THE RURBAN FRINGE

Cooperatives a Rising Trend

Becky McCray over at Small Biz Survival drafted a recent post about using cooperatives as an alternative business model.  Once thought to be strictly the domain of agricultural producers, the cooperative model is enjoying a slow revival, with 2012 already declared the International Year of Cooperatives by the United Nations.  Basically, cooperatives are owned and operated by a group [...]

Saying No Isn’t Nonsense

Much of the conventional wisdom about how to succeed at community-building seems to center around saying yes.  You’ll hear that you’re supposed to market your cause constantly in as many different ways as possible, network with everyone you find, and engage as many people as possible in order to spread your message.  The assumption is [...]

Growing Food Helps Connect Urban and Rural Neighbours

In the Toronto Star, Jesse McLean shares how small, niche farm operations are doing just that.
Today, people … are trying to reconnect urbanites to the farm, and in doing so, re-establish the farmer as a neighbour – one not defined by proximity, but by a common, more intimate connection – food. 
Click here to read the [...]

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