Rural communities are at the frontier of ecological and economic transformation, making them sites for sustainable innovation. The north woods region of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has an abundance of natural resources and is undergoing major social, economic, and ecological transformations. Despite these changes, rural experiences are often left out of the stories, solutions, models, and knowledge produced. More often than not, answers are imported from urban areas. Our rural livelihood initiatives attempt to counter urbanormativity by producing knowledge that emerges from the rural experiences as a way to better address challenges.

The following initiatives provide reliable data and allow for  best practice interventions and models with solutions that focus on sustainable economic and community development. Our goal is to promote place-based understandings of north woods communities, thereby enhancing the overall rural living experience.

• Quality of Life Database
• Northwoods Community Survey
• Local Food Systems
• Opinion Polls
• Rural Innovation Exchange