Confined Feeding Operations (CFOs) offer an efficient system to feed and house animals through specialization, increased facility size and close confinement of animals. There are roughly 19,496 CFOs in the United States. Indiana has close to 2,000 CFOs that are regulated by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) at the state level. Although the …

The Community Development Achievement Award is presented to a Community Development Society (CDS) member in recognition of his or her outstanding contribution to community development.  The person may be recognized for teaching, research, practice, programming, administration or any combination of these roles. “My sincere thanks to Michael Wilcox and other colleagues who supported my nomination.  …

Nineteen middle managers and millennials from four community organizations, four city government agencies and three nonprofit agencies recently completed the inaugural Community Economics and Leadership Program (CELP). In addition to earning a Purdue University certificate, graduates received Congressional Recognition from the U.S. Representative for Indiana’s 7th congressional district André D. Carson.  CELP is a four-month …

This article was originally published in the Tribune-Star on June 23, 2018. Educate, validate, and elevate our employees so they can be the best version of themselves, help them in this regard to identify opportunities for mentoring in various platforms so they can grow. Soon there will be five generations embedded in our workforce. The generations include: • Veterans …

Family firms comprise 80-90% of all business enterprises and range from mom-and-pop stores to corporate giants. Family businesses are an important part of the U.S. economy too. In fact, 77% of new U.S. businesses started as family businesses. The majority of farm and agriculture businesses are family controlled, from Cargill to the smallest family farm. …

Purdue Extension’s Beginner’s Guide to Grant Writing was recently recognized as a national award winner by the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) at their 2018 Annual Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. The award, the national NACDEP Excellence in Teamwork Award, creates a platform for community development work to be showcased in a professional …

Former professor Dr. David Birch of MIT found that up to 80% of job growth in any community is generated by the businesses already located there and not by attraction efforts. Economic development in our local economies can seem like a mysterious science, filled with secret deliberations and a healthy dose of luck. Nothing gets …

This article was originally published in the Tribune-Star on June 2, 2018. How do communities change? The answer is quite easy. Change is implemented through attitude. Although the answer is easy, getting to that answer is much more complicated. Behavior and influencing behavior is much more tedious than we realize. How is behavior influenced? Behavior is influenced by environmental …

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled internet retailers can be required to collect sales taxes, even in areas where they have no physical presence. This ruling overturns a 1992 ruling that helped the then nascent internet commerce take off and become a billion dollar industry today. In our work with rural communities, we have heard …

Huntington County Leadership Academy congratulates 17 graduates from the 2018 Purdue Extension Community Leadership class.  The group has been meeting since January to develop and strengthen leadership skills and learn more about Huntington County.  Participants were able to participate in tours of and learn more about the following local businesses and organizations: Our Sunday Visitor, …