The NCRCRD is committed to building a more resilient North Central Region by improving the adaptive capacity of households, businesses, and communities through impactful research and outreach.

Supporting Rural Resilience Through the Rural Grocery Specialist Certificate

March 15, 2022

Principal Investigator: Rial Carver, Kansas State University

Co-Principal Investigator: Debra Hagenmaier and Erica Blair, Kansas State University

Proposal Abstract:  Independent businesses, particularly grocery stores, are critical for rural communities to flourish. However, many business owners across the country are nearing retirement. Proactively planning for business transition is crucial to keeping businesses operational, even after the owner moves on.

This topic is especially relevant in rural communities, where the closure of a single business can dramatically impact the local economy and quality of life. Without a business transition plan, rural grocery stores abruptly close, and communities lose out.

In 2021, the Rural Grocery Initiative launched programming to support successful rural grocery business transitions. This work revealed a clear and extensive need for more technical assistance from skilled professionals. In response, the Rural Grocery Initiative will develop a Rural Grocery Specialist certificate program to train extension professionals, economic developers and other rural stakeholders in business transition planning fundamentals so that they may promote long‐term economic resilience in their communities.

Award: $39,800

Enhancing Cost Estimates of Rural Child Care in Indiana

March 15, 2022

Principal Investigator: Jennifer Finders, Purdue University

Co-Principal Investigator: Sara Schmitt, Purdue University

Investigators: George Rickus, Advisor and Consultant; Tanya Hall, Purdue University Extension Community Development

Proposal Abstract: Child care subsidies assist families with low incomes in paying for child care. The equal access principal asserts that families using subsidies should have comparable options to families who are not eligible for subsidies. Almost all states face challenges meeting this benchmark because they typically reimburse child care providers based on the prices they charge instead of what it costs to operate their programs. This is particularly problematic in rural communities where there exists a shortage of child care overall. Thus, it is important to ensure the methodology behind reimbursement rates captures actual costs in rural markets to incentivize programs to accept subsidies and increase options for families. The proposed project will support the enhancement of a tool developed to estimate the costs of providing child care in Indiana. Findings will generate knowledge about the costs of high-quality programming in rural communities and may inform future reimbursement rate setting.

Awarded: $39,953

An Extension Guidebook to Help Communities Plan for Drought Using Scenario Based Exercises

November 5, 2019

Principal Investigator: Deborah Bathke, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Co-Principal Investigators: Peter Tomlinson, Kansas State University; Hans Schmitz, Purdue University; Tonya Bernadt, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Proposal Abstract:
Droughts, with their prolonged absence of rain, can creep up on communities causing disastrous consequences to the economy, environment, and human health. Scenario-based exercises (e.g., workshops, tabletop exercises, and games) focused on drought offer an innovative way to bring people together to discuss drought planning and policy issues. Participants can collaborate with and learn from other community members, decision-makers, planners, and scientists. Rural communities, which often have limited fiscal resources and a lack of local government capacity may find these exercises especially beneficial as they create a framework for helping the community to draw up their unique resources, such as their self-reliant nature, strong sense of community, tightly connected family networks, and knowledge of and ties to natural resources, to build resilience to drought and increase sustainability. This project translates existing research on how drought scenario exercises have been used to help communities better prepare for drought into an interactive Extension Guide designed to help Extension specialists and others working in community development educate communities about drought and the importance of planning; illustrate the use of scenario exercises as an innovative way to engage community members in the planning process; provide guidance for selecting appropriate scenario exercises to help start the planning process; and explore case studies based on the experiences of other communities and organizations.

Award: $24,671.00

Homegrown: Entrepreneurship in your Community—An Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Curriculum

November 5, 2019

Principal Investigator: Tessa Conroy, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Co-Principal Investigator: Sarah A. Low, University of Missouri

Proposal Abstract:
Research and outreach on entrepreneurship in regional economic development indicates weak entrepreneurial networks in much of rural America. This problem is especially acute in regions that have traditionally relied on business attraction and retention as a rural economic development strategy, as have Wisconsin and Missouri. The proposed program aims to create a supportive network in rural areas, so that when entrepreneurs are considering starting a business they get supportive signals from key community leaders. The principal output from this grant will be the development and piloting of an Extension curriculum, “Homegrown: Entrepreneurship in your Community.” The proposed Extension program taps the new and rapidly growing body of research on entrepreneurial ecosystems and uses it to create a customizable curriculum that aims to grow entrepreneurial networks in rural areas, and consequently, foster rural economic development. A secondary output from this grant will be the development of a USDA NIFA AFRI integrated grant proposal to the “Innovation for Rural Entrepreneurs and Communities” program area, summer 2020. Our AFRI project will propose measuring entrepreneurial networks in rural communities and their impact on business ownership and performance. The policy question is whether there is a role for smaller communities to facilitate institutions that foster networking and social capital that enhance local entrepreneurship?

Award: $16,570.00

Retaining Rural Businesses by Transitioning to Cooperative Ownership

November 5, 2019

Principal Investigator: Michael Darger, University of Minnesota

Co-Principal Investigators: Courtney Berner, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Kevin Edberg

Proposal Abstract:
The UofM Extension and the UofWI Center for Cooperatives, along with Cooperative Development Services in St. Paul will design, deliver and evaluate a “road show” about converting businesses to employee ownership with audiences in rural areas. Converting businesses to employee ownership through worker-owned cooperatives is a new approach to retaining businesses when owners retire. At least it’s new in terms of acceptance and application in the economic development field. It has gained traction on the East and West coasts, however adoption has been slower in the North Central region. For businesses with <100 employees, converting to a worker owned cooperative is potentially a pathway for business succession. However, outside of co-op circles few are aware of this method nor have considered it as a viable option for retaining businesses. In Minnesota and Wisconsin there are ~27,000 retiring business owners potentially interested in this research. Additionally, this project builds on new federal legislation and rules, including the availability of USDA Business and Industry Loan Guarantees for cooperatives, and the Main Street Employee Ownership Act.

This project will create insights and greater understanding of needs/barriers relative to supporting rural business-to-cooperative transitions in the North Central region. Leveraging the knowledge and experience developed by project partners and practitioners in other regions, the project team will create, pilot test, and evaluate methods. The goals include 1. creating basic awareness about converting businesses to employee ownership, 2. gaining its acceptance as a viable option and 3. spurring adoption of cooperative conversions as a succession strategy.

Award: $25,000

Support Our Stores (SOS): Initiating Multi-State Response to Rural Grocery Store Crisis

November 5, 2019

Principal Investigator: Kathy Draeger, University of Minnesota

Co-Principal Investigators: Jody Bruns, North Dakota State University; Ren Olive, University of Minnesota

Proposal Abstract:
Rural grocery stores, those located in communities with a population of 2,500 or less, are closing at unprecedented rates, the impact of which is being felt throughout rural communities nationwide. These closures are often permanent and new owners and stores are not replacing those that are shuttered.

The impact of these closures results in limited access to a full range of healthy grocery items, decreased Main Street businesses, reduced community assets and vitality. This project seeks to identify, recruit, and orient Extension research and outreach to supporting the remaining grocery stores, piloting this in MN and ND. The goal of this project, Support Our Stores (SOS): Initiating Multi-State Response to Rural Grocery Store Crisis, is to develop a grant proposal to increase land-grant university capacity to help stem the epidemic of rural grocery store closings in Minnesota and North Dakota, and to provide a framework for other regions to address a similar problem.
This planning project will harness multi-state insight, experience, and expertise through the collaboration of the University of Minnesota (UMN) Extension and the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension services. The “SOS” planning team will: 1) conduct a Situation Assessment and identify available resources, 2) use project planning meetings with ND and MN to define goals and objectives, and, 3) complete a full grant proposal and budget.

Award: $25,000

Food Access and Independent Grocers: Strengthening Food Security in Underserved Communities

November 15, 2018

Principal Investigator: Gary Taylor, Iowa State University

Co-Principal Investigators: Lisa Bates and Jon Wolseth, Iowa State University; David Procter, Kansas State University; and Greg Schweser, University of Minnesota

Project Abstract:
Compile existing land grant university resources that support independently-owned groceries as sites of food security, social centers, and economic opportunity in the rural Heartland by bringing together three partners (Iowa State University, Kansas State University, and University of Minnesota) to review our existing resources and efforts, identify gaps where development of additional resources are needed, and begin the discussion on creating a joint curriculum for working with independently-owned groceries that could be shared throughout the North Central region.

Award: $22,012

The Impact of Volunteers on Sustainable Rural Community Development

November 15, 2018

Principal Investigator: SoJung Lee, Iowa State University

Co-Principal Investigators: Linda Niehm, Iowa State University; Jichul Jang, Kansas State University; and MiRan Kim, Michigan State University

Project Abstract:
A rural festival can be an important contributor to a community’s resource base and a means of sustainable community development. Effective festival operation and management are also essential to a successful event. Many rural festivals rely heavily on volunteers to remain viable. However, there is limited understanding regarding the role of volunteers in rural community events and their impact on civic life and local leadership development. The primary purpose of this research is to identify the role and impact of festival volunteers on sustainable rural community development using a community capitals perspective. For this study, a research model will be developed and tested to 1) identify how volunteers influence community sustainability through a set of input variables, including: motivation, attachment, ownership, loyalty, leadership, engagement, and community support, 2) examine if volunteers’ demographics and festivals ’profiles moderate the impact of volunteers on a rural community, and 3) create a foundational assessment tool to be used for a festival volunteer training toolkit. Twelve rural festivals in Iowa, Michigan, and Kansas will be selected for the proposed study. Surveys will be distributed to festival volunteers between fall 2018 and summer 2019. Findings will portray the current opportunities and challenges of managing volunteers in rural festivals and provide a feasible and practicable perspective for developing a volunteer training program and related toolkit. Results will offer preliminary data for a larger external grant (e.g., USDA Rural Community Development Initiative Grants) to develop a sustainable volunteer training program to for rural festival organizers and community stakeholders.

Award: $25,000

Integrating and Sustaining Financial Capability Services in Rural Healthcare Delivery

November 15, 2018

Principal Investigator: J. Michael Collins, University of Wisconsin

Co-Principal Investigators: D. Elizabeth Kiss, Kansas State University; Suzanne Bartholomae, Iowa State University; and Carrie Johnson; North Dakota State University

Proposal Abstract:
Extension educators in several states in the North Central region have been delving into the links between health and household finances. Although financial capability support services are available in many rural communities, financial education, coaching, and related programs are not well integrated into health systems. At the same time, a growing body of research shows that financial strain undermines people’s ability to follow-through on medical treatments, ultimately harming their health. This project bridges the domains of household finance and health through 1) a needs assessment documenting rural healthcare providers’ perspectives on screening patients for financial difficulties and integrating financial capability supports into health services and 2) exploring the potential of sustaining these services through insurance reimbursement. Healthcare’s fee-for-service payment model has restricted the integration of social services, such as financial education, into the delivery system; however, financial hardship recently gained a medical diagnosis code (ICD-10-Z59.9), creating interest in reimbursement for financial education. Challenges to service integration loom especially large in rural areas, where the average patient-to-primary care physician ratio of only 40 physicians per 100,000 people, compared to 53 physicians per 100,000 in urban areas. Thus, rural healthcare providers have even less capacity to conduct financial screenings or make referrals. This project will draw on healthcare professionals’ perspectives to develop recommendations for tools, resources, partnership strategies, and programs that support financial capability service integration into rural health systems.

Award: $24,897

How We Work Together: Supporting Local/Regional Food Systems through Collaboration (8/30/22)
Presenter: Lindsey Scalera, Community Food Systems Collaboration Specialist, Center for Regional Food Systems, Michigan State University

Moving Rural Communities FORWARD: Future Opportunities for Rural Workforce and Rural Development through Extension (5/24/22)
Presenters: Tanya Hall (Community Development Regional Extension Educator, Purdue University), Sheila Martin, (Strategic Advisor for Economic and Community Engagement, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities), and Michael D. Wilcox, Jr., Ph.D. (Assistant Director & Program Leader for Community Development-Purdue Extension, Associate Director-North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD), Community & Regional Economics Specialist-Purdue University Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Senior Associate-Purdue Center for Regional Development)

How Can Communities Address the Great Resignations? & Work Ready Life Skills Curriculum Preps Applicants for Job Openings Around the Country (3/10/22)
Presenters: Bo Beaulieu (Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics), Monica Nagele (Health and Human Science Educator, Montgomery County, IN), Mitch Wagoner (4-H Youth Development, Knox County, IN)

Retaining Rural Businesses through Conversions to Employee Cooperatives (2/22/22)
Presenters: Michael Darger (University of Minnesota Extension), Courtney Berner (University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives), Kevin Edberg (Cooperative Development Services)

The Impacts of Flooding on Business Activity and Employment: A Spatial Perspective on Small Business (1/20/22)
Presenters: Mark Skidmore, Professor, Michigan State University

Latino Farmers in the Midwest: Practices and Challenges (11/10/21)
Presenters: Corinne Valdivia (University of Missouri), Stephen Jeanetta (University of Minnesota), and Ruben Martinez (Michigan State University)

Using Q Methodology to Measure Rural Entrepreneurial Perceptions & An Overview of Homegrown (9/16/21)
Presenters: Jennifer Johnson Jorgensen (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) and Tessa Conroy (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

How Communities Can Utilize Financial Data in Planning Their Futures: Strategies and Innovations from Rural Iowa (5/26/21)
Presenters: Biswa Das (Iowa State University) and Kimberly Zarecor (Iowa State University)

The Impact of Volunteers on Sustainable Rural Community Development (03/25/2020)
Presented by: SoJung Lee and Linda Niehm (Iowa State University), MiRan Kim (Michigan State University) and Jichul Jang (Kansas State University)

Expanding the Intelligent Community Extension Program (03/11/2020)
Presented by: Roberto Gallardo (Purdue University)

Making Sense of Incentives: Taming Business Incentives to Promote Prosperity (11/07/19)
Presented by: Tiomothy J Bartik (Upjohn Institute)

Results of Virtual Focus Groups on Small Businesses and Rural Communities (3/5/19)
Presented by: Craig Carpenter & Anders Van Sandt (TAMU); Linda Niehm & Steven McKinney (Iowa State University); Scott Loveridge (Michigan State University)

Dimensions of Poverty in the North Central Region of the U.S. (12/5/18)
Presented by: Lionel (Bo) Beaulieu, Indraneel Kumar, Andrey Zhalnin and Yong J. Kim (Purdue University)

Fiscal Stress After the Great Recession: A Study of Rural Counties in the US
Presented by: Biswa Das (Iowa State University) and John Leatherman (Kansas State University)

Successful Disaster Recovery Using the Community Capitals Framework (2/1/18)
Presented by: Gary Goreham (South Dakota State University)

Potential Rural Impacts of Pension Reductions (1/23/18)
Presented by: Steven Miller (Michigan State University), Steve Deller (University of Wisconsin/Extension) and Judith Stallman (University of Missouri)

It is the NCRCRD’s mission to build rural communities through cutting-edge research and Extension programs and innovative partnerships. To achieve this mission, we seek to engage research and Extension at all of the land-grant institutions across the North Central Region.NCRCRD thematic areas

Funding will be provided for multistate working groups focused on the NCRCRD’s three rural development thematic areas of creating resilient communities and economies, developing leadership and civic engagement, and promoting community health and wellness that integrates research and Extension. Multistate working groups may focus on one theme and one system. However, work across themes and systems is highly encouraged. The Center will provide administrative support and may include Center staff as part of the working groups as appropriate.

The Center will provide up to $50,000 over three years. Funding can be used for team development and meetings, preliminary data collection, or other activities that facilitate multi-state regional and sustainable collaboration that lead to relevant regional outputs. These projects will result in scholarly work such as research publications, Extension curricula, and proposals for external funding.

Working groups must be representative of the NCR:

  1. A minimum of six North Central states must be represented
  2. Include faculty and/or staff from Land Grant Colleges or Universities
  3. The team must have an adequate balance between research and outreach

Working group proposals should:

  1. Detail how rural inequities (e.g., social, poverty risk, income, education, health) will be addressed
  2. Describe how diversity and inclusion will be addressed within the team and in terms of impact on stakeholders
  3. Describe how the working group will interact with the Center
  4. Describe expected outputs and impacts
  5. Describe leveraging plan to attract additional resources
  6. Provide details for at least one working group webinar focused on Center themes (one per year based on working group duration)

Proposal sections:

  1. Project summary (250 words max)
  2. Project narrative (5 pages max, 1.5 spacing)
  3. Budget with budget justification
  4. Timetable of milestones and outputs
  5. Team member roles
  6. Biographic sketches of team members

For more information or to submit a proposal please contact:

Maria I. Marshall, Ph.D.
Professor, Jim and Lois Ackerman Endowed Chair in Agricultural Economics
Director, North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (ncrcrd.org)
Director, Purdue Institute for Family Business [PIFB]
Editor, Choices Magazine (AAEA)

Department of Agricultural Economics
403 W. State St., West Lafayette, IN 47909
Email: mimarsha@purdue.edu
Phone: (765) 494-4268

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