EXCERPT: “A coalition of local agriculture and nonprofit interests want to know what small towns and rural communities can immediately do to attract and maintain large-scale businesses. To find out, Greenseam and the Center for Rural Policy and Development are asking lawmakers for $250,000 for an economic development study . . . Similar studies have been ...

With population growth expected to slow and workforce already short in many parts of Minnesota, population and population projections are worth paying attention to. The Center’s research associate Kelly Asche, author of this year’s State of Rural Minnesota report, breaks down the population change patterns across the state in this week’s RuralMN Radio. ...

EXCERPT: “U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $276 million in rural electric infrastructure to improve system efficiency and reliability . . . USDA’s $276 million investment will build nearly 1,000 miles of line and improve 733 miles of line to meet current and future needs of rural ...

EXCERPT: “Many older adults love the sense of community and the slower pace of life in rural America. But would health challenges there make life difficult?” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2Fvrqvg

EXCERPT: “City leaders in Greater Minnesota are lauding legislation introduced today that would boost state funding for grant and loan programs that help cities pay for expensive wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects. The bill, SF 2668/HF 3122, spearheaded by chief authors Sen. Gary Dahms (R-Redwood Falls) and Rep. Dean Urdahl (R-Grove City), allocates $167 million ...

On RuralMN Radio this week, the Center’s research associate Kelly Asche talks about our new report on the State of Rural Minnesota. In this first part, Kelly talks about just how we’re defining rural. There’s more to it than you might think.

Each year, the Center for Rural Policy and Development produces the State of Rural Minnesota report, a brief update on the economy and demography of rural Minnesota. As policy discussions concerning rural Minnesota unfold, it is important to understand the past, present, and potential futures of our rural regions.

We talk some more with Thomas Hoff from the Southwest-West Central Service Cooperative in Marshall about LYFT Pathways, a program that is re-introducing kids to technical careers like manufacturing and health care by teaming up with businesses in southwestern and south central Minnesota. Nowadays, two-year vs four-year degree isn’t the issue, Hoff says, but what ...

EXCERPT: “Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today unveiled a new webpage featuring resources to help rural communities respond to the opioid crisis. ‘While no corner of the country has gone untouched by the opioid crisis, small towns and rural places have been particularly hard hit,’ Hazlett said. ‘The challenge of opioid misuse is an ...

Thomas Hoff from the Southwest-West Central Service Cooperative in Marshall joins us this week to talk about LYFT Pathways, a program that is re-introducing kids to technical careers like manufacturing and health care by teaming up with businesses in southwestern and south central Minnesota.