On this episode, Marnie Werner, Vice President of Research and Operations, interviews CRPD Senior Research, Kelly Asche, to discuss highlights from this year’s State of Rural report. The State of Rural is an annual report tracking various economic and demographic trends in rural Minnesota.

EXCERPT: “Disappointed in a 2024 legislative session that ended with no bonding bill, Greater Minnesota organizations are encouraging the Legislature to focus on funds for infrastructure projects as this year’s session gets underway.  The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and the League of Minnesota Cities, whose requests often overlap, plan to push lawmakers to pass a bonding ...

Each year, the Center for Rural Policy and Development provides an update on various economic and demographic data pertaining to rural Minnesota. As policy discussions concerning the various regions of the state unfold, it is important to understand the past, present, and potential futures of rural regions. This report provides historical data points illustrating how ...

January 2025 By: Kelly Asche, Senior Research Every year, the Center for Rural Policy and Development publishes the “State of Rural,” a report that tracks various economic and demographic trends in rural Minnesota. The following is a highlight from that report, which will be published the week of January 13th, 2025. It’s common knowledge that ...

EXCERPT: “A long-running local government collaboration in southwestern Minnesota is helping to insulate the region from the kind of controversies and misinformation that have plagued rural clean energy projects in other states. The Rural Minnesota Energy Board has its origins in a regional task force that was set up during the mid-1990s as the state’s first ...

By Sarah Harstad, Ph.D., Researcher Why should business owners start planning so early? The Center for Rural Policy and Development’s recent report on business ownership succession showed that 81% of business owners are not prepared for succession or exit when the opportunity comes up or when they decide to go through with it. On the ...

EXCERPT: “Even as the city of Moorhead has grown, Minnesota State University Moorhead has shrunk. More than 45,000 people live in Moorhead, a 17% increase over the past decade and a 40% increase since 2000. At the same time, the university’s enrollment has steadily decreased for two decades. In 2007, more than 7,500 students were ...

In December, researcher Sarah Harstad Ph.D, released a report titled “Rural Minnesota Business Succession and Sale: Barriers and Opportunities“. On this episode, Director Research, Marnie Werner, dives deep into the research with Sarah discussing her findings.

On December 11, 2024, researcher Sarah Harstad Ph.D, presented her research exploring some of the unique barriers and opportunities for business succession planning in rural Minnesota. Her presentation was followed by a panel discussion with experts in the field; Jon Keimig, Executive Director, University of St. Thomas Family Business Center Michael Darger, Extension Specialist, University ...

  December 2024 By Sarah Harstad, Ph.D. Click here for a pdf version of this report. The future is here Minnesota is facing a threat to the economic and social life of rural areas. According to data from the U.S. Census, 53% of Minnesota business owners are over age 55.[1] The state boasts over 525,000 ...