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Across the Fence:  Please help me brainstorm-town growth  |
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Cozynana
True Blue Farmgirl
1123 Posts
Kem
1123 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 13 2010 : 05:43:21 AM
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Our town is rapidly declining in population. Last year we lost 100 in population. We now stand at 1,680 in the town and 3,200 in the county. If we can't stop this exodus of population we will be almost nonexistant in 10 years. I am scared, 5 generations of my family have been involved in farming. Land can't be moved, so we are stuck in the midst of this issue. I want a town to get groceries, receive health care, and a school for my grandkids to go to locally. The thing is we are the best kept secret. We are like Andy Griffith's "Mayberry". Our problem is isolation and not enough jobs. We are a clean, low crime, excellent schoools, sense of community, sense of pride, and salt of the earth town. In the 70-80-90s we had the mentality to educate our children and send them out to make a better living than we had. We did an excellent job. We have a high rate of home grown doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc. What we didn't foresee was the need for the youth to stay in our community. They love to come home for the "home grown carnival". It is great and alumni/family voluneer to run rides and games. A few of our alumni are stepping up and trying to help reverse the flow, but it is going to take miracles to keep our town from shrinking. I am putting out a plea to the Farmgirl Connection-please help me with ideas we can implement to attract population, telecommuters, tourism, etc. The town has brainstormed and taken some action. Our community has a dry lake we are in the process of turning into wetlands and natural park with hiking trails and camping areas. The trails and camping areas are complete. We are searching for funds to erect a playground also. Our community just built a new senior center, movie theater, and in the process of completing a bowling alley all under the same roof. It is small scale, but very nice. We are trying to get funding to improve the airport. 10 years ago we built a civic center that is very impressive. We are not lazy and love our town. Like I said isolation and lack of jobs seem to be the crux of our problem. Please give me input. Every idea is worth considering. Many times one idea sparks another.
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
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Melina
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Melina
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2010 : 09:01:16 AM
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Just my own opinion and a bit of observation: keep the schools healthy. Small towns are defined by whether the schools are prospering, enrollment, etc. The kiss of death for a community is when "they" close the schools and bus kids to a consolidated school in another part of the area. It might be that you want to be on the school board, in order to have a say in teacher hiring, policies, curriculum, etc. Good luck, I know it's a daunting tast to try saving a community.
The morning breeze has secrets to tell you. Do not go back to sleep.
Rumi |
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BarefootGoatGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
1495 Posts
Corrine
North Carolina
USA
1495 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2010 : 10:17:47 AM
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I know we've all heard it...but find your niche! What is your town good at? Farming... What about agri-tourism or educational programs? What about the slow food movement? Starting bringing people in slowly and if they have a great time, they will send more. Also, start a website for your town. Let people find you. Play up the fact that you are out of the way...a great escape from the rat race.
http://www.alittlebitofred.webs.com/ |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2010 : 10:51:34 AM
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Please be careful what you wish for! Where I live "was" a great , rural, 4-H kids, help your neighbor town , and a few years back, the Mayor/city council deceided that we needed more. They got some housing tract builder companys (plural) to come in and build these large tracts, the prices were insane, houses huge, and they were on a 1/4 of a postage stamp lots, walk out the back door into your back wall in 10 steps or less. As of this year, over 75 % of these homes are empty, due to, they never sold, forclousure and not staying here cause its not what I thought it was mentality. Also several of these places started (model homes were built), and never finished, so they have 6 model homes built and no others, so now you have a 10 acre, walled in area with paved streets "GHOST TOWN". Then of course all the people who came up and bought older homes, not to live in, but to rent out, those have attracted the worst of the worst, parents saying they wanted a better life for their kids, and the kids did not, so they brought their gang banging with them. Our schools are so over crowded, no child can possibly get a decent education, home schooling you say, that would be fine, except most of these kids now come from 2 working parent families, or single parent who either works or does not give a damn. Our crime has risen so high, we are no longer a "safe" town to live in, Oh, I forgot, we are now a city, not a town, and thats something most of us never wanted...I could go on and on, but I won't, just be careful what you wish for, think it all out carefully before you act...
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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knittinchick
True Blue Farmgirl
1854 Posts
Megan
Wisconsin
1854 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2010 : 11:48:52 AM
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I'm semi with Teresa. You don't want your town to lose the small town feel. But there are things your town can do to be put on the map. Do you have any big festivals or parades or such that you can play up to other towns? Or you can tell out of towners to come and bring their friends too.
God's Blessings,
Megan aka Loretta Rae
At heart, I am both a sassy city girl and a down-home country gal. |
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MerryHeartSister
True Blue Farmgirl
158 Posts
Christy
Tuscaloosa
Alabama
USA
158 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2010 : 12:02:31 PM
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We have a little town that is about 8 miles away and it's tiny. But it's Sturgis, MS. They decided to do a play on names and have a Little Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. It draws thousands of people in this little bitty town that's not hardly a mile wide. They make most of their revenue for the year in 4 days.
Good luck!
Farmgirl #1951
Home is a gift that should be opened every day. |
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Calicogirl
True Blue Farmgirl
5216 Posts
Sharon
Bruce Crossing
Michigan
USA
5216 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2010 : 12:29:54 PM
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When your town has special events, send them in to Country Living magazine, etc for their monthly calendar. That may attract people looking to move to a small charming town.
~Sharon
By His Grace, For His Glory
http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/ |
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Cozynana
True Blue Farmgirl
1123 Posts
Kem
1123 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2010 : 3:49:35 PM
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| Thanks for the input. I live in NW Kansas. I don't think there is ever going to be any threat of over populating. We are too isolated for most people. To get to a town around 50,000 a person has to drive 3 1/2 hours. Denver is 4 hours, KS City is 7-8, Wichita is 5-5 1/2. We do need to find a niche. It is probably agri-tourism. Our county is very heavy into farming. Now.....just what would be an easy business to turn into agri-tourism? |
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harmonyfarm
True Blue Farmgirl
785 Posts
Debbie
Southeastern
Ohio
USA
785 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2010 : 1:32:32 PM
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I can remember when I'd be lucky if three cars passed by my house in a day. (One of them would be the mailman) Now three or more cars pass by my house every half hour. I wish it would go back to the way it was. A town I live 7 miles from, was virtually wiped off the map a few years ago by a major flood. It will never be the same. Some things you just have to "suck up" and accept.
Debbie
"If you can't find the time to do it right...how will you find the time to do it over" |
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prariehawk
True Blue Farmgirl
2914 Posts
Cindy
2914 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2010 : 4:19:13 PM
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Kem--since you live in a part of the country where the wind blows free, try persuading your town officials to invest in wind power. Seriously, it's growing at a phenomenal rate. And it's going to be around for a long, long time. It'll bring in jobs, and your town will be at the forefront of a new and exciting industry. Just my two cents worth.
Cindy
"There is more to life than increasing its speed". Mahatma Gandhi
Visit my blog at http://www.farmerinthebelle.blogspot.com/ |
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Across the Fence: Please help me brainstorm-town growth |
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Please help me brainstorm-town growth
