If you’re looking for rural development strategy, then this week’s podcast is for you! We’re sitting down with Chris Deal from Jefferson, Iowa (pop. 4,345) to talk about the amazing revitalization happening here. Chris moved back to his hometown to help with the family business, Deal’s Orchard, but his role in the community has since expanded way beyond that. He has had a key role in the revitalization of Jefferson and some exciting projects happening here. While there’s no script out there for how to do rural development, Chris says there are certain pieces that you need to get right. He shares a lot about the strategies that have worked to revitalize Jefferson - strategies that can benefit your rural community as well.Check out more on the blog.SHOW NOTES:
Jefferson, Iowa
Deal’s Orchard
Deal’s Orchard Hard Cider
Pella, Iowa
Career Academy - Pella Community Schools
Jefferson Matters: Main Street
Peg Raney, Main Street Program Director
Community Development Block Grant
Greene County, Iowa
Paton, Iowa
Scranton, Iowa
HyVee
The Forge
Pillar Technology
Linc Kroeger
Iowa Central Community College
Zach Mannheimer, Creative Placemaking
Vision 20/20 Project
Three Block Project
Silicon Valley in Jefferson
Deal’s Orchard Facebook
Deal’s Orchard Instagram
Jefferson Main Street Facebook
Jefferson Main Street Instagram
Greene County Community School District Facebook

36 | Rural Visionary Chris Deal

From farming and agriculture to amazing restaurants, vintage markets, and even tech start-ups, people are thinking outside the box, taking risks, and bringing life back to the hometowns and small communities we love. Our hope is this will be a place where you can be inspired to do the same. So jump in, hear the stories of people who are doing life in rural America and loving it, and start dreaming. And then let us know what you're up to so we can share your story, too!

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On today’s episode of the Rural Revival podcast we’re with Brett Hubka with A Mural Movement of Clay Center, Kansas (pop. 4,123). Brett's sharing how a simple service project around one mural turned into a movement that has now brought 33 murals to their town. When this all started, the community had no public art. Now they're drawing in artists from around the nation and expanding their efforts beyond Clay Center to the entire county, and Brett's here to tell you all about it. This is such a fun project and it’s great to see how the community has rallied around this. I'm excited to share that the new grain bin mural that Brett mentioned is now finished and it is incredible! I also want to give a shout out to Brett and the Rotary for their leadership of this project. 33 murals in four years is A LOT and they've put a lot of time and effort into this, and it's really great to see all their hard work paying off. Check out the podcast and make Clay Center a part of your travel plans this summer! This is something really fun to experience and you will not be disappointed! Check out more on the blog.  SHOW NOTES:
Clay Center, Kansas
Medicine Lodge, Kansas
Oberlin, Kansas
GN Bank
Clay Center Rotary Club
Clay Center Community Improvement Foundation
Clay Center Zoo
Clay County, Kansas
Kansas Creative Arts and Industries Commission
Live Rural Survey
Grow Clay County
Hiawatha, Kansas
Holton, Kansas
Harper, Kansas  FOLLOW A MURAL MOVEMENT OF CLAY CENTER:
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I have a fun announcement - we’ve now expanded our design services at Branded by Rural Revival to offer logos, branding, and marketing assets! So, if you need a logo or brand refresh, we’d love to help you build a brand you love. You can find out more at brandedbyruralrevival.co/design.  MORE FROM RURAL REVIVAL
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155 | Brett Hubka with A Mural Movement of Clay Center

This week we have a very special episode of the podcast featuring the OABCIG Middle School TAG students from right here in my hometown! I had the honor of getting to speak to them last week about my career path, and then we turned the conversation to them and talked about THEIR dreams for our small towns. We decided it would be fun to record this and share it with you here on the podcast!I loved this discussion so much and that so many of them have dreams for their future that involve staying right here! And that means we, as the generation going before them, have the responsibility to do our part to make it possible for them to live out their dreams here. I also want to direct you to an essay written by their teacher, Mrs. Masters, called What Rural Gets Right — expanding on the idea that RURAL schools aren’t completely disadvantaged, as some may think they are, and if we can look at the ways rural schools are positioned to meet individual student’s interests and learning needs, we can change that narrative. We’ve linked to that in the show notes and I would encourage you to check that out. Check out more on the blog.SHOW NOTES:
OABCIG Community School District
Essay: What Rural Gets RightRAISED TO STAY:
We’re challenging small towns to create opportunities and shift the mindset of our kids so they choose to stay in our rural communities instead of leave. We’re surveying high school juniors and seniors across the country to gather important data. This data will give us the information we need to:Make our communities a place where young professionals can be successfulOffer amenities important to this demographic (coffee shop, brewery, gym, housing, etc.)Better understand the needs and wants of the next generationSign up to be included in our free survey. We’re also offering a limited number of in-person workshop opportunities. Get more info here.BE A PART OF OUR BOOK!
Yes that’s right, we’re launching a book! And we want YOU to be a part of it! Imagine all the Rural Revival stories you love, now all together in the form of a beautiful coffee table book! Over the years we’ve collected so many great stories and we know there are so many more out there, so we’re asking you to submit YOUR Rural Revival story to be included in this new book. We want this to be a source of inspiration that you can keep going back to, or that you can give to help inspire someone else’s story! We are accepting submissions through May 31, 2024. Submit your rural revival story here!MORE FROM RURAL REVIVAL
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154 | OABCIG Middle School TAG Students

On today’s episode of the Rural Revival podcast we’re with Eddie and Julie Flores of Nursing Back to Life, which follows their restoration of an old house in Lincoln, Kansas (pop. 1,171) that is now their home. It all started when a free house in Julie’s hometown went viral and they decided they just might be the ones that wanted to save it! Eddie and Julie are sharing how they got the house and moved it to its new location and are taking us through the restoration process. You’ll learn how they repurposed different elements of the house, why this was important for their community, and how this project has given them a fresh perspective on small towns and inspired them to get involved in the community.This is such a fun project and fun conversation! We share a similar part of our story where covid was the catalyst to getting us back to our hometowns, and I know we’re not alone in that, so it’s nice to see some good things come out of that season. Be sure to go check out Eddie and Julie’s episode on In With the Old and follow along with them on social media. I’m excited to see what happens next for them!Check out more on the blog.SHOW NOTES:
Lincoln, Kansas
Cheap Old Houses
For the Love of Old Houses
In With The Old - HBO Max and Discovery+FOLLOW NURSING BACK TO LIFE:
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOKBE A PART OF OUR BOOK!
Yes that’s right, we’re launching a book! And we want YOU to be a part of it! Imagine all the Rural Revival stories you love, now all together in the form of a beautiful coffee table book! Over the years we’ve collected so many great stories and we know there are so many more out there, so we’re asking you to submit YOUR Rural Revival story to be included in this new book. We want this to be a source of inspiration that you can keep going back to, or that you can give to help inspire someone else’s story! We are accepting submissions through May 31, 2024. Submit your rural revival story here!MORE FROM RURAL REVIVAL
WEBSITE
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK

153 | Eddie and Julie Flores of Nursing Back to Life

On today’s episode of the Rural Revival podcast we’re with Dakota Dawn Johnson, host of the Cowgirl Confessions podcast, in Mound City, Kansas (pop. 647). Dakota is a ranch wife, podcast host, and successful saleswoman and is sharing with us about her wonderfully wild and western life, as she likes to call it. We’re talking about sales and sponsorships and why that doesn’t have to be as hard as you think, and Dakota’s giving us some great keys to making ourselves better in these areas by making sales skills life skills. She’s also talking about the cowgirl state of mind and inviting other people into this lifestyle, and what it looks like to find your calling and live that out.Dakota truly is one of the most encouraging people I know and I love the way she champions women and shares their stories to inspire us. She talks about being a light, but we are so thankful for her bright light and positive outlook on our rural way of life!And be sure to check out her podcast because if you love this podcast, I have a feeling you’re gonna love her podcast, too!Check out more on the blog.SHOW NOTES:
Mound City, Kansas
Ariat International
The Kickstart Guide to Sponsorships
Of the West
Cowgirl Confessions PodcastFOLLOW DAKOTA:
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOKBRANDED BY RURAL REVIVAL
I have a fun announcement - we’ve now expanded our design services at Branded by Rural Revival to offer logos, branding, and marketing assets! So, if you need a logo or brand refresh, we’d love to help you build a brand you love. You can find out more at brandedbyruralrevival.co/design.MORE FROM RURAL REVIVAL
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152 | Dakota Dawn Johnson of the Cowgirl Confessions Podcast

On today’s episode of the Rural Revival podcast we’re with Laura Capp of Postscript, a stationery shop in Ashland, Nebraska (pop. 3,191). Laura’s sharing how the journey of becoming an English professor turned into an entrepreneurial journey that brought her back to her hometown. We talk about why she chose a small town over the nearby city, learning how to market a new business in a small town, the importance of an email list and good photography, and more!You’ll love what Laura has created with her shop and how she’s shown us a niche store like this really can work in a small town! While I was in Ashland I discovered some really fun shops there, so I put together a Small Town Shopping Guide for Ashland on the blog. This is a really fun destination for a small town shopping day! You’ll find that in the show notes, as well as links where you can follow Postscript.Check out more on the blog.SHOW NOTES:
Ashland, Nebraska
Center for the Book - University of Iowa
Home Ec Workshop
RSVP
Glacial Till
The Gift Niche
Willow Point Gallery
Salt Creek Mercantile
Fariner Bakery
Heather Hall Photography
Poetry by Post
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Task Pad by Shorthand PressFOLLOW POSTSCRIPT:
WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOKBRANDED BY RURAL REVIVAL
Since the beginning of Rural Revival I’ve worked hard to find ways to tap into my experience in marketing and communication, apply that to strategies that work for small towns and small businesses, and empower you to take that information and run with it. Honestly, it’s always been a dream of mine to have a rural-based design agency that employs people who also live in and love small towns. I now have the right team in place, and we have officially launched Branded by Rural Revival - a rural design studio for small businesses and small towns!Right now we’re primarily focused on websites and social media. Our premium website templates and packages are designed to help you quickly build and launch your website so you can start attracting your dream clients, reaching people in and beyond your small town, and doing what you were made to do. And our social media course will teach you to leverage engagement so you can authentically reach your audience. Find out more at brandedbyruralrevival.co. We can’t wait to help you grow your business online!MORE FROM RURAL REVIVAL
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36 | Rural Visionary Chris Deal

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