Dakotafire Get your spark here.

We all know the few blocks that make up our rural Main Streets like the back of our hands, but we may not often stop to think about the purposes they serve in our communities. Read More »

This is the question that started the group gathered at the March Prairie Idea Exchange event talking. Read More »

People come to Main Street for far more than business transactions. If communities want their Main Streets to be vibrant and bustling, national organizations suggest, Read More »

A few extra thoughts on what's happening with rural leadership Read More »

When the Fischer Quints of Aberdeen turned 50 in September 2013, the event triggered memories of another multiple birth in Brown County that occurred three decades earlier. The Schense quadruplets were born on Jan. 13, 1931, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen. Read More »

In the Glacial Lakes region in northeast South Dakota, “community” is defined as more than what lies inside the city limits signs. Read More »

As we look to the future for our rural communities, one thing is certain: What lies ahead is not going to be the same as what came before. Change is inevitable. Read More »

On the surface, the leadership situation in many rural communities is easy to describe: From city councils to festival committees to 4-H clubs, there just aren’t enough leaders. Read More »

If two heads are better than one, the result of the collaborative hopes and dreams of hundreds is nothing short of amazing. Read More »

If we look at rural leadership challenges as a supply-and-demand problem—the supply of rural leaders is not meeting the demand—then two strategies present themselves: Reduce the demand, or increase the supply. Read More »