Tag: economic development

by Marnie Werner, VP Research & Operations Between 2000 and 2015, the price of farmland went on a tear. Prices climbed to levels unseen before, making people nervous. Now, after a respite between 2015 and 2020 where prices stayed fairly level, the farmland market is heating up again. These record prices have implications not just ...

In this episode, CRDP researcher Whitney Oachs discusses her new research examining the issues, barriers and opportunities facing rural energy providers in shifting their infrastructure to renewable sources. She is joined by Tim Velde, who sits on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light & Power Association as well as on the ...

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

Every year the Center publishes the “State of Rural” report—a brief overview of demographic and economic trends from a rural perspective. This year’s report will be published in December 2021. Over the next few months, we will be writing here on our blog about some of the trends we’re looking at, taking a deeper dive into the data ...

On Thursday, December 9, 2021 we hosted a webinar presenting the results from our report on the “Amazon Effect” and rural sales tax revenues.  Along with our researchers, we heard from panelists with firsthand experience on the effects of online shopping: small business owners and county officials. Panelists included: Kelly Asche – Research Associate, CRPD ...

In our third episode of the Center of Everywhere Podcast, researcher Kelly Asche explores the topic of the amazon effect on retail and local tax revenue with UMN Extension community economics educators Neil Linscheid and Ryan Pesch. Online sales have permeated everyday life and their impacts stretch beyond convenience of shopping. Local leaders see the ...

By Kelly Asche, Research Associate Look around your community or even your nearby economic center where you do your shopping, and you may conclude that the retail sector is tanking. And yes, brick-and-mortar retail firms have been declining. But that doesn’t necessarily mean shoppers are spending less money at our physical retailers. In fact, we are spending more. And that has meant that the surviving retailers are performing rather well.  In our recent research report, “The ...

November 2021 Kelly Asche, Research Associate (CRPD) Neil Linscheid, Educator – Community Economics (U of MN Extension) Ryan Pesch, Educator – Community Economics (U of MN Extension) For a printable version of this report, click here. Online sales have permeated everyday life and their impacts stretch beyond convenience of shopping. Local leaders see the evidence ...

Grocery stores have been on Julie’s mind lately. As a member of the Waseca EDA, she finds herself thinking about ways and alternatives to attract a new grocery store business to the community to help fill a need that is currently only occupied by Walmart. On this episode, she discusses one alternative – cooperatives. She’s ...