Welcome to the September Renewing the Countryside newsletter, designed to provide a monthly toolbox of resources, ideas and inspiration for your own efforts and interests in rural revitalization.

Thank you for your continued support of Renewing the Countryside.

Jan Joannides, Executive Director
Renewing the Countryside

David Roach is not a farmer but a former schoolteacher in West Oakland, California. The city is largely a picture of urban blight, with high unemployment and an anemic economy that supports little more than corner stores selling liquor and cigarettes. David considers this not just an urban emergency. What he sees is two halves of one community that are both suffering: just as West Oakland is crumbling, so are the black farmers in California struggling to survive. Of the more than 74,000 farmers in the state in 2002, a mere 278 were black. "I saw that the rural needs the urban, and vice- versa. If you keep them separate as in our community, it just gets worse," he said. "You can't fix the farmers' situation in rural areas alone. We need people in the inner city looking after them." He started the organization Mo' Better Food, with the simple objective of creating a "self-sufficient network" between African American farmers and African American communities, based initially on local farmers' markets. The idea is revolutionary, for instead of giving each side handouts as the government would, it gives them something much more powerful: control.

Read the rest of the story . . . .

A Community of Peers in a Big-Hearted Town
Elgin, OR

Ask anyone why they choose to live in Elgin and you will hear the same reply over and over: "It's the people." A longtime Elgin resident says, "We're a big-hearted town." Present-day Elgin sits in a loation once known to the Nez Perce as Lochow Lochow, "lovely little forest." Local tradition has it that once a year, neighboring tribes joined the Nez Perce to make summer camp and harvest camas roots, a peaceful hiatus during which people who might otherwise not be on friendly terms came togehter for congenial interaction. The legacy of getting along stands tall for Elgin, like the old-growth timbers that have provided shade, comfort and a livelihood to generations.

Read the rest of the story...

Recent flooding in Minnesota and Wisconsin has taken its toll on a number of organic and sustainable farmers. Through the Sow the Seeds Fund, people across the region are making contributions to help these farmers. Restaurants are holding special events and donating profits, food co-ops are asking people to "round up" to support flood victims, and a group of kids set up a lemonade stand in a Minneapolis park and raised $40 which they delivered with a note that said: "For the farmers." The Sow the Seeds fund is a project of the Minneapolis- based Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), working in partnership with natural food co- ops, area restaurants and nonprofits to support local organizations and farmers working to build a healthy, equitable local food system. Renewing the Countryside is serving on the Flood Relief Advisory Committee and helping to spread the word on this important effort.

Click here for more information on Sow the Seeds Fund and how you can help.

RTC Co-Sponsors Green Enterprise Workshop on October 3, 2007

RTC will be co-sponsoring the upcoming Growing Green Enterprise Workshop on October 3 in Willmar, Minnesota. With workshops and discussions on topics ranging from "local sustainable environmental and economic development" to "green enterprise innovation and opportunities," this unique event aims to discover local opportunities for green micro enterprise development and create local strategies to bring these visions into reality. Jan Joannides, Executive Director of RTC, will be a speaker at the workshop, which is hosted by EcoVentures International (EVI) and Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore (WEB), both non-profits operating in micro and small business development. The event is funded by Northwest Area Foundation.

Click here for more information.

RTC Co-Sponsors National Summit on Agriculture and Rural Life

On October 27, family farm advocates and rural leaders from Iowa and the nation will gather in Ames, Iowa for the 2007 National Summit on Agriculture and Rural Life. This is a golden opportunity to bring the issues of family farms agriculture, energy, food and rural development policy into the debates that will ultimately determine the candidates for President in 2008. This non-partisan event is being organized to raise the visibility of rural policy issues and to advance the conversation about rural America's future. The event includes a presidential candidate forum where candidates will discuss family farm agriculture, energy, and food and rural development policy.

For more information or to register for this historic event, visit The League of Rural Voters, or call Conference Administrator Kathy Hiltsley at the League of Rural Voters, 612-879-7578.

RTC Co-Sponsors Rural Youth Summit

On October 26-27, the Rural Youth Summit is being held in conjunction with the National Summit on Agriculture and Rural Life in Ames, Iowa. Rural youth from across the Midwest will meet to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing rural areas. Young farmers, rural residents, college and technical college students, new Americans and youth who wish to live and work in rural areas are invited to participate. The event, coordinated by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, includes presentations and discussions by rural youth, leadership training, networking opportunities, plenary speakers and more.

Click here for more information on the National Rural Summit.

Creating a Value-Added Community Training -- Now Available

RTC has a new and exciting training opportunity available for communities in Minnesota. We will be conducting a community-based training called, Creating a Value-Added Community (CVAC) to 8 communities across Minnesota this fall and winter. Creating a Value-Added Community (CVAC) was designed to help communities develop strategies for poverty reduction, while planning for economic development. The CVAC training is also aimed at helping rural communities find practical ways to build capacity and fuel their economic engines toward a vibrant local economy. Contact Christy James at christy@rtcinfo.org or 612-963-0467 for more information about how your community can receive the Creating a Value-Added Community training.

Minnesota Cooks Website Launched

Check out the new Minnesota Cooks website, a unique educational program that brings together farmers, Minnesota chefs and local celebrities for discussion and demonstration about the vital relationship between farmers, chefs and folks at home. A partnership program between Renewing the Countryside, the Minnesota Farmers Union and Food Alliance Midwest, upcoming plans for this website include on-line video and blogs.

Minnesota Cooks 2007-08 calendars are available at the RTC Store, a beautiful 16- month calendar with farm photos and chef recipes for just $10.

Learn more about the Northwest Area Foundation Indicators Website . . .

Learn more about the University of Wisconsin Press . . .

For more on The Rough Guide to Shopping with a Conscience . . .

For more information on the National Solar Tour of Homes . . ..

For more information on geocaching, including a comprehensive database of geocache sites . . .

As always, you can support our work by making an online donation or purchasing books from the Renewing the Countryside store. We're grateful to the Beim Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Emma B. Howe Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation, the Bush Foundation, The Brico Fund and North Central SARE, for contributing to our work.

Find out more about Renewing the Countryside .

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