Latest Updates from ruralprosperityne.unl.edu

Cold temperatures have come, the garden has frozen, the leaves are falling, and outdoor activities are coming to an end. It may be a good time to start planning.

Long term planning is very important to communities. I’m not just talking about a comprehensive plan that is required for grant applications. I’m talking about planning on what you want your community to look like in the future.

Personal observations are often obscure to the facts. For instance, recently I worked at a booth at Husker Harvest Days. The booth focused on rural community development. My observations were that many of the agricultural producers decided to not stop at our booth or for those who did stop, conversations showed a disconnect of the importance of their local community to their farm operations. Similarly, when working with communities, I have observed the lack of understanding of the importance of the agricultural producers to the local community’s well-being.

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln welcomes Tyler Quick as the newest Extension instructor with Rural Prosperity Nebraska, the community development arm of Nebraska Extension. Born and raised in Alliance, Quick feels rural Nebraska is part of who he is. As a Rural Prosperity Nebraska Extension instructor, Quick will work with communities in Blair, Burt, Douglas, Dodge, Sarpy, Saunders and Washington counties. Here’s a little bit about him.

Tell us a little about your family life.

Most rural Nebraskans see a lack of affordable child care options in their communities and believe that increasing access should be a high priority, according to the 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll.

Sixty-one percent of rural Nebraskans surveyed agree that there is a shortage of affordable child care options in their community, while just 6% disagree. Fifty-nine percent also agree their community needs more before- and after-school options.

Rural Prosperity Nebraska successfully organized a groundbreaking Leadership Chautauqua in Kearney, bringing together approximately 120 community leaders from Nebraska and Iowa for a day of transformative discussions. The think-tank-style discussions aimed to reshape community leadership development (CLD) in Nebraska, focusing on innovative strategies and collaborative approaches.

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On an early autumn morning, dozens of Native American middle and high school students gather to harvest and prepare their garden for winter. But these children aren’t farmers. They live in Lincoln and come to East Campus each Saturday as part of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Indigenous Youth Food Sovereignty Program.

As I write this, fall is just beginning, and it is time for fall festivals, garage sales and all sorts of activities as the temperatures cool off. How is your community celebrating the changing seasons? Are you working with neighboring communities to draw in larger crowds?

Every fall, as towns and organizations gear up for holiday events and activities, a common refrain is heard: "We need new people!" Yet transitioning to new leadership and volunteers is easier said than done.

So why do we hear these statements – what is happening? There could be a couple of things going on…

Rural Prosperity Nebraska is leading the charge on revolutionizing leadership development for Nebraska’s rural communities by hosting a leadership Chautauqua on Nov. 8 in Kearney, which kicks off a multi-step revisioning of traditional leadership development programs.

Most rural Nebraskans see the lack of civil discourse in the political system as at least a somewhat serious problem, according to the 2023 Nebraska Rural Poll. About one-third of rural Nebraskans surveyed rate this lack of respectful discourse as either a very serious (32%) or somewhat serious problem (33%). Only 5% say it is not a serious problem.

In a previous article I mentioned sharing stories about the communities that I visit. I’ll do that during this column. I recently visited Franklin, Neb. and saw banners on their light poles celebrating local veterans. I thought this was a great idea, and even though I had left the city office minutes earlier, I went right back in to hear the story of the banners.

Jon Alvarado, CEO of Teach Financial Literacy, describes his online financial literacy courses with one word: empowerment.

“The course is an understanding of finances,” Alvarado said. “But it’s also an understanding of your behavior around finances. It might not always be that you’re focusing strictly on the numbers, but you’re also focusing on the psychology about how you behave around money.”

Rulon Taylor is the newest Extension educator to join the Rural Prosperity Nebraska team. Based in Curtis on the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture campus, Taylor works as a statewide engagement coordinator for the Nebraska Regional Food Systems Initiative. Having grown up in Curtis, he’s not only familiar with the state, but he also knows what helps rural communities thrive.

Tell us about your family life.

I come from a large family. There is myself, my parents and four siblings. My whole family lives in Nebraska.