A Roadmap to Growth for Local Meat in BC

The Small-Scale Meat Producers Association has released its 2021 Small-Scale Meat Sector Survey. What was heard from this survey is that many small-scale producers are desperate to scale up their production to meet the increasing demand for higher welfare and locally raised meat and to realize economies of scale but are faced with an array…

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Importance of Co-op’s in Agriculture

Governance, investment for growth and development, accessing institutional markets, and land management were among the topics covered at the inaugural BC Agriculture and Food Co-op Conference in Kamloops, March 24-25. Hosted by the BC Co-operative Association, the event attracted about 120 growers, processors, retailers, academics, government representatives, policymakers and others came together to raise awareness…

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Supporting Small Independent Businesses in BC

Support Local BC was an initiative brought on out of necessity in 2020 due to the closures of many businesses in response to the Provincial Health Orders to stop the rapid spread of COVID-19.  The website provides a place for communities and businesses throughout the province to support each other. Connecting all regions with its…

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One Maine Town Tees Up New Economic Development

Biddeford, Maine, saw a dramatic economic turnaround after the Orton Foundation’s Community Heart & Soul program helped shape the town’s Master Plan. Biddeford’s Economic Development Director, Daniel Stevenson, talks about how having a solid road map opened the door for $78 million in new projects downtown, including a hotel, new businesses, apartments, and shops.  …

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Columbia Lake Tech Centre — the Podcast

As many rural communities struggle to reinvent their economies in the wake of wrenching change, the small BC town of Canal Flats has embraced new & emerging technologies as a means of establishing a new economic base for the town and surrounding East Kootenay region. In this BC Rural Centre podcast, Brian Fry, the co-founder…

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ABCDE, a la Peter Kenyon!

asset based community development with Peter Kenyon

“Shift the development mindset from needs and deficiencies to assets and capacities — from consumer, customer, and client, to co-producer, co-owner, and citizen.” Peter Kenyon   If your rural or remote community can use a boost, here are some primers, courtesy one of the world’s leading asset-based community development advocates, Australia’s Peter Kenyon.    …

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Small Towns Refuse to Die

Small towns fight back

Some small towns offer $1 lots, tax breaks and guaranteed loans to win over newcomers for a chance to prove they are islands of growth that matter to Canada’s future, says Joe O’Connor in this Financial Post article. Jay Patel decided about four years ago he wanted to buy a motel. He was living in…

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Rural Innovation & Youth Attraction

Attracting youth to rural places is vital!
BC Rural Centre
BC Rural Centre
Rural Innovation & Youth Attraction
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If rural communities are to survive — let alone prosper — in the 21st century, they need to innovate. And through that innovation, attract a new wave of creative, entrepreneurial Millennials to our small towns and rural regions. This audio version of a BC Rural Centre webinar features two inspiring advocates of rural innovation —…

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