Join us for the 13th Annual Arizona Rural Policy Forum  Eagar-Springerville August 7, 8, 9

 Round Valley High School, 550 N. Butler St., Eagar, AZ

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Pre-Conference Events:

Wednesday, August 7

Wednesday, August 7th. Join from 11:30am to 5:00 pm for a fun, inside look at economic development of the region. Learn first-hand about agritourism, ranching, forestry and other industries that drive this region with a culmination event at the Ensphere (aka The Dome).  Join us for the bus tour; lunch provided.

Wednesday, August 7th. Join us at 5:30 pm for the opening night celebration and experience the history and heritage of Eagar-Springerville.  The Springerville Heritage Center houses four museums in one and celebrates the history, tenacity and melting-pot culture of visionaries like Renee Cushman, a French woman who dreamed of being a rancher in the 1940s, the ancient Pueblo People of Casa Malpais, the Becker Family, one of the first families to settle Springerville and the White Mountain Historical Society. We’ll have local musicians sharing their talents on two exquisite antique pianos throughout the evening. Be sure to join us for this launch party to get the event started right! Get tickets here.

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2019 Rural Policy Forum:

Thursday, August 8

Thursday, August 8th: All sessions below will be at the Round Valley High School, 550 N. Butler St., Eagar, AZ

Breakfast served from 7:30 AM- 9:30 AM

8:30 AM
Morning Welcome

Vision Sessions:

Building opportunity in Arizona is hard work and more often than not, recognition is hard to come by. Join these rapid fire presenters as they highlight their innovative project or organization and its impact in Rural AZ this past year.

Breakout Sessions:

This year, we have organized our sessions under four tracks: (1) Business Development; (2) Tourism & Marketing; (3) Food Systems & Healthy Communities; and (4) Stewardship & Sustainability. We have also added in hands-on workshops for each tract that are peppered throughout the agenda.

Thursday 10:00 AM- 11:30 AM

Concurrent sessions:

1. Business Development: Business Development & Growth

How can rural communities keep growing businesses from moving elsewhere? Small, medium, and large business owners will outline the benefits of doing business in their rural communities; sharing the policies enacted that supported them to stay and grow.

Why attend this session? Understand the benefits of starting and running a business in a rural setting and ways your community can adopt incentives and policies to promote business retention and growth.

2. Tourism & Marketing: Engaging Small Business to Develop a Community-Wide Brand

Business ownership in rural communities is a challenge. Many times, the success of the city or town as a whole will dictate the success of its individual business owners. Some communities have found a way to implement strategic, collaborative marketing campaigns have expanded their reach and increased revenues for their businesses as a collective group.

Why attend this session? Learn about examples of collaborative marketing campaigns across the state that have proven results and learn how to implement them effectively in your own community.

3.  Food Systems & Healthy Communities: Growing Health Through Heritage Foods

In the last century, we have lost 75% of the genetic diversity in the foods we grow and eat. Most of the food produced worldwide now consists of one of four types of crops: corn, wheat, rice, and potatoes. By growing heritage foods, small farmers are making a living helping to enhance the biodiversity of our local food system.

Why attend this session? Learn how biodiversity helps to secure our local food systems and how you can support your local food producers to improve  health and increase access to healthy, culturally-appropriate foods in your community.

4. Stewardship & Sustainability: Protecting Our Water

Water scarcity continues to be one of our state’s most pressing issues, demanding the implementation of innovative efforts to sustain our supply in the future. Our water sources provide many economic and quality of life benefits to our communities; supporting agriculture, outdoor recreation, tourism, property values, and providing critical water supplies to necessary for the vitality of our rural communities.

Why attend this session? Private landowners, business owners, and community members are making great strides as stewards of our watersheds throughout the state. Become more informed about their efforts and learn about your role in advocating for policy that conserves our precious natural resource.

 

11:45 AM-1:15 PM

LUNCHTIME WELCOME

LUNCHTIME with KEYNOTE SPEAKER KIMBER LANNING

LUNCH DEBRIEF

Breakout Sessions
Thursday, 1:30 PM- 3:00 PM
Concurrent sessions:

1. Business Development: Preparing for the New Workforce

It is estimated that 50% of the population will be working contracted, freelance jobs by 2020 – a dramatic shift from the traditional 9-5 work model. Furthermore, metrics such as “wellbeing” are becoming increasingly more prevalent when determining prosperity in the field of economics. With these workforce shifts underway, how do we adjust our plans for job creation and retention to provide a sustainable environment for entrepreneurship and personal satisfaction in our communities?  

Why attend this session? Leave with a deeper understanding of why the entrepreneurial trend is sweeping the nation and its implications for competitive job retention. Speakers will provide a template for developing a co-working space and for providing competitive millennial benefit packages to help support and retain creative minds in our rural communities.

2. Tourism & Marketing WORKSHOP: Rewriting the Rural Narrative

Let’s continue to collectively rewrite the narrative to reflect the opportunity and vibrancy surrounding us. Unfortunately, the message “If You Stayed, You Failed” continues to prevail in many of our rural narratives. Consider the impact this negative messaging can have on business retention, community engagement, and one’s pride of Rural Arizona.

Why attend this session? Learn how to regain control over the narrative in your community and propel it in a positive way. Facilitators will help you craft sample media posts and pinpoint strategic outlets to help get your message across.

3.  Food Systems & Healthy Communities: Growing a Healthy, Local Marketplace

One of the most prevalent threats to the health of rural communities is the lack of access to fresh and nutritious foods. The story of these local marketplaces transcends solutions for addressing food insecurity. These examples of grassroots collaboration double as models for creating opportunity out of almost any service gap prevalent in a community; exemplifying the necessity for mindful cooperation and adaptation to create meaningful change.

Why attend this session? Learn specific ways these community members address dire needs through strategic collaboration and creative problem solving.

4. Stewardship & Sustainability: Land Conservation Strategies for Better Livelihoods

Ranching, and other traditional livelihoods are essential in sustaining natural wildlife habitats and preserving open space landscapes for generations to come. As private land subdivision and development continue to pressure our rural communities, we are reminded of the importance of protecting profitable ranch land to support a diverse, flourishing community of human, plant and animal life.

Why attend this session? Learn how to navigate the factors threatening our open space landscapes; including wildfires, development, and invasive species. Ranchers will share examples of strategic, private-sector partnerships that provide ecological support for restoration and maintenance of their natural lands.

Breakout Sessions:
Thursday 3:15 pm – 4:45 PM
Concurrent sessions:

1. Business Development: Alternative Ownership Models that Help Maintain Your Legacy 

Retiring baby boomers need a plan for rural succession. Until recently, cooperatives, B-Corps, and employee owned companies have been foreign concepts in Arizona. Join local experts to discuss different ways to structure companies that incorporate new ways to expand the lifecycle of your local businesses.

Why attend this session? Develop a better understanding of alternative ownership models that can be incorporated into your local businesses and expand them beyond one-generation ownership. 

2. Tourism & Marketing: Leveraging Arts & Culture as an Economic Driver

Art and culture have become pillars of rural revitalization. Explore the ways cultural celebration and arts-based engagement can be put to work for positive community impact and enhanced tourist engagement.

Why attend this session? Join to be inspired as you learn about the creative ways our rural communities are attracting tourists through celebration of local culture and talent.  Hear how each contributor developed their events, programs, and projects and walk away with templates on how to capitalize on deeper cultural engagement in your community.

3.  Food Systems & Healthy Communities WORKSHOP: Inspiring a Healthy Community

4. Stewardship & Sustainability: Waste as an Economic Driver

Disposal of solid waste is a stinging and widespread problem in rural communities across the state. In turn, a survey of 36 rural towns in Arizona, conducted by Keep Arizona Beautiful, reported that respondents identified illegal dumping as their most problematic local environmental issue – contributing to a myriad of health and safety risks for their communities. Fortunately, examples of creative and profitable solutions to addressing solid waste accumulation have been popping up in rural communities across the nation.

Why attend this session? Identify lucrative solutions to addressing waste mitigation in Rural communities. Speakers will focus on grass-root transportation options, central management locations, and strategies to profit from your community’s trash and recyclable products.

Thursday Night Dinner, 5:30 PM

Thursday evening, Join us once again for our second group dinner party, held at Avery’s Wateringhole. Enjoy casual indoor and outdoor settings, with patio games under a blanket of stars. Purchase tickets here, to join us from 5:30 PM- 9:30 PM. You may purchase tickets at the door!

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Friday, August 9

 

Friday, August 9th, All sessions below will be at the Round Valley High School, 550 N. Butler St., Eagar, AZ

Breakfast served from  7:30 AM- 9:30 AM

8:30 AM
Morning Welcome

Vision Sessions:

Building opportunity in Arizona is hard work and more often than not, recognition is hard to come by. Join these rapid fire presenters as they highlight their innovative project or organization and its impact in Rural AZ this past year.

BREAKFAST with KEYNOTE INES POLONIUS,
Communities Unlimited, Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Breakout Sessions:

Friday 10:00 AM-11:30 AM

Concurrent sessions:

1. Business Development: Community Activation – Thinking About the Big Picture

Growing a rural community is hard work and requires an “all hands on deck” mentality. Many times, great ideas exist but lack the funding, people or other resources to get off the ground. In whichever segment of community development your passion lies, whether it be Business Development, Youth Engagement, Tourism, Waste & Sustainability or Healthy Food Systems, proven programs exist and we’re excited to tell you about them!

Why attend this session? Learn about Arizona Rural Development Council Community Activation programming and how you may be able to incorporate it into your community to build a stronger, more resilient city/town.

2. Tourism & Marketing: Getting Your Community on the Map

In this digital age of tourism and marketing, it is imperative that your community is competing for an online audience that can ensure your local businesses and community assets will continue to thrive. Now is the time to make sure your online megaphone is effectively garnishing the attention your community deserves.

Why attend this session?  Become informed on the multitude of resources provided by statewide organizations and social media platforms to shine a digital spotlight on the assets and experiences offered in your community.

3. Communities Unlimited WORKSHOP: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecostystem

4. Stewardship & Sustainability: The Value of Saving Historic Buildings

Preservation isn’t all about the past. Studies show that neighborhoods with older buildings tend to have more businesses per block and a higher employment rate – both critical aspects in supporting a community’s growth. Adaptive reuse programs provide significant cost-saving opportunities for developers interested in repurposing existing buildings for modern use.

Why attend this session? Become more informed about the impact preservation can have on the vitality of your rural community. Folks from around that state will share solutions on how to navigate zoning and permitting processes to save iconic structures while providing small businesses with opportunities to find affordable and unique spaces.  

 

LUNCH 11:45- 1:15 PM

LUNCH DEBRIEF

 

Breakout Sessions
Friday, 1:30 PM- 3:00 PM
Concurrent sessions:

1. Business Development WORKSHOP: Funders Roundtable

Connect with key, state-wide funders and learn about the specific programs and funding mechanisms available to you and your rural communities.

Why attend this session? Hear from seven rural funders who will have grant makers on hand to explain each funder’s areas of interest. You’ll be able to walk around, as questions, and learn how to apply.

2. Tourism & Marketing: Healthcare as an Economic Driver

3.  Food Systems & Healthy Communities: Prioritizing Food Systems Collaboration

Why food systems collaboration should be a pillar of your community’s development plans. Challenges for siloed food-based businesses, red tape for prosperity. Food systems are complex, eating habits are engrained, and that food businesses face increased hurdles to thrive.

Why attend this session: As an organization, we’ve compiled stories, resources, and best practices from across the state to cultivate prosperity and increase access to fresh, local, and culturally-appropriate foods throughout the state. Learn how to tap into the Food Systems Work of the Local First Arizona Foundation, along with ways to identify and mobilize around the existing food systems efforts in your community.

4. Stewardship & Sustainability WORKSHOP: Waste as an Economic Driver

Visioning session for communities to hear from and be heard about what environmental sustainability means to their cities/towns. 

Why attend this session? Address your community’s preparedness in the realms of water supply, public health, tourism, land use, and forest health with the threat of wildfire, rising temperatures, drought, and flooding.

 

Rural Policy Forum Concludes at 3:00 PM

Stay Tuned for Weekend Activities and Recommendations! 

Buy Tickets for 2019 AZ Rural Policy Forum

*Subject to change; check in for all of the latest updates! We are adding to this agenda regularly, so check back.