North Dakota

Please mark March 25, 2010 on your calendars for the 4th annual Profit from the Prairie conference to be held in Finley, ND from 9-4:30 pm.  If you would like to learn how to promote, market, and identify tourism opportunities in your community, you will want to attend this conference.  Please go to www.dakotaprairietourism.com to find out more and to register.  The early bird fee is $30 until March 1st.  If you are a Horizons current or alumni community, we will cover up the cost for up to 8 people attending and two vehicles to travel to Finley.  Please check out this great opportunity!

On February 19-20, the Dakota Grown Local Foods Conference will take place in Jamestown, ND.  This is a great opportunity for communities that have listed communty gardens and farmer’s markets as strategies in their community plans to help those in poverty.  The cost is only $25 and Horizons will pay for up to 8 people to attend as well as mileage for up to 2 vehicles from each current and alumni community.  A brochure is attached below with more information.

Local Foods Flyer

The 2010 Statwide Housing Conference sponsored by the ND Housing Finance Agency will be held in Bismarck, Feb. 23-24.  This is a great conference especially if your community is working on housing issues as a part of your strategic plan. This year breakouts will include housing rehab information, saving with individual development accounts, housing authority pros and cons, addressing Tribal homelessness, and homeless prevent and rapid re-housing.  More information on the conference including registration can be found at www.ndhfa.org

Regional tourism workshops will be held in February and March around the state of North Dakota to help participants understand how social media can bring tourists to your area.  There is no charge for the workshop but you are asked to pre-register.  Please check out: http://www.ndtourism.com/industry/regional-tourism-conferences/

for more information.

Many Horizons communities are working on entrepreneurial activities and I’d like to suggest some great on-line resources at NDSU’s Center for Community Vitality website (www.ag.ndsu.edu/ccv).  On this site you will find online training for food entrepreneurs and many other resources you may find useful.  Contact your coach of course if you have specific ideas or needs and we will do our best to assist.

The date for our final Horizons celebration/graduation has been set!  Please mark Tuesday, May 4th on your calendars.  We will hold this event at the Bismarck Ramkota and of course assist with transportation for up to two vehicles from each of our Horizons towns to attend.  This day is all about YOU and each community will get five minutes to share with others what they have accomplished during the Horizons program - so we really need all towns there! We will present your community with a final “graduation” award and have a fun day sharing and hearing from everyone.  You can certainly bring your scrapbooks if you have been keeping them up or any other items you want to share.  There will be tables set up around the room in the hotel for showcasing the wonderful work.

Please save the date!

Over 30 participants were involved in the Devils Lake grantwriting session on October 28.  Dr. Lynette Krenelka from the University of North Dakota provided her insights and expertise on grantwriting.  Many thanks to Rene LaFrance at Lake Region State College Train ND for her support and handling of the logistics while we were there.  A wonderful mobile lab with laptop computers and printers was brought to us to do a hands-on search activity for grant possibilities.  We are fortunate to have such great partners and services in our state!

Thanks to all of you that attended the partnership luncheon in Bismarck this fall!  We had a great turnout and Donna Beegle was amazing in her presentation on poverty.  There is a picture of Donna below as well as a picture of some of the round table discussions community members had with state agencies and organizations. 

I do have a few copies of Donna Beegle’s presentation on DVD if you or your community are interested in watching it.  Please send me an e-mail at lynette.flage@ndsu.edu and I will send it out.

This training will help entrepreneurs who want to start a food processing business or take their small food business to the next level.  Hear from speakers a variety of topics including:

• Health regulations and good manufacturing practies
  Processing and co-packing
• Patent and trademarks
• Labeling Requirements
• The Pride of Dakota program
• Marketing
• Product Evaluation
• Legalities and Liabilities

The keynote speaker during the noon luncheon will be T.J. Russell, the CEO and President of Cloverdale Foods Company.

Horizons will cover the costs of up to 6 individuals attending from each Horizons current and alumni community.  We will also cover mileage for up to 2  vehicles.  Please register by contacting Sandy Erickson at 701-328-9718.  Space is limited! 

Food Entrepreneur Basic Training Boot Camp Brochure

You are invited to attend “Economic Recovery: What North Dakotans Need to Know” on Friday, September 25 in Bismarck at the State Capitol Building in the Brynhild Haugland Room from 9:30 - 2:00 central time.  You will learn:

1. How to apply for ND’s new Childcare grant and loan programs

2. How individuals/organizations can access Economic Stimulus money.

If you are interested, Horizons will cover the cost of registration and travel for up to 2 vehicles per town. Learn more and register at www.TrainingND.com For additional information pleae call: 701-223-0707.