Taneum Fotheringill, left, and Madeline Matson at Radically Rural in Keene, New Hampshire. The Rural Assembly was a sponsor and workshop facilitator.
By Madeline Matson
Rural Assembly Director
I have a deep affinity for rural community diners. To me, there are few things I enjoy more than sitting with a cup of a coffee at a diner counter and listening in on the community talk of the day: Who such and such hired to mow their lawn, who’s grandkid just had a baby, or who just bought the old farm down the road. You can learn a lot about a place by sitting at the diner.
During my rural travels over the last few months, I’ve gotten to visit some great diners in wonderful towns. It’s one of the aspects I love most about my work at Rural Assembly, the opportunity to travel off the beaten path and visit rural communities all over the country. Can it sometimes be a bit of a headache figuring out how to get from my rural community on the coast of Washington (2.5 hours from the nearest airport) to Whitesburg, Ky., (also 2.5 hours from the nearest airport), or to Keene, New Hampshire (a relatively convenient hour and 15 minutes from the nearest airport)? Absolutely. But whenever I show up to a new rural space and get into conversations with local people about their place, no matter how different that community may be to my own, there is always a sense of coming home.
There is more that unites Rural America than divides us. Many of us have lived through decades and even generations of disenfranchisement, broken promises, loss of economic mobility and access to services that make our communities vibrant places to live. And while the realities of why communities are where they are and what might help vary from place to place, there are clear unifying ties. Across Rural America there are so many people who care deeply about ensuring these communities can continue to exist and thrive in ways that meet the needs of the people who call them home.
Viking Cafe, a diner in Fergus Falls, Minn., where we spent some time during Springboard for the Arts’ Rural Futures Conference.
This year, Rural Assembly hopes to continue our travels across the country to continue broadening our understanding of the joys and hardships that rural people face by going straight to the source.
We’re curious:
• Do you host a rural-centric regional or national convening or conference and want the Rural Assembly to attend, speak or host a workshop? We’d love to chat.
• Has your event always skewed urban but you’re interested in finding ways to uplift rural voices within your network? We might be able to help!
• Or maybe you’d like to know if we’ll be traveling through your neck of the woods so we can simply meet up at the diner for a cup of coffee together. We would love that, too!
Whatever the case might be, give us a ring. Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
