Category: Rural Minnesota Radio

Neela Mollgaard has spent the last twenty years helping entrepreneurs in Greater Minnesota get their business ideas off the ground, first with Red Wing Ignite and now with LaunchMN, a new effort from the state to foster high-tech startups. We talk about what worked with Red Wing Ignite and now what LaunchMN is doing with ...

Access to healthcare services has been an issue in rural areas for years. Our upcoming report takes a big dive into the reasons why, from the policies to the business models that cause services to be offered in one location but disappear from others.  CRPD research associate and project lead Kelly Asche joins Marnie and ...

  We wrap up our conversation with Brad Finstad, state director for USDA Rural Development, about rural policy and its impact on rural communities and how the Center helps with the understanding of complicated issues.

  After more than 15 years, we’re closing down RuralMN Radio. Former president Brad Finstad joins Marnie and Jim to talk in his capacity as state director for USDA Rural Development about what’s going on around rural Minnesota, what the Center is doing, and the synergies between federal and state funding for rural areas.  While ...

As we close in our final RuralMN Radio in two weeks, we take a look back at how things have changed in rural Minnesota over the last fifteen years, including the engagement of the rural voice.

  As we close in our final RuralMN Radio in two weeks, we take a look back at how things have changed in rural Minnesota over the last fifteen years, including the advent of broadband and the ups and downs of the economy.

  Our newest publication is “Letters to the New Governor,” a collection of essays by experts around the state writing on an overview of the issues in Greater Minnesota. Some of the authors include Tim Penny and Charlie Weaver on why the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota need each other, Gary Wertish and Kevin Paap ...

  Kelly Asche, research associate at the Center, has been working on the next part of his workforce series, this time looking at people recruitment around Greater Minnesota. There’s a big difference between traditional economic development strategies—attracting jobs—and the strategies being used now to attract people, Kelly tells us. 

  This week we talk about the Center’s newest undertaking: a new blog that will discuss our latest research and other rural issues. We’ll be posting new pieces weekly, at least for now during the legislative session, and at least bi-weekly after that.  We also talk about the Center’s new State of Rural report for ...