Volume 3, Issue 4 ISU Extension Community and Economic Development. New Visioning Process Designed to Generate Broader Community Input

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1 Volume 3, Issue 4 Winter Community Matters 1 Community Matters a Quarterly Publication for Iowa Leaders from Extension Community and Economic Development New Visioning Process Designed to Generate Broader Community Input By Sandra Oberbroeckling Program Coordinator Iowa, will collaborate during the visioning process. Thirteen communities have been selected to participate in the 2010 Iowa s Living Roadways Community Visioning Program. This award winning program integrates technical landscape planning and design techniques with sustainable community action to assist community leaders and volunteers in making sound and meaningful decisions about the local landscape. On Saturday, January 30, representatives from seven of these communities gathered at Iowa State University in Ames for a day long workshop to kick off the 2010 program. Steering committee members Carson from the communities of Carson, Hudson, Knoxville, Rockford, Rolfe, Story City and Walford attended the workshop, along with Iowa State University project staff and Trees Forever field coordinators. The 2010 visioning communities are Carson, Clarksville, Estherville, Gunder and St. Olaf, Hudson, Independence, Knoxville, Rockford, Rolfe, Story City, Walford and West Liberty. The communities of Gunder and St. Olaf, which are both located on the River Bluffs Scenic Byway in northeast 2010 Visioning Communities Estherville The workshop is part of a structural change to the visioning process designed to enhance the experience of the community steering committee members by giving them more of a leadership role, and to get the broader community more involved in the process. We want to give the steering committees an opportunity to work together and gain insight into shared community issues, said Julia Badenhope, ISU associate professor of landscape architecture and director of the visioning program. In addition, the workshop presented a setting in which committee members and program staff were able to have dynamic conversations about some of the opportunities for community enhancement. The six communities not represented by steering committee members at the Top: Workshop participants look at implemented visioning projects during a break. (Photo by Roger Hunt.) Bottom: Knoxville committee members do a special places mapping exercise. Rockford Rolfe Gunder St. Olaf Clarksville Independence Hudson Story City Walford West Liberty Knoxville workshop will follow the traditional visioning process consisting of a series of 10 committee meetings. At the conclusion of the 2010 program, ISU and Trees Forever program staff will evaluate and compare the results in these communities to those in the communities following the new process. continued on page 8 In This Issue Page 3 ISU Extension brings leadership academy to public works employees Page 5 Extension study shows that amenity and tourism investments pay off Page 6 Extension sociologists promote diversity in teaching, research and outreach Page 7 Iowans benefit from partnership between ISSB and ISU Extension Page 11 Extension wants you to experience the planning BLUZ

2 2 Community Matters From the Director E c o n o m i c D e v e l o p m e n t : I t ' s M o r e t h a n J o b s Dear Friends: Maybe I m getting old, but I confess there are few meetings I come away from anymore where I can say it was uplifting. However, without mentioning names, I had the good fortune of visiting with an alumnus of Iowa State University who had spent a better part of his life creating jobs and bettering his local community. It s not my intent to highlight or embarrass someone, so allow me to keep the names of the individuals involved a mystery. A nonagenarian, this person has lived a wonderful blend of not only investing in his businesses but in his community as well. To put his education into context, one of his instructors at Iowa State University was John Vincent Atanasoff, the inventor of the first digital electronic computer. How often can you brush with history during the course of a conversation? I confess, this did leave me in awe. This ISU graduate has contributed to the creation hundreds if not thousands of jobs for Iowans, but he with his wife have also invested extensively in such areas as recreation, the arts and history to the benefit of all. You may ask, Well that s nice, Tim, but what does this have to do with me and my reality today? Allow me to make two points from what I learned the other day. First, this couple graduated from Iowa State University during the Great Depression. These were far worse times for Iowa than our current recession. Not only did this couple persevere, but created a life for themselves and others in Iowa. Combining product development and innovation with obvious business skills, hard times were overcome. Their story reminded me that yes, times are tough, but businesses and communities can find opportunities to sustain themselves and grow. Secondly, this couple has given back to their community. They understand the significance of enhancing local quality of life as part of a broader community development strategy. Whether it s the arts, recreation, or enhancing community appearance, it s all about creating and sustaining places where people want to work and live. Their energy and focus has gone beyond business to address the needs of the community in which they have prospered. As you read this edition of ISU Extension s Community Matters, I think you will agree that much of what we do is centered upon assisting Iowans to create and sustain better places to work and live. Our work is not easy, nor is the work easy for the communities we serve, but it is essential. And our jobs do have their moments how often do you get to meet an alumnus whose ISU instructor invented the computer? Timothy O. Borich Director, Iowa State University Extension Community and Economic Development Contact Information Iowa State University Extension Community and Economic Development 2711 South Loop Drive, Building 4, Suite 4900 Ames, IA Fax To download additional copies of this newsletter in PDF file format, go to: vol3issue4.pdf To change your mailing information, contact Cindy Stuve at cstuve@iastate.edu. Editorial Board: J. Gordon Arbuckle Jr., Tim Borich, Abbie Gaffey, Karen Lathrop and Sandra Oberbroeckling Community Matters is published quarterly for Iowa State University Extension Community and Economic Development staff and their clients. Comments, questions, and suggestions regarding the content of this newsletter should be directed to: Sandra Oberbroeckling, editor 2711 South Loop Drive, Building 4, Suite 4900 Ames, IA Fax soberbr@iastate.edu... and justice for all The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326 W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC or call Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Jack M. Payne, director, Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa.

3 Community Matters 3 ISU Extension Brings Leadership Academy to Public Works Employees By Wiletta(Willy) Klein ISU Extension Communications Specialist Bret Hodne, superintendent of Public Works for the City of West Des Moines, worked his way up to a management position. Like many public works employees he was skilled and successful in his beginning position, but had very little management experience when he was promoted to an administrative one. I was broken in hard and fast, with my feet held to the fire, said Hodne. Unfortunately, that happens all too often. When employees are good at what they do, they get tossed into a manager position because they are good with very little managerial training. Hodne, as a board member of the Iowa Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), is helping change that scenario through the launch of the online Iowa Public Employees Leadership Academy. The academy is a training program for Iowa s public agencies, developed to assist those aspiring to become leaders within their professions. It is being developed by LTAP, a program at the ISU Institute for Transportation Center, in partnership with ISU Extension and in collaboration with Iowa s city and county government representatives. By Abbie Gaffey, Community Development Program Specialist Updated housing profile information for every Iowa county has been posted to the Iowa State University Regional Economics and Community Analysis Program (RECAP) Web site. The information will help local leaders, planners, real estate developers and grant writers locate information on housing supply and demand. Housing supply information includes the current existing stock of housing units, the growth rate for housing in each county, valuation of the housing permits that have been issued, condition of the existing housing stock and vacancy data. Housing demand information includes population, housing composition data, Building an educational academy may be unprecedented for Iowa LTAP, but the organization routinely helps Iowa s public works and county employees improve their knowledge and skills. LTAP s partnership with ISU Extension Continuing Education and Professional Development (CEPD) makes it possible to create a series of courses very specific to public works employees, and to remove obstacles that keep them from trainings the expenses of time off work, travel and overnight stays. The Extension online delivery of educational opportunities makes it possible for public employees to get training as they have an interest or need, said Hodne. Learners will be able to identify with course content, because each one is taught by people who have on the job knowledge and daily experience with public works issues. The Iowa Public Employees Leadership Academy has launched five courses, with another six courses in development and scheduled to be available later in One of the courses now available online, Supervisory Techniques and Skills, was previously offered as a face to face training, titled Successful Management. school enrollment, per capita and household income, rental and owner occupied housing characteristics, and housing cost information. The information is presented in a series of tables, graphs and charts. Counties can see how their local situations compare to statewide averages. The reports also describe the sources of data and point out significant trends. All of the materials are free to users and may be used for local planning and developing projects. ISU Extension Economist Meghan O Brien compiled the data and put it into a format that is accessible and useful for a variety of purposes. This will give counties a baseline to start with. There is a large amount of data available about housing and multiple Supervisory Techniques and Skills has five lessons created by CEPD from the Successful Management curriculum. Learners should allow approximately six hours for the course; they have 90 days from the day they enroll to complete the course. The cost of the course is $75. The partnership between LTAP and Extension is an example of how CEPD can help Iowa State units provide educational opportunities to a greater audience, said Eddie Loo, CEPD director. While these courses are created for public works employees, they are open to anyone with access to a computer and an interest in the topics. Other Iowa Public Employees Leadership Academy courses currently available are Team Development, Leadership Skills, Fundamentals of Government, and Resource Management Skills. Most of the courses have four to six lessons the government course has ten that are led by an Iowa practitioner. Each course uses real life examples, including federal, state and county applications of the material. All courses are $75 and must be completed within 90 days of enrollment. More information about the individual courses and registration are available at iastate.edu/index.php?option=com_ipela. County-level Housing Profiles New Feature of RECAP Site ways of aggregating and representing that information, O Brien said. If needed, I can break this data down into smaller units, like a specific city, or expand it out for maybe a region of counties. O Brien said communities interested in finding a certain kind of housing data or having a report to meet a specific need can contact her and she will produce a tailored report. There is a modest fee for more tailored data. The county level housing profiles are available on the RECAP Web site at: housing/. O Brien can be reached at or by at mcobrien@ iastate.edu.

4 4 Community Matters The 2010 Census: High Financial Stakes for the State of Iowa By Liesl Eathington Extension Economist Beginning in March of this year, every U.S. household will receive a questionnaire from the U.S. Census Bureau. Most Iowans will dutifully complete and return their 10 question form, unmindful of the high political and financial stakes of their participation in the 2010 Census. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press suggests that a third or more of the population lacks even basic knowledge about the decennial census. In light of those findings, here are some key census facts. The Constitution of the United States requires a count of the entire U.S. population every 10 years. Our founders established the census primarily as a means to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. States use decennial census results for their own re districting efforts. The federal government allocates more than $400 billion in funding to states By Liesl Eathington Extension Economist Seasoned census data users will notice a change with the 2010 Census: the demise of the long form questionnaire and data. The long form, part of every census since 1960, gathered detailed income, family, housing and other characteristics from a sampled subset of households. Through the years, long form data have been invaluable to grant-writers, planners, social and political science researchers, and others. Still, problems with the long form contributed to the Census Bureau s decision to re engineer its decennial census approach. For the 2010 Census, all U.S. households will receive the same short, 10 question form. The Census Bureau has replaced its decennial long form survey with the new American Community Survey (ACS). This continuous, rolling survey should provide using formulas that rely on census data. Full participation in the census is required by law. Key Changes to the 2010 Census Iowa currently POTTAWATTAMIE CASS holds five seats in the U.S. House of MILLS MONTGOMERY ADAMS Representatives, but FREMONT PAGE TAYLOR it is among several states projected to lose a seat after the 2010 Census. This won t be the first time. From a high of 11 seats preceding the 1930 Census, Iowa s delegation size has declined gradually as the state s population growth lagged behind the rest of the nation. Iowa s most recent loss occurred after the 1990 Census. As congressional seats are shuffled every ten years, there is always controversy about how they are apportioned. For 2010, the most contentious issues involve counting fresher data throughout the decade, addressing a frequent complaint from decennial data users. Analysts and data users in large communities have already dipped their toes into the new pool of ACS data. Communities under 20,000 in population are still waiting for their first ACS numbers, which should be available some time during this calendar year. Adapting to the ACS framework may require some adjustments by data users. The ACS estimates will not be directly comparable to previous decennial census data, and the inclusion of confidence intervals will require more judgment in the use and reporting of values. ISU Extension Community and Economic Development, through its affiliation with the State Data Center of Iowa, will provide ongoing assistance to data users with questions about the ACS. LYON SIOUX PLYMOUTH WOODBURY MONONA HARRISON OSCEOLA O'BRIEN CHEROKEE IDA CRAWFORD SHELBY IOWA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS Effective Beginning with the Elections in 2002 for the 108th U.S. Congress DICKINSON CLAY BUENA VISTA SAC 5 CARROLL EMMET AUDUBON PALO ALTO POCAHONTAS CALHOUN GREENE GUTHRIE ADAIR KOSSUTH WEBSTER UNION RINGGOLD County HUMBOLDT BOONE DALLAS MADISON WINNEBAGO HANCOCK WRIGHT HAMILTON CLARKE 4 DECATUR POLK STORY WARREN WORTH CERRO GORDO FRANKLIN HARDIN LUCAS WAYNE FLOYD BUTLER MARSHALL JASPER MARION MITCHELL GRUNDY MONROE APPANOOSE TAMA CHICKASAW BREMER POWESHIEK 3 MAHASKA HOWARD BLACK HAWK WAPELLO DAVIS BENTON KEOKUK WINNESHIEK FAYETTE BUCHANAN JEFFERSON VAN BUREN WASHINGTON ALLAMAKEE CLAYTON DELAWARE DES MOINES DUBUQUE CLINTON unauthorized immigrants and proposed methods to avoid undercounting minority groups. Although Iowa s immigrant and minority populations are small compared to many states, Iowa has a stake in how these issues are resolved in 2010 and beyond. Exclusion or undercounting of any population group can leave a state both underrepresented and underfunded. An analysis by the Brookings Institution showed that $3.73 billion of the federal funding that came into Iowa in the 2008 fiscal year was based, in whole or in part, on census related data. Outreach efforts will be key to successful execution of the 2010 Census in Iowa. The Pew Center survey suggests that people are more likely to participate in the census if they are aware of its importance, and that awareness is generally lower among young people and some minority groups. Language barriers and the recent economic crisis, which has displaced many households from their homes, may also impede participation in the 2010 Census. Even with full participation, conducting a complete count of the U.S. population is a monumental task. The Census Bureau claims that the decennial census represents the nation s largest non military mobilization. To learn more about the 2010 Census and how you can help Iowa s census outreach efforts in your community, visit the RECAP site at or the State Data Center of Iowa at www. iowadatacenter.org. IOWA Prepared by the Iowa Legislative Service Bureau LINN JOHNSON 2 HENRY LEE 1 LOUISA JONES CEDAR MUSCATINE Iowa Congressional Districts as determined after the 2000 Census. JACKSON SCOTT

5 Community Matters 5 Research Spotlight Extension Study Shows that Amenity and Tourism Investments Pay Off By Sandra Oberbroeckling Program Coordinator In today s lackluster economy, Iowa communities need to consider all their options for economic development. For some communities, that means looking at the economic value of their natural resources and amenities. That s exactly what the Coon Rapids Whiterock Conservancy (CR WRC) Great Place committee has done. In 2005, Coon Rapids and the Whiterock Conservancy land trust earned the designation as one of Iowa s Great Places, and the CR WRC Great Place committee began fund raising to implement several community amenity and tourism projects. The funding sources range from personal donations to local, state and federal grants. Some of the grant programs require award recipients to conduct an economic analysis of the impact of both completed and projected projects. To conduct the impact analysis of its projects, the CR WRC Great Place committee turned to Dan Otto, Iowa State University Extension economist and professor of economics, for help. At the time, Otto was working on an assessment of the economic value of Iowa s natural resources for the Iowa General Assembly s Sustainable Funding for Natural Resources Study Committee. (See related article in Community Matters, vol. 2, issue 2, p. 4.) Using data from previous studies and input outcome modeling, Otto was able to generate a report showing the estimated primary and secondary economic impacts of already realized or potential major infrastructure investments in community improvements and tourism-related facilities for the Coon Rapids White Rock area. In the report, these estimates are separated into short term and projected economic effects. The short term economic impact of the CR WRC Great Places projects is a one-time stimulus of $5.8 million to the local economy while projects are under construction. For the Coon Rapids Whiterock Conservancy area, those projects include a community center, RV park, city trail, streetscaping, signage and other amenities. When the secondary effects created by employees spending their earnings and the purchase of supplies locally are calculated, the total impact of construction is $8.4 million in spending, $2.66 million in personal income and 85 jobs. Otto also estimated the economic effects created by residents and visitors using outdoor recreation amenities. Since the recreational facilities in Coon Rapids and Whiterock Conservancy are not fully developed, he projected the annual number of visitors and spending in the area using other sources of data. 1 Based on this information, Otto found that the projected direct and indirect economic impacts of investments made by the CR WRC Great Place committee are estimated at $5.2 million in sales, $1 million in income and 61 jobs. The completion of a trail link between Coon Rapids and the town of Herndon would result in additional $1 million in sales, $200,000 in income and 12 jobs. In short, these investments add economic vitality to the community and the region. Dan was really helpful because we needed to estimate the economic impact of projects and that s hard to do because it s contingent on how many visitors we attract, said Rachel Garst, chair of the CR WRC Great Place committee and executive director of Creating Great Places. Garst added that the committee was able to use the projections in the report to urge 1 Azevedo, Christopher D., Kevin J. Egan, Joseph A. Herriges and Catherine L. Kling. August 27, The Iowa Lakes Valuation Project: Summary and Findings from Year One. Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Department of Economics, Iowa State University, Ames IA. environment/items/iowalakesreport.pdf Otto, Daniel, Dan Monchuk, Kanlaya Jintanakul and Catherine L. Kling. December The Economic Value of Iowa s Natural Resources. ECON Staff Report, Iowa State University, Ames, IA. sustainablefunding/files/econ_study.pdf Resource map of Audubon, Carroll, Greene and Guthrie Counties, Iowa. the Guthrie County Supervisors to move ahead with construction of the bike trail between Herndon and Coon Rapids. The actual effect of these investments depends heavily on marketing and creating events to draw visitors. Therefore, Garst hopes that the CR WRC Great Place committee will have the opportunity to consult with Otto again, this time on how to move forward with marketing. Otto is interested in pursuing this type of analysis for other communities, and has presented his work for Coon Rapids to Guthrie County. The Story County Conservation Board has also expressed an interest in looking at the economic impacts of development of the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail. Communities interested in obtaining an estimate of the expected economic impacts of investing in local and regional resources can do so through ISU Extension for a modest fee. More information about this service is available from the Program Builder Web site at programbuilder/, under the Economic Development menu.

6 6 Community Matters Extension Sociologists Promote Diversity in Teaching, Research and Outreach By J. Gordon Arbuckle, Jr. Assistant Professor of Sociology Throughout their careers, promoting diversity has been a personal and professional mission for Iowa State University sociologists Cornelia ( Neal ) and Jan Flora. This year, the ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has recognized their accomplishments with the Faculty Award for Diversity Enhancement. To those who know the Floras, the recognition is no surprise: diversity has always been a central pillar of this husband and wife team s holistic approach to teaching, research and extension. The award honors outstanding performance in enhancing diversity in departmental, college and university programs at Iowa State University, including teaching, research and outreach. The efforts recognized by the award can be related to race, gender, ethnicity, religion or nationality. The Floras challenge students to think more critically about facets of inequality, such as ethnicity and gender. They have recruited graduate students from across the globe, guided their academic careers while at ISU, and served as mentors as the students return to their home countries to address issues of social inclusion there. One of their former students now the coordinator of a regional research and development program said, With their help and coaching, I understood the relevance of addressing diversity issues in our efforts to reach truly sustainable rural development. Such sentiments are common among the many international and minority graduate students whom the Floras have mentored. ISU Sociology Professor Jan Flora and local farmers meet at the Marshalltown Community College farm. Involving students in research projects is a central part of the Floras strategy for helping them understand and embrace diversity. As Iowa has become more diverse, it is increasingly urgent to understand ways that new arrivals and established populations can find common ground. Aided by the students whom they train, Neal and Jan have worked with groups in communities across Iowa, including Marshalltown, Denison and Postville, helping them to conduct research that informs the design of projects that lead to stronger, more inclusive communities. The Floras have also worked on recovering traditional farming practices and foodways among the Hopi. This project began with a participatory action research workshop that Neal and an ISU graduate student conducted in Arizona. At the workshop, tribal members learned research, presentation and organizational skills. They are now putting those skills into action as the program has become a successful participatory research project. Matt Livingston, associate agent with Arizona Cooperative Extension, said, Neal assisted the Hopi people through mentoring that was invaluable to both me and several Hopi community members. She showed a clear understanding of the respect required of outsiders in doing this type of work in a culture that is not her own. The work that was accomplished concerning Hopi traditional food is having a positive impact right now and will into the future as the Hopi community deals with issues of health, nutrition and the preservation of cultural knowledge. The Floras help communities view diversity as an asset by integrating their teaching and research activities with their outreach and extension efforts. Recently, they designed and conducted a series of workshops to help communities engage Latinos in local food systems and other community development efforts. These activities have reached agency and extension personnel and community members from towns across Iowa. Hopi tribal members attend a workshop to learn research, presentation and organizational skills. At the workshops, extension professionals, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) personnel, non governmental organization (NGO) staff and community leaders from across Iowa attended training seminars on topics such as Latino business networks; land, credit, and entrepreneurial farm development; training of new Latino farmers; and creation of new local markets. Linda Barnes, coordinator of the Entrepreneurial and Diversified Agriculture program at Marshalltown Community College, has worked extensively with Jan and his graduate students. We work to [increase the number of] farmers practicing sustainable agriculture in central Iowa, she said. The community in which we work has a relatively large immigrant population. Although I set out to increase the number of sustainable and diversified farmers in the area, Jan and his students did the real ground work of forging relationships with the immigrant community. It was through their efforts, not mine, that we now have immigrant farmers practicing agriculture on the college farm. Equally important is the trust that's been established and real friendships have formed. Entrepreneurship among new Iowans is an area where the Floras have focused a great deal of attention. A recently awarded USDA grant will fund an initiative to support entrepreneurship among Iowa s Latino population through workshops and materials focused on business development. Himar Hernández, ISU Extension community development specialist, will contribute his expertise on Latino business development. continued on page 7

7 Community Matters 7 Iowans Benefit from Partnership between ISSB and ISU Extension By Jan Knock Communities throughout the state and the banks that serve them are feeling the effects of the 2009 restructuring of Iowa State University Extension. Because of severe cuts in state funding, Extension services in Iowa will not be the same in the future. However, with all change comes opportunity. Iowa State Savings Bank (ISSB) has been exploring new ways to work with Extension to ensure that communities ISSB serves will continue to be enriched, educated and challenged through ISU s outreach efforts. Himar Hernández, ISU Extension Community and Economic Development specialist, is doing outreach work with the Hispanic community in Lenox, Iowa, through a partnership between ISSB and ISU Extension. Hernández is facilitating a series of educational videos that teach life skills to Spanish speaking Iowans at the request of the Lenox Hispanic Outreach Coalition, a group of community leaders representing the Hispanic community and local organizations. The series, titled Éxito en el Norte (Success in the North), is available through ISU Extension and features 10 DVDs on topics such as education, health care and financial management. The coalition includes Taylor County Extension Service, St. Patrick s Catholic Church, Southwestern Community Diversity, continued from page 6 The Floras are committed to helping people to view diversity cultural or otherwise as an asset to build upon, and their efforts have been critical to ISU Extension s emergence as a leader in diversity enhancement activities across Iowa. The Floras point out that collaboration both with one another and with various partners has been the key to the success of their work. As Jan explained, Our work cannot be separated from the accomplishments of those with whom we have collaborated over the years, whether they be fellow researchers and extension professionals, NGO change agents, Latino and Hopi farmers and entrepreneurs, or present and former graduate students here and abroad. Karl Knock, the executive vice president at Iowa State Savings Bank, lends his financial expertise to Éxito en el Norte participants. College, the United States Department of Agriculture, the City of Lenox, the Taylor County Sheriff s Office, the Lenox School District and ISSB, among others. As members of the Lenox Hispanic Outreach Coalition, ISSB staff have seen firsthand how effectively ISU field specialists provide technical assistance. ISSB bankers Jan Knock, Karl Knock, Beverly Kinker and Deb Miller assisted in presenting the financial session, which featured information on opening a bank account, the importance of credit, home buying, debt management and other money management topics that are key to being successful in the United States. Hernandez served as interpreter between the largely Spanish speaking audience and the ISSB bankers. The bank is a natural partner for a coalition working to improve the local health and welfare, said Karl Knock, ISSB executive vice president and chair. We have an interest in the long range economic success of individuals and businesses in Lenox. In addition to working with ISU Extension to provide financial management information to Lenox s adult Hispanic community, in fall 2009 ISSB opened Tiger Paws Bank, an educational bank in the school program, in the Lenox elementary building. Directed by Kinker, ISSB customer service representative and Lenox school board member, the bank offers students an opportunity for hands on learning about the value of saving, while introducing them to financial management vocabulary such as interest, deposit and withdrawal. Parental materials for Tiger Paws Bank is available in both English and Spanish, to effectively engage parents who are English language learners (ELL). In another effort to build bridges and fuel local economic development, ISSB recently established a two year, full tuition scholarship to Southwestern Community College (SWCC) for a Lenox student from an ELL family. The first student recipient, identified by SWCC s adult education ELL teacher in Lenox, is now in her second semester at SWCC and plans to enter the nursing program. Iowa bankers are intimately aware that science and research based outreach services are a vital force in Iowa s landscape. As Iowans struggle to redefine and fund ISU Extension services during a difficult economic situation, Iowa banks can help by identifying needs and bringing Extension community development resources to their communities. The interaction of the ISSB bankers with Éxito en el Norte participants in Lenox is featured in a recent video on Hernández s Lenox project. The video, produced by Jed Findlay, ISU Extension communication specialist, is available for viewing and download at edu/2009/11/16/new-iowans. More information about Exito en el Norte is available at Himar Hernández, ISU Extension community development specialist, facilitates the Éxito en el Norte workshop on finance in Lenox. Jan Knock is the vice president for marketing and director of Iowa State Savings Bank, a locally owned and managed community bank with offices in Creston, Lenox and Corning. She completed a three year term on the ISU Extension Citizens Advisory Council in January A version of this article will appear in the Iowa Bankers Association Exchange, an in house publication of the IBA.

8 8 Community Matters Did You Know? Des Moines, ISU Extension Host National Urban Extension Conference By Abbie Gaffey, Community Development Program Specialist Time for a word association test: Dog cat. Winter snow. Extension urban? While it isn t the first association that usually comes to mind, Extension services throughout the country are offering a wide range of innovative programming in urban settings. In 2011, Extension employees from around the nation will gather in Des Moines to learn, observe and share these ideas. Iowa State University Extension will host the biennial National Urban Extension Conference in Des Moines May 2 5, ISU Extension employees representing all divisions of Extension are joining with committee members from several other states Extension services to plan the conference. The conference includes keynote addresses by speakers of national significance, several days of educational workshops and breakout sessions, mobile workshops in the community, and events designed to showcase the work of Extension in the host community. The 2009 conference was held in Milwaukee and local officials highlighted the city s growing local foods movement with tours of Will Allen s Growing Power, an entirely functional urban farm, which provides job training to youth throughout the city while growing produce that is served in the city s white tablecloth restaurants. The 2007 conference was hosted in Kansas City and highlighted the citywide network of urban gardens and green spaces. Extension services throughout the country may be well known for their pioneering work in agriculture and 4 H, but even these programs are offered in urban areas and tailored to the needs of metropolitan residents. Urban agriculture includes everything from vegetable production to school food programs, and 4-H/ Youth offers programs that help students prepare for college and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); youth leadership academies; community service projects and educational enhancement programs. Extension to families works extensively in urban areas, teaching parenting classes, family budgeting, and diet and nutrition. Extension community and economic development includes community planning processes, neighborhood revitalization projects, sustainability initiatives and assistance to nonprofit agencies serving urban populations. There is tremendous diversity in Extension programming, and increasingly this programming is being offered to tremendously diverse audiences, said Don Broshar, youth and community development program specialist and co-chair of the conference. I d say that Extension has changed, but it hasn t. This is what we ve always done. The needs in rural and urban areas are the same, but our program delivery methods are different, the scale of the work changes, and our capacity for innovation increases. This conference will be about sharing the common themes in Extension work, whether that is in a rural or urban setting, Broshar said. More word association: Water wet. Grass.green. Des Moines global? Surely, no state can claim greater rural iconic status than Iowa Grant Wood s American Gothic is certainly ingrained in the national collective conscious. But Iowa and Des Moines also have national significance, and a worldwide presence, too. By the time our conference starts, the World Food Prize Headquarters will be in Des Moines and the city will continue to host the World Pork Expo, said Frank Owens, community development program specialist and conference co chair. We feed the world. We also are leading the way in biofuels and wind energy, and that has global implications for the future. What we do at Iowa State University and Iowa State University Extension is a model for other Extension services throughout our country and the world. What we have here is really the heart of it all. community visioning continued from page 1 Changes to the process for all the communities include introducing them to the concept of volunteer geographic information (VGI), a term that refers to geographic and geo referenced information produced on the Web by ordinary citizens. Using this approach will allow steering committee members to play a bigger role in the assessment process, Badenhope said. The traditional assessment process will be replaced with a special places mapping workshop that involves the entire community rather than just the steering committee. Residents will be invited to share their stories and ideas about their community, and their input will be recorded directly on an aerial map. In addition to the mapping workshop, all communities will take part in focus group exercises, and communities with populations of 1,500 or more will also take an online survey. The community assessment culminates with a two day design workshop, during which community members will analyze aesthetic qualities, define project areas and produce preliminary ideas for enhancements in their community. At the conclusion of the Community Visioning Program, drawings and photographs describing the concept designs, along with an action plan, prepare the community to build on the visioning process, step by step, as resources become available. Since 1996, 159 Iowa communities have benefited from the Visioning Program. Additional information about the program is available at www. communityvisioning.org.

9 Community Matters 9 Una Ayuda, No Un Regalo: A Hand Up, Not a Handout Roundtable Looks at Impacts of Latino Entrepreneurship in Small-town Iowa By Madison DeShay Town/Craft Program Coordinator In the past few years, Perry, Iowa, like many small towns, has seen a cultural transformation in its Main Street district as the Latino population has increased dramatically. Each changing storefront has brought discussions about the future of Main Street and whether the cultural change will translate into an economic boom or a bust. Essentially, everyone wants to know what change will cost, monetarily and culturally. As the Town/Craft center has witnessed these changes from its location in Perry, it has worked to facilitate productive conversations. To recognize the efforts of Iowa s small town leaders to develop their cultural districts, and to help address the cultural gap, Town/Craft brought together experts from across Iowa and throughout the country for a roundtable discussion on the impact of Latino entrepreneurship. The Latino Business Development and Entrepreneurship in Iowa Roundtable took place at Town/Craft September Keynote speakers provided a variety of perspectives at the roundtable. Jorge Ernesto Espejel Montes, a consul of Mexico, spoke about immigration from Mexico to the United States. Norma Miess, a representative from the Main Street Center at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, spoke about the impact of multicultural presence in the United States with a focus on Hispanic growth. And Luis Rico Gutierrez, the dean of the Iowa State University College of Design, talked about connections between Iowa and Latino America. Moderated discussion is the core of the roundtable format. Participants were challenged to focus their conversation on the impact of the emergence of Latino owned businesses in small towns across Iowa. They were encouraged to share insights from their personal and professional experiences, which ranged in scope from the international to the local. Roundtable participants visit a local Latino business in Perry. At the end of the first day, participants toured Latino businesses on Perry s Main Street and talked with the owners about the benefits and challenges of entrepreneurship in Perry. One of the key points that emerged during discussions was the idea that Latino entrepreneurs are not looking for handouts; rather, they are looking for a hand up. Many Latino entrepreneurs want to maintain their cultural identities, whether through the design of their storefronts or the products and services they offer. However, these entrepreneurs are also becoming aware that they can benefit from operating within the norms of the communities they are in. This may mean decreasing signage in store windows, limiting advertisement to the inside of the business, or ensuring that customer service includes an English speaking employee. Much of the discussion focused on resources and assistance needed for Latino businesses to expand and increase their consumer bases, including attracting customers from the majority population. Some participants expressed a concern that Latino businesses have remained somewhat exclusive in appealing primarily to Latino consumers. More specifically, participants pointed out that Euro Americans will often patronize ethnic restaurants but not clothing or grocery stores. Thoughts on why this occurs included a lack of communication and trust, and the fact that many Latino owners do not advertise to outside groups. Advertisements tend to be in Spanish, and owners do not typically advertise in the mainstream local media. In general, most Latino businesses survive on the support of their communities Latino populations. Many of the participants agreed that the right mix of resources and assistance could lead to further development of Main Streets as cultural districts and destination places that could expand small town economies. The group decided to reconvene in early spring to further develop strategies for this to occur. In the interim, there will be follow up meetings in other Iowa small towns that have experienced a rapid growth in Latino entrepreneurs. Presentations from the roundtable are posted on the Town Craft Web site: Borich is NACDEP President-Elect By Sandra Oberbroeckling Program Coordinator Tim Borich, director of Iowa State University Extension Community and Economic Development and associate dean in the ISU College of Design, has been elected to the position of president of the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP). NACDEP was created to assist Extension professionals who deliver and do research on community development programs and has more than 400 members from universities nationwide. By sponsoring services such as conferences, training and job postings, NACDEP improves the visibility, coordination and the resource base of Extension community and economic development programs. As president elect, Borich will serve on the NACDEP executive committee, assist the current president until his term ends, and chair the 2011 conference planning. Borich and four other newly elected NACDEP officials will take office at the 2010 annual conference April in Bloomington, MN. Borich will serve as president of the organization in 2011, and past president in For more information about NACDEP, visit

10 10 Community Matters Newly Appointed ISU Extension Architect Mixes Teaching with Outreach By Heather Sauer, Communications Specialist, College of Design Iowa State University Extension Community and Economic Development has broadened its scope of service with the appointment of Nadia Anderson, assistant professor, as an ISU Extension architecture and community design specialist. Anderson has been a member of the architecture faculty at the College of Design since Although new to Extension, Anderson has been working in communities since 2006, when she received a three year, $30,000 Practice Academy grant from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to develop a pilot program to integrate architecture education and practice. The resulting Bridge Studio is an interdisciplinary, outreach-based elective studio class that has involved upper level undergraduate and graduate students in architecture, landscape architecture and interior design. Students work in collaborative teams with interns from local design firms to develop affordable housing projects for organizations and communities often not served by the design professions. opportunity will continue to be offered to students beyond the end of the AIA Practice Academy grant. As a direct result of her work with the Bridge Studio, Nadia was invited to participate on a state strategic planning committee focused on Iowa infrastructure, which has the potential to influence recommendations for state policy. My primary motivation is to bring design thinking to bear on issues of inequity manifested in the physical as well as social and economic environment, she said. One goal is to establish sustainable design, energy efficiency and green development as criteria used to determine how state funding is directed to projects. Anderson can be reached by phone at and e mail at nanderso@ iastate.edu. Cindy Kendall Joins ISU Extension and the Iowa League of Cities By Sandra Oberbroeckling Program Coordinator City clerks and finance officers in Iowa now have another person to turn to for education and technical assistance thanks to Iowa State University Extension Community and Economic Development and the Iowa League of Cities. Cindy Kendall began her duties as Extension program specialist for ISU and the League of Cities on February 1. Her position is jointly funded by the ISU Extension Office of State and Local Government Programs (OSLGP) and the League, and she will work both at OSLGP on the ISU campus and at the League of Cities office in Des Moines. The creation of this position is the culmination of the more than 30-year collaborative relationship between the Working with real communities helps students understand how to connect with people and talk about design issues in a way that makes sense and relates to what non designers value, Anderson said. It also exposes students to the complexity involved in putting a project together and engages them in the entire process. From an extension point of view, it s about public impact, she said. In terms of teaching, I m able to outline for students that the design of a house is part of the larger effort to integrate sustainable design into affordable housing; they understand that they re fitting into a larger systemic change. There s a direct connection between what they re doing and what I would consider broader research and outreach efforts. The Bridge Studio won the 2009 NCARB Grand Prize for Creative Integration of Practice and Education in the Academy from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and a 2009 Excellence in Green Building Education Award from the U.S. Green Building Council. The $25,000 NCARB Grand Prize has ensured that this significant outreach studio ISU Extension s OSLGP and the League of Cities. Since 1975, the OSLGP has held annual training for municipal professionals. The role of the Iowa League of Cities in this training has evolved from attending the courses to teaching some of the courses and in 2008 to managing participant registration. Kendall s background is tailor-made for her new position. Before joining ISU Extension and the League of Cities, Kendall worked for the city of Marshalltown, first as the staff accountant and computer administrator for the city of Marshalltown and then as finance director. Prior to that, she was city clerk in Strawberry Point and then Grundy Center. In addition Kendall is already quite familiar with the Municipal Professionals Institute; she went through the training in 1979, and for more than 20 years has helped teach courses, primarily in the area of finance. I was the city clerk in two other cities so I could identify with their many hats and all the responsibilities they have, said Kendall. I also mentored for the Iowa League of Cities and sat on a couple of state boards, which helped me fit into this type of position. Kendall s role is to coordinate training between the Municipal Professionals continued on page 11

11 PM 2093 December 2009 Community Matters 11 Extension Wants You to Experience the Planning BLUZ... By: Laura Lutz ISU Undergraduate Student but the BLUZ (pronounced "blues") they re referring to won t leave you sad. Instead, it will keep you better informed about laws and court cases that shape how communities plan for their futures. The Midwest Planning BLUZ: Iowa State University Extension s Blog on Land Use and Zoning is designed to keep readers updated on current topics in land use planning and zoning across the Midwest. It is also meant to be a forum for council members, board and commission members, and professional planners to discuss the land use issues they face in their own communities. Midwestern states have a lot in common when it comes to how land is used, attitudes about land use regulation, legislation that enables planning and zoning, and the ways that this legislation is interpreted by state courts, Taylor said. He hopes that the BLUZ will bring people together to share ideas about these topics. Readers can subscribe to the blog through Feedburner or with any RSS reader. All posts are archived and searchable by categories or tag clouds, which highlight key words and phrases. The list of categories and tags will continue to expand as new issues are addressed. New in Print from ISU Extension The Midwest Planning BLUZ can be accessed at: iastate.edu/planningbluz. Feedburner subscriptions are available at feedburner.com/midwestplanningbluz. For those who want some face time with their planning news, the BLUZ site also has information about the spring 2010 Introduction to Planning and Zoning workshops, including dates, times and locations. A registration form is available for download at the Design Extension Web site: planning-workshops.php. The BLUZ is maintained by Gary Taylor, assistant professor and Extension specialist in the ISU Department of Community and Regional Planning. Allison Arends, a pre law student in the Department of Political Science, is contributing to the blog during this academic year. Taylor said his original goal for the BLUZ was to inform planners, attorneys and local officials about planning related issues in a more timely manner than was possible through newsletters or the annual Introduction to Planning and Zoning workshops. Kendall, continued from page 10 Institute and the League of Cities. Part of this responsibility will involve expanding the Municipal Professionals Institute, particularly in the area of finance, to include medium sized and larger cities. Information about the Iowa Municipal Professionals Institute and Academy is available at the ISU Extension CED Program Builder Web site at www. extension.iastate.edu/programbuilder, or by contacting Kendall at or ckendall@iastate.edu. Introduction The Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll is an annual survey that collects and disseminates information on issues of importance to rural communities across Iowa and the Midwest. Conducted every year since its establishment in 1982, the Farm Poll is the longest-running survey of its kind in the nation. Iowa State University Extension, the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station, and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship are all partners in the Farm Poll effort. The information gathered through the Farm Poll is used to inform the development and improvement of research and extension programs and is used by local, state, and national leaders in their decision-making processes. We thank the many farmers who responded to this year s survey and appreciate their continued participation in the Farm Poll. Who Participates? The 2009 Farm Poll questionnaires were mailed in January and February to a statewide panel of 2,201 farm operators. Usable surveys were received from 1,268 farmers, resulting in a 2009 Summary Report 58 percent response rate. On average, Farm Poll participants were 64 years old, and had been farming for 39 years. Fifty percent of farmers reported that farm income made up more than half of their overall 2008 household income, and an additional 20 percent earned between 26 and 50 percent of their household income from farming. This report summarizes the results of the 2009 survey. Copies of this or any other year s reports are available from your local county Extension office, the Extension Distribution Center ( store), Extension Sociology ( edu/extension/farmpoll), or from the authors. Highlights from the 2009 Poll The Next Generation of Farmers The farm population is aging nationwide, and Iowa farmers are no exception. As more farmers approach or reach retirement age, questions about retirement and farm succession plans increase in importance. The 2008 Farm Poll found that 42 percent of farmers planned to retire in the next five years. Among those farmers who planned to retire, only 56 percent had identified a successor. The 2009 Farm Poll Table of Contents The Next Generation of Farmers... 1 Value-Added Agriculture Farm Policy and Commodity Production... 5 Targeted Conservation Mixed Livestock and Grain Farming... 7 Nutrient Removal Wetlands Farming and Food Systems in Rural Communities... 9 Personal and Financial Well-Being Iowa Farm and Rural Live Poll: 2009 Summary Report (ISU Extension Publication PM 2023, December 2009) The report presents the results of the 2009 installment of the annual survey. The 2009 Farm Poll covers diverse topics that are of interest to policy makers, extension professionals, and other stakeholders. The report contains information on farm children s career decisions, perceived impacts of farm policy and programs on farmers and rural communities, reasons for the decline in mixed livestock and grain farming, and the prospects of value added agriculture in Iowa. Other topics covered include perceptions of local food systems and attitudes toward targeted conservation and nutrient removal wetlands. This and all other Farm Poll publications dating back to 1982 are available for free download at the ISU Extension Sociology Farm Poll Web site: extension/farmpoll.html. State of Iowa Housing Data and Analysis (RECAP, November 2009) State of Iowa Housing Data and Analysis is a report funded in part by the Iowa Department of Economic Development and a key step toward drafting the State of Iowa Consolidated Plan on Housing and Community Development. The report, authored by Regional Economics and Community Analysis Program (RECAP) staff, presents data characterizing the current housing stock in Iowa in relation to housing needs, and includes housing market analysis, housing requirements of special needs populations, and assessments of contextual factors that affect housing needs such as population and employment trends. The report can be downloaded from the RECAP Web site at econ.iastate.edu/research/webpapers/ paper_13147.pdf.

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