by pcantrell | Oct 28, 2020 | Entrepreneurs, Home Page Featured Post 2, News
The U.S. Small Business Administration has awarded one of 30 national microenterprise assistance grants to West Central Missouri Community Action Agency. The one-year, $98,000 award will support West Central’s work with affiliate community development corporation New...
by pcantrell | Sep 16, 2020 | Rural Development, Success Stories, Tourism
There is power in making your place, your hometown, a wonderful place to live. This may be obvious, but quality of life is often an afterthought in the economic development work of growing jobs and businesses. That’s why the new Hometown Revival podcast focuses...
by pcantrell | Aug 24, 2020 | Employment, Families, Home Page Featured Post 1, News, Rural Living
CAUTION: This article starts with a platitude, and then it hits you with reality. You’ll be glad you read it, because you will find a way to make a difference. Platitude (cliché truism): If you give someone a fish, you will feed them for the day. If you teach someone...
by pcantrell | Jun 30, 2020 | Entrepreneurs, Farm to Fork, Home Page Featured Post 3, News, Success Stories
Raydonna Biles makes lunch for her son every day. It keeps them both healthy. “I cook better for him than I would for myself alone. … Last time I went to the doctor, the doctor said, ‘Keep doing what you’re doing.’ My blood sugar was down. I’d lost weight.” Good...
by pcantrell | Jun 25, 2020 | News, Rural Living, Success Stories, Transportation
Dawn Ashurst can relate to many of the people she meets as part of her job managing transportation services for West-Central Independent Living Solutions. WILS serves individuals with disabilities in Benton, Henry, Pettis, Saline, Johnson, and Lafayette counties. So...
by pcantrell | Jun 23, 2020 | Entrepreneurs, News
The global pandemic of 2020 has made starting and building a small business in west central Missouri even more difficult. Now a regional effort to develop micro loan financing for rural entrepreneurs is gaining the steam it needs to help local businesses get going and...
by pcantrell | Apr 29, 2020 | Entrepreneurs, Events, Farm to Fork, Home Page Featured Post 3, News, Workshops
A perfect storm of food needs during the Covid-19 Crisis presents west central Missouri with an unprecedented opportunity to strengthen local people and places with farm fresh foods. The free webinar Feed Communities Local Food Now is designed to help west central...
by pcantrell | Apr 16, 2020 | Entrepreneurs, Events, Farm to Fork, Workshops
Local food farmer Katie Nixon is thankful, during this Covid-19 market upheaval, that she and her husband had put time into setting up an online ordering system. It has become critical for marketing the organic fruit, vegetables, and bedding plants they produce at...
by dpark | Mar 12, 2020 | Marketing, News, Tourism
For the outstanding high school or college student with an interest in journalism, marketing, and/or communications. Serve on a select regional team to promote west central Missouri communities. The summer 2020 opportunity is part of the regional Making Rural Visible...
by pcantrell | Mar 11, 2020 | News
Growing rural jobs and building community health is the purpose of the West Central Missouri Food Value Chain Project. Partner organizations are now working to fill three positions on this regional team. A food value chain is a coordinated network of people,...
