The third season of Rural Voice kicked off at the Minnesota State Fair on Monday, Aug. 26. It was a steamy day, but it didn’t discourage rural change makers who gathered at the MPR booth for a lively and hopeful town hall with moderator Kerri Miller.

The question before them: How is rural Minnesota changing, and how are rural communities thriving in the midst of it?

Participants included Northland Foundation CEO Tony Sertich, who emphasized that rural communities no longer need “jobs, jobs, jobs” but “workers, workers, workers.” Teresa Kittredge from 100 Rural Women talked about the importance of mentorship in rural communities, especially when it comes to leadership paths for women. Ben Winchester, a rural sociologist at the University of Minnesota, discussed the implications of a “brain gain” in rural areas, instead of a “brain drain.” Senator Rob Kupec, DFL-Moorhead, stressed the desperate need for housing, a point everyone agreed on, including Kitty Mayo, editor at Lake County Press. Scott Marquardt, president of the Southwest Initiative Foundation, shared his excitement over the potential for renewable energy and innovation in rural parts of Minnesota.

Other urgent issues mentioned: the need for more robust child care in rural areas, the importance of mental health services and fresh ways to welcome newcomers.

If you are rural living, rural loving or just “rural curious,” you don’t want to miss this conversation at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 2. And then get involved. Miller is taking Rural Voice on the road in September. She’ll be in Red Wing on Sept. 5 to talk about how to build civic-minded communities; Detroit Lakes on Sept. 9 to discuss sustainable agriculture; and Worthington on Sept. 19 to consider how rural communities thrive when immigrants put down roots. Register online to attend.