MinnePod

Welcome to episode one of the Caledonia Forward Podcast mini series! Caledonia Forward is a committee in the city of Caledonia, Minnesota focusing on rural entrepreneurship in our small town, thanks to support from the Rural Entrepreneur Venture program ,or REV program, from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation.

I figured the best place to start with this mini series is with Jake Dickson, the City of Caledonia Clerk, who explains what REV and Caledonia Forward are, and the ripple effects he hopes this program will have in Caledonia.

My name is Melissa Wray, producer for this mini-series.

In this final episode wrapping up the series on Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation's Rural Entrepreneurial Venture Program (REV), we look at the small town of Spring Valley, MN. You'll hear from Chris Hahn, EDA Director for Spring Valley and Fillmore County as a whole.

In the sixth episode in a 7 part series featuring southern Minnesota's Rural Entrepreneurial Venture (REV) program, you'll hear about the small town of Lake City, Minnesota, a town that thrives at the intersection of tourism and agriculture. You'll hear from Kjellgren Alkire, Executive Director of the Lake City Economic Development and Michelle Larson, Executive Director of Lake City Chamber of Commerce.

In this fifth episode in a 7 part series featuring southern Minnesota's Rural Entrepreneurial Venture (REV) program, you'll hear about the small town of Blue Earth, Minnesota. Blue Earth's REV work focused on youth and workforce development, which you'll hear about from Emily Davis, Blue Earth's Community Workforce Coordinator and Mary Kennedy, the city administrator for Blue Earth.

In this fourth episode in a 7 part series featuring southern Minnesota's Rural Entrepreneurial Venture (REV) program, you'll hear about the small town of Lanesboro Minnesota and local business owner and REV participant Lori Bakke.

In this third episode in a 7 part series featuring southern Minnesota's Rural Entrepreneurial Venture (REV) program, you'll hear about the small town of Spring Grove, Minnesota from it's Economic Development Director Courtney Bergey Swanson.

In this second episode in a 7 part series featuring southern Minnesota's Rural Entrepreneurial Venture (REV) program, you'll hear from two entrepreneurs living and working in Le Sueur, Minnesota. Samantha DiMaggio is the Community Development Director for the city of Le Sueur and Katie Elke is the new owner of the Le Sueur Theater, which is being renovated.

In this introductory episode to a 7 part series featuring southern Minnesota's Rural Entrepreneurial Venture (REV) program, you'll hear from Pam Bishop. Pam Bishop is the Vice President of Economic Development at the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, which manages the REV program.

The second season of MinneStory launches November 5th. The 2018 Midterm Elections are Nov 6. It's probably clear to anyone who consumes the news or any media that this is a really tense time in our country, with many dissatisfied people on all sides. In today's episode, you'll hear from a young politician in Otter Tail County who is running for state legislature: Brittney Johnson.

She talks about what drew her to politics, and the assets of Otter Tail County. She also talks extensively about farming in Otter Tail County, including the challenges young people face when trying to start farming, and her own sheep farm.

This episode focuses on a crisis that residents of southeast Minnesota remember vividly. 11 years ago, in August of 2007, southeast Minnesota experienced catastrophic flash flooding. Depending on location, 8-20 inches of rain fell very quickly over a short period of time, resulting in mudslides, roads and bridges being washed away, homes and businesses flooded, and seven people died as a result in the flooding. This episode gathers two separate interviewees who talked about the impact of the 2007 flood: Richard Cordes and Karla Blum.