In this episode, I talk to Sarah Burak (Education Director for the Bears Ears Partnership) about what brought her to the Bluff (UT) area from Alabama and why she never left. We talk about her journey to the Bears Ears Partnership and what she does in her current role as Education Director. We talk about what a Dark Sky designation means and requires (a commitment to dark skies, education, and monitoring light pollution) and what it can do for a community like Bluff. Sarah also shares the Dark Sky initiatives she and her colleagues are working on (field trips for elementary schools, star parties, a Night Sky Festival, and Dark Sky Ambassadors - go be one, you don’t have to be local to Bluff!). We also talk about the increased interest in Bears Ears and the importance of visiting with respect and working with Native American tribes. Sarah shares a surprising but awesome favorite place (along with Natural Bridges National Monument) and we end, as always, with the Road Trip Music Question.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Erin Nelson, owner of Canyon Smokehouse in Bluff (UT) and Bluff Town Manager. Erin shares how she came to live in Bluff and own Canyon Smokehouse (it involves dark skies, small town life, marrying a chef and chasing their joint dreams). We talk about how hard it is to get financing in a rural, remote, small town, and how creative you have to be. Erin talks about how often they have to DIY solutions and the importance of community. With her town manager hat on, Erin shares the importance of pursuing mindful growth, a deliberate focus on small and medium sized businesses, and how she hopes for a diversification of economic opportunity (not relying on one industry) for all rural communities. Before we get to the Road Trip Music Question, Erin recommends the Smokehouse tacos with brisket and the Sand Island Recreation Area just outside Bluff.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Talia Hansen, Economic Development Manager for San Juan County. Talia shares a little of her traumatic childhood story of escape and survival and how she learned from it to take risks, “jump on the truck”, and to be curious and put people first. Talia also talks about how her work with nonprofits, with design thinking, and with running her own business prepared her for her economic development role. We talk about the San Juan County Basecamp conference and the goal to bring people together who aren’t typically able to come together because of the size of the county (it’s not just rural, it’s frontier rural) and then get them out in their own community through immersive experiences. Talia shares some incredible recent grant awardees (including the county’s first to a native-owned business) and how her work with the Ute and Navajo tribes is an honor that has helped her learn more about her own identity. We end, as always, with the Road Trip Music Question.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Michael Powell, currently a staff writer for The Atlantic and author of Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation (which was the inspiration for the Netflix movie Rez Ball). Michael and I talk about our brief experiences playing rez ball (he calls it a “fast flowing stream”) and Michael talks about the inspiration for the book, the reservation basketball gyms that hold more people than the population of the towns they are built in, hours long road trips with hitchhikers to games, and how basketball on the Navajo reservation is a community and generational thing where everyone knows basketball and everyone has an opinion on how it should be played. We also talk about how entrepreneurial the Navajo people are but how tribal and federal government bureaucracies, clan control of land, spirituality, history, and suspicions around change make economic development and entrepreneurship difficult on the Navajo reservation. And yet, despite the challenges, entrepreneurial activity can be found in the cracks - jewelry in the beautiful canyons and sushi in the desert! We end, as always, with the Road Trip Music Question.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Allison Yamamoto-Sparks, Visitor Services Manager for San Juan County, UT. Allison gives an overview of the geography of San Juan County/Utah’s Canyon Country and describes her role (a little bit of everything related to marketing and tourism for San Juan County). We talk about the county’s new “Head South to Go West” campaign and the evolution from casting a wide net to targeted marketing to places like Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix, Canada, France, and Germany. 

Bears Ears is in San Juan County and we talk about the impact of the Bears Ears controversy on tourism and how COVID led her office to change from focusing only on destination marketing to destination management (educating people on how to recreate responsibly). We also talk about the impact of the current political climate on international tourism and finding the balance between tourism and growth and maintaining the identities of rural communities. Allison shares some lesser-known must-sees (Goosenecks State Park and the Moki Dugway) and hikes (Needles District of Canyonlands National Park). We end with one of my favorite Road Trip Music suggestions ever!

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Marci Goodwin, rural entrepreneur, rural microbusiness advocate, and co-founder of SmartStart Business Development. Marci talks about her entrepreneurial background (including starting an online home school science curriculum) and how she came to co-found SmartStart Business Development. SmartStart is focused on helping rural main street and microbusinesses (less than 5 employees and less than $250K in revenue each year) start and thrive. We talk about how each rural community is different and how important it is to get that right mix of micro, small, and even big business for each rural community. Marci mentions impactful microbusiness research from GoDaddy and her own Micro-Catalyst Newsletter. We end, as always, with the Road Trip Music Question.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

In this episode, I talk to Teresa McKnight, CEO of REDI (Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho). Teresa shares her interesting background - from accountant at Pepperidge Farm in Cache Valley, Utah to technology transfer positions to leading Research Parks in Utah, South Dakota, and Montana. We talk about the work REDI is doing in 16 SE/E Idaho counties related to economic development and highlight Idaho success stories like Melaleuca, Lamb Weston, and Chobani. We also touch on the federal SBIR and STTR programs and the challenges and opportunities of doing all of this work in rural Idaho communities. We end, as always, with the Road Trip Music Question. 

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

Sticking with the theme of back where this all started, for the second episode of the return of the Rural Towns Project Podcast, I talk to my favorite historian, HannaLore Hein, State Historian for the State of Idaho and friend of the podcast. HannaLore and I spend most of the episode talking about America 250 - the 250th birthday of the United States of America on July 2026. HannaLore explains what is happening at the federal, state, and local levels to celebrate and mentions oral histories, volunteerism, state parks, potlucks, what it means to be an Idahoan and the role of the American West in modern America. She also talks about ways people and communities can get involved and even stays on brand with her Road Trip Music choice!

https://america250.idaho.gov/

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

And I’m back! I apologize. It’s been too long. Life got busy but my passion for the rural American West has only increased and I’ve got a number of other projects related to rural towns, rural entrepreneurship, and rural economic development going on (if you really want to follow along with the other things I’m working on, the best option is probably to follow me on LinkedIn). I’ll be publishing episodes every two weeks with a similar plan as before - with several episodes dedicated to and inspired by small towns in the rural American West with a focus on Idaho and Utah.

I figured the best way to get things rolling again was to start where it all started the first time - with Aaron Hunsaker and the Harkness Hotel in my hometown of McCammon, Idaho. Aaron starts with updates about the Harkness and his plans for McCammon’s main street/”downtown” and then we get into a great discussion that has him reflecting on lessons learned, advice for others wanting to make things happen in their own rural small town, and how he brought a pharmacy, a new fire station, and emergency services to small, rural McCammon. Thanks Aaron!

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

As promised, this is Part 2 of my conversation with HannaLore Hein (Idaho State Historian) on the history of Bear Lake. As usual, HannaLore takes us on a well-researched ride on the history of place as this time we talk about the actual Bear Lake and the Bear River - the largest river in the US that doesn’t empty into an ocean. It empties into the Great Salt Lake and we talk about how the Bear River watershed will play a key role in the future of the Great Salt Lake. HannaLore educates me on all things water in the Bear Lake Valley and the American West as we talk about cooperative development, irrigation and water diversion, prior appropriation (first in time, first in right) vs. riparian use, and the separation of water and land rights in the American West. We cover the Desert Land Act, the Carey Act, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Weston South Field Irrigation Company. HannaLore shares the history of the Bear Lake Monster (first sighting in 1868!) and we end with HannaLore’s recommendations for something to watch, read, and listen to.

If you want to find out more about me or the Rural Towns Project, please go to https://www.ruraltownsproject.com/ or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Podcast music: “A Happy Day” by codemusic, http://www.jamendo.com, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/