Regional Economic Development

The Farm-to-Table Project is a marketing cooperative, restaurant and microbrewery, shared-use commercial kitchen and a culinary arts program.

"This will be the second best of times for IT people," after the dot-com boom." Obama’s initiatives related to revamping the nation’s roads, bridges, transit system, and extending rural broadband also will fuel the creation of new tech-related jobs needing telecommunication engineers and computer-aided drafting expertise, predicts McGovern.

The country’s economic health and security depend on smart technology — not just roads and bridges.

What concerns us here at the Yonder is how easily it appears now for some to sweep rural America out of the conversation about the future.

Prison construction is flourishing under the assumption that it boosts rural economies, but as Eric Lotke points out, investing in other types of building would yield greater returns to society.

As the current economic downturn deepens, there is talk of another major public-works project for the Northwest, one that would deliver green wind power to the Interstate 5 corridor, which connects Seattle and Portland, and by some estimates would help create 50,000 jobs.

Myth No. 1: Towns that are "too small" have
no future.

Climate change is the mantra for scientists, environmentalists and conservationists in the forthcoming Obama administration, and through that huge portal some of the Pacific Northwest’s big-picture environmental leaders hope to also advance a progressive agenda for regional forests and streams.

Tourism marketing departments of America: Are you working with bloggers, vloggers and podcasters to help promote your state, county, city, park or campground?

More than 5,000 road and bridge projects are "ready to go". They still need funding, but could provide nearly 2 million jobs if Congress approves infrastructure spending.