Specialty Cheese Company is headquartered at a former high school in Reeseville, Wisc., population 679. The company is innovative in its growth and accommodating employees. Ten individuals are paid to drive staff from surrounding communities to work every day. The business is expanding, building a new child care facility for employees as well as local residents. The … [Read more...]
Episode 24: Rethinking Rural
Madeline Moore is a young mom, rural entrepreneur and founder of Rethinking Rural, which is a network of engaged millennials working on rural issues at a national scale. In 2018, Rethinking Rural invited 50 rural millennials to Port Townsend, Wash. to discuss how to improve rural communities. Three more symposiums are planned over the next three years. In this episode of … [Read more...]
Episode 23: Rural Startup Connecting Growers to Local Buyers
Vinder is a community marketplace for people to list, discover, and buy local produce - connecting community members to local growers. Founded in July of 2016 in Port Townsend, Wash., a rural Victorian art and seaport community, Vinder was originally launched on foot and bicycle by the founder and CEO, Sam Lillie. He would go door to door asking homeowners if they had a home … [Read more...]
Simulated workplaces giving hope to rural economies
When the students of Lincoln County High, in Hamlin, West Virginia, roll out of bed for school, nearly half are also getting ready to head to work. The school, serving 850 from the towns of Pleasant View, Griffithsville, Hamlin and Harts, has Simulated Workplace at the core of its Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculum. Students arrive each day to tackle real tasks … [Read more...]
Episode 22: Rural Career and Technical Education
Every Career and Technical Education (CTE) class at Lincoln County High School (LCHS) in Hamlin, West Virginia is a Simulated Workplace. The classes cover a wide variety of professions - teaching, computer science, publishing and law enforcement, to name just a few. They run as businesses, taking on real-world projects that serve their communities. Nestled … [Read more...]