Tom Vilsack speaks at Oct 5 Freeman Forum

Here’s the news on the latest Freeman Forum…

FREEMAN LECTURE – GREAT CONVERSATIONS

Featuring U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, J. Brian Atwood, Dean, Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, Allen Levine, Dean, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

Feeding the World: At Home and Abroad
Monday, October 5 | 7:30 p.m.
Ted Mann Concert Hall

As the head of the United States Department of Agriculture, Secretary Vilsack oversees a $134 billion portfolio that includes leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and rural development.

Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about food aid and international development, obesity and nutrition, food security, farm and foreign trade policy, and a host of other topics related to the USDA’s mission.

Admission is free, but tickets are required. (Limit of four per person.)

Please bring a non-perishable food item to help those in need.

This event is part of The Ultimate Homecoming.

 

Voting begins for the Minnesota Community Pride 25th anniversary contest entries

Vote for the Minnesota Community Pride winners; Celebrate all Minnesota communities, September 6 at the 2009 Minnesota State Fair

Minnesota Community Pride? You decide!  Vote for the finalists in the 25th Anniversary Minnesota Community Pride competition via the online ballot at MinnPost.com between August 19 to 26, with winners announced at the 2009 Minnesota State Fair. The contest is co-sponsored by the Minnesota State Fair, MinnPost, The Blandin Foundation, and Minnesota Rural Partners, Inc.

“The Community Pride contest attracted community entries from across Minnesota, representing cities and neighborhoods, large and small, all generously sharing their stories of connecting, creating, and thriving through the current economic challenges,” said Jane Leonard, president of Minnesota Rural Partners, Inc, one of the competition organizers. Online voting offers a chance for all Minnesotans to help determine top entries in several community improvement categories. 

“Connecting, creating, thriving” is the tagline of Reinventing Minnesota, the initiative behind the contest. “It’s a way to think and act, to turn the current economic challenges into opportunities that encourage people to connect and share good ideas and resources to move us into a thriving future for all,” said Leonard. “It builds on Minnesota’s history of inventiveness, innovation and compassion to recognize the goodwill and good actions that communities, neighborhoods and organizations across our state are doing right now to help one another.”

The Community Pride competition lifts up and publicly recognizes the energy and ingenuity of Minnesota’s communities in both overall community and economic development achievement, and innovations in specific disciplines, such as education, broadband deployment and application, health care, entrepreneurship support, arts & culture, community design, housing and natural resources/environment.

Finalist communities were determined by a panel of judges reviewing the entries received earlier this summer. Winners will be selected by the public vote online via MinnPost.com. All communities will be recognized and winners announced at the Minnesota Community Pride Showcase, September 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the State Fair’s Carousel Park stage and exhibit tent. 

To help celebrate this first-time event at the Fair, singer-songwriter Charlie McGuire will share his special brand of grassroots music. Minnpost will be conducting Minnesota Trivia contests and public affairs interviews with Minnesota newsmakers to highlight both our affection for and ideas and concerns across the state. Community participants will showcase their projects in the exhibit tent.

The Minnesota State Fair is providing cash awards, recognition plaques, and ribbons to winners and participants. The awards ceremony begins at 12:30 p.m. on the Carousel Park stage.

“The State Fair has always been a place and time for Minnesotans to gather together to showcase, recognize and share creative ideas and innovations. It’s the perfect venue to spotlight communities that are helping our state be the best we can be,” explained Leonard.

You can learn more about the finalist projects and vote for your favorites at http://www.reinventingminnesota.org/mn_pride.html. Check out this and other State Fair events at www.mnstatefair.org. And join us at the Great Minnesota Get-Together on September 6!

Finalists for Minnesota Community Pride online voting:
 
▪            Baudette (Lake of the Woods County)
▪            Caledonia (Houston County)
▪            Detroit Lakes (Becker County)
▪            East Grand Forks (Polk County)
▪            Glencoe (McLeod County)
▪            Hoffman (Grant County)
▪            Lake City (Wabasha and Goodhue Counties)
▪            Lanesboro ( Fillmore County)
▪            Madelia (Watonwan County)
▪            Mankato (Blue Earth County)
▪            Maynard (Chippewa County)
▪            Minneapolis’ Neighborhood Revitalization Program (Hennepin County)
▪            Sebeka (Wadena County)
▪            St. Louis Park (Hennepin County)
▪            Staples (Todd County)
▪            Willmar Design Center (Kandiyohi County)

 

MN Community Pride at the 2009 MN State Fair! Don’t miss it – don’t even be late…

Enter your community or community project in the 25th anniversary Minnesota Community Pride contest, brought to you by the Minnesota State Fair, MinnPost.com, and MRP, Inc.

All communities will be recognized at the State Fair on September 6; winners will be announced and cash awards given to the top projects in each category.

Enter at www.ReinventingMinnesota.org. Entry deadline is July 17.

 

Midwest Rural Assembly – August 10-11, 2009

Thought folks might be intersted…

Join us in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on August 10-11, 2009 for the Midwest Rural Assembly!

At the Midwest Rural Assembly you will:

§ Share resources and strategies for rural economic and community development opportunities.

§ Hear from and talk with local to national policymakers about your rural policy priorities.

§ Meet other rural leaders and welcome new voices.

§ Begin building a regional network to advance policies and initiatives that can help revitalize rural communities.

For more information about the Midwest Rural Assembly, including registration and speakers, visit www.midwestruralassembly.org or
email midwestruralassembly@iatp.org.

 

ENTER THE MINNESOTA COMMUNITY PRIDE CONTEST! —– SHOWCASE YOUR COMMUNITY AT THE 2009 MINNESOTA STATE FAIR Take up the challenge and enter your community or community project in the 25th Anniversary Minnesota Community Pride competition. Participants will be showcased and the winners will be announced at the 2009 Minnesota State Fair. “Minnesota’s strength lies in the vitality and can-do spirit of its communities and neighborhoods and the ingenuity of our people,” said Jane Leonard, president of contest organizer Minnesota Rural Partners, Inc. “The State Fair has always been a place and time for Minnesotans to showcase, recognize and share creative ideas and innovations.” “It’s the perfect venue to spotlight communities that are helping our state be the best we can be,” she explained, “and one of the few places left where we all come together as Minnesotans.” The competition, which begins June 2, will lift up and publicly recognize the energy and ingenuity of Minnesota’s communities in both overall community and economic development achievement, and innovations in specific disciplines, such as education, broadband deployment and application, health care, entrepreneurship support, arts & culture, and public finance and more. Minnesota Community Pride is part of the Reinventing Minnesota initiative, to identify communities statewide for their efforts to move beyond the current economic crisis with creative and proactive community and economic development initiatives, and to share those best practices with their neighbors across the state. In 1984, during a similar economic crisis, the State of Minnesota with public and private partners began the Minnesota Community Pride program. This year’s 25th anniversary contest is co-sponsored by the Minnesota State Fair, MinnPost.com, and Minnesota Rural Partners, Inc.

Supporting this effort will be the online Minnesota Community Exchange, a platform to connect to the updated Minnesota Community Resource Directory, and to enable communication between communities to share ideas and experience. Contest details, including application forms, timelines and contest criteria, and the Minnesota Community Exchange, are available at www.ReinventingMinnesota.org. Entry deadline is July 17; cash awards will go to the top winners in each category. You can also email jleonard@minnesotaruralpartners.org or call 651-303-5263 if you have questions.

 

Reducing Energy Costs in Local Government – January 22, 2009, St. Cloud

Looking for opportunities to cut costs? Reducing energy expenditures can lead to serious savings for local governments.

This all-day conference at the St. Cloud Civic Center includes 38 expert presenters, 16 special breakout sessions, 18 energy assistance provider exhibitors – and offers information and case studies on a wide range of topics such as:

- moving to a four day work week
- improving your buildings for energy cost savings
- reducing fuel use in vehicle fleets
- using energy performance contracting
- identifying resources for financial and technical assistance
- hedging and cooperative purchasing of vehicle fuels
- savings through traffic and street lighting
- and much more!

Registration is $40 until January 15, 2009 and $50 afterwards. Includes refreshments and lunch.

Sponsored by Association of Minnesota Counties, League of Minnesota Cities, Minnesota Association of Townships, Minnesota Department of Commerce- Office of Energy Security, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and Minnesota School Boards Association.

See www.nextstep.state.mn.us/energyconference for conference details and to register!

 

Broadband Conference 2 weeks Away

The Blandin Broadband Conference is just two weeks away. So here’s a final reminder about the events and share one new addition. For general information on the conference being held Dec 3-4 in Eden Prairie, please visit the Blandin Foundation web site: http://www.blandinfoundation.org/BBConf08

Raise Your Voice
Blandin is now looking for folks who want to share their two cents on broadband with representatives from the Minnesota Broadband Task Force at the conference. If you are interested, please let them know by completing the online form: http://www.blandinfoundation.org/BBConf08/comments.html  

Group Discount
There is a community group discount. For every two paid attendees in you group you will get one free. Simply sign up as a Community Group: http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=637737.  

Webinars
Prior to the conference, they held 3 broadband webinars, unfortunately our free webinars are now over – but for those who weren’t able to make the live event, they have posted the archives on our blog:
• Broadband Policy (Nov 19): http://tinyurl.com/6cjqdv
• Wireless Technology (Nov 5): http://tinyurl.com/5sdleq
• Fiber to the Home Networks (Oct 21): http://tinyurl.com/57bkvp

 

NREDA conference Nov 9-11

National Rural Economic Developers Association (NREDA) annual conference is scheduled for Nov. 9-11 in Kansas City. Theme of NREDA’s 20th Anniversary event is, “Celebrating What’s Right With Rural America.” We have a fantastic program lined up and we’d like to extend an invitation to you to join us. Non-member first-time attendees may register at the member rate…how cool is that!