Small towns have a future. Despite all the negative press, I have a positive view of rural, and I talk to others who share it. Small towns play a key role in our world. Everyone else better get used to us, because we aren’t going away!
Luther Snow believes in an asset based approach to rural, so naturally we connected. Photo courtesy of Luther Snow.
Luther Snow may have grown up in the big city, but he found his stride in small towns. His work with Asset Based Community Development for rural has been extremely influential in rural development. Currently, he lives in Decorah, Iowa.
He and I felt a connection in our approaches and a strong pull to work together. This interview is a kickoff of what we hope will be an ongoing series of conversations with other rural people.
Look: I even made cover art!
Why this podcast exists
If you’re “just a business owner” or “just” someone in a small town, you often feel like you’re the only one. Either the only one with a positive outlook or the only one who is trying to create change. The whole point of this podcast is to bring all of us together. You are not alone.
That’s why I’ve started interviewing people who share my positive view of rural. I have three more already recorded:
- Mike Knutson, an experienced rural leader now working in rural housing
- Scott Meyer, a young startup guy with such a soft spot for rural that his blog is called Digital Homesteading
- Caleb Pollard, a rural leader turned brewer with a strong sense of creating a legacy
To keep this going, I need to know who you think I should talk to. Who else shares a positive view of rural? You? A friend? Someone you know? Give me your suggestions in the comments.
I promise to get this submitted to iTunes soon for easy subscribing, but in the meantime, enjoy it freestyle. :)
Luther’s stories
Luther shares his work with North Slope Alaska villages, and how what he found could apply to most any rural area. And then we just swap stories and talk about what we’re thinking these days about small towns.
Near the end, listen for Luther to talk his way into a regular spot on the podcast. I’m going to take him up on that, and we’ll be doing more visits with Luther in the future.
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