March 25th and April 8 Webinars Will Focus on Rural Residential Recruitment and Housing

Greater IC Inc. and Johnson County are hosting two webinars featuring Ben Winchester, Rural Sociologist, and Researcher, discussing bringing in new residents to rural areas (March 25) and rural housing (April 8). Ben has been working both in and for small towns across the Midwest for over 25 years. He lives in St. Cloud, Minnesota with his wife and two children, is trained as a Rural Sociologist, and works for the University of Minnesota Extension.

Ben will share his insights on community engagement and economic growth. Studies of the motivations and factors related to rural workforce movers document a “brain gain” of people aged 30-60 moving to small towns and rural places since the 1970s, providing a re-invigoration of social, economic, and demographic life. You can learn more and register for the webinars here. These events are generously being opened to all the rural communities in the ECICOG region.