With a long term goal of helping artists evolve into entrepreneurs, ArtsBuild was set up in 2004 by the University of Wisconsin—Platteville to encourage artists in the seven counties of SW WI. Their plan was to increase the professional and business capacity of these artists through workshops, mentoring and networking opportunities. The effort was recently awarded the top award in Rural Development by the Wisconsin Rural Partners.
ArtsBuild has worked with over 200 artists in the past two years, sponsored 45 classes on the business of art and published a directory of artists in the region. The effort has created a new entrepreneurial climate in the artist community and I’m convinced will have a huge impact upon the area in the long term.
I’m continuing to see the impact that a vibrant arts community can have on rural communities. There are lessons to be learned from programs like ArtsBuild and others sprouting up around the USA.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
From the Mattoon newspaper
‘Organic’ meat plant is Welsh Farms plan
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer Friday, June 16, 2006 3:42 PM CDT
MATTOON -- Vince Welsh knows first-hand that carrying on the family farm tradition isn’t easy these days.
There are just too many challenges and setbacks that convince family farm owners to sell out and start working for wages.
The Welsh family has been farming much of the same land near Mattoon for nearly 70 years. Vince’s grandfather survived The Depression. His father was nearly blown away by the 1954 drought. And Vince and his brother, Doug, learned about management when the bottom fell out of the hog market in 1998.
“I do more forward thinking now,” said Welsh as he sat in his down-to-earth office of 3W Meats along Illinois Route 16 on the west edge of Mattoon, a business that came about a year after Welsh Farms decided to diversify with a farmer-to-consumer meat business as well as other changes.
“What happened with the hog market made me a better risk manager. But you know the Depression made my grandfather a better farmer. And the drought helped make my dad a better one, too.”
Now, Welsh is getting Welsh Farms ready for a project that expands on the meat sales in partnership with other livestock farmers in the area.
The small meat plant will handle beef, pork, chicken and sheep harvesting under “organic” processing rules. That means none of the animals will be grown at the site. Certain husbandry methods will also enhance the quality of the meat or poultry as well.
“We have already started the paperwork on it,” said Welsh, whose farming operation mixes high-tech methods and proven natural processes for raising grain and livestock.
The operation, which would be located near Mattoon, would employ up to 50 workers, all with special husbandry skills, he said.
“They would be paid head-of-household wages,” Welsh said. “And there would be secondary opportunities for other jobs. You would have truckers and landscapers. And other farmers could raise specialty organic grains and hay.”
The organic designation is spreading at this time in this type of agriculture, Welsh said. Organic means consumers of the meats know what is going into the animals n no hormones or implants — and where the animals come from.
“We will have identification tracking on all pieces of meat to trace the source. We have finished with some calves for IDs,” he explained.
Post a Comment