mn2020

I was rather excited when I was asked to write about rural economic development, a subject I'm very passionate about, for the blog Hindsight on Minnesota 2020.  What an awesome opportunity for Windom, and I look forward to writing more for MN 2020.

Check it out on http://www.mn2020hindsight.org/

Here is the post I wrote for Hindsight:

Rural: Not Just for Farmers!

One may think because I live in rural southwest Minnesota , I know everything one needs to know about harvesting and planting fields of corn and beans, I tend to farm animals like cows and swine, but I don’t. I may have dabbled in wearing cowboy boots because of a Hollywood trend some ridiculous celebrity magazine told me about, but I sure wasn’t wearing them for any morning chores. Although farming is one of the main reasons my small rural city of Windom, Minnesota, is on the map, the beauty of technology gives rural economy a chance to bloom beyond agriculture.

While the internet can hurt our rural economy by giving residents an easy option of shopping at the click of a button and finding the exact service needed by using a search engine, we must remember it would be that much easier for others to do the same to find us. Not only can we use the internet to market our services, but market our unique, pleasant way of life.

Despite past trends of flocking to urban areas to obtain employment and endless opportunities, technology gives many people an option to choose where they want to live based on the quality of life in which they seek, instead of where they are employed. Our rural areas are a wonderful place to live, work and play; it is a relaxed pace of life, surrounded by peaceful wildlife, neighbors, family, friends, and plain good living. I believe a lot of people are seeking just those things in a place to call home or to visit, so here is our chance to find and tell them “we have a place for you!” No need to be a farmer to live and enjoy rural, the internet works here too (psst…you don’t even have to own a pair of overalls or drive a tractor).

Read more about rural life at http://mari2cents.blogspot.com/