Coming Conferences and Workshops

NEFU and Loup Basin RC&D To Hold Meeting Featuring Information On Carbon Credit Program and C-BED Wind Development Model

Ord, NE – Nebraska Farmers Union (NEFU) will be teaming up with the Loup Basin
Resource, Conservation, and Development Center (RC&D) in order to inform farmers
and ranchers about the financial opportunities of Carbon Sequestration and Community
Owned Wind Energy.

The informational meetings will be open to all and will be held at the Valley County Ag Complex in Ord (801 S Street) in the Loup Basin Technology Center on Monday, July 15th at 9:00 am.

A second session will be held in Broken Bow at 3:00 pm, this workshop will be at the 4-
H building which is located in the Custer County Fairgrounds located on the corner of
NE HWY 2 and 72. (East side of Broken Bow).

The meeting will feature power point presentations about Carbon Sequestration and how
farmers and ranchers can earn additional income by storing carbon through no-till
practices and improved grazing techniques on rangeland and also on the new C-BED
wind energy development model recently approved by the Legislature.

Nebraska Farmers Union is a general farm organization dedicated to protecting and
enhancing the quality of life and economic well-being of family farmers and ranchers,
and their rural communities. The Loup Basin Resource, Conservation, and
Development is a not for profit organization serving nine counties in North Central
Nebraska, working with NRD's, units of government and others in the field of economic
development, wise use of natural resources, and community development.
www.nebraskafarmersunion.org For more information, contact the Loup Basin RC&D office at (308) 728-3393.

Come learn about state's housing, infrastructure, business development and travel and tourism services

LINCOLN, NEB. (June 10, 2008—The Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) is hosting its second of three briefings on July 16 in North Platte to provide current information about key issues affecting the state's development and economy.
The briefing will be held 9 a.m.-1 p.m. CST at the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) offices, 402 E. State Farm Road. Lunch will be provided by NPPD.

DED staff will be on hand to talk about key components involved in the state's economic growth and development, including business and tourism attraction, existing business retention and expansion, housing, community development, and entrepreneurship. The briefing is free for all interested participants.

Register no later than July 11 to ensure an accurate accounting of those who will be joining NPPD for lunch. Contact Michelle Millsap toll-free at (800) 426-6505, (402) 471-3746 or e-mail michelle.millsap@nebraska.gov.

Women's Wilderness Weekend

The Trailblazer RC&D, a non-profit resource development organization, is sponsoring a weekend getaway designed for women. The workshop is designed primarily for women 21 years of age or older who want to learn outdoor skills. Educational sessions useful in a variety of outdoor activities will be presented. Session topics will include golf, overnight campout, water sports, sailing, navigation basics, kayaking, archery, white bass fishing, river tubing, guided nature walk, scuba diving, boat tour of lake and dam, outdoor photography, taxidermy, ATV safety, backyard habitat, self defense, fly fishing, shotgun basics, primitive skills, black powder/muzzeleloading, basic horticulture, wild turkey hunting, boating basics, iron woman, late night fishing, 4-wheel Jeeping and Dutch oven cooking. 
 
Participants can pick and choose which of the various sessions they wish to attend.  Whether you’re looking for personal fulfillment or a getaway to combat the stress of everyday life, this program will provide you a most unique weekend at an affordable cost. 
 
The program will be held August 8-10, 2008, at the South Central 4-H Camp, on the banks of Harlan County Reservoir near Alma. This weekend program is expected to fill up quickly, so get your registration in soon. For more information, or to request a copy of the brochure and registration form, contact the Trailblazer RC&D at (402) 746-3560 or email jan.harvey@ne.usda.gov.

eBusiness Workshop

e-Commerce is everywhere! It has been a buzz word for several years and continues to be a hot topic in the business world. With constant advancements in the technology arena, it continues to evolve and provide new tools for doing business.  It’s all about having a website, conducting business online, communicating with the customers and suppliers, knowing your competition and being in the global market. It is a tool for moving your business forward in a time of rapid change.

e-Business - Selling on the Internet is a four week course for businesses who are contemplating taking their business online. The goal of the course is to give business owners a better understanding of applying technology to increase profits. Through the four week course topics covered include - what customers are looking for, what the trends of the e-World are, identifying who your competition is and what they are doing.  The course will help you identify who should design your site for you, how to determine what URL you should have and how to get one. We look at the good, bad and what were they thinking in Web site Design, and begin the businesses to think about e-Marketing - keywords, search engines and how to does one get found.

This 12 hour four week class provided by the University of Nebraska Extension is being held in Ogallala beginning Tuesday, July 1 at 6:00 p.m. Additional classes will be held Tuesday, July 8, 15 and 22. Sponsors of the class are Keith County Chamber of Commerce, Mid Plains Community College and UNL Extension.

Cost of the eBusiness-Selling on the Internet class is $99.00 and registration is due by June 24th. You can register online at http://cariregistration.unl.edu or by calling UNL Extension – Keith County at (308) 284-6051.

Helping People Help the Land

Plan to attend a Regional Revitalization through Community Development workshop at the Central City Community Room in Central City, Neb., on Wednesday, July 16. The workshop, sponsored by the Nebraska Development Network - Central Region and South Central Economic Development District, will feature information about the Nebraska Community Development Assistance Act (CDAA), provide answers to common myths about ethanol production and highlight several regional collaborative efforts in community development.
 
The workshop will begin with a meal at 5:30 p.m., followed by presentations from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Registration is $15/person which includes the evening meal, refreshments and all materials. For more information or to pre-register, contact the South Central Economic Development District at (308) 995-3190 or e-mail: sharonh@scedd.us.

From Recipe to Reality

The UNL Food Processing Center is offering a one-day seminar for all individuals interested in exploring the idea of starting a food manufacturing business. The “From Recipe to Reality” seminar will be offered on August 8, 2008. Pre-registration is required, and space is limited. Registration deadline is July 28. Contact Jill Gifford at (402) 472-2819 or jgifford1@unl.edu for an information packet.

2008 Rural Philanthropy Conference

The 2008 Rural Philanthropy Conference is just around the corner. It is Sept. 10-12 in Nebraska City, Neb. Come learn more about...
 
*      Using the Intergenerational Transfer of Wealth as a Call-to-Action
*      Rural Development Philanthropy
*      HomeTown Competitiveness (HTC), Fundraising Catalysts & Strategic Grant Making
*      Action Planning
*      Public Policy
*      Engaging Alumni and Ex-Patriots
*      Communications and Marketing
*      Donor Visitation and Strategies
 
 Make plans to attend today!
 
Details and registration information will be available soon. 
 
Contact Sheri Hink at 402-323-7347 or shink@nebcommfound.org for more information.  
See highlights from the 2007 conference at www.nebcommfound.org/RPC/2007RPC.htm

Southeast Nebraska Region Network (SERN) reorganization and meetings

Northwest Quadrant Counties:

Butler
Polk
Seward
York

Southwest Quadrant Counties:

Fillmore
Gage
Jefferson
Saline
Thayer

Northeast Quadrant Counties:

Cass
Lancaster
Otoe
Saunders

Southeast Quadrant Counties:

Johnson
Nemaha
Pawnee
Richardson

The meeting dates for 2008 are:

Tuesday, April 22 – Northeast Quadrant Host Needed

Tuesday, July 29 – Southeast Quadrant Host Needed

Tuesday, Oct. 28 – Northwest Quadrant Host Needed

Meeting time:  11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Host is responsible for:

1. Securing a facility for the SERN meeting.  This could be a restaurant or other facility where lunch or food service is available.
2. The facility needs to seat up to 25 persons at tables and have some degree of privacy.
3. Communicating the details of the meeting to Devin Meisinger at dmeisinger@oppd.com, so that he can e-mail notices to the SERN distribution list.
4. Inviting all local officials and volunteers deemed appropriate by host; the number attending will need to be added to the potential 25 SERN members attending.
5. The host will facilitate the meeting.
6. If host desires, arrange for a local business or facility tour after the adjournment of the meeting.
7. Arranging for lunch for the meeting.  Separate checks or a standard price will be needed.
8. Handling all the RSVPs for the meeting.
9. Providing a 15-minute presentation on the community/county/region.
10. Sporadically, the SERN membership may ask for a speaker on a particular topic at the next meeting.  The host of the next meeting would be responsible for making arrangements with the speaker.
11. No agenda or minutes of the gathering will be necessary.

            If your organization would like to host one of these meetings when it is your quadrant’s turn to host, please contact Mary Simmons by e-mail at mary.simmons@aquila.com or by phone at (800) 232-1850.  The hosts for the three remaining meetings in 2008 will be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

NCIP and NRI combined conference Nov. 14 in Kearney