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Jackson County and Grayson KY Stories and Volunteers

By Deb Brown

A group of smiling people around a dinner table

Guest post by Deb Brown Change can be activated in a society by way of story.” from the book Spirit Run I just returned from Jackson County, Kentucky and the small town of Grayson, Kentucky. There’s a natural beauty in those mountains and winding roads. The people were kind, helpful and want to see their […]

August 8, 2023 Filed Under: community, rural, survivors Tagged With: event reports, Kentucky, rural, stories

How to fill empty buildings: real world examples Deb Brown shared with Gowrie, Iowa

By Deb Brown

I attended the Chamber Dinner in Gowrie, Iowa and talked about small town ideas they could use. It was my pleasure to spend a couple of days there. This article talks about small town ideas for the community and by the community. Got empty buildings? Every small town has empty buildings and empty lots. Gowrie […]

July 25, 2023 Filed Under: community, economic development, rural Tagged With: beautification, Deb Brown, empty buildings, placemaking, small towns

Folklife in the South Conference – The Stories Matter

By Deb Brown

The Blues

I attended the Folklife in the South Conference in Lake Guntersville, Alabama in June 2023.  It was a gathering of community leaders, folklorists, traditional artists, educators, documentarians, and other cultural workers. We came together to hear the stories of work in the field, explore different avenues of folklife in the South and to meet and […]

July 10, 2023 Filed Under: community, entrepreneurship, rural, tourism Tagged With: arts, culture, folk arts, trends

Boost your rural retail business with this trick

By Deb Brown

Shoppers at a furniture store find temporary displays of jewelry and skin care products.

By Deb Brown The old way of doing business is one building, one business. What if you could test an idea and have a business inside a business? Anyone of us either knows or can find someone who is making things from their home and selling it. What if you encouraged already existing home-based businesses […]

November 5, 2021 Filed Under: economic development, entrepreneurship, ideas, rural Tagged With: building community, Deb Brown, economic development, entrepreneurs, guest post, pop ups, retail, rural, store

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