Rural

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    Small Biz Survival

  • Ways to deliver audio for tourism

    Becky McCray
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:08 am
    Imagine if your most enthusiastic and wonderful tour leader could guide every group of visitors. You know, that one person who tells the best stories, who makes it all come to life... what if that person guided every visitor? The next best thing might be to record them and share that audio with your visitors. The Shattuck, Oklahoma, Windmill Museum uses FM radio to broadcast "Windmill Willie's Story About Windmills." I think that is pretty cool. (I didn't tune in because I was headed to a meeting and just stopped long enough to snap this pic.) You've probably seen audio CDs used to promote a…

  • Four ways to beat bigger competitors

    Becky McCray
    8 Feb 2010 | 6:02 am
    How can your small town business take on the bigger competitors? Whether you're facing the big boxes, the big city shopping, or the online big boys, you can try these four ways to beat them back. Tell your human story. Your business came from somewhere, was founded by someone, touches real people. When you tell your story, you build relationships. Your culture and place matter. You have a better connection with what your people want, how they like to be treated, and what touches their emotions than any big company can. When you have a competitive or better price, hammer on it. You have to…

  • Mistakes: Missing menus

    Becky McCray
    7 Feb 2010 | 2:34 pm
    My friend Chaz French just emailed me from the road:  I'm at a take out falafel place that apparently does delivery but nowhere in here can we find a menu to take and they didn't come up in a web search for delivery in the area. If you aren't sharing your critical information with your customers, you're missing out on sales. Solutions: Take time for a quick information audit. How would a person new in town find your business? Are there basic info pieces, like menus, that you need to share? How is your online presence? Once you think it's in pretty good shape, be brave and ask a friend to…

  • DARPA hard

    Becky McCray
    5 Feb 2010 | 6:04 pm
    DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, likes big challenges. They don't want to touch projects that are merely hard, or just really difficult. They only want to take on those that are so hard, so seemingly impossible, that no one else could solve them, no one else would ever invest in them. Challenges that big are called "DARPA hard." Bill Reichert, from Garage Technologies Ventures, told that story at the National Association of Seed and Venture Funds Conference in Oklahoma City. Look for your own "DARPA hard." Find the problems that are so hard, or so specialized, that you…

  • The basket I forgot to put a title on

    Becky McCray
    5 Feb 2010 | 5:57 am
    Every week, I open a new Basket. I call it the Brag Basket, but it's not really about bragging. It's about sharing. I started this so you can introduce yourself, share some good news about yourself, or congratulate a friend.  Speak up and add yourself or another deserving soul in the comments. We all cheer, and everyone feels great. It lets you meet each other a bit. Reading each others' stories brings us a bit closer to being a community.  This particular basket is open from Feb. 5-7, 2010. How does it work? You write a comment on this post. You tell something great about your…
 
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    Topix: Rural

  • Weather Alerts

    9 Feb 2010 | 10:02 am
    THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE ILLINOIS RIVER AT BEARDSTOWN. * UNTIL SATURDAY MORNING.

  • Winter Storm Warning

    9 Feb 2010 | 8:11 am
    SNOW ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA EARLY TODAY AND THEN CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY.

  • Travel Update

    9 Feb 2010 | 8:02 am
    ABOUT AN INCH OF SNOW HAS FALLEN IN THE LE MARS AREA OVERNIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES RISING FROM A THIRTEEN DEGREE BELOW ZERO READING.

  • Segregation spurred S.C. school building spree

    9 Feb 2010 | 2:56 am
    The three, stair-stepped brick buildings shrink from view behind newer structures on Pickens Street in the shadow of the USC water tower.

  • High-Hayden meet atop league

    8 Feb 2010 | 3:34 pm
    There are three weeks remaining for the Centennial League's crowded boys championship race to work itself out.
 
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    Daily Yonder

  • Unemployment Continues Rising in Central California

    editor
    9 Feb 2010 | 6:15 am
    The inland counties of California are the source for much of the nation's food. It's also the area with the country's highest rates of unemployment. Breathtaking Photos The highest unemployment rates in the country can be found in California's Central Valley. Two things struck us when we looked at the latest county unemployment figures, from December 2009.First, unemployment rates in rural America took a big jump, rising to 10% for the first time since the recession began. Second, the inland counties of California are the hardest hit region of the country, with higher rates over a wider…

  • No Magic in Grass-Fed Beef

    editor
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:21 pm
    Interesting article in Slate by James McWilliams on the supposed health benefits of grass-fed beef. Yes, says McWilliams, grass-fed beef has higher levels of omega 3s and lower levels of saturated fat. But, no, says McWilliams, there is no evidence that grass-fed beef is free from the E.

  • Letter From Langdon: Time to Quit Digging

    editor
    8 Feb 2010 | 6:36 am
    Dad knew when to stop digging. With this country's energy policies, it's time we learned this lesson. One of the things I remember best about my Dad was his shovel, because Dad’s shovel was eternally shiny and rust free. The last thing he always did when he finished digging on the farm was clean and oil his spade to perfection.From irrigation ditches to postholes, Dad could dig about anything. But even he knew that when you’re too deep in the hole, the first order of business is Stop Digging.When oil was $12 a barrel we thought we’d never see the end of it. America just kept…

  • Getting a Full Census Count in Rural Areas

    editor
    6 Feb 2010 | 7:03 pm
    Census workers are in the field counting folks. Need we remind communities that more than $400 billion in federal funds (for schools, hospitals, roads, etc.) will be distributed based, in part, on Census counties. (Not to mention representation in Congress.) 

  • NAIS is Dead -- Though Probably Not

    editor
    5 Feb 2010 | 7:40 am
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    Rural Assistance Center

  • "Speed Dating" Matches Physicians, Patients

    9 Feb 2010 | 9:18 am
    American Medical News article tells of a Texas hospital that uses the matchmaking model as an informal way for both parties to check out compatibility before entering a doctor-patient relationship.

  • Obama Invites Republicans to Share Ideas at Televised Health Reform Summit

    9 Feb 2010 | 9:07 am
    Kaiser Health News article reports that President Obama has scheduled a half-day bipartisan summit on health care on February 25, 2010, to be televised live this month, a high-profile gambit that will allow Americans to watch as Democrats and Republicans try to break their political impasse.

  • Florida Keys Physician is Country Doctor of the Year

    8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm
    Miami Herald, (FL) article reports that in this age of specialized medicine, Steven J. Smith of the Keys is a rare do-it-all doctor who performs general surgery and treats patients at his family practice for everything from the common cold to cancer.

  • More Than $119 Million Awarded to States and Territories

    8 Feb 2010 | 8:59 am
    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today awarded more than $119 million to states and U.S. territories to support public health efforts to reduce obesity, increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and decrease smoking-the four most important actions for combating chronic diseases and promoting health.

  • CMS Proposed Rule Excludes Most Provider-Based Clinics

    7 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm
    Rural Health Voices article by Louis Wenzlow, originally published in early January, has been revised to clearly indicate that Rural Health Clinics are eligible for Medicaid incentives, whether or not they are provider-based.
 
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    Blandin on Broadband

  • More info on the Outage in NE Minnesota

    Ann Treacy
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:08 pm
    Last week I posted a note from Chris Swanson on the broadband outages in Northeast Minnesota. I’ve had a few people (thank you!) send me follow up articles, which I wanted to share here: Minnesota Public Radio covered the story. The reporter spoke to several people in the area who lost connectivity – and business due to the outage in broadband and cell coverage. (That includes access to process credit cards and 911 service!) MPR also posted commentary from Grand Marais resident Jim Boyd, who is a retired reporter and was able to capture the frustration and the danger of the incident. As…

  • Keep fiber and copper?

    Ann Treacy
    8 Feb 2010 | 9:28 am
    Thanks to Timothy Finnerty for sending me an interesting article today – Loss of Copper Infrastructure Threatens Small Business Broadband. The gist of the article is that innovators are finding ways to get better broadband speeds out of copper – but the issue now is that telecom providers are replacing copper with fiber. Here’s a quote from Carl Grivner, president of XO Communications in the article: “Companies like mine deploy Ethernet over Copper, delivering speeds up to 45 Mbps where we have access to this vital–and existing–infrastructure. We will get even…

  • Franken and Comcast

    Ann Treacy
    6 Feb 2010 | 11:11 am
    There have been several reports on Senator Franken “ripping into” Comcast CEO Brian Roberts at the Congressional hearings that focused on Comcast’s proposed merger with NBC. Most articles have highlighted the fact that according to Senator Franken, the folks at Comcast had played a little fast and loose with the truth. Beyond the fact that obviously people shouldn’t lie and without saying whether I know the Comcast folks lied or not, it opens the door to some questions that are going to need to be addresses sooner and probably later …. Should the people who manage the…

  • S.F. No. 2254 Broadband bill introduced in MN Senate

    Ann Treacy
    4 Feb 2010 | 1:27 pm
    Today Senators Prettner Solon, Doll, Scheid and Rosen introduced S.F. No. 2254: A bill for an act relating to communications; setting state goals for the deployment and speed of high-speed broadband; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 237. It was referred to the Committee on Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications and a hearing has been confirmed for 3pm on Feb 11.

  • Local Crosslake provider happy with Task Force Recommendations

    Ann Treacy
    4 Feb 2010 | 6:14 am
    Yesterday the Lake Country Echo / Pine River Journal in (and around) Pequot Lakes ran an editorial from Paul Hoge, general manager of Crosslake Communications. Paul commented on the state of rural broadband in Minnesota and praised the Minnesota Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force Recommendations. I wanted to call out the editorial for a few reasons. First, I like to support local broadband providers who appear to be doing a good job and according to Paul… Crosslake Communications is contributing to Minnesota’s strong positioning. Today, Crosslake Communications is offering…
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    The Rural Blog

  • 3 governors and an aggressive fish: Michigan's chief unhappy with U.S. plan to control carp

    9 Feb 2010 | 7:56 am
    A White House meeting about a fish? It happened yesterday, as Govs. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and Jim Doyle of Wisconsin huddled and talked on the phone with Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn about the threat that Asian carp from the Mississippi River system pose to the fisheries and ecosystems of the Great Lakes. (Associated Press photo by M. Spencer Green: Big carp and smaller white bass in Chicago's Shedd Aquarium)"Granholm came away from the summit less than satisfied with the results" and the plan for operating the locks in the canal that connects Lake Michigan with the Mississippi watershed,…

  • Appalachian Ohio prescription drug trade worsens

    8 Feb 2010 | 9:22 am
    Prescription drug abuse in Ohio is escalating, with most of the problem centered on the southeastern region of the state. In 2008, Ohio pharmacists filled 2.7 million prescriptions for narcotics that contain oxycodone and 4.8 million prescriptions for hydrocodone medications, Holly Zachariah of The Columbus Dispatch reports. The oxycodone prescriptions amounted to almost one for every four Ohio residents, while the hydrocodone prescriptions were enough for almost one of every two and one-half Ohioans.The state's drug abuse is particularly bad in its Appalachian region for a number of reasons,…

  • Group has guide to help rural places with census

    8 Feb 2010 | 9:12 am
    As the 2010 U.S. Census gets under way, rural communities are in particular need of accurate counts. "Each person represents around $1,200 in federal funding for their community for services such as schools, hospitals and transportation," the Main Street Project, the nonpartisan arm of the League of Rural Voters, reports. "That’s more than $10,000 per person and more than $40,000 for a family of four over ten years."The Main Street Project "works to document the strengths and challenges facing people in increasingly diverse rural communities, give voice to their hopes and aspirations, and…

  • Forum on Friday at the Newseum to discuss meeting the food needs of the next generation

    8 Feb 2010 | 9:01 am
    Agricultural experts and stakeholders are joining in a "Town Hall 2.0" forum Friday to discuss the unique challenges associated with meeting the food needs of the next generation as Earth's population grows. The event, "Now Serving 9 Billion: Global Dialogue on Meeting Food Needs for the Next Generation," is hosted by CropLife International, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, and CAST at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.A panel of experts will discuss the challenges facing agriculture the next century, including how to feed 2.5 billion more people by 2050 and how to grow more food on less…

  • USPS closing rural post offices across the country under rules meant for suspension of service

    8 Feb 2010 | 8:26 am
    Has a rural post office closed near you recently? It's not the only one, and the U.S. Postal Service may be using a loophole to avoid the usual closing procedure. A three-page handwritten letter from an 87-year-old Hacker Valley, W.Va., woman whose post office recently closed has spurred the federal Postal Regulatory Commission to "investigate whether the Postal Service violated procedures or the will of Congress when it shut down Hacker Valley and 96 other post offices in 34 states over the past five years," P.J. Dickerschield of The Associated Press reports.The cutbacks "have fallen most…
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    Rural Innovation Network

  • Documentaries on social communication for sustainable innovations and development

    SUSANTA BISWAS
    Documentaries on social communication plays a significant role to propagate the message of sustainable innovations which leads to sustainable development. Potka Developmental Block consisting of 20 villages in East Singbhum district of Jharkhand is situated at a distance of about 60 km to the south of Tatanagar, the industrial city of Jamshedpur. The tribal villagers of this forest fringe area are either small or marginal farmers which cause their dependence on forest for fuel wood, fodder and part of livelihood. There the Regional Centre, National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board,…

  • Hi! Trying to help those in rural areas save money!

    Momma
    Hi, I'm excited to find this network. We live in a rural area, 100 miles from a "city" of 20,000 or more. We try to help others save money and recently started a series of articles titled, "25 ways to save money and bargain shop in small towns and rural areas" We are trying to share this series with as many folks that live in small towns and rural areas as we can. But we have no advertising budget, so this makes it very difficult. Please help us spread the word. You can read the series here: http://www.engineeradebtfreelife.com/search/label/savemoneyseries Looking forward to meeting other…

  • SRDI says goodbye after 16 years

    Calvin
    February 10, 2009 Dear Friend: It is with deep sadness that we are writing to let you to know that the Southern Rural Development Initiative (SRDI) will be shutting its doors on February 20, 2009. Though prompted by the current economic crisis and the uncertain funding climate, we know that this is the time to end our formal work as an organization. For the past fifteen years, we have stood fast with rural leaders advocating for racial and economic justice. We have supported their cause, strived to increase resources for their work, provided vital information and research, and learned with…

  • RIN.com is now on FACEBOOK

    Calvin
    Become a fan of Rural Innovation Network.com on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=43620108556#/pages/Rural-Innovation-Networkcom/43620108556 or clicking HERE

  • PRESS RELEASE: New Carsey brief identifies keys to today's rural economic development

    Calvin
    New Carsey brief identifies keys to today's rural economic development Durham, NH and Raleigh, NC - Rural communities working to find strategies for success in today's economy need to rethink the tools they are using, notes Anita Brown-Graham and William Lambe in a new brief from the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, Measures and Methods: Four Tenets for Rural Economic Development in the New Economy. Brown-Graham is the executive director of the Institute for Emerging Issues and a policy fellow at the Carsey Institute. William Lambe is the associate director at the…
 
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    Rural Intelligence

  • New Year, New You…(And Some Sweetheart Deals) -- Road Trips Section -- Excursions

    MarilynBethany@aol.com
    9 Feb 2010 | 4:36 am
    Kathryn Matthews is a lifestyles writer based in New York City and Red Hook, Dutchess County.  She frequently writes about travel, health, food and leisure for the New York Times, Town & Country and O Magazine. On New Year’s Eve, you swore that THIS YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT.  You’d eat healthier.  Exercise more.  Refresh your look.  Think positively.  Breathe deeply.  Relax. Unfortunately, one tiny backslide snowballed…….(and we know how THAT story ends!) Recommit to those resolutions—with your partner—just in time for the upcoming Chinese New…

  • RI Selects: Aphrodisiacs: Myth or Reality? -- Food Section -- News

    MarilynBethany@aol.com
    8 Feb 2010 | 12:24 pm
    Saturday, February 13 @ 7 p.m. Before Viagra, there was rhinoceros horn.  On Saturday night, apropos of Valentine’s Day, parttime Berkshire County resident, the noted food historian and cookbook author Francine Segan, will talk about the history of aphrodisiacs from ancient Egypt through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and up to today. Segan’s talk is rife with such tantalizing trivia as why the ancient Romans ate penis-shaped bread, which vegetable was thought to be responsible for King Henry VIII’s renowned stamina, the foods Casanova swore by to insure a passionate partner,…

  • RI Selects: In the Galleries & Museums -- Arts Section -- Art

    MarilynBethany@aol.com
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:55 am
    February 12 - March 15 Peter Barger, Jo Barry, Christian Bozon, Richard Britell, Ann Getsinger, Julio Granda, Carolyn Letvin, Geoffrey Moss, Irmari Nacht, Franco Pellegrino, Valerie Petersen, Shelli Shneider, Tina Sotis, and Terry Wise are among the artists featured in Small Works Winter Salon, a group show featuring gallery artists’ work at its smallest. Lauren Clark Fine Art Housatonic, MA Artist reception and jewelry trunk show with Annie Crofut/Silvertwist Designs, February 12 @ 5 - 8 p.m.   February 12 @ 6 - 9 p.m. Fossil Talk by Yura Adams When IS183 Art School of the Berkshires…

  • Movie Intelligence -- Arts Section -- Movies

    MarilynBethany@aol.com
    4 Feb 2010 | 4:53 am
        Following are the films currently showing in our region, listed in order of their Metacritic score.*  For a synopsis of the film and excerpts from the reviews that led to the score, click on the Metascore next to the film title. For show times, click on the theater name in the Movie Theaters directory at right.       Metascore/film title/(theaters) 85 An Education (Hudson Movieplex) 84 Avatar (Beacon, Cinerom, Fairview, Lyceum, Regal Berkshire) 83 Crazy Heart (Beacon, Spectrum, Triplex, Upstate) 83 Up in the Air (Bantam, Hudson Movieplex, Gilson, Lyceum,…

  • Winter Shiitake Mushroom Stew with Polenta -- Food Section -- Recipes

    MarilynBethany@aol.com
    3 Feb 2010 | 3:15 pm
    Here in New England where it’s been very gray or very white, my breezy old kitchen seems to shake in the winter wind, and the supply of local fare is dwindling. So it’s time to winter forage, throw a log on the fire, crank up the Billie Holiday, and cook up a warming mushroom stew. In this case, winter foraging means driving over to Leslie Taft’s Blue Moon Shrooms, which is tucked back from the road near the river in Housatonic, MA.  The polenta is local, too (although it can be made from any coarsely ground corn.) For this recipe, I used freshly ground flint corn that was divinely…
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    Reimagine Rural

  • The Creative Class, moving into new industries

    Mike Knutson
    8 Feb 2010 | 10:53 am
    I’ve often felt that a missing part of Richard Florida’s Creative Class theory has been a lack of emphasis on creative individuals who work in non-creative industries.  For those unfamiliar, Florida believes that cities must compete for talent because individuals who belong to the “creative class” drive our economy.  In short, cities that attract talent thrive; those that don’t die. So who are these creative workers that cities need?  Florida finds them in the fields of science, research, health care, finance, computer science and the arts, to name a few. …

  • Brain Drain or Brain Gain: We need to learn more

    Mike Knutson
    5 Feb 2010 | 11:25 am
    Ben Winchester’s research on “rural brain gain,” has drawn some interesting responses in North Dakota. Based on an article titled “Report suggests ‘brain gain’ instead of brain drain,” which appeared in the January 28, 2010 Grand Forks Herald and was reprinted in the January 30, 2010 Fargo-Moorhead InForum, I’d have to say North Dakotans don’t find a lot of applicability in Winchester’s research for their state.  (If you are into negative comments, you’ll want to check out the comments at the end of the InForum article.) Does…

  • OTA Sessions: Let’s make it a rural thing

    Mike Knutson
    4 Feb 2010 | 8:31 am
    “Chris” received a gold star for his comment on my last post.  While referencing the social media presentation Lindsey and I gave to Miner County residents, Chris highlighted the OTA Sessions conference being held in Sioux Falls, SD on March 25th and 26th. The conference looks so enticing that Lindsey and I rushed to sign up. It looks so valuable that I’m calling on other passionate supporters of rural communities to attend.  What is OTA? What “OTA” stands for is a mystery.  I think its secrecy is part of the organizer’s creative marketing strategy. But…

  • Is your community ready for social media?

    Mike Knutson
    2 Feb 2010 | 12:06 pm
    Last night Lindsey and I engaged in a little social media training for residents in Miner County, SD.  During our session, we noted the changing landscape of advertising, and cited Pepsi’s withdrawal from its traditional advertising during the Super Bowl in favor of sponsoring a community grant program called the Pepsi Refresh Project as an example.  Marketing and advertising is definitely going “social.” This morning, I hopped onto Facebook to find an update from Mark Rembert at Energize Clinton County who recommended people support a project in the Pepsi Refresh grant…

  • Can South Dakota’s small towns be cool?

    Mike Knutson
    29 Jan 2010 | 8:43 am
    I’ve commented previously about efforts by travel magazines to identify “cool small towns” (read here and here). Although these lists provide some perspective for rural community development enthusiasts, I’m a bit skeptical of them largely because they are written from a “tourist’s point of view.” In other words, they’re about what urban dwellers believe is cool, and I’m not sure that always translates to what’s important to the future of rural communities.  But a new list caught my eye yesterday because it identifies small towns…
 
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    STPNS: Business

  • Co-op May Sue Environmental Board

    4 Feb 2010 | 2:42 pm
    The Socorro Electric Co-operative may be involved in a lawsuit and have quite a battle on its hands....

  • Farm irrigation to be discussed

    4 Feb 2010 | 10:37 am
    The Whidbey Island Conservation District will host a presentation next week on a farm-irrigation proposal being considered for Central Whidbey....

  • Solar project seeks grant

    4 Feb 2010 | 10:35 am
    Tentative plans to install a cooperative solar-energy project at Greenbank Farm have hit a glitch....

  • Chamber move boosts Coupeville visitor traffic

    4 Feb 2010 | 10:33 am
    Six months after moving its headquarters to Front Street in historic downtown Coupeville, officials from the Central Whidbey Chamber of Commerce have little doubt it was the right decision. ...

  • Whidbey newspapers leave Oak Harbor, south end

    4 Feb 2010 | 8:16 am
    The trend to media consolidation will play out here on Whidbey Island with the announcement, expected this weekend, that the Whidbey News-Times and the South Whidbey Record will combine their newspaper offices in Coupeville....
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    High Country News: Most Recent

  • The paradoxical call of the wild

    Jonathan Thompson
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:40 am
    Wolves may be returning to Colorado on their own 70 years after their deliberate extirpation from the state.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/hcn/most-recent/~4/jBewHMAvuHc" height="1" width="1"/>

  • Prodigal Dogs

    Michelle Nijhuis
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:39 am
    Evidence suggests that wolves may have returned to Colorado, and they are here to stay.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/hcn/most-recent/~4/UBbjROmkze4" height="1" width="1"/>

  • Audio: Soule on Wolves

    Cally Carswell
    8 Feb 2010 | 10:37 am
    A conversation between Michelle Nijhuis and conservation biologist Michael Soule.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/hcn/most-recent/~4/7ujDU-wv9Fg" height="1" width="1"/>

  • Without big government, where would we be?

    Rich Wandschneider
    5 Feb 2010 | 1:37 pm
    It's easy to get nostalgic about American life 100 years ago -- unless you think about what life was like back then, especially for women.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/hcn/most-recent/~4/Xb-DU1zHLTQ" height="1" width="1"/>

  • Bear witness to climate change

    Pepper Trail
    5 Feb 2010 | 1:36 pm
    To imagine what your corner of the West will be like in a warmer climate, consider how different plants and animals are at a lower elevation.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/hcn/most-recent/~4/G-3GFTQGO6I" height="1" width="1"/>
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    High Country News: Blogs

  • Rubber Slugs and iPhones

    Rachel Waldholz
    8 Feb 2010 | 10:47 am
    Bear hazing, quantified.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/hcn/FromTheBlogs/~4/vcKDMAkQYl8" height="1" width="1"/>

  • It's time to put aside the fairytales

    Erin McCallum
    7 Feb 2010 | 5:23 pm
    How big and bad are wolves, really?<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/hcn/FromTheBlogs/~4/CZVk0hMsgxA" height="1" width="1"/>

  • The 2008 Farm and Ranch Survey is out!

    Felice Pace
    5 Feb 2010 | 2:31 pm
    Irrigated agriculture is decreasing in the West<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/hcn/FromTheBlogs/~4/KT9eWy_IIuw" height="1" width="1"/>

  • Beanstalk 2013

    Lisa Song
    4 Feb 2010 | 10:09 am
    A Portland skyscraper will host a living garden down its side.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/hcn/FromTheBlogs/~4/Vz8CRfWZXX0" height="1" width="1"/>

  • Wolverines, snowmobilers, and the ESA

    Rebecca Watters
    3 Feb 2010 | 8:12 pm
    An unusually uncontroversial tale (so far)<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/hcn/FromTheBlogs/~4/t1RrIkk7-KQ" height="1" width="1"/>
 
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    Rurritable

  • C’mon. Get up.

    coozledad
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:40 am
    pretty bird says shift it, mama The weather’s horrible, but we have Balto to remind us of our duties. He’s a peremptory little bastard sometimes, and he leaves his crusty little calling cards everywhere, but at least we don’t need an alarm clock.

  • Foot warmer

    coozledad
    31 Jan 2010 | 10:31 am
    Fred got himself  a new friend during the snow. The guinea fowl weren’t able to roost in the trees for some reason last night (takeoff problems due to soft snow, I think)  so this one elected to sleep on Fred’s back.

  • Prosthesis

    coozledad
    28 Jan 2010 | 1:47 pm
    I guess it was inevitable I’d have to find something to shore up that eroding sense of self that accompanies having to switch to soft foods and failing to understand contemporary pop music, so my wife and I went out and bought me a new penis. My old penis,  a  Chevy S-10, was not  technically a truck. Even though I used it to move our earthly belongings here from the old house,  only sheer exigency drove me to it. I remember vividly the pitch and yaw of the damned thing as I crept along the asphalt driveways they call roads in southern VA with an angry bovine tethered to the stake…

  • metonymy, or synecdoche?

    coozledad
    25 Jan 2010 | 5:24 pm
    I’ve been working on a story whose cast of characters includes a Republican husband and wife who are suffering through a shortage of masochists to lure into a psychotic web of kink (at least that’s what the fifties era dust jacket would have said if they’d discussed such things). They’re Sinatra/ Sam Giancana era pop fans whose favorite act is a husband and wife team best known for their duets, based loosely on Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé. But this couple, Enzio and Inez  Coliti, are extremely, maybe even criminally, passive-aggressive.  It’s melodically…

  • Horrifying

    coozledad
    22 Jan 2010 | 2:34 pm
    My dumb rhetorical question last night came as the result of thinking about this character. http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/tea-party-leader-arrested-rape There are way too many people  of this ilk, and the Republicans keep whipping them up.
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    Perfect Peace Farm

  • Eclpise Award and Dan Liebman's Editoral

    Gordon
    27 Jan 2010 | 2:43 pm
    I kept telling myself over the last few days that I truly did have more important things to around the farm then to comment on the Horse of the Year issue. I have a horse laid up on the barn with a hoof abscess the size of a quarter (she's doing fine, just needs TLC and stay on dry straw for a bit), absolutely insane weather (cold, then rain, then really cold, followed by more rain, then sunny, then more rain), and figuring out horse racing licence stuff. Yah know, real life.Then Dan Liebman, editor of the Blood Horse, had to go and explain his choice for Rachel Alexandra…

  • Racing Licence-Good to Go...Compleltely Insaine

    Gordon
    12 Jan 2010 | 11:02 am
    As our horse Prepare the Way is close to actually getting to race, I have ventured to get a licence as required by states. OK, so I thought this would be an easy thing to do. Not really, I am finding out. Not many people at the various racing commissions are answering the phone and those that do, aren't being very helpful. Websites are useless. I can also see a major amount of nickel and diming too. Anyone who could help me out with this, I would really, really appreciate it. I have printed out about 15 pages of forms and have called about six different groups.Here is the deal: A) The horse…

  • Zenyatta Retired...Really, Honestly, Truely

    Gordon
    11 Jan 2010 | 1:09 pm
    My pick for 2009 Horse of the Year Zenyatta is really retired, according to her owner and trainer. No really, she is...don't look at that workout of four furlongs in 48 flat, that was the back up exercise rider's fault (a rookie to be sure, she just normally has 2009 Lady's Classic winner Life is Sweet as one of her charges)...not in Kentucky? too cold they say. Picked a stallion yet? Uhhh...breeding season opens in three weeks and open mares should be in the process of switching over to their new life. But, lets not speculate...until after the Eclipse…

  • Mayo in Shadow

    Gordon
    17 Dec 2009 | 8:10 am
    I was out taking pictures and Mayo Lane came up to see what was what. Even in the shadow you see her big honking nose.

  • When it Rains...

    Gordon
    3 Dec 2009 | 12:59 pm
    Just a couple of weeks after we buried one horse, I had the unfortunate task of digging another grave. As soon as I got home yesterday, I noticed that Tappin Ginger was on the ground with a strangle discolored object next to her. It was what I had fear: the discolored object was an embryonic sack and the placenta. Ginger gave birth three months too early. She was not due until March 2010 and a foal born this early has no chance of survival. Ginger herself is fine, physically at least. However, those out there that would say that animals have no soul should have seen what I witnessed…
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    Rural Church

  • Go see the new Tennessee Rural Church Blog

    waddey
    26 Jan 2010 | 8:20 pm
    Tennessee Rural Church Blog! Posted in Uncategorized

  • Stuff I’ve Learned Through Blogging

    waddey
    21 Nov 2009 | 3:46 am
    1.  At least 10 other bloggers are saying the same thing.  I am not nearly as “cutting edge” as I thought I was. 2.  There is nothing new under the Sun.  I have found that people were writing and developing a “rural church” vision before I was born.   Their books and articles have been invaluable. 3.  I will offend someone no matter how unoffensive I try to be. 4.  Nuance does not translate well through the blog sphere. 5.  People reach “Rural Route Church” with funny searches like. . .”looking for a real cowboy”. 6.  Vanity can be…

  • Coming Soon

    waddey
    1 Nov 2009 | 5:51 am
    I will be creating a new blog focusing exclusively on Rural Church ministry.  The launch date is January 1 and will highlight multiple authors and contributors.   (Hopefully some names you will recognize)  I would like to thank all of you who have stopped by Rural Route Church over the past couple of years.  I’ll see you in January! Posted in Uncategorized

  • My Teen Herpetologist

    waddey
    8 Oct 2009 | 7:14 am
    This is my first born son.  He likes reptiles, amphibians, and all things that slither.  He is a budding herpetologist and recently turned into a teenager.  Even though he likes to spend inordinate amounts of time with snakes. . .we still like him.   As a part of my fatherly responsibilities I like to take each one of my kids on a trip of their choosing.  Caleb picked a place called “Snake Road”.   We were blessed that  Scott Ballard (Herpetologist / Illinois Department of Natural Resources) asked us to come along with him to “tag” endangered Green Water…

  • 27 miles bring pastoral smiles!

    waddey
    3 Oct 2009 | 6:56 am
    With 27 miles and a whole county behind us we were able to smile in the knowledge that God’s people donated over $7,000  to our local Crisis Pregnancy Center.  We are already planning for next years “Run Pastor Run” event.  We are praying that we can top the $10,000 mark, include at least 5 more ministers, and focus more attention on the vital ministry of Tomorrow’s Hope Crisis Pregnancy Center. Thank you to our runners/walkers:  Jon Smith, Fred Shakelford, Corey Cain, Jim Twilbeck, Carthage Dye, Ken Wells, Grant Ostrom, and Scott Shepherd Posted in Uncategorized
 
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    Sugar Patch

  • What does parenting have to do with politics?

    Ayngel
    31 Jan 2010 | 2:51 pm
    Fighting and name calling are becoming par for the course. Our own government is acting more like a class of preschoolers than a leadership body made up of mature adults. Not just one party, but both are playing the "I don't like you so you can't come to my birthday party" game.Ayngel Overson AKA Boshemia The Sugar Patch Boshemia at SquidooI challenge you to use your own mind, if you don't then somebody els

  • Helping Haiti: A Thank You

    Ayngel
    21 Jan 2010 | 10:57 am
    Haiti isn't far from anyone's minds right now no matter what you are doing it hovers right there at the back of your mind. It is just so senseless, it is hard to be reminded that sometimes life doesn't make sense... and death never does.Ayngel Overson AKA Boshemia The Sugar Patch Boshemia at SquidooI challenge you to use your own mind, if you don't then somebody els

  • 'Sister, Survivor' a book about hope and healing

    Ayngel
    16 Jan 2010 | 2:54 pm
    "We are men, we are women, we are young and we are old. We all have our own unique stories, it hardly seems we have anything in common at all, but we are a family. We are a family because of what we do have in common. We are a family joined not by blood, but by spirit. We are survivors, and we are stronger than any of us truly know or understand."Excerpt from the upcoming book 'Sister, Survivor' by Ayngel "Boshemia" OversonAyngel Overson AKA Boshemia The Sugar Patch Boshemia at SquidooI challenge you to use your own mind, if you don't then somebody els

  • New years resolutions and failure

    Ayngel
    1 Jan 2010 | 3:45 pm
    How many New Years resolutions did you make last year? How many of those resolutions did you keep? Don't feel too bad if you found your resolutions falling by the wayside long before you stop writing last years dates on your checks, it is estimated that over 75% of Americans break their resolutions within the first week.Ayngel Overson AKA Boshemia The Sugar Patch Boshemia at SquidooI challenge you to use your own mind, if you don't then somebody els

  • Holiday Wishes for All... My gift to you.

    Ayngel
    23 Dec 2009 | 6:56 pm
    As Holiday lights are shining bright across our struggling nation, we have a new hope in our hearts. A New Year once again approaches, and what where it will go or what it will bring, none of us knows for sure. My gift to you.Ayngel Overson AKA Boshemia The Sugar Patch Boshemia at SquidooI challenge you to use your own mind, if you don't then somebody els
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    Small Town Scribble

  • SNOW BLUES

    18 Jan 2010 | 3:39 am
    Well, my snow post for 2010 wasn't worthy of the mini ice-age that the British Isles have just experienced. Especially as I had really gone to town in 2008, here, here, here and here.Between you and me, I think I have gone off snow now that I have children, which is the exact opposite of how it should be.This is because the snow caused me to worry, which is the main emotion I experience second only to guilt since becoming a mother.I worried about the amount of school the kids would miss, because they have already missed so much school in moving from their Foster Home to our home. I worried…

  • SNOW!

    5 Jan 2010 | 8:10 am
    A band of snow is moving south from Scotland.Country grinds to halt in 3... 2... 1...

  • MERRY CHRISTMAS

    24 Dec 2009 | 4:12 pm
    The kids are off school so I'm not getting much Internet time because the moment I get the laptop out the kids put away whatever they are doing, mope about, and mumble "I don't know what to do" over and over. A none too subtle ploy to get me to let them go on the CBeebies website.I quite like being a mother, but I don't like the parenting. It's like being a Manager but with the knob turned up +5000 and in your own home. And children are really random. They like baked potatoes one week, scream their heads off when you give it to them the next week. They refuse to put coats, hats and scarves on…

  • CADBURYS

    16 Dec 2009 | 4:34 am
    If ever there was proof that the human race is not on a continuous course towards a better world it is the current story that Cadburys are cowering in a corner from big bad confectionery company, Kraft (who?).Cadburys, who need no introduction to any person British, was started in 1824 by a family of Quakers. Chocolate was ethical you see and no Quakers wanted to make money out of anything that brought any harm to the world.Cadburys not only brought us all chocolate, they gave their workers exceptionally good pay, conditions and pensions as well as building for them Bournville Village, which…

  • CLIMATE CHANGE CONFUSION. AGAIN

    4 Dec 2009 | 4:00 am
    I've mentioned here and here what my confused thoughts are on the whole debate about whether or not humans are responsible for the earth's current changing of climate.I am confused even more at this latest story that scientists at the University of East Anglia manipulated data to support the theory of man-made climate change.A few e-mails taken out of time and context should not wipe out all the data, research and accumulative opinions of the scientific community about the cause of this phenomena. But in terms of political will and public faith, this news might be cataclysmic.I don't know…
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    Walking Prescott

  • Her Maj is watching

    7 Feb 2010 | 11:45 am
    S. Weasel is a commercial artist with a bizarre sense of humor. When she recently moved to the south of England, she took her own brand of expletive-laced libertarianism with her. But more to my point, her poster art:You see, when you feel starved for O2, the inclination is to hunch up and lean forward. Instead, one should always remember:Her Maj is watching!Sit up straight and breathe deeply. It works! I just have to remember Her Maj!

  • Woohoo! My Camera's Well!

    4 Feb 2010 | 8:08 pm
    Hi! GrannyJ here (channeled by OmegaMom). Briefly. Breathlessly. With a few pix of the workout chamber.Big emphasis: Getting folks walking again. Ms. Lower Body in charge.Ms. Upper Body offers a collection of grown-up toys that really work you out.Other miscellaneous equippage:A place to practice living-at-home skills. All presided over by this beautiful quilt.(Tag-on by OmegaMom: The nursing home is talking about springing GrannyJ next Wednesday--she's just doing too well, too quickly! So the sudden push is on to find an assisted living place for GrannyJ. Having her ask for her camera, and…

  • Better! And birthday!

    30 Jan 2010 | 8:35 pm
    GrannyJ is safely ensconced at the Good Samaritan nursing home. They are making her do physical therapy for two hours every morning, and the end result is that she is doing better. She had a Burst O' Energy this evening while I was visiting, and actually walked around her room on her own without me flailing the imaginary whip and chivvying her along. The best part? When she was done, she checked her blood oxygen level, and it was still over 90%.The lesson here, we think, is that old cliche: Use it or lose it. They're making her use it, and thus she is finding it again.Of course, this is an…

  • Quick update

    25 Jan 2010 | 10:35 pm
    This is OmegaMom; I've posted an update on GrannyJ on my blog for those who are concerned.

  • Update

    23 Jan 2010 | 10:32 am
    Hi, all--this is OmegaMom, GrannyJ's daughter. She wanted me to write a post to let you all know what's going on.She's not doing very well, and I am here at her house to help her out. Looks like she'll need to go into the hospital/nursing home for a while to get her back up to par, see if evaluations show that there's anything that can be done. But right now she's in a fairly bad way.She wants you all to know that the blog is the most fun she's had in years, and that she loved doing it. She doubts that she'll be able to keep it up--she certainly can't go out and take new pictures, and she has…
 
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    FishTaxi

  • Orange Alert

    7 Feb 2010 | 9:46 pm

  • Country Legends 100.9fm

    4 Feb 2010 | 11:22 pm
    Nice to have a local radio station clear channel free. Meaning locally owned and operated with real people, real time.

  • Streaking Moose

    3 Feb 2010 | 8:17 pm
    This was another close encounter with a moose I had this afternoon. I wish I could have captured a better picture. Everything happened within seconds and since I was cruising down Lucille Street, where the speed limit is 35, I was able to stop no problem. When I stopped, the moose stopped and looked right at me. I fumbled for my camera that is usually handy. Today it was tucked in my work bag. By the time I got it cocked and ready traffic was coming both ways and the moose streaked into the woods.

  • Hey Taxi!

    2 Feb 2010 | 6:15 pm
    The boss called this morning and asked me to start training today, he needs me to start driving earlier than next week. Rode around in the taxi all day learning the ropes. What a blast! Our cabs are not as cool as the one pictured. We drive mini-vans.

  • Hawaiian Scramble

    1 Feb 2010 | 5:20 pm
    For something different this morning I added pineapple to scrambled eggs, ham and cheese. Sliced smoked jalapenos added a good kick. It was surprisingly good. Try it some time.I start my new exciting job next Monday. It will be long hours during the week with weekends off. The Fishtaxi will be driving cab in Palmer! My blog ought to get better since I will be out and about the Mantanuska Valley with my camera. Meeting new people and seeing new places sounds fun to me.Come along for the ride.
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    Masson's Blog

  • Not Indiana: Iowa legislator wants to outlaw the common law

    Doug
    9 Feb 2010 | 8:12 am
    In a stunning display of I’m not sure what, an Iowa state legislator has introduced a bill that would essentially eliminate the common law. It would forbid a judge from using case law or judicial precedent as a basis for his or her rulings. The only permissible legal authority would be the U.S. Constitution, the Iowa Constitution, the Code of Iowa, the Federalist Papers, and ” other writings of the founding fathers.” And, for good measure, the bill provides that it is not reviewable by a court. Holy wingnuttery, Batman.

  • Legislative Halftime

    Doug
    9 Feb 2010 | 4:37 am
    The Evansville Courier Press offers its opinion on this session of the General Assembly at the half way mark. The editorial suggests that, without any extra money to fight over, prospects of a special session are limited. Legislators have agreed on some lobbying limitations – most prominently a year cooling off period between legislator and lobbyist and some additional limitations on gifts. Local government reform is only mostly dead. Some bills that would eliminate township advisory boards, either directly or by referendum, are still limping along. Redistricting proposals are still in…

  • HB 1324 – Vacant Lots & Property Tax Sales

    Doug
    8 Feb 2010 | 4:33 am
    Rep. GiaQuinta’s HB 1324 would give counties options for disposing of vacant lots acquired at tax sale. Permits a county to sell a vacant parcel acquired by the county in a tax sale to the owner of a contiguous residential parcel for $1 if the contiguous parcel is entitled to the standard property tax deduction. Allows the county to establish criteria to identify vacant parcels eligible for sale. Establishes procedures for conduct of the sale, transfer of the vacant parcel, and consolidation of the vacant parcel with the contiguous parcel. Provides that the consolidated parcel is…

  • Never let the facts get in the way of a good narrative: Super Bowl Edition

    Doug
    7 Feb 2010 | 2:45 pm
    In honor of the Super Bowl, I thought I’d flag a story I thought was true but turned out to be just another myth regurgitated by media and others. In this case, it’s that supposed statistic about domestic violence spiking on Super Bowl Sunday. Turns out – not true. The claim that Super Bowl Sunday is “the biggest day of the year for violence against women” demonstrates how easily an idea congruous with what people want to believe can be implanted in the public consciousness and anointed as “fact” even when it has been fabricated out of whole cloth.

  • SB 251 – Text Book Rental Fees

    Doug
    7 Feb 2010 | 5:58 am
    SB 251, which has passed the Senate, permits schools “to rent textbooks using an average fee for each student if the average is determined using the same total rental fees that would be charged under the per student method.” Current law permits schools to rent the books at 25% of the purchase price of the book or 15% under some circumstances (I think if the book has already been paid for.) This law would allow an averaging of the 25% fees with the 15% fees – I suppose if you had a mix of paid for and unpaid for books? Since the Indiana Supreme Court has declined to find that…
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    High Hopes Gardens

  • February 5, 2010 – New Tiller!

    highhopesgardens
    5 Feb 2010 | 8:58 am
    We’ve been thinking and starting to prepare for a while about a new way of growing our crops. We want to get rid of the monolithic blocks and instead garden in four foot wide beds separated by grass/sod strips. The mental and physical energy to manage 4 foot wide steps seems easier in terms of planting and crop rotation, weeding and harvesting. I’ve been looking for a 48 inch PTO tiller for a year or so and finally got lucky today and saw one on Craiglist that was listed minutes before I saw it and was the first one in to get it. So here it, is ready for spring. one year…

  • February 4, 2010 – Thingamajig Thursday #194

    highhopesgardens
    4 Feb 2010 | 8:54 am
    Here’s this week’s thingamajig Thursday. Also check out the last thingamajig answer. As always, put your guess in a comment below. Hold mouse over this sentence to pop-up answer. one year ago…”Weather Station”

  • February 3, 2010 – What/Who is an “Activist”

    highhopesgardens
    3 Feb 2010 | 8:52 am
    I’ve noticed over the past few months, that the word “activist” has become a new pejorative buzzword. I’ve been trying to figure out the rhetorical appeal of the word. I’ve figured out the typically an “activist” is someone out of step within the current system. There are environmental activists, organic activists, alternative energy activists who seemingly have a common agenda to somehow destroy life as we know it. I couldn’t figure out why these activists are so dangerous to the status quo. For example, even though organic farms are less than…

  • February 2, 2010 – What Does a Half a Beef Look Like?

    highhopesgardens
    2 Feb 2010 | 8:50 am
    Ever wonder what a half a beef looks like before it goes into the freezer? Here is one – we had it processed with an emphasis on the things we eat most often – hamburger and steak.  The basket on the right is full of steaks. The next one is roasts, the next one over is ribs/soup bones, and of course, the last two hamburger. Here’s the breakdown from this half. 71 lbs steaks 54 lbs roasts/ribs/soup bones 148 lbs burger The total cost for this ends up being about $3.30/lb – that’s everything from hamburger that probably average $2 lb at the store to rib eye and…

  • February 1, 2010 – Morning Light

    highhopesgardens
    1 Feb 2010 | 8:44 am
    The subtle colors of morning on the snow mean it is a sunny day. In the summertime it’s harder to get up with the sun, that’s not a problem this time of year.  But tomorrow marks the midday-point between the first day of winter and first day of spring. one year ago…”Katahdin Sheep at High Hopes”
 
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    A Place I Call Home

  • Camera Critters

    30 Jan 2010 | 1:19 pm
    One early morning in July, I was getting ready for work. I went into our poweder room to put on my make up when what do I see out of the corner of my eye, but this little guy.....you can imagine my startle....but he stayed there long enough for me to get a few photos....I guess that is one of the things I should expect living in the country and leaving my window open.....I remember leaving a little note for my hubby that we had a guest in our powder room and that if he felt so inclined he could ask the guest to leave ......If you would like to join in on the fun please check out.....Misty…

  • Talking about what matters and what you want......

    30 Jan 2010 | 8:05 am
    Back in 2008 I made a post about "Advance Directives". In that post I talked about the importance of planning for what you would want done if you were given a terminal diagnosis.In that post I mentioned that our Health Authority had put out a series of pamphlets entitled "Advanced Health Care Planning" They were a series of 4 pamphlets. The first pamphlet Planning Fact sheet; is used as a tool to help the individual plan for advanced care and talking to the family and health care provider about their wishes. The second pamphlet dealt with CPR and what that means and the benefits and risks.

  • Is it really necessary?

    28 Jan 2010 | 7:19 pm
    The other night hubby and I were watching TV and a program came on. It started by showing women is quasi football uniforms. They were wearing those really short shorts, crop tops and had belly jewellery and of course lots of makeup. They were pretty scantily dressed. playing what looked like touch football. I said to my hubby that I found it offensive and got up and started to walk away, when he told me it was a CSI show. REALLY? You could have fooled me. As a result I haven't watched a show since. I digress.Seeing those women dressed as they were got me thinking about women and sport. For…

  • My day at Mt. Washington

    27 Jan 2010 | 8:48 pm
    Yesterday was one of those bonus days. Yes a bonus day. The weather hasn't been the greatest, mild, raining and dark. Sounds like a typical winter day around here. Yesterday was a day off for me, so there's bonus number.Next, at work a few colleagues and I had planned a cross country ski or snowshoeing day. Not many people signed up. Actually I think there were only four of us and one of them forgot she had to work. So with the numbers being so low I didn't think the last two remaining individuals would want to go. However, one of them still did as did I, so the plans were on. We had been…

  • Life is a gift........

    25 Jan 2010 | 7:17 am
    It's interesting how life plays out sometimes. Just when you think things are moving along nicely you get sideswiped when you least expect it.I haven't been blogging as much lately for a variety of reasons, and I honestly can not remember if I have shared certain stories or not. So please bare with me if I repeat myself.Last spring my mother in law and I had a bit of a falling out. Long story. In the fall I decided that life was to short to allow time to be wasted on being angry with someone. It was October and it was coming up to my hubby's birthday and his parents had invited us over for…
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    WordPress Tag: Rural Lifestyle

  • Life skills

    Lynn Marcinkowski Woolf
    31 Jan 2010 | 4:01 pm
    Before ag journalists had Google searches and social networks, there was the Extension ag agent. I first learned of their knowledge, connections and resources on one of my first writing jobs. I was a reporter for a farm magazine, whose focus was farm management and the commodity markets. My knowledge of farming then was based on what I learned in a dairy tour in grade school. I knew even less about marketing crops. It was the late 80s, so there was no turning to a search bar or Wikipedia to find sources or story ideas. Like many ag journalists, I turned to Extension agents many times…

  • Healthy Appetites

    Weatherstone
    20 Jan 2010 | 9:17 am
    I have three brothers.  Even though I am the oldest, I am not the largest of the Almberg boys. My brother, Bruce, who passed away January 15th, was a couple of inches taller and almost 100 lbs heavier.  My brother Rick is just as large.  These guys aren’t my “little” brothers any more.  They are just younger.  My brother, Vincent, is the closest to me in height and weight.  None of us could be described as tiny.  All of us know how to eat. We all grew up with hardy, healthy appetites.  When we were in Junior High and High school, my parent’s grocery bill was astronomical.  It…

  • Random connections

    Lynn Marcinkowski Woolf
    12 Dec 2009 | 4:56 pm
    My 10-year-old is a free spirit. I am not. Consequently, I learn a lot from my tween hippie. Like a few weeks ago when we were shopping at Sheplers, one of our favorite stores and “the world’s leading provider of apparel and accessories for the country/western lifestyle.” We were enjoying a nice chat with the cashier. E. was talking about how old she was, horses, etc. The cashier remarked that she was going to be tall like her dad, who was standing nearby. We’re an adoptive family, so those remarks can leave us wondering. How much do you share with a stranger? It…

  • Thank a farmer

    Lynn Marcinkowski Woolf
    29 Nov 2009 | 6:55 pm
    Agriculture advocates are working hard to educate Americans about farms and food. Twitter has the #thankafarmer initiative, with nearly 4,000 tweets using the hashtag so far. Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson declared Nov. 20 “Thank a Farmer” Day. USDA rolled out its “Know Your Farmer, Know your Food” campaign, saying ”Today, there is too much distance between the average American and their farmer.” One advocate, Gene Hall, PR director for the Texas Farm Bureau (@TxAgPRGuy) summed it up in a recent tweet, “With city folks 3 generations from farm,…

  • Story telling

    Lynn Marcinkowski Woolf
    26 Nov 2009 | 3:49 pm
    It will soon be a year since I began writing stories from Sand Creek. I don’t think I have set the blogosphere on fire with my wit, veracity for writing or groundbreaking insights. I hope I have succeeded in at least one way, though – telling a good story. Eugene Cameron, a Ponca Indian story teller, reminded me that a story is told so that it will be shared. One story teller begets another. So, tell me how I’ve done. Have my stories been good enough to share?
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    Bringing Home the Bacon

  • Dayton Gets Schooled on Ag

    Holly Michael, APR
    8 Feb 2010 | 4:36 pm
    Ahh, Poop Day, God's gift to farm wife bloggers. My latest submission to Dayton's online hub, Dayton Most Metro, not only shares important Poop Day advice but provides definitions of key agricultural terms. Would you click if the headline was Key Agricultural Terms. I didn't think so.

  • Winter Wonder Farm

    Holly Michael, APR
    6 Feb 2010 | 6:08 pm
    Yesterday we got eight inches of snow. My driveway is not scraped; my back porch remains icy. Here on the farm, all the shoveling and snow removal is focused on the livestock. Snowed-in farm wives, minivans and sidewalks are not a priority.A self-proclaimed fair weather farmer, I ventured out today with Morgan, sacrificing my cozy sweatpanted existance to bring you a winter weather farm report. I even caught the farmer out hamming it up (get it!).By the time I got out there, the shoveling was done and feeding time had begun. These hungry sows (mama pigs) were glad to have a cleaned off…

  • Spring Training 2010

    Holly Michael, APR
    2 Feb 2010 | 3:52 pm
    This weekend was baseball / t-ball sign-ups for our home town league. Justin couldn't wait to get signed up for his second year of t-ball with Daddy signing up to be head coach.Serving as head coach of a t-ball team is a little like being assigned to herd cats. Thankfully Husband has the patience of an angel. This patience was tested later this weekend when Justin insisted on going outside in freezing temperatures to take batting practice.

  • A Few of My Favorite Blogs

    Holly Michael, APR
    31 Jan 2010 | 12:14 pm
    It's been nearly two years since I sat down at the computer during a blizzard and created this blog. A college professor told me once that the the best way to improve my PR writing skills was to read good writers and it seems that the same would go for blogging. I have become a fan of a number of good blogs and Web sites but here I share a few of my favorites and how they've helped shape this site.There are two national sites I love that are just too important to ignore but I also admire local bloggers who aren't as famous but still give me inspiration.DooceOk, so maybe not the most…

  • Gettin' Funky with Soft Scrub

    Holly Michael, APR
    25 Jan 2010 | 7:42 pm
    When I was making the case that I should be included in the ultra-exclusive (only 200 bloggers picked!) Soft Scrub Club Captain  list, I told them that I lived on a farm and things get messy here. I didn't want to scare them or I would have confessed that I have to wipe out the inside of my washer every week. Yes, you read that right. I have to clean inside my clothes washer or else farm funk will build up inside the lid. You don't even want to know what kinds of things are on the clothes to cause this.Right before my free (disclosure of product gratis) sample bottle arrived, the pipes…
 
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    Wisconsin Office of Rural Health

  • First Lady Girds to Fight Fat

    mlradtke
    9 Feb 2010 | 11:26 am
    Michelle Obama launched a campaign to fight childhood obesity, a cause that is becoming her top policy priority.  [Read article]

  • Obama Wants to Solve Childhood Obesity Problem Within a Generation

    mlradtke
    9 Feb 2010 | 11:06 am
    Obama signed a presidential memorandum that creates a 90-day plan that involves a task force to provide "optimal coordination" to "tackle one of the most urgent health issues that we face in this country and that is the increase of childhood obesity."  [Read article]

  • Does Anybody Care About HIPAA Anymore?

    mlradtke
    9 Feb 2010 | 11:03 am
    HIPAA got a big boost from the 2009 HITECH act, which extended privacy rules to business partners, threatened steeper penalties for violations, and promised periodic audits. But even with the beefed-up rules, these days HIPAA just doesn't seem to be that big a priority—to anyone.  [Read article]

  • Launching HITECH

    mlradtke
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:27 am
    Information is the lifeblood of modern medicine. Health informationtechnology (HIT) is destined to be its circulatory system. Withoutthat system, neither individual physicians nor health care institutionscan perform at their best or deliver the highest-quality care, writes David Blumenthal, MD, in the New England Journal of Medicine.  [Read article]

  • Hospital Consolidation is Driving Health Costs

    mlradtke
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:14 am
    Health insurers' major lobby in Washington blames hospital consolidation as an often ignored reason for the soaring price of healthcare.  [Read article]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    The Appleton Blog

  • This Is the Time to Think Like an Entrepreneur: The Hot Tub Medic Example

    Mormanity
    6 Feb 2010 | 4:55 am
    At a "Pinewood Derby" cub scouting event, of all places, I ran into the local entrepreneurs behind Hot Tub Medic (HotTubMedic.com). Illustrating the kind of thinking that can lead to success for other local entrepreneurs, these businessmen told me why they decided to get into this business. With the economy down, people are less likely to spend their money on travel, new cars, or new homes, and more likely to focus on enjoying or improving what they already have. That's where hot tubs come in. Expect them to be used more, maintained more, and upgraded more. Many home owners might be adding…

  • Kagen vs. Pelosi?

    Mormanity
    4 Feb 2010 | 5:58 am
    In my previous post, I mentioned Fox Banquets as a classy place for meetings and other events. At the Fox Banquets event I attended this week, I had the privilege of meeting Reid Ribble, a business man who has decided to run for Congress. I'm especially curious about something I heard from Mr. Ribble - maybe some of you can check this for me. He said the voting record of Rep. Steve Kagen is (nearly? virtually? exactly?) the same as California's Nancy Pelosi, which would be shocking if true since Kagen campaigns here as if he's something of a conservative. I think Ribble even said "100%" - but…

  • Classy Place for Meetings, Receptions, Parties, Weddings: Fox Banquets ("Michiels")

    Mormanity
    4 Feb 2010 | 5:40 am
    This week I was at a reception held at Fox Banquets, formerly known as Michiels. The website is MichielsFoxBanquets.com. My visit reminded me of what a classy place this one, one that we used a few years ago for a wedding reception for one of our sons. It's in the heart of Appleton, overlooking the Oneida Flats area from the edge of the steep hill that goes from downtown Appleton toward the river, just east of the Oneida Skyline Bridge. They have one of the nicest views of any place in the Valley and a beautiful interior as well with two floors and a variety of rooms for meetings and events.

  • Recent Restaurant Experiences

    Mormanity
    2 Feb 2010 | 6:08 am
    In the past few weeks, for business and social purposes, I've been able to try a number of places. I really enjoyed the pizza and desserts at Wise Guys in Menasha. Great smoothies and burgers were found at Red Robin in Darboy. Awesome prime rib sandwich at the Red Ox in Appleton. Pretty good steak at Beefeaters in Appleton. Solea in Neenah is always good for sure-fire Mexican. Wonderful Chinese was experienced again at Confucius in Appleton as well as Dong Po on College Avenue. Also tried the Boba Tea again at Pooh Saan in Appleton. I'll provide more details soon.

  • Looking for Real Estate Bloggers in the Valley

    Mormanity
    2 Feb 2010 | 6:03 am
    Say, could you let me know of real estate blogs for the Fox Cities that I could list as resources for people looking for homes in the area? I'm aware of "Ask Laurel" by Laurel Stone. Are there others you can recommend?
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop
    ruraltourismmarketing.com

  • Are You Taking Your Most Loyal Customers For Granted?

    Joanne Steele
    8 Feb 2010 | 10:01 am
    Rural tourism businesses aren’t the only ones who spend buckets of money and untold hours trying to attract new customers while taking their loyal customers for granted. Think about it. How much time in the last several weeks of planning your 2010 marketing have you thought about those special people who book trips with you almost every [...]

  • Time Management Tip for Small Town Tourism Businesses – Handling All That Paper Clutter.

    Joanne Steele
    5 Feb 2010 | 1:03 pm
    I am old enough to remember the first promise of the Internet – that is was going to save so much paper. Are you laughing as you wade through yesterday’s junque mail and all that stuff you printed from your email this week? Paper is causing us three problems: What to save. When to handle the stuff [...]

  • Small Town Local Marketing Using Post Cards Works

    Joanne Steele
    4 Feb 2010 | 10:33 am
    Yesterday I sorted through the pile of literature I brought home from last week’s conference keeping some and recycling most. My “keep” pile included business cards, of course, and it also included a significant number of post cards. Then I looked at the front of my refrigerator. It’s decorated with post cards I’ve picked up from a [...]

  • How to Encourage Good Customer Service in Small Tourism Towns.

    Joanne Steele
    2 Feb 2010 | 1:12 pm
    Towns looking for a way to improve customer service and delivery of accurate visitor information, take note of what Klamath Falls, Oregon is doing. For the past 16 years the Klamath Falls, Oregon region has had an organization devoted to supporting and recognizing excellent customer service and to providing accurate area information to visitors. The organization is [...]

  • Is Facebook a Good Marketing Tool For Rural Tourism Businesses?

    Joanne Steele
    1 Feb 2010 | 2:57 pm
    My answer is, “Yes, if done correctly. No, if not.” As a small tourism business operation or chamber of commerce, you’re concern is probably time. You don’t have time for a social media site that could suck up hours for a questionable return on your investment.  Your concern is well noted. Here’s how to approach Facebook in [...]
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