Reinventing Community Economic Development

[Tom Lamar <lamar@pcei.org>]

As part of our small farm conference to be held March 5-7, Moscow Vision
2020 subscribers might be particularly interested in the Sunday segment:

Reinventing Community Economic Development in the Inland Northwest
March 7, 1999  9:00 am to 4:00 pm
University of Idaho Student Union Building
Moscow, ID
Registration $45 includes brunch
Student Registration $20 includes brunch
To Register Call:  1-888-884-3246

Communities throughout the Inland Northwest are grappling with how to
develop strong local economies enhance the quality of life in our region.
Community leaders are looking for economic development strategies that keep
investment capital local and foster viable local businesses.  Michael
Shuman, a Fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies and author of   "Going
Local:  Developing Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age," will lead a
day-long discussion and strategy session on how to develop community-based
economies that are resilient and meet the needs of local residents.  We
will learn about dozens of communities around the US who are regaining
control of their economies by investing in locally owned businesses.

We will also learn about innovative community development programs and
community-based businesses within the Inland Northwest that are building
new and stronger relationships between small-acreage farms, food retail
outlets, value-added businesses and local citizens through alternative
lending and business training programs, common stock offerings, member loan
programs, and numerous educational programs.  Participants will be
challenged to evaluate their views about community economic development,
markets, corporations and what defines a strong local economy.  Anticipated
audience includes small-business owners, farmers, policy makers, economic
development professionals, students educators and local activists.

Draft Format:
9:00 	Registration
9:30	Going Local keynote address by Michael Shuman
11:00	Brunch made from local and organic ingredients
12:30	Inland Northwest InnovatorsŠDiscussion Clusters:*
Capacity Building
Basic Businesses that Use Local Resources and Sell Locally
Money and Finance
Policy
2:15	Break
2:30	From Here to There:  Creating More Opportunities for
Community-Based Economic Development
3:30	Inspiration, Reflection and Closing, Michael Shuman

*Discussion clusters will be facilitated panel and audience discussion.

Discussion Cluster Topics and Speakers:
Capacity Building: Building communities capacities to foster local
businesses and develop self reliance i.e. natural resource assets,
indicators, mentoring and education programs, import/export inventories and
other regional data, community visioning processes, financial institutions.

Neil Meyer, Agricultural Economist, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
Assessing business development options and their relative investment in
(use of) community resources - both natural and human resources - to
determine whether they are import-replacing rather than export led
development.  Comparing and contrasting the true community worth of
developing different local products.

Stephen Drinkard, City of Sandpoint, Sandpoint, ID
Creating community infrastructure and connections, Sandpoint assessment and
feasibility studies, Bonner Business Center (incubator), PRIDE - a project
about partnering with rural areas to develop businesses and the rural
economy using the incubator model.

Basic Businesses that Use Local Resources and Sell Locally:  Telling their
story - idea generation,  market assessment, drawing regional financing,
business design, marketing and product sales.

Malcom Dell, Woodnet Development Council, Orofino, ID
Alternative forest product enterprise development and marketing.

Margy Hall, Bonner Business Center Recycling Bay, Sandpoint, ID
Recycling Bay/ Bonner Business Center.  The Bay provides the local and
regional private and public sectors the opportunity to explore and develop
uses (products & markets) for locally recycled glass.  The Sandpoint
project is also collaborating with a similar program being developed in
Moscow.

Tammi Payton, Peaville Produce Market, Rathdrum, ID
Development of a new fresh produce market that features local products.

Money and Finance:  Alternative methods of garnering start-up and expansion
capital, local credit unions, local currencies, alternative local
investments (i.e. stock options, member loan programs).

Kenna Eaton, Manager, Moscow Food Cooperative, Moscow, ID
Developed an owner-member loan program which financed its expansion and
move to a new location.

Richard Repp, Paradise Farm Organics, Inc., Moscow, ID
Has a common stock offering in Washington, Idaho and New York which is
allowing the expansion of its organic backpacking food line.

Bonita Scherling, SEED Council, Clarkston, WA
Building Your Own Business Training and Micro-Loan Program

Policy:  Role of government in targeting investment and selective
contracting to support greater community self-reliance; tax structures that
support the development of local, sustainable businesses (i.e. income and
wealth taxes, green taxes, tax land not improvements) screens for
government loans, living wage and environmental justice.

Steve Cooke, Agricultural Economist, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
Tax policies that support local investment and business development.
Indicators to help local governments determine when they can afford to
invest in local infrastructure.

Brian Orr, Bonner County Commissioner, former Mayor of Oldtown, ID
Rural economic development.

Reinventing Community Economic Development in the Inland Northwest is part
of the Cultivating the Harvest:  Inland Northwest Small Acreage Farming
Conference.  Sponsors include University of Idaho Cooperative Extension,
Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute,  Washington State University
Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources.  Check out our
website at http://www.uidaho.edu/ag/environment/sustain/inwcfs

Thomas C. Lamar, Executive Director

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Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute
P O Box 8596; 112 West 4th St; Suite #1
Moscow ID 83843-1096
Phone (208)882-1444; Fax (208)882-8029
url:  http://www.moscow.com/pcei

Please Note our individual staff email addresses below:

Thomas C. Lamar, Executive Director: lamar@pcei.org
Kathleen Lester, Office Manager/Environmental Education: lester@pcei.org
Laurie Gardes, Financial Manager:  gardes@turbonet.com
Anita Grover, Watersheds: grover@pcei.org
Colette DePhelps, Community Food Systems: dephelps@pcei.org
Peggy Adams, Watersheds/Food Systems: peggy931@uidaho.edu
Jon Barrett, Idaho Smart Growth:  smartgro@micron.net
Elaine Clegg, Idaho Smart Growth:  eclegg@micron.net

Celebrating thirteen years of connecting people, place and community.
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