Rural Development Finance

Off to South Carolina. I am heading to Myrtle Beach, SC, this afternoon to participate in a forum on rural development finance sponsored by the National Rural Economic Development Association (NREDA). NREDA primary goal is to encourage more rural electric cooperatives to use loan funds (their own, mainly) to support business development and growth. I am eager to learn more from rural experts such as Ray Moncrief of Kentucky Highlands, Scott Martin of the Northland Institute, and Steve Mercil of RAIN(R) Source Capital. Linda Salmonson of the REED Fund associated with the East River Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. in South Dakota organized the event and was kind enough to invite me.

We are renewing our focus on rural development finance thanks to the support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, a leading national source of support for rural community development.