The U.S. Department of Energy on Sept. 15 launched a pilot program that aims to help up to 36 communities transition to clean energy, improve local environments and create jobs. The Communities: Local Energy Action Program, or Communities LEAP, will provide $16 million in support services to low-income communities with ties to fossil fuel industries or environmental hazards. … [Read more...]
Episode 40: Building a Cider Business in Rural Colorado
Elizabeth Philbrick co-owns EsoTerra Cider with her husband Jared Scott in Dolores, Colorado, population 825. The business crafts hard cider using apples from historic local orchards. Just two years old, the company is finding a foothold reviving what they say was once rural America’s drink of choice. Like with many small businesses, the pandemic created difficult headwinds, … [Read more...]
Episode 39: Rural Commercial Real Estate
A rural developer is building a town square from scratch in the small town of Mapleton, North Dakota. Justin Forde recently completed the first building in the Maple River Town Square development. The six-acre project is selling commercial space to businesses looking to serve the town, which has seen its population double over the last decade, according to … [Read more...]
Episode 38: Community Heart & Soul
Community Heart & Soul is a resident-driven process that engages the entire population of a town in identifying what they love most about their community, what future they want for it, and how to achieve it. Developed and field-tested over a decade in partnership with more than 90 small cities and towns across America, Community Heart & Soul is a proven process for … [Read more...]
Episode 37: Rural Grocery Initiative
In 2006, Kansas State held listening sessions across the state aimed at identifying challenges facing rural communities. During these sessions, the need to support rural grocery stores rose to the top. Supporting rural grocery stores is important because they: Provide jobs and contribute to the local tax base.Act as community hubs for residents to gather and … [Read more...]