In southwest Nebraska’s Red Willow County, McCook, Nebraska is located in the beautiful Republican River Valley. With easy access to rivers, lakes and nature trails, being surrounded by the farming lifestyle, and with a relaxing downtown atmosphere, McCook offers a typical Midwestern experience. Home of Senator George W. Norris, father of the Rural Electrification Administration, McCook gives a glimpse into rural history combined with today’s passion for a promising future.
What do you imagine and hope for your community? Who can work with you to bring your vision to life? What will you work to create? Browne will inspire participants as she shares how Imagine Chicago encourages individuals and organizations to focus on their capacities and opportunities to make a difference as they understand what is, imagine what can be, and create what will be. During this interactive session, Browne will help you see how you can bring hope for your community.
Explore the value added ag projects and businesses in southwest Nebraska. The first stop is Heartland Cattle Company where participants will learn about heifer development and research. Next, the bus will travel to Ostrum Acres Fish Farm. Learn how this business has expanded and developed its market in Nebraska. En route to Ravenswood Vineyard, Leah tenBensel will join the tour and share information about her value added farming operation. In the early stages of production, see what exciting things are planned for Ravenswood Vineyard. Learn about the resources available to begin a winery through the Nebraska Winegrowers Association. The last stop on the workshop is the Trenton Ethanol Plant, a recently opened facility that is already showing community and economic impact. Throughout the afternoon, participants will learn about resources available for value-added ag such as the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center and the Nebraska Winegrowers Association.
Community Leadership Package Presenter: Sue Shaner, McCook Community College
Leadership in our communities is more than just leadership by position. Join us for this session and learn from McCook Community College faculty how to develop the necessary leadership skills to be an effective leader in your community. From agenda writing to tips on how to effectively facilitate discussion, you can take what you learn in this session home to strengthen the leadership base across the board in your town.
Engaging Youth – Southwest Nebraska YEP Model Presenter: Vicky Leibbrandt, Nelson Institute
This presentation will show how the southwest YEP model is engaging young people through entrepreneur development and community interaction. In its second year, this program has seen early success with the startup of one new business and the expansion of an existing business. Each level of the program is designed to enhance awareness of entrepreneur opportunities, develop life skills and facilitate community participation of high school students while addressing economic development issues such as small business transfer and economic diversity in rural communities.
Customer service has many "moments of truth"...from one's ability to sell the uniqueness of a community to a tourist or newcomer to defining customer expectations.
This session will showcase two complementary approaches. One approach will target ways to debunk the common small town myth, "there is nothing to do in this town!" It will review some of the basics skills and tools needed by frontline employees to promote local attractions to tourists. The other approach will focus on the
foundations of customer service: defining customer expectations, identifying barriers to excellent customer service and strategies to overcome barriers, seeing the positive in a customer complaint, and sustaining customer service through specific goals.
Participants will walk away with some tips for implementing two different community approaches to exceptional customer service!
This panel discussion will include successful young entrepreneurs who have chosen to return to their hometowns to pursue their careers. Topics to be discussed will include the factors which contributed to their decision to become entrepreneurs; factors which contributed to their decision to return to a rural community; challenges/rewards of business and life in rural communities; recommendations to communities to encourage other young people to enter into business ownership; and environmental factors required for successfully sustaining new entrepreneurial businesses.
LeadershipPlenty Program Presenters: Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel and Barbara Schmidt, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
One of the difficulties we face with leadership in our communities is how to utilize the leadership we already have. The LeadershipPlenty Program is designed to build and strengthen individual and group process skills that are needed in community development. Created and supported by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change, LeadershipPlenty is a national program whose goal is to identify, encourage and equip citizens from all parts of the community to play a more visible role in civic problem solving. Join the University of Nebraska's Cooperative Extension and Rural Initiative Communities of the Future team as they preview the program and take us through some selected activities to help us discover the untapped leadership within our communities.
The community colleges across the state are under-utilized resources. Partnering with these institutions can be a huge step for many communities. Join us for this session and hear what partnering efforts are being done with Western Nebraska Community College and Southeast Community College and see how your community can take advantage of this amazing resource.
Enjoy a McCook community welcome at this evening function. The evening will begin at the Bieroc Café where participants will sample Nebraska food products and wines, sponsored by the Nebraska Winegrowers Association and the Nebraska Beef Council. The Bieroc café is owned by Matt Sehnert, a fourth generation American baker. The dinner will be prepared by Sizzling Rock Creations at the George Norris Park. Following the dinner, participants will enjoy the music of Jim Salestrom. A native Nebraskan, Jim now lives in the Colorado Rocky Mountains where he has gained a reputation for writing and singing songs about the outdoors and his home.
Wondering what to do with that run-down school house or that old downtown building? The tour will begin with stops in Beaver City to visit Shafer’s General Store, a business started in 1909. Also in Beaver City, see the unique use of an old Masonic lodge as a business venture. Moving to Arapahoe, we will see the well preserved retail district of this town and visit Wagner’s, a three story, third generation general store. In Holbrook, we will see how a former school building is being used as a business incubator which houses Grow Nebraska, a marketing and training program for Nebraska entrepreneurs. While there, participants will have the chance to have a taste of Nebraska as these entrepreneurs bring in samples of their delicious food products. Next, the tour will travel to the Cambridge Bed & Breakfast, housed in a building built in 1880. Also in Cambridge, see the businesses of Hidden Treasures, Cottage Inspirations, and SL Jonson Studios. Lunch will be at Shirley K’s, and during this time Lied Main Street representatives will share information on the programs and opportunities for historic preservation that exist in Nebraska. After lunch, take a look at an early 1900’s IOOF Ballroom that is being restored for use as a Cultural Center. On the way to Wellfleet, the tour will take a step back in time at Perk’s Prairie Paradise with the chance to see an original country school, a sod home and many other historical buildings and artifacts. The tour will end at Dancing Leaf Lodge and Cultural Center in Wellfleet for a look at the primitive Native American life. This tour will allow you to see how historic buildings can be used as economic contributors for your community.
There are many unique businesses in southwest Nebraska that illustrate the full range of entrepreneurship. This tour will give you the chance to see and hear how these entrepreneurs began, what it took to sustain their businesses, and how they have impacted the economy in the area. Starting at Timber Creek Homes in Stratton, see how grant dollars can help an eager entrepreneur make a solid start. Next learn about the town of Wauneta’s community development efforts to maintain their library, senior center and theatre. Visit with the owner of Veil’s Unlimited, an unlikely entrepreneur that has made it work in the bridal industry. In Palisade, you will see how cooperative community efforts allowed this community to keep its café and establish a credit union. While in Palisade, the owners of Land-a-Life Vine Ripened Vegetables, a hydroponics tomato operation will share their story and marketing efforts. The tour’s final stop will be GoLight, Inc., a portable light company with successful marketing ventures and successful use of the internet as a business tool. Take home information on what resources are available for aspiring entrepreneurs and what it takes to be successful and sustainable.
The ancients believed the world around them was constructed from a handful of basic elements, each with its own personality, temperature, and contribution to the whole. Similarly, David & Associates has been successful at assisting businesses in their marketing strategies by focusing on the basic elements. During this session, Buchholz will share how a community can market itself. Participants will learn about the fundamental principles of marketing and communication that apply to community economic development and tactics for helping local businesses and entrepreneurs survive and thrive.
Buchholz will provide written critiques of a communities current marketing materials for a special rate of $75.00 per community during the conference.
A professor and Research Hydrogeologist with the University of Nebraska Conservation and Survey Division, Goeke coordinates the North Platte Groundwater Guardian Team effort. Goeke is one of the top experts in Nebraska on water and natural resource issues. Participants in this session will have the chance to hear about issues surrounding groundwater use, preservation and protection. Participants will also get a chance to hear about a variety of programs and projects in place to help preserve and best utilize Nebraska’s natural resources.
NRD Representatives Panel
Moderator: Rich Mullaney, Northeast Colorado RC&D
Panelists: Dan Smith, Middle Republican NRD; Dave Griffith, USDA NRCS
Water is a valuable and limited commodity. Maintaining our water resources is key to the survival of community development and agriculture. These panel members will explore issues related to water usage.
The Department of Economic Development recently updated the Target Industry Study in 2003. The study was undertaken to identify “new economy” industry clusters that would lead economic development in the 21 st century and “fit” with development in Nebraska. In addition, the study identified industries that would increase the average Nebraska wage rate, expand value-added jobs, and broaden the competitiveness of Nebraska’s economy. Learn about this study and what the Department of Economic Development is doing to identify businesses.
Mobile Workshop: Natural Resources
Session Leader:Rich Mullaney, Northeast Colorado RC&D
Trail Boss: Ben Hardin, Southwest Nebraska RC&D
Much like the rest of the state, southwest Nebraska faces many water and natural resource issues. See what is being done to curb the problems and discover along the way some of the resources available to communities that aid in this effort. This mobile workshop will start with a stop at a limited irrigation project research site where Steve Melvin with the University Extension out of Curtis will share information about the project and its effort to find applicable and realistic ways to help with water conservation and best-use irrigation practices. The tour will then travel to Swanson Reservoir. En route, you will hear about the efforts with the Trenton Water Project. At Swanson, Roy Patterson of the Cambridge Irrigation District will give information on the canal system at Swanson and the effects of the drought on the area and Swanson Reservoir. Also at Swanson Reservoir, Rick Hedke from the Weed District will show examples of the Salt Cedar plant problem resulting from the drought. With examples from the area of how water use and the economy have been affected by the drought, you will gather valuable information about what has been done to respond to these problems and what can be done as a proactive approach to the issue of water and natural resource uses.
Finding venture capital and equity for a business is a continual challenge. How do you acquire the money to invest in your business? Panel members will share examples and explain how others have utilized programs to access money. First, hear about the newly created Rural Business Investment Program (RBIP) and how it strives to build a foundation for business development and job growth in rural America. Learn about the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) efforts to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs’ need for capital and traditional financing sources. See how Thayer County Bank commits to support and develop community economic ventures and how Invest Nebraska strives to provide information, support and resources through networking for Nebraska based businesses. The Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA) will share its mission of providing a broad range of financial resources for agricultural, residential, manufacturing, medical, and community development endeavors and providing technical assistance for activities related to these areas. This chance to interact with these professionals will allow participants the chance to better understand what resources are available and how to utilize them for community development efforts.
Hometown Competitiveness Presenter: Jana Jensen, Nebraska Community Foundation Panelists: Community Members from Grant and Imperial
The Home Town Competitiveness approach offers hope for communities being swept away by change. This change often includes severe out-migration of residents, growing levels of poverty, and the flight of youth. By targeting leadership and community capacity building with focused entrepreneurship efforts, and encouraging local philanthropy to support ongoing economic and community capacity building, communities can escape being swept away and build for themselves a successful and healthy future. Join Jana Jensen, of the Nebraska Community Foundation, as she walks us through the Home Town Competitiveness Model and shows us the ways we can address these very problems in our own communities.
During this session, participants will look at the tax incentives being used in Nebraska. Learn about businesses and communities that have taken advantage of the Employment and Investment Growth Act, Invest Nebraska Act, Employment Expansion and Investment Incentive Act and Rural Economic Opportunity Act. During this session, participants will have the opportunity to discuss other incentives that may help attract a new business to their community.
Getting the attention of the media regarding economic development can be difficult. Representatives from TV, radio, and newspapers will discuss communicating more effectively to get the story told.
The Dancing Leaf Lodge and Cultural Learning Center is an experience of primitive Native American life, complete with an earthen lodge from 800-1300 years ago that has been reconstructed at this site. Dancing Leaf is located on 115 acres of cedar covered canyons along the Medicine Creek and includes a spring fed lake, many scenic trails and natural springs. Enjoy a traditional buffalo stew for this evening’s dinner and take in the scenic beauty of the Republican River Valley.
Rural Community- Change and Opportunity: The Experience of the Australian Wheat-Sheep Belt Speakers:Paul Collits and Gordon Forth, The Heartland Project Tour, Australia
Due to common factors in their geography and history of European settlement, North America’s Midwest and Australia’s traditional wool-wheat regions have broadly similar experiences. In this session we will see what similarities exist and also learn about the Heartland Project, a proposal submitted by Dr. Paul Collits and Dr. Gordon Forth, both of Australia. This proposal is a comparative study of community/government responses to recent and predicted changes in the “Heartland” regions of Australia and the United States. One of the key purposes of this project is to help communities in these regions to better understand the fundamental changes impacting them. In this session, we will have the opportunity to learn what the Heartland Project encompasses, how it applies to rural Nebraska, and see what Collits and Forth propose as a means to stabilize and reverse the process of decline in our rural communities.
Staying on top of trends can be a daunting task, especially for community businesses and decision makers. To help community leaders grasp fundamental lifestyle changes, one must delve into the "realities" of community. Demographic, global and market trends may very well change the way your community plans for its future. The focus of this interactive workshop is assisting communities in better understanding the fundamental changes currently impacting them.
Rural America can survive. Chuck Fluharty has centered his career upon service to rural people, primarily within the public policy arena. As Director of the Rural Policy Research Institute, he has worked with national and state policy makers to address issues distinct to rural America. Chuck will share his hopes and vision for the future, and challenge you to identify what your role is in helping your community survive.
