Season 4

On this episode, Kelly Asche, Senior Researcher at the Center for Rural Policy and Development, speaks with Amy Baldwin, Community Development Director at Otter Tail County, about their housing initiative – The Big Build. Housing is one of the biggest problems when it comes to attracting people to Greater Minnesota and fill our workforce needs.... The post Season 4, Episode 8: An update from Otter Tail County’s Big Build Initiative first appeared on Center for Rural Policy and Development.

In this episode, Julie Tesch, President and CEO of the Center for Rural Policy and Development, has a discussion with our newly appointed members to our Board of Directors – Brown County Administrator Sam Hansen and  Aitkin County Administrator Jessica Siebert. Sam and Jessica discuss current issues in their county, recent successes, population change, and... The post Season 4, Episode 7: A conversation with rural County Administrators Sam Hansen and Jessica Siebert first appeared on Center for Rural Policy and Development.

On this sixth episode of the season, Marnie Werner, Vice President of Research at the Center, speaks with Teri Fritsma, the Lead Healthcare Workforce Analyst at the Office of Rural Health and Primary Care within the MN Department of Health. Healthcare workforce is a big issue these days, especially in Greater Minnesota and especially as... The post Season 4, Episode 6: The mental healthcare workforce with Teri Fritsma, MN Dept. of Health first appeared on Center for Rural Policy and Development.

March 2024 On this episode, Kelly Asche, Senior Research with the Center for Rural Policy and Development, speaks with Scott McMahon, Executive Director of the Greater Minnesota Partnership about proposed legislation in the Minnesota legislature. The Greater MN Partnership has been advocating for state investment in rural housing and in 2023 they successfully advocated to... The post Season 4, Episode 5: Proposed housing legislation with Scott McMahon first appeared on Center for Rural Policy and Development.

Our most recent research highlighted the suicide epidemic in rural Minnesota. On this episode, researchers and authors of the report, Marnie Werner and Tracie Rutherford Self, discuss the various elements of how we got to this point in rural areas, the factors that are playing a role, and ways in which we can move forward... The post Season 4, Episode 4: Suicide research with Dr. Tracie Rutherford Self first appeared on Center for Rural Policy and Development.

Our most recent research highlighted the importance career and technical education played in the Southwest’s region’s labor force. On this episode, Kelly Asche (Senior Researcher) chats with Eriann Faris, the Career and Technical Education Program Coordinator for Southwest West Central Services Cooperative and leads the Launching Your Future Today (LYFT) initiative. Eriann explains how LYFT... The post Season 4, Episode 3: Launching Your Future Today (LYFT) Initiative first appeared on Center for Rural Policy and Development.

The 2024 Legislative session is just around the corner so Julie Tesch (CEO and President) checks in with Scott McMahon, the Executive Director of the Greater Minnesota Partnership. They discuss what the session may hold for various rural issues. The post Season 4, Episode 2: Legislative preview with Scott McMahon first appeared on Center for Rural Policy and Development.

The Center for Rural Policy recently released a report outlining the education and employment patterns of Southwest high school graduates. On this episode, Kelly Asche, Senior Researcher, discusses the report and what he found while researching this important issue. The post Season 4, Episode 1: The journey to meaningful workforce participation among Southwest graduates first appeared on Center for Rural Policy and Development.