The Rural Lab

03/30/2023

Finally - biology can validate the advantages of growing up in nature and the power of multi-generational rural communities to care for eachother, survive and thrive (just as our great, great-great, sometimes great-great-great-great grandparents did).

A new international study finds that the growth and development benefits of children living in cities may have diminished in the past three decades

07/26/2022

Congratulations to Kane PA 8th grader Sadie Martonik on her graduation from the Appalachian STEM Academy program! 🙌

08/05/2021

Welcome to our Future of Rural blog launch! 🚀 Want to land a remote job in tech? No experience needed, 100% online, low-cost training w/ Google 👇 $63,600 avg salary for entry-level roles across certificate fields.

“The Grow with Google certificate program is the best and cheapest I’ve seen for rural residents to get digital skills training online to apply for remote jobs in high-growth fields. It’s a whole new ballgame of opportunity,” said Kristin Lewis.

06/29/2021

🎯

City leaders, focus your efforts on the people that already call your community home. Win them over and you never need to worry about tourism.

06/25/2021

Welcome home, Alumni! 🐺 Throwback to that time my dad and I drove to Montana to pick up the Lobo Wolves artifacts, which are now on display at the Kane Depot. Check it out this weekend! This was a once in a lifetime meeting, even though it definitely broke some rules. Worth it. ❤️ Once a Kane Wolf, always a Kane Wolf. 🐺

05/27/2021

Job hunting? Looking for better pay? 🚀 Remote job opportunities have grown 457%! 🚀 Remote work provides incredible opportunity for rural residents to gain new employment while staying local, often receiving urban-level salaries.

Remote job postings grew 457% over the past year, according to a new analysis by LinkedIn’s Economic Graph team. These eight industries are leading the way.

03/16/2021

The power of roots. I too chose roots over a city paycheck, and many others have, too. Now we're building pathways for economic prosperity right here, investing and building businesses in rural communities. -- "Their vision of success has less to do with financial prosperity or personal comfort than with the more demanding values of stewardship, investment and care." 🏡

For many young people, returning to struggling communities means exchanging prosperity for a more rooted life.

03/09/2021

"It is affecting the economic fates of cities and communities large and small, but ➡️ especially smaller ones ⬅️: They can now develop and build their economies based on remote workers and compete with the big-city business centers and West Coast high-tech meccas that have long dominated the employment landscape." (click x on the pop up WSJ subscription box to read article) .0

Smaller cities and communities are turning into “Zoom towns” and competing with coastal hubs as workers move to find more space and lower costs.

02/26/2021

The pace of change for human progress can be overwhelming, especially when a group of people are left out of the economic benefits of progress. 💡 The world is changing - fast! - and this handy chart gives common sense context. 👇 Rural economies have not yet reaped the benefits of the Technological & Digital Revolutions, but we will! The tipping point has come for us to capitalize on rural ingenuity and resiliency. 🧠 💪



https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32699519/

02/16/2021

A cautionary tale from Montana on rural growth, community culture & unintended consequences. 🤨 Rural leaders must take a "locals first" long-term planning approach to economic growth, and affordable housing must be on the radar! 🏡 Rural can capitalize on attracting new residents and investments in a post-covid economy, while actively planning for growth opportunities for local, long-term residents.

“Money speaks, and it’s not necessarily taking into account the values of living in a state like Montana,” said Amanda Diehl.

Bozeman has become a haven for coastal refugees as the pandemic drags on, intensifying a housing crisis for existing residents of the town.

01/29/2021

🙌🏼 ☀️ The future of - right here in Kane,

IT'S COMING!
ROOFTOP SOLAR PV
STAY TUNED

01/29/2021

Are Kane residents interested in co-working space? Let me know feedback / ideas in comments! 🧑‍💻 I'm planning office space for The Rural Lab. Co-working is great for people who work from home, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants an inspired place to work, focus, and connect w/ other humans. I'm excited to design an inspiring workspace to collaborate, do big things, and grow local rooted wealth in rural places! (I think tourists will dig the co-working option too, but... we're designing for locals first, the real MVPs.) -- Right now, I'm planning for space for 6-10 co-workers. Hoping to open by end of 2021, in some capacity!🤞