Rural Minnesotans need to get their goods and themselves around. Jim speaks with guest state Rep. Clark Johnson, Nicollet County, about the importance of keeping up with our roads in rural Minnesota.
MnSure up and running
Even though the federal government is shut down, Minnesota’s new health care exchange service is up and running this week. This week on Rural MN Radio, Marnie and Jim talk with State Sen. Kathy Sheran and find out how not following the federal model has affected Minnesota’s venture.
Is mobile broadband the solution?
Mobile broadband is the next big thing in Internet service, allowing us to access cat videos from anywhere we can get a signal. Connect Minnesota recently released a study looking at the extent of mobile broadband in Minnesota and found that rural Minnesota was still behind the metro, as our Minnesota Internet Survey indicated last year. Mobile broadband holds a lot of promise for rural users, but issues like data caps and signal strength still need to be worked out before it can be really viable. And in the meantime, schools are moving ahead, supplying kids with technology they can’t use at home if they don’t have broadband.
Transitioning to the business of civilian life
In this edition of Rural MN Radio, Jim and Marnie talk about veterans returning to the civilian business community with Julie Nelson from the South Central Small Business Development Center at Minnesota State Mankato.
Flash droughts: anomaly or new standard?
On last week’s Rural MN Radio, Jim and Marnie talked about a new phenomenon meteorologists are noticing that they’ve dubbed “flash droughts.” More than just droughts, though, flash droughts are part of a strange pattern of weather we’ve been seeing in Minnesota where we go through sudden swings from wet weather to drought to wet to drought.
Whether this is here to stay or just a temporary anomaly, it does make us think about the impact our unpredictable weather can have, and not just for farmers, but for our water supplies as well.
Bringing ag to the city
The Minnesota State Fair is an oasis of mini donuts and corn dogs every August, but it’s also one of Minnesota agriculture’s best links to people in the Twin Cities. Jim and Marnie chat about how our traditionally agricultural fair is still a great way to connect city folks with the rest of the state.
Rural Reality MN 