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Welcome! Renewing the Countryside strengthens rural areas by championing rural communities, farmers, artists, entrepreneurs,
educators, activists and other people who are renewing the countryside
through sustainable and innovative initiatives, businesses, and
projects.
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| FEATURED STORIES |
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Sharing the Wealth Across Generations and Cultures
Sharing the Wealth Across Generations and Cultures Where the mouth of the Lower Elwha River spills into the Strait of Juan de Fuca along the Olympic Peninsula's north coast, the Lower Elwha Klallam people have made their home for centuries. The Elwha Restoration Project, the cleanup of toxic waste from the former Rayonier Mill Site, and protection of cultural resources at the Tse-whit-zen village site are recent examples of Elwha sovereignty and stewardship of their homeland.
Rural America Arts Partnership
Ken Flies organized the development of the Rural America Arts Partnership in Plainview MN, with a mission to preserve and promote agricultural-based rural and small town American culture and values, through history and the arts.
Papa Bear's Plantation
Ocala, Florida . Ask Mark Wagner about the best insurance to survive Florida hurricane
season: wear more than one hat. Pecan, sheep and small animal farmer.
Small animal auctioneer. Licensed nuisance trapper. These are some of
the hats Mark wears on his farm, Papa Bear's Plantation outside Ocala,
Florida. When four hurricanes in a row hit the farm during the summer
of 2004 and their county was declared a disaster area, this diverse
approach kept the income coming in. "We may have lost twenty thousand
dollars in pecan crop revenue, but the income scale tipped back to the
positive side through our weekly small animal auctions we hosted at
Papa Bear's Plantation," Mark adds.
Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast and Farm
Browntown, Wisconsin . To co-owners, John Ivanko and Lisa Kivirist, their 5.5-acre hobby farm, ecotourism and agritourism enterprises, and a creative services marketing company all share something in common. The goal of their diversified operations is not about earning money, but rather, making a life. They believe their interconnected businesses have a triple bottom line: profits, yes, but also meeting ecological and social priorities. Located outside Monroe, Wisconsin, Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast -- recognized as one of the “top 10 eco-destinations in North America” by Natural Home & Garden magazine -- is powered by 100-percent renewable energy. Its innkeepers serve vegetarian breakfasts to their guests mostly prepared with ingredients from their organic gardens.
Bossie's Best
Home, Kansas · Organic farming is a way of life that dates back 150 years in Nancy Vogelsberg-Busch’s family. Her great-grandfather homesteaded on the north central farm where Nancy was born. When Nancy’s father inherited the farm from her grandfather in the 1950s, it was on the condition of a promise never to use chemicals on the land or livestock. Today, Nancy’s brother Joe farms the home place, still honoring that land ethic. |



Ocala, Florida . Ask Mark Wagner about the best insurance to survive Florida hurricane
season: wear more than one hat. Pecan, sheep and small animal farmer.
Small animal auctioneer. Licensed nuisance trapper. These are some of
the hats Mark wears on his farm, Papa Bear's Plantation outside Ocala,
Florida. When four hurricanes in a row hit the farm during the summer
of 2004 and their county was declared a disaster area, this diverse
approach kept the income coming in. "We may have lost twenty thousand
dollars in pecan crop revenue, but the income scale tipped back to the
positive side through our weekly small animal auctions we hosted at
Papa Bear's Plantation," Mark adds.
