Rural Round-Up Newsletter

March 2003

Dear Rural Partners:

In the dark days of winter, one bright spot has been a step-up in the frequency and depth of national rural development policy discussions. I've been to three since December. However, glaringly absent in many of those talks is grassroots involvement. It's one of the reasons why we created the online Rural Policy Forum so that everyone can provide input. Please check out the site.

While discussion is necessary and helpful, we also encourage action. Our Virtual Entrepreneurial Network is fully up and running through www.bizpathways.org. It's a customized approach to small business start-up and growth, encouraging entrepreneurship on both personal and community levels. We were fortunate to have our funder, the U.S. Department of Commerce, come out for a site visit in December, one of two visits across the country to promising Technology Opportunity Program projects. In the second year of operation, we are concentrating on registering as many service providers as possible so that resource information is as local as possible. Visit the site and register as an entrepreneur or as a service provider. That way everyone can have access to timely and local resources at their fingertips.

We're also working with partner states Iowa and Nebraska on a market development demonstration project for rural broadband demand this year. Stay tuned on this and on the National Rural Telecommunications Congress set for late September 2003 in Washington, D.C. I'm honored to be the program chair for this significant intersection of community leaders and telecom providers.

To help promote broader involvement in these projects, including the upcoming Rural Summit on Entrepreneurship (August 3-5 in Mankato), and to raise the visibility of all rural resources and resource providers scattered across the state, MRP is co-hosting Rural Resource Round-Ups this April and May. Look for these meetings in each of the six greater Minnesota economic development regions. Check out our website for dates and times near you. Contact Christy James at cjames@minnesotaruralpartners.org if you would like to co-host or sponsor a Rural Resource Round-Up in your area.

Jane Leonard, Acting Executive Director
jleonard@minnesotaruralpartners.org

Virtual Entrepreneurial Network

On a National/Regional level, we presented information about the Virtual Entrepreneurial Network at The National Rural TeleCongress Conference in Des Moines, IA and to a group of interested individuals in Devils Lake, North Dakota. If you are interested in learning more about the Virtual Entrepreneurial Network and BizPathways, or would like to request a presentation on how your community may become an Entrepreneurial Community Champion, please contact Christy James at cjames@minnesotaruralpartners.org.

Bizpathways

After ten weeks of scheduled beta testing, BizPathways emerged as a fully functioning site in October 2002. Our goals remain constant; BizPathways promotes entrepreneurial growth by connecting business owners with the resources in their area that can help them grow. There are almost 500 resources listed in the BP database - and that number grows daily. Traffic to the site fluctuates from 300-400 visits per week. Visitors seem to like what they see - more than 95% of the traffic is from return visitors. We currently have 219 registered users. Help us get the word out about BizPathways by adding your organization to our database of resources and telling your clients about us. If you have any questions about the website, please contact Ann Treacy at atreacy@minnesotaruralpartners.org.

Rural Policy Forum

The fall of 2002 was a busy time for the Rural Policy Forum. Three convenings were held.

The first was conducted in conjunction with the National Rural Telecongress' annual conference. The 2002 conference, Building Demand for Broadband, was held in DesMoines, IA, Oct. 6-9. The Rural Policy Forum asked folks to comment on what they are doing to build demand for broadband in their communities, why it is so important, and what would be an adequate rural broadband policy.

The Rural Policy Forum worked in collaboration with the Northwest Area Foundation to ask young people about the issues and challenges of rural poverty. The Northwest Area Foundation wanted to get a fresh perspective on these issues and the policy implications. Youth in Bemidji, MN and Fairfield, IA were asked to participate.

Also with the support of the Northwest Area Foundation, Minnesota Rural Partners and Rural Policy Research Institute coordinated a convening in conjunction with the Rural Matters: Making Place and Culture Count Conference held in Nebraska City, NE, October 19-21, 2002. The Rural Policy Forum sought feedback on the Nebraska City Declaration, a document intended to provide guiding principals for a national rural policy.

Minnesota Rural Summit 2003
Entrepreneurship: A Winning Game Plan for Rural Communities

Be sure to save the dates, August 3-5 for the 2003 Minnesota Rural Summit: Entrepreneurship: A Winning Game Plan for Rural Communities. Minnesota Rural Summit planning partners regard entrepreneurship not only as a means to create wealth but an attitude and action that reconnects with the pioneer roots of women and men who worked hard together, with few resources other than their hands, hearts and heads, to build the schools, churches and businesses of rural communities. Their vision, dedication and persistence can inspire us today to grow and succeed beyond our own perilous social and economic times, into a bright, rural renaissance for the 21st century. The 2003 Minnesota Rural Summit will focus on the pillars of public and private entrepreneurship: Enterprising Community Design, Healthcare, Education and Community Culture, and Capital. Stay tuned for more detail.

Federal Round Up

The Rural Information Center rural calendar features conferences, meetings, and workshops of interest to those involved with rural issues. Please check out the website for any updates or if you would like to post an event to the calendar.

Check out our calendar of events

Archive Issues:

Mar 2003
June 2002