Personally, I don’t think we have the luxury of creating communities that are attractive to everyone.  Communities need to figure who is the best target market (boomers or millennials) and develop a plan that creates a product these individuals want.  

That said, I think it’s a mistake to ignore the community’s current residents.  How would you like it if you were a senior living in a rural community that only did things for young people?

Can we have our cake and eat it too? 

Sounds like I want to have it both ways, and in a way I do.  What I’m saying is if your community development strategy is going to focus on attracting new young residents, just don’t forget about the people who are already living there. 

To clarify, I’ve created the following list of ways that I think this can occur.

4 ways to include everyone

1. Develop community events that appeal to people of all ages. For example, if you want to appeal to a younger demographic by hosting a festival, consider how it will be attractive to all generations.

2. Help older generations learn how to use social media tools. Many communities are building marketing strategies around Facebook because the tool has appeal with younger generation. You can help bridge this gap by holding some classes that help people create their own Facebook profiles.

3. Create places where people of all generations can gather for informal conversation. It’s that third place concept that we’ve talked about so much. If you are working to attract young people, you may want to develop a coffee shop; but make sure that it still has appeal to older generations as well.

4. Encourage leadership of all ages. If all ages are represented on the city council, county commission, and the commercial/community club boards, then the decisions made are more likely to benefit all age groups

So keep in mind it’s perfectly acceptable for communities to develop projects and activities that focus on a specific group, like millennials.  But at the end of the day, these projects and activities will be more successful if the existing residents can answer “What’s in it for me?”

But a recent newsletter from Northern Great Plains, Inc., reminded me that we can’t forget about the people who already live in our rural communities.  It’s a bit long, but the following quote captures this idea:

Any rural development strategy must recognize the importance of defining what kind of region young people today will want to live in the future and work towards it. However, these same efforts must maintain a balance between the interests and needs of young families and workers and the desire of the region’s older population to remain in the region and live in a safe and comfortable environment. The challenge economic developers and city planners face is one of creating rural places that will be welcoming for young people and also making it the passion of older people to create a region for both young and old to live in.”

 This is good advice, especially when one considers this USDA Study suggesting Baby Boomers are looking to move to rural communities. 

But at the same time, it raises the question: Do our rural communities have enough resources to invest in being attractive to both Boomers and Millennials?

There’s a lot of good advice for communities in the article.  What caught my attention, however, was how Marshall, MN is using the web and social media as a part of their economic development plan.  Mark Hanson, economic development director with the City of Marshall, MN is quoted in the article saying:

“Cities like Marshall don’t have a lot of money to spend on marketing and advertising.  We have to find the best ways to spend what we have. We have decided to stop printing brochures. The website is less expensive and we can continuously update it.”

Brochures, no! Website, yes…and Facebook and Twitter too!

When I took a quick a quick peek at Marshall’s Facebook  and Twitter accounts, I was impressed: mostly updates on events and news articles, with a few video’s added for extra flavor.  Through it we get a more authentic look at Marshall than if we were looking at a flashy brochure.  

We’ve previously listed other communities that have created Facebook Pages (Energize Clinton County (OH), Webster, SD and Miller, SD) as a part of their economic development strategies.  We definitely think it’s a move in the right direction.

As more and more communities embrace this strategy, however, we need to start asking:  How has creating a Facebook page made an impact on your community?  What is the measurable impact?  Any new businesses come to town?  Do you see community problems getting solved on-line?  What’s actually happening?  If you have some answers, we hope you will share. 

Note:  Congratulations to the South Dakota communities of Milbank, Watertown, Arlington, Eureka, Britton, and Roslyn on the recent opening of Link It Software offices.

The goal for the smart meters, which track electric consumption on a real time basis, is to provide customers and utilities with the information needed to better manage electricity usage. 

Today, however, we learn that some individuals fear this technology will be an intrusion into their personal lives and won’t help achieve the goal of saving money through conservation.  That observation comes from a Sioux Falls Argus Leader story titled “Smart meters touted for ability to help conserve, but critics are skeptical.“  

I understand the privacy concerns, and I do think more thought needs to go into the rules governing how the information is stored and used.  But as SD Public Utilities Commission Chairman Dusty Johnson states in the Argus Leader story, it’s the job of the PUC to protect consumers, and I trust them in this regard.

Other reasons to support Smart Grid

In addition to the argument that smart meters will help reduce consumption, I’d like to offer a few other reasons I think the benefits of smart grid technology outweigh the concerns over privacy. 

First, I hope that putting smart meters in people’s homes will help people better understand how our electric system works.  Generally, the system is a mystery to Americans.  How is the energy that reaches our home produced? Why is energy during peak demand more expensive?  What can be done to increase the amount of renewable energy in production? 

Second, I believe that investing in smart grid technology will help rebuild an archaic grid system.  As one energy expert writes “Basically, we’re talking about a 19th century system from the days of Edison and Westinghouse that uses 20th century equipment in an effort to keep up with a 21st century economy.” (See “Electronomics: Why We Need Smart Grid Technology and Infrastructure Today”)  That just a recipe for disaster.

Third, I see increased development of renewable energy sources (like wind energy) because of smart grid technology. We know that the intermittency of wind energy creates a barrier for the industry.  With better management software being developed as a part of smart grid technology, we should expect to see renewable energy sources becoming a bigger part of the energy mix. 

And finally, I hope that this initial investment in smart meters will be the first step in producing a microgrid system that turns consumers into producers by using smart grid technology to produce more energy locally.  Back in July, Fast Company published a great article on this subject titled “Why the Microgrid Could be the Answer to our Energy Crisis.”  The vision in the article may be a bit utopian, but I believe it’s a vision worth reaching for.   

So, what’s the connection here to rural communities?  Obviously, rural communities stand to benefit from increased renewable energy production.  And all consumers, will benefit from reduced electricial usage.  I’m sure there are other benefits, as well as risks.   I would invite others to share their thoughts as I continue to learn about this subject. 

Photo Credit:  Beige Alert - Flickr

The story, reported by Charles Michael Ray, noted that the community stands to benefit from the creation of additional “green jobs” if the Climate Bill passes Congress.  It goes on to note that some community members fear that it will have an adverse affect on their livelihoods.  

What captured my attention, however, was a quote offered by Robert Mommaerts, who oversees the molding process for the wind turbine blades manufactured by Knight & Carver in Howard.  He said:

Not only do I enjoy my job but I enjoy the fact that I’m making a difference in the world by doing my job,” Mommaerts says.  ” I’ve always been interested in alternative energy and being able to actually help make it a reality is just that much more enriching for me,” he says.

Mommaerts goes on to tell Ray that he wants to live in a rural place like Howard because it offers “a safe, wholesome place to raise a family.”

Green Jobs are important

There’s little doubt that creating jobs has been an important part of Howard’s recent economic success. But Mommaerts reminds us that young people today don’t just want any job:  they often want a job that also allows them to make a difference (read more on Gen Y characteristics here.)

That is something that more economic development professionals may want to think about as they work to establish new businesses.  Perhaps all jobs are not created equal.  Especially not if the goal is to attract young people.

Collins, the assistant director of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University, wrote his post titled “Speak your peace: Longer School Year, and Better,” in response to President Obama’s call for lengthening the number of days in the school year.  While recognizing that lengthening the school year should improve education, Collins sees a bigger opportunity: 

If we’re going to lengthen the school year, let’s talk about real changes that will not only improve student achievement, but also build rural communities capable of participating effectively in the new green economy.

Schools and communities getting better together?  Yes!

The Roots of the Miner County story are in education

In Miner County, SD we view the Miner County Cash Flow Study, conducted in 1996 by high school students, as the start of our transformational activities.  In this project, the students sought to reverse a decline in local purchasing by (1) studying local spending habits through a community survey, (2) sharing what they learned with community residents, and (3) challenging everyone to spend 10% more of their income locally in the upcoming year. 

It was the type of learning that doesn’t come from a textbook and definitely can’t be measured on a standardized test.  But equally important, it met two of the community needs:  it helped strengthen local businesses and increased tax revenues for the City of Howard.  In following year, residents increased local spending by approximately 40%. 

These and other place-based learning activities conducted in the school over the next few years strengthened the connection between the school and community. The work also played a key role in the Northwest Area Foundation selecting Miner County as their first partner in the Community Ventures program.

How can this be done?

Collins answers his call for change by producing a litany of outstanding ideas for connecting schools and communities.  It’s good stuff!  Not only do his ideas provide value to rural communities, but they also help build a bridge to the green economy and youth entrepreneurship. 

But how does one initiate the types of changes Collins advocates?  The following are a few thoughts I’d like to share. 

First, realize that no single person is going to accomplish change on this level by him or herself.  A superintendent or mayor can help lead the change.  But I think it requires deep conversation with the entire community. 

Second, find ways to prime the pump for conversation by making sure people are exposed to new ideas.  A good place to start would be with Collin’s ideas. Ask people to read and react to them.

Third, make sure young people are a part of the process.  Young people’s voices can produce powerful insights when adults treat them as partners. 

Whatever process is used, however, I think it’s important to remember that the essential question to focus on is “How do rural schools and communities get better together?” 

That’s Reimagining Rural Education. 

 Note:  The RLC is currently in the process of developing some free resources that help explain the Miner County Cash Flow Study.  Anyone interested in receiving the first one, titled the Miner County Cash Flow Study Resource Guide should sign up for it at the top of the sidebar.  Individuals who sign up will be notified as other resources are developed.

By Rita Edwards
You may have noticed the sign-up link for the Rural Housing Playbook in the right margin of this blog.  I have promised (for a long time now!) to explain why I think the Playbook is an important tool and how I think it presents a different approach to housing development in rural areas.

The Rural Housing Playbook provides a process rather than a formula for rural housing development.  BusinessDictionary.com provides the following definitions:

Process:

[A] sequence of interdependent and linked procedures which, at every stage, consume one or more resources (employee time, energy, machines, money) to convert inputs (data, material, parts, etc.) into outputs. These outputs then serve as inputs for the next stage until a known goal or end result is reached.

 Formula:

[An] equation or a set of instructions that solves a certain type of problems (sic) in a prescribed manner.  In a formula, the same set of inputs always produces the same output(s).

Since the Rural Housing Playbook was introduced in November 2008, I have described it as a process manual.  It is a guide that can help direct communities through several crucial steps toward producing a successful housing development.  From the very beginning I definitely wanted to distinguish it from a formula.  No two communities can come up with the same inputs to produce the same outputs or results.  That’s not what the Playbook is intended to do.  The goal of the Playbook is to help communities develop housing that meets their unique needs, not to provide a blueprint or formula for developing any specific type of housing.

People aren’t going to learn how to develop housing in their communities by reading the Playbook.  They will have to jump into the process and learn by doing.  A “process approach” emphasizes involving all the relevant stakeholders.  I think that approach is another factor that makes the Playbook unique.  It promotes and encourages community-wide teamwork, collaboration and involvement to identify a goal or reach a result that serves the whole community.

Applying the process definition above to the Playbook, its modules serve as the “interdependent and linked procedures” for communities to “consume resources to convert input into outputs.”  Each module presents different opportunities for communities to convert inputs (the talent, efforts and research of their residents) into outputs (a team ready to work together, a knowledge of their assets and needs, an identification of projects that meet those needs).  Ultimately, the communities convert those outputs into whatever end result or goal they choose

That process approach-of bringing together the stakeholders that have an interest in creating a better community- is what sets the Playbook apart.  From community engagement and self discovery to concept and design, the Playbook gives suggestions for building a team and tackling the community’s housing needs together.  Communities working through each of the modules can build a better knowledge of their own needs and what can be done to meet those needs.  Because the resources and inputs will be different for each community, each output will be different, too.

The Playbook also presents an opportunity for communities to learn about housing development not only from experts and resource providers, but from their peers as well.  The Playbook has been introduced in regional meetings that bring together representatives from several area communities.  The goal of these meetings is to connect communities with one another, creating an informal learning network where they can learn from each other.  In each of these regional meetings it has been rewarding to see communities connecting with each other, sharing information and ideas.

If your community is interested in engaging in the process, use the link to access your copy of the Playbook.  Or, check out the Rural Housing Playbook website directly.  As Coordinator for the project, I would be happy to visit with you!

Note:  Individuals may also want to attend one of the regional Rural Housing Playbook Conferences. The next conference will be held sometime this winter in Britton, SD. Check back soon at this link for the date.

The town of Harrisonburg, VA has started something called the Harrisonburg Summits  to create intentional opportunities for public conversation around important issues facing the community.  The idea in and of itself isn’t new.  What puts it over the top, in my mind, is the use of Open Space Technology. 

What’s Open Space Technology?

I first learned about Open Space Technology at an Art of Hosting training sponsored, in part, by the Rural Learning Center.  The RLC understands that conversation, and the ability to host conversation, is a critical need in our rural communities.  Open Space is one tool we use to do that.  At its most basic, Open Space is a facilitation process that allows meeting participants to create the agenda around a specified topic based on what’s most important to the people in the room.  Several conversations are hosted at one time, and people can choose to participate in whichever is most interesting to them.   There is a lot more to it, but the premise that it genuinely allows the voices of those in the room to influence the outcome is most important here.  This is vital if your goal is to engage people both in conversation, and then in the work that follows. 

See what Harrisonburg residents think of the process in the video below. 

The importance of involvement from the start.

Why is it so important to engage people in the process of creating the agenda?  I think the answer begins and ends with one principle: people care more about ideas and projects that they feel a part of.  Gone are the days when a city leader can come to a group of people with a project identified and execution planned, and simply ask for their help in doing the work.  People want to feel more a part of the process, and their ownership is fundamental to getting the project completed.  That ownership is one of the reasons why the community building work in Miner County has been so successful; people’s individual ideas and passions became the community’s ideas and passions.  And they were willing to work hard to make things happen.

The Harrisonburg Summit webpage indicates that the summit started as a one-time project. They indicate that it continued because “the event was so successful.” What I would surmise is that the summits have continued because it has created a renewed sense of ownership and contribution for residents.  They have become a part of something that matters. 

If your community is looking for a meaningful way to engage residents, I think the Harrisonburg model is something to consider.

I explained to the group that we feel “ReImagine Rural” captures the essence of what the RLC believes about the future of rural communities:  that we need to pioneer a new future;  that this new future needs to be built on transformation — not revitalization; and that this process for rebuilding starts with re-thinking every aspect of our existence.  As Albert Einstein deftly stated decades ago,

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

This in turn reminded me of an open letter Karl Stauber, president of the of the Danville Regional Foundation, recently wrote to President Obama, pleading with the president to find a place for rural communities alongside his vision for urban places.

In the letter titled “Rural Economies must Change or Die,”  Stauber noted a struggle between the defenders of an “Old Economy” and those seeking to bring the “New Economy” to rural communities.  He also emphasized the need for rural communities to seek transformation, stating:

Rural communities used to be able to re-invent their competitive advantage every 50 to 75 years.  Now they must do this every 10 to 15 years.

Re-think. Re-invent.  Re-Imagine.  It’s interesting to think about attaching “re” to a lot of the verbs we use in community development.  Can it be that rural communities need to “re- everything” in our effort to rebuild Rural America?

Note: Karl Stauber is the former president of the Northwest Area Foundation, which helped launch the efforts of the Rural Learning Center with a 10-year partnership the foundation formed with Miner County Community Revitalization.

This isn’t the publishing company’s first foray into using social media as a means of marketing the book.  In fact, I first became aware of the book because of a YouTube video they produced months in advance of the book’s release — leading me to publish this post.

I’ve decided to become a fan of the Hollowing out the Middle Facebook page because I hope it will lead me to additional resources on the book’s focus - which is how rural communities can stem youth outmigration.  

Online listening is a skill that all rural leaders need to improve.  (FYI - we all need to improve our face-to-face listening skills as well.)  With that in mind, I thought I’d share a few ways that I listen for “Hollowing out the Middle.” 

4 Ways I listen for “Hollowing out the Middle”

• I subscribe to a Google Alert for “Hollowing out the Middle”. This helps me receive new on-line content that is indexed by Google. (Resource explaining Google Alerts)
• I subscribe to an RSS feed for updates to their “News” section on the Hollowing out the Middle website. This means I don’t have to return to their website looking for new content or changes. (Resource explaining RSS feeds)
• I follow the term “Hollowing out the Middle” on Twitter using Tweetdeck’ssearch function. Because Twitter is real time, I often get the latest comments and resources people share about the book. (Resources explaining the use of TweetDeck’s search function)
• I became a fan of Hollowing out the Middle’s Facebook Fan Page. Hopefully, I see updates on upcoming events in my Facebook stream so that I can participate live. (Resource explaining Facebook Fan Pages, Profiles, and Groups)

Some may think this may be listening overkill.  But I know the list is not all inclusive.  What it does, however, is makes sure that I am able to participate in any conversation occurring online on the subject.  If you know of other ways that I should be listening, I hope you will share. 

Note:  Other posts about Hollowing out the Middle on ReImainge Rural can be found here. 

Photo Credit:  wonderferret -  Flickr