Green Options » sare

Renewing the Countryside: Five Reasons Why the Next Generation Can Revitalize Rural America

Lisa Kivirist — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:57:48 +0000

Talk about a recipe for potential disaster. Combine a down economy, changing agriculture practices, rising unemployment and the end result looks grim. But here’s the secret ingredient revitalizing and greening our countryside: young people under 35.

Profiled in the new book, Renewing the Countryside: Youth, this new generation is making their mark on rural areas, from starting new farms to putting out their own entrepreneurial shingle in small towns. Renewing the Countryside: Youth showcases fifty case study stories, one from each state in the United States, cooking up a super-size serving of inspiration for what can be done in similar communities throughout rural America.

Renewing the Country (RTC), a Minnesota-based non-profit organization, specializes in championing such stories, telling the story of the small-scale but big impact individuals and organizations that are creatively crafting livelihoods that positively impact their rural communities. While other RTC books focus on stories within specific states such as Wisconsin, this latest book project, published in partnership with the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), uniquely celebrates rural youth.

In addition to the case study stories themselves, the engaging writing and photography also came from a team young artists across the nation. But beyond the inspiring read, this book serves as a starter blueprint for others looking to either return to or plant new roots in rural America, no matter one’s age. Looking at these case study stories collectively, five themes emerge that identify why this particular group of young people are succeeding in the countryside:

Ecopreneur Profile: Jan Joannides and Brett Olson, co-founders of Renewing the Countryside

John Ivanko — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:31:56 +0000

In a world overdosed with negativity, Jan Joannides roots for the opposite underdog, building an organization and livelihood around showcasing the positive side of what’s working right.

As co-founder of Renewing the Countryside, Joannides created a means to showcase positive examples of rural revitalization while simultaneously serving as an inspiring example of how one’s purpose and life can passionately blend.

As I write about in the Ecopreneur Profile found in ECOpreneuring, the seed for Renewing the Countryside stemmed from Jan’s master’s thesis work in the late 1990s profiling vibrant, diversified Minnesota farms and ranches. “As I interviewed these folks, I became so deeply inspired by their story and commitment to their family farms that I wanted to get these narratives out to the public, since the media often focus just on the negative decline of rural America,” explains Jan. Inspired by a similar venture in the Netherlands, she tapped into grant funding to publish Renewing the Countryside: Minnesota in 2001, showcasing 44 profiles of successful rural enterprises.

The enthusiastic response to this book led Jan, in partnership with her husband, Brett Olson, to found Renewing the Countryside as a non-profit organization in 2002. Its mission is to strengthen rural areas by championing and supporting rural communities, farmers, artists, entrepreneurs, educators, activists and other people who are renewing the countryside through sustainable and innovative businesses, initiatives and projects. “After all,” she says, “rural America is abundant with prospering enterprises as diverse as colors in the rainbow.” Brett leads the creative side of the organization, developing innovative public education strategies and campaigns. It’s through our work on the Rural Renaissance book that my wife and I discovered this innovative non-profit organization, an organization that had its pulse on the revitalization happening in rural areas and the net migrations afoot from urban and suburban areas back to rural areas.

Spring for Change: Tell Congress to Prioritize Sustainable Agriculture

Lisa Kivirist — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:24:52 +0000

We’re getting giddy waiting for spring here on our Wisconsin farm. From digging in the garden to savoring that first pea tendril, this time of year jump-starts a fresh breeze of energy and optimism for us passionate about healthy food.

Remember to take some of that vernal enthusiasm and voice your opinion to your elected officials in Washington D.C. to keep sustainable farming a top funding priority.

“Individual phone calls and letters to your representatives take just minutes of your time, but they collectively add up to a very strong influence on Congressional priorities,” explains Aimee Witteman, Executive Director of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). “The voice of people passionate about good food needs to be heard in Washington D.C., particularly this spring when key funding issues will be decided.”

Over the next two months, members of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee will be finalizing the list of programs they will champion for fiscal year 2010. “Congress needs to hear why sustainable agriculture programs that support innovation and economic prosperity are so important and must be adequately funded, especially during our current tough economic situation,” adds Witteman.

Here’s what you need to do to cook up some change . . .