Wahkon and Isle. Wahkon Presbyterian Church is also celebrating its 100th anniversary this summer and I’m awfully proud to say I’m a fourth generation Wahkon Presbyterian member. Share your stories of the special places in your lives for our next issue of the Round-Up!

EDITORS’ NOTE:  Please send us your news items and announcements. We’ll be putting out the August newsletter during the second week of August. You can send items to slipekc@aol.com or jleonard@minnesotaruralpartners.org (while Deb’s on vacation back at the dairy farm!)

Minnesota Rural Partners is a nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible.

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