Author Archives: The Bush Prof

Secrets to success #2: Add all kinds of value

Successful rural economic ventures…tend to do something more than just move their product a bit further down the chain. Rather, they generate value in a way that makes their product or service special, so that it can’t be easily duplicated somewhere else.

Secrets to success #1: Embed sustainability

Daily, those who work in rural industries must grapple with practical questions of how to embed sustainability into their livelihoods and landscapes…. Successful rural regions are those that take these on-the-ground insights at the “eco-interface” and transform them into new sustainability-focused products, processes and initiatives.

Secrets to success, from problems to solutions

While rural regions are all different, they also share some common characteristics. Naming these up, noticing the patterns, can help us to understand the dynamics of rural economies.

Rural economies – Secrets to success

Economies in rural regions are a bit like muddy hill slopes – there is a precariousness to them, a constant threat of losing your footing. And in rural regions, the tumbles seem to come with discouraging regularity. The market falls – or the rain doesn’t. The processor closes its doors, or a key local employerContinue reading “Rural economies – Secrets to success”