We're working on putting together the Wisconsin Downtown Action Summit with these great partners:

Wisconsin Downtown Action Council
http://wisconsindowntown.org/

Arts Wisconsin
http://www.artswisconsin.org/

1000 Friends of Wisconsin
http://www.1kfriends.org/

This year learn about the heart of your farm and what makes everything grow – your soil. We offer several classes on soil, soil sampling, organic matter and enhancing fertility. And these are just a few of our workshops. We have classes on tractors and innovative ways to promote your products at farmer’s markets. Take a grant writing class or look into getting organically certified. Perhaps this is the year to add a meat CSA to your farm operation - find out how. Want to venture into some value-added products? We offer soapmaking, goats milk processing, and beekeeping.

February 6 & 7, 2010 is the date for the Wisconsin Rural Women’s Initiative’s State Wide Gathering Circle.  This event is open to all women interested in taking a look back at the past year in Wisconsin Agriculture through the lens of personal thoughts feelings and how the ongoing farm crisis has effected their health, their families and their communities. 

I had the pleasure recently of attending the Midwest Rural Assembly in Sioux Falls, SD. This assembly was the first regional follow-up to the National Rural Assembly organized by the Kellogg Foundation as part of their Rural People, Rural Policy program. The Assembly brought together over 170 participants from 13 states to discuss social and policy issues facing rural areas.

Revitalizing Wisconsin's Downtowns represents a set of web-based presentations (webinars!) on topics relevant to downtowns that lend themselves to further dialogue and peer learning at the local level.  The Webinars are presented by state and national experts, who are available to answer your questions during the sessions.

Wisconsin Rural Partners, Inc. awarded Wisconsin Community Leadership Awards to an individual and organization at a June 5 ceremony at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Stevens Point. The awards were presented by Wisconsin Rural Partners president Bill Wheeler at the conclusion of the 2009 Wisconsin Rural Summit.

The organization award was presented to Northwoods NiiJii Enterprise Community, a unique non-profit community development organization serving three tribes in northern Wisconsin with a wide array of programming.

Wisconsin Rural Partners, Inc. awarded the Top Rural Development Initiatives for 2009 at a June 5 ceremony at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Stevens Point. The awards were presented by Wisconsin Rural Partners president Bill Wheeler at the conclusion of the 2009 Wisconsin Rural Summit.

The four efforts receiving Top Initiative awards are:

Special thanks to the sponsors of the 2009 Wisconsin Rural Summit for their commitment to rural community development

Funding is provided for a variety of activities to enhance the deployment of broadband technology to rural, unserved, and underserved areas. These funding sources include loans and grants for infrastructure investments, sustainable adoption practices, public computing centers, and statewide data collection and mapping.

This is the tenth year that Wisconsin Rural Partners has recognized Wisconsin=s Top Rural Development Initiatives.  The program is designed to identify, highlight, and share innovative models, practices and programs that have a positive impact on rural Wisconsin communities.  Wisconsin Rural Partners created the program to provide a mechanism for rural communities to learn from each other.