This week on Rural MN Radio, Jim and Marnie discuss network mapping. A group of community development practitioners from foundations, the U of M Extension, rural development commissions and other groups in central and west central Minnesota get together on a regular basis in LIttle Falls to share information and talk about what’s going on in rural Minnesota. After last year’s Finding the Voice of Rural Minnesota report, this group, Friends in the Field, decided to work out just what that voice looks like. The preliminary data is in and the group plans to have a report out later this summer.

Taking a snapshot of rural Minnesota’s voice

“Who owns rural Minnesota?” is the topic of this year’s Rural Minnesota Journal, but this year the Journal will be coming out in a new online, quarterly format. Jim and Marnie discuss the decision to go all online and this first quarter’s articles on the ins and outs of forestry and mining in Minnesota, especially timely topics for today.

RMJ 2014: Who owns rural Minnesota?

This week on Rural MN Radio, Jim and Marnie talk to Jan Saxhaug, labor analyst for the Department of Employment and Economic Development, about the rise of the boom in craft beer breweries. Saxhaug wrote an article on the topic for the December issue of DEED’s publication Minnesota Economic Trends.

Craft beer boom

This week on Rural MN Radio, Jim talks with the Center’s president Brad Finstad about the Center’s recent move to virtual offices. As a statewide organization, not being tied to one physical location is smart both financially and practically.

The Center goes virtual

Sam Walseth of the Minnesota Rural Education Association joins Jim and Marnie on Rural MN Radio to discuss the issues coming up in this year’s legislative session.

Rural education and the Legislature