Dakotafire Get your spark here.

Rural economies keep getting more diverse, which drives population growth (yes, growth) Read More »

Invest in infrastructure of many kinds, rural development director advises Read More »

Information can reach people wherever they are; more people can choose to live rural Read More »

Maintaining a well-trained local workforce requires a variety of strategies Read More »

Reservations and other rural places can expand possibilities with food production. Read More »

Rural school districts face challenges from several directions when recruiting teachers. Baby boomers are retiring. Many small towns are losing population and vitality. Urban school districts often can pay more than rural districts. The education profession as a whole has become more of a pressure cooker with changing standards and more reporting requirements. All these and more factor into rural ... Read More »

by Wendy Royston, with additional reporting by Heidi Marttila-Losure In the past 30 years, the Dakotas have worked hard to improve economic opportunity to the people who call these states “home.” But, according to experts, the state of the actual homes in the Dakotas has not received such focused attention. The organizational structure for economic development was put in place 30-some ... Read More »

by Wendy Royston with additional reporting by Kristin Brekke Vandersnick Does your rural community need new rental housing? If so, it’s likely that rental rates will have to increase to make that possible. Many recent housing studies conducted in rural communities recommend rate increases because current rents won’t cover the payments for new construction. Rents in smaller communities with fewer ... Read More »

A project of Design:SD  •  Illustrations by Paul H. Boerboom, AIA, and Jeremy Altman, Assoc. AIA Adapted primarily from: AIA’s Ten Principles for Livable Communities, with inspiration from Minnesota Design Team and several other sources When you start designing projects for your community, how do you know they will actually work—that whatever you build will be used, and loved, and ... Read More »

A gathering of Miller residents ranging in age from 15 to 89 had a conversation Feb. 5 about this question: “How can we engage young people in the future of the community of Miller?” The gathering was the last event of the Prairie Idea Exchange, a grant-funded project intended to share community-building ideas across the region. Dakotafire Media organized the ... Read More »