In early August, Trempealeau County Community Development Educator, Melissa Kono, and Community Economic Development Specialist, Tessa Conroy, held a two-day workshop on Homegrown, a program focused on building and strengthening local entrepreneurial networks. The goal of the workshop was to help aid participants in creating a supportive network in Trempealeau County.
A dozen participants from large local manufacturers, regional economic development organizations, small business groups, county and local government, and local business owners joined the workshop to learn about the challenges of building and maintaining entrepreneurial networks in rural areas. During the workshop, participants explored how weak entrepreneurial networks are a challenge for much of rural America. This problem is especially acute in regions that have relied on business attraction and retention as a rural economic development strategy.
This two-day workshop is part of ongoing conversations among local leaders in Trempealeau County to explore ways to support, develop, and grow entrepreneurial activity in the region.
For more information on efforts in Trempealeau County or Homegrown, please contact Melissa Kono.
Homegrown: Entrepreneurship in Your Community
Homegrown is a joint effort between the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension, and the University of Missouri, Division of Extension. Funding for this effort is provided by the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development and USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture.
