SEELEY LAKE - Reimagining Rural is a new virtual event series that aims to develop self-reflective discussions among residents to help improve rural communities.
The Seeley Lake Community Foundation is hosting the three part series, the first of which was presented Tuesday, Sept. 15. The intent was to address negative perceptions common in current discussions regarding small towns. Keynote speaker Ben Winchester from the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality presented his research in "Rewriting the Rural Narrative," to 25 rural communities across Montana simultaneously. Seeley Lake residents attended a socially-distant, in-person viewing of the live-streamed presentation at the Seeley Lake Historical Museum and Visitors Center.
Winchester went over generally how rural American communities have changed over the last few decades including the mechanization of agriculture, consolidation of schools and the closing of essential businesses like grocery and hardware stores.
He disputed a common misconception that agriculture makes up a significant portion of rural economies. Nationwide it constitutes less than 5% of rural employment and income nationally. For 40 years, education and health services have remained the top industries in rural America.
Another misconception is that the net population is consistently going down in rural communities because they are moving into metropolitan areas. However, the reason for the decrease in population is actually based on several nuanced factors including partners dying, children graduating school and smaller overall family units. Areas defined as metropolitan have also increased over the years.
Despite seemingly declining net populations, some rural areas are seeing increases in the total number of households, often they are just smaller family units. Since 1940, the average household size has gone down from 3.6 to 2.6 in 2018, a 29% decrease.
Winchester said it is common for longtime residents to carry a sense of resentment towards newcomers with the fear that they will change how the community functions. However, he said it is essential for locals to make newcomers feel welcome in the community because they could eventually develop into potential participants in the community and local organizations.
Winchester touched on a data point called population for organizational roles which revealed that on average in Montana between 2000 and 2010, 1 in 22 adult residents had to take on some form of a leadership role in a civic or nonprofit organization.
He said those who are resistant to newcomers should remember that populations never remain stagnant and that they should keep in mind potential business and home buyers in the future.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, 51 percent of Americans, regardless of where they live now, said if they could live wherever they wanted to they would prefer to live in a small town or rural area. Motivations can range from a slower pace of life to closer proximity to relatives or to find a less congested place to live.
Winchester concluded his presentation by encouraging residents to fight negative narratives with positive ones and to overall carry a positive attitude about their community because those attitudes will carry over to their children. Current longtime residents are encouraged to ask newcomers about their motivations for moving in order to gain a better understanding of what push and pull factors are at play in relation to their communities.
From 6 – 8 p.m. Sept. 29, Deb Brown and Becky McCray from SaveYour.Town will speak on how locals can "save" their towns with whatever inexpensive resources are already available. On Oct. 13, a concluding idea-sharing discussion will take place where attendees will share everything they have learned. A Q&A from the speakers will take place as well. Both events will be held at the Historical Museum.
Presentations are recorded and are available in a private Facebook group called Re-Imagining Rural MT. More information about this presentation and upcoming iterations can be found on https://www.seeleylakecommunityfoundation.org/reimagining-rural.
Reader Comments(0)