Texas Rural Challenge

On Wednesday, June 19^th, James, James’ wife and I set off for the Second Annual statewide conference:  Texas Rural Challenge in San Marcos.  It is sponsored by the Texas Economic Development Council, which Nocona is a member of.  The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Institute for Economic Development hosts the event. 

It was basically two days of discussing rural development issues.  There were major speakers and breakout sessions on topics concerning sustainable and “green” development, utilizing rural resources to their maximum potential, and marketing and technology advancements. 

Keynote speakers included the chairman of the Board for Texas Workforce Commission, the president of a new eco-company HerdX, the young and inspiring President of Throckmorton Beautification Committee, Inc., the Texas State Director for Rural Development from the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Mayor of Greensburg, Kansas, a town completely destroyed by a tornado in 2007 that is rebuilding using green technology. 

The emphasis during the entire conference was the idea that “Small is Beautiful” and that economic developers in rural communities have to maintain a “rural state of mind.”  It was a vast contrast from playing with the big dogs like the previous day at the TEDC meeting in downtown Dallas.  Rural communities do want to develop and grow, but not to such an extent that they lose their identity and character. 

One of my favorite break-out sessions was entitled “Youth Engagement.”  Brain Drain is a huge problem in rural communities.  Usually, the kids say that they would love to come back and live in their small hometowns – IF there was a job available for them.  A rural community’s youth is one of its greatest underutilized resources.  One of the presenters talked about bringing agriculture classes and programs to all schools, including city schools.  The other presenter discussed many different ways to combat the brain drain problem.  She suggested that communities set up internships so that students can go off to college, and come back to their hometown for a summer to work closely with a mentor.  The idea is to recognize that students must leave many rural communities in order to pursue an advanced education.  But at the same time, the town needs to remind them that the students can come back when they are ready.  The internship, as well as talking to kids while they are still in school in the hometown high school about entrepreneurship, starting their own small business, and careers that they can bring back to their small town, all encourage students to directly participate in the economic development of their own hometown.

 

Another interesting message that I took back to Nocona was the idea of regionalism.  It can be difficult for rural communities to get things done because of their size and lack of resources.  But there is strength in numbers, and communities with a shared trait are encouraged to band together for a common goal.  There has been a big push for Regionalism in the last decade or so.  Some organizations are as large as 66 counties (in west Texas) or as small as 3 (in the San Marcos area).  This concept stood out to me as a great way to encourage tourism and teamwork in the Texoma valley region. 

 "Small is Beautiful!"