Season 2 Ep 5: Shifting Energy Infrastructure
In this episode, CRDP researcher Whitney Oachs discusses her new research examining the issues, barriers and opportunities facing rural energy providers in shifting their infrastructure to renewable sources. She is joined by Tim Velde, who sits on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light & Power Association as well as on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Rural Electric Association. She is also joined by Jennifer Cady who is the Manager of Regulatory Strategy & Policy for Minnesota Power.
Season 2 Ep. 4: State of Rural 2021
In this episode, hear from Kelly Asche and Ben Winchester as they discuss the narrative myths surrounding rural Minnesota, from population statistics, to workforce and housing.
Season 2 Ep. 3: E-Commerce and the Amazon Effect
In our third episode of the Center of Everywhere Podcast, researcher Kelly Asche explores the topic of the amazon effect on retail and local tax revenue with UMN Extension community economics educators Neil Linscheid and Ryan Pesch. Online sales have permeated everyday life and their impacts stretch beyond convenience of shopping. Local leaders see the...
Season 2 Ep. 2: A conversation about food cooperatives
Grocery stores have been on Julie’s mind lately. As a member of the Waseca EDA, she finds herself thinking about ways and alternatives to attract a new grocery store business to the community to help fill a need that is currently only occupied by Walmart. On this episode, she discusses one alternative – cooperatives. She’s...
Season 2 Ep. 1: Why our upcoming research is focused around taxes
After taking a break over the summer we are happy to be back and discuss some of the future research we have coming out this Fall. On this episode we discuss why our upcoming research will be focused around a general topic – taxes. What we thought, at first, was just coincidence that our topics...
Season 1 Ep. 23: Building Community, Embracing Difference – Research by the Humphrey School Capstone students
On this episode, Marnie Werner, the Vice President of research at the Center for Rural Policy & Development is joined by graduate students from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. If you’re a regular listener to the Center of Everywhere, you’ll remember Whitney Oachs, who has been our research intern...
Season 1 Ep. 22: State Demographer Susan Brower and the release of the Census
On this episode, Kelly Asche got an opportunity to chat with the Minnesota State Demographer Susan Brower where we discussed our surprise that Minnesota kept all eight of it’s congressional districts, how our high self-reporting rate likely helps the accuracy of our data, and our concerns of the U.S. Census Bureau’s plan to add noise...
Season 1 Ep. 21: Mid-legislative session review with Scott McMahon
Back in January, President and CEO of the Center for Rural Policy and Development, Julie Tesch, had a conversation with Scott McMahon, the Executive Director of the Greater MN Partnership on the upcoming legislative session. In this episode, Julie brought Scott back on for a mid-legislative session review. So far, this session has lived up...
Season 1 Ep. 20: Research discussion on child care research with Marnie Werner
This episode is a discussion with Marnie Werner who just published a new research report looking into rural child care. In this interview we speak about the current lack of availability of child care slots , the challenges center based care face in rural Minnesota, and some of the community-level solutions that has Marnie excited....
Season 1 Ep. 19: Homelessness in rural MN, with Rhonda Otteson
On this week’s episode, Julie talks with Rhonda Otteson, Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, about homelessness in rural Minnesota. It’s easy to overlook since homelessness doesn’t always look the way we think it should. Rhonda and Julie discuss the many hidden factors that put people at risk for homelessness, why the housing situation in Greater...