EXCERPT: “Federal grant money is flowing in to help farmers and smaller businesses in rural communities adapt to clean energy technology. Minnesota is among the states getting extra staff to help individuals tap into those resources. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is hiring 40 Climate Change Fellows to assist with applications for wind, solar and similar projects ...

EXCERPT: “Those living in rural areas face several challenges when it comes to accessing legal care; challenges that oftentimes affect their health and can prevent them from getting out of unsafe situations. A model that’s been successful in Alaska may address some of those legal challenges. Michele Statz, associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical ...

January 4, 2024 By Kelly Asche, Senior Researcher Every December the U.S. Census Bureau releases the new American Community Survey data, representing the previous year. And with that release the Center for Rural Policy can update all the numbers representing rural Minnesota and release the annual “State of Rural” report. The big takeaway again in ...

Since 2020, Interconnected has been helping bridge the divide between urban and rural communities in Minnesota by discussing shared challenges and opportunities, and exploring how to design a future and systems that incorporate the unique needs of communities across the state. We kicked off season 3 of this series on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 12 noon ...

EXCERPT: “A common refrain from Minnesota Republicans goes something like this: Rural communities are overtaxed, underfunded and ignored by legislators. Greater Minnesota sends their tax dollars to the Twin Cities, where metro residents benefit from government programs. At a Nov. 15 event in New Ulm, Republican State Sen. Gary Dahms repeated the sentiments that have fueled the ...

EXCERPT: “Norman County and Mahnomen County have some of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in Minnesota, according to the 2023 Minnesota Adolescent Sexual Health Report. The latest report is the first look at teen pregnancy rates after the pandemic. While both counties have some of the highest rates of pregnancies for those between the ages ...

EXCERPT: “‘Can you lift your arms?’ physician Luke Van Oeveren asked. An elderly woman stared blankly at him from the back of an ambulance, where she sat strapped onto a stretcher. After a moment, she complied, but when Van Oeveren added another instruction to the cognition test, she became confused. ‘Close your eyes and lift your ...

As labor force demand increases, more attention is being given to our high school graduates – where are they going and how do we keep more of them in our rural regions now that we have a plethora of opportunities available? This webinar provides an overview of our research report tracking high school graduates in ...

EXCERPT: “Those living in rural areas face several challenges when it comes to accessing legal care; challenges that oftentimes affect their health and can prevent them from getting out of unsafe situations. A model that’s been successful in Alaska may address some of those legal challenges. Michele Statz, associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical ...

The data show that the choices students make in high school and that paths they take after high school can predictably guide them to specific states of meaningful workforce participation later on. November 2023 By Kelly Asche, Senior Researcher | Marnie Werner, VP of Research & Operations For a print version of this report, click ...