Archive for the ‘News & Trends’ Category

The Maps are Here!

February 27th, 2013

Have you seen them yet? They are gorgeous and we are happy to share. Please give us a call and we’d be happy to send you a large or small number of maps!

map

Posted in LqP Tourism, News & Trends | Comments (0)

What will $25/hour buy in Rural America?

March 8th, 2012

The Huffington post recentluy ran article that details what a $25 per hour job can mean in a rural area. Here are some of the details from the story:

  • In Two Rivers, Wisconsin, home of our corporate headquarters, you can find a 3-bedroom, 1,200 square-foot home for around $85,000. The national average for first time buyers in 2010 was $184,091 for a 1,500 square foot house.
  • Next, let’s hit the grocery store and compare prices. We won’t get anything fancy, just a few staples: A pound of ground beef, a gallon of whole milk, loaf of white bread, a dozen eggs, a pound of baking potatoes … wait – you want that 12-oz box of Cheerios®, too? If you’re in Los Angeles, you’ll have to make some tough decisions, because that will put you over your $25.00 budget by almost $1.00. But if you live here in Wisconsin, relax: You can plan on spending anywhere from six to 19 percent less on these food items, with similar differences for our Ohio and Kentucky workers. And, when compared to Chicago, we still come out ahead.
  • If you live in Wisconsin, Kentucky or Ohio, your $25 will net you about 7.5 gallons of gas, or about one-half to one gallon more than in Chicago or Los Angeles – and you may have to drive outside those cities to get that.
  • A person making $50,000 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, would have to double that to achieve the same living standard in Brooklyn, New York.

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Creating a More Sustainable Western MN Feb. 27 in Alexandria

February 17th, 2012

Hope folks will be interested…

How can we work together to create a more sustainable western Minnesota where communities maintain control over their own futures? That question will be discussed at a special Land Stewardship Project (LSP) meeting on Monday, Feb 27, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at theFirst Congregational United Church of Christ in Alexandria (221 7th Ave W.). Admission is free for this public event, but spots must be reserved by contacting LSP’s Tom Taylor at 320-269-2105 or ttaylor@landstewardshipproject.org.

After a free-will donation meal, LSP staff will involve citizens in a discussion of ways to revitalize our communities economically and environmentally, while keeping control in local hands. Presentations and discussions will focus on:

  • LSP’s current efforts to build a local foods economy in western Minnesota and what people can do to help advance this important work.
  • What is the Chippewa 10% Project all about? LSP, partners, farmers and food and fuel buyers are working in the Chippewa River watershed to improve farm profits and stewardship.
  • What is LSP’s Farm Beginnings program doing to help the next generation of farmers succeed in western Minnesota?
  • What is LSP doing to create a health care system that is more affordable and sustainable? Come hear about the Federal Affordable Care Act and what we can do to make certain Minnesota’s Health Care Exchange works for the people of Minnesota, not insurance company executives.

LSP is a grassroots, membership-based organization working for economic justice, environmental stewardship, vibrant rural communities, and a healthy and accessible food system that profits farmers and supplies nutritious food to all people. 

We look forward to seeing you there and please remember to RSVP so we can better plan for the meeting and the dinner.

Tom Taylor
Community Based Food Systems Organizer
Land Stewardship Project
Montevideo, MN 56265
320-269-2105 X 10
ttaylor@landstewardshipproject.org
www.landstewardshipproject.org

Posted in Events, News & Trends | Comments (0)

Consider Being A CERT Steering Committee Member!

February 10th, 2012

Looks like a good opportunity..

Please Consider Being A CERT Steering Committee Member!

Hello West Central Clean Energy Resource Team (CERT) members and friends: It is that time of year when we recruit folks who would like to help serve on our citizen-led Steering Committees. We have five positions available, and we’d love to hear from you!

What does a Steering Committee member do?

In general we rely on our Steering Committee members to help give us and the regional teams direction. Specific duties include:
• Participation in four conference calls a year to help plan regional team meetings and attendance at those meetings.
• Review of the text and process for our “Seed Grant Funding” request for proposals.
• Review of seed grant funding proposals to allocate project funding. We’ll ask you to read proposals and vote on their funding.
• Assistance with outreach on projects, events and funding opportunities to make sure that community members are connected with the resources and opportunities available to them. Essentially we ask you “spread the word” about CERTs and our resources within your existing networks.

What makes a good Steering Committee member?

CERT steering committee members are volunteers dedicated to helping their communities identify and implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. They are a great group of people, a pleasure to work with, and we consider them colleagues and friends. We hope their time serving on a CERT Steering Committee is an enjoyable experience and broadens their knowledge and network of fine people working around energy issues. With that in mind, we think that a good Steering Committee member is essentially someone with an interest in clean energy issues and projects and someone who wants to share that passion with others.

What do I do to throw my name in the hat?

If you or someone you know might be interested in serving on the CERT Steering Committee in your region, please let us know by Friday, February 10th, 2012. Please send us:
• your name and complete contact information (address, phone, e-mail)
• your volunteer/professional affiliations (if any, this is not a requirement)
• a brief bio that explains your interest in clean energy issues and what you think you’d add to the group

Send those details to either Joel Haskard or Lissa Pawlisch (contact info below).

What happens next?

We will send candidates our Operating Procedures document and answer any of your questions as best as possible to confirm your interest. Then we’ll review your materials and submit them to our existing Steering Committee members for review and approval. We have a limit of 16 members on the WC Steering Committee, so if we get too many nominations, we’ll have to do a bit more due diligence. Finally, we send the nominees recommended by the steering committee out to the list serve, and unless we hear opposition from a large segment, you’re in!

Contact info:
Joel Haskard
haska004@umn.edu
612-625-8759

Lissa Pawlisch
pawl0048@umn.edu
612-624-2293

Posted in News & Trends | Comments (0)

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