2011 MRA Proceedings

Opportunity for Introspection

This year’s Midwest Rural Assembly (MRA) was combined with the National Rural Assembly, providing a different context and opportunity for MRA participants. With National Rural Assembly attendees convening in Saint Paul, Minnesota, around an agenda and program already jam-packed with information and discussions around the issues identified in the rural compact, the MRA provided an opportunity for regional participants to reflect on the policy and practices at work in the Midwest.

Gathering prior to the opening plenary of the National Assembly, MRA attendees focused on the beginnings of a Road Map for the future. They came from 12 states and one Canadian province. In building their Road Map, participants sought to identify successful policies and programs at work in their communities to improve education, the stewardship of natural resources, the health of our communities and community investment. The Road Map helped to guide these discussions and provided some context for how participants could best focus their time within the National Rural Assembly.

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National Rural Assembly to be held in St. Paul, MN, June 28-30, 2011

Join the National Rural Assembly in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 28-30 for a jam-packed agenda that addresses the most critical issues affecting rural communities today.

Learn more and register today at: www.2011.ruralassembly.org

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2010 Midwest Rural Assembly photoset

   

2010 MRA focused on welcoming young adults and network building
08/27/2010 - 15:57

Over 120 committed and passionate grassroots and "grasstops" leaders gathered on August 17-18, 2010, in South Sioux City, NE, for the second annual Midwest Rural Assembly. Together they represented a vast amount of practical knowledge on growing rural community prosperity. The resulting Proceedings documents what they shared and learned, and the priority activities they are moving forward.

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What’s going on in Hoffman, MN?
08/23/2010 - 13:26

Since Sheri left her comment, I’ve been scouring the Internet for information about what’s going on in Hoffman. For a small town of 672, there’s a lot out there. Perhaps the most informative sources are two short YouTube videos that capture Muriel’s presentation at this year’s Symposium on Small Towns at the University of Minnesota - Morris. I’ve embedded both videos below. (Note: unfortunately, the first part of Muriel’s presentation is missing.)

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Why rural communities need artists
08/21/2010 - 10:40

If I were in charge of giving out awards at the Midwest Rural Assembly, I’d give Becky McCray the “Best Tweet” award. While listening to Deb Marquart speak about the role of artists in communities, Becky tweeted:

“Grow more artists, not just corn and athletes. Artists are the ones who reimagine a place, help create the future. Deb Marquart #mra10“

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Why’s this place boring?
08/20/2010 - 10:31

Deb Marquart immediately captured my attention on Monday at the Midwest Rural Assembly. During her keynote presentation “Reimaging Place,” she explained to the audience that she left her hometown of Napoleon in rural North Dakota as a teenager because it was boring. As she wrote a book about it as an adult, however, she discovered it was anything but boring.

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What health care reform means for rural communities
08/18/2010 - 09:38

The challenges of providing adequate health care for rural residents has been a common theme throughout the Midwest Rural Assembly. Stephanie Larson of the Center for Rural Affairs discussed how the recently passed health reform law could benefit rural communities.

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USDA says "Think regionally"
08/17/2010 - 16:35

Thinking regionally and strengthening connections with urban centers are essential to strengthening economic activity in rural communities, Victor Vasquez, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development told participants at the Midwest Rural Assembly today.

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Not your grandfather's energy utility
08/17/2010 - 14:40

The small town of Milan, Minnesota is trying an innovative approach to reduce it's energy burden. At the Midwest Rural Assembly today, Cheryl Landgren of the Greater Milan Initiative and IATP's Shalini Gupta told participants about setting up the first rural sustainable energy utility (SEU) to help reduce the town's energy costs while supporting larger community goals of job creation and population retention.

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Navigating the Farm Bill for beginning farmers
08/17/2010 - 13:19

Thinking about getting back to your roots and farming/ranching? Well you might get help from an unlikely place—the farm bill. The 2008 farm bill established several new loans and grants specifically designed for beginning farmers. There might be something for you whether or not you are looking to go organic.

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Rural communities: Keep track of your water
08/17/2010 - 11:04

The flooding in rural Iowa was terrible for the cattle, the corn and the people, but what about the wastewater treatment systems? Joe Dvorak and Dennis Siders from the Midwest Assistance Program have been thinking about Midwest wastewater system for years. At the Midwest Rural Assembly yesterday, they led a learning roundtable session to talk about the problems that rural Iowa faces and the water infrastructure challenges that we all face.

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Spinning wheels on rural broadband
08/17/2010 - 11:03

At a learning roundtable at the Midwest Rural Assembly titled, "Broadband Regulation: What Title II Reclassification Means to Rural America" we tried to answer some tough questions: What does broadband access mean to rural America? How do different rural communities think of broadband access? What costs do rural communities bear that the urban areas don’t? Although, these questions are of central importance to rural America they are of little importance to the future of broadband. Why? The topic of broadband regulation has largely become a question of jurisdiction.

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