It’s that time again! Here are your Questions of the Month for June:
Here are the monthly questions we would like you to address to meet the minimum requirements of the community blogging, please remember to identify the category in your posts as a Question of the Month and any other appropriate category—for instance this month’s question should be placed in Category 7. The answers can be from you, or better yet, invite others to blog from their perspective too. Or ask your steering committees or LeadershipPlenty or strategic planning participants to respond:

**Please answer these questions by including it in your blogs for June:**

Please choose one or two questions in this category to address on your blog:

7. Taking action on leadership

• How has your community leadership expanded?
• What changes have been made in who is now involved in leadership positions?
• Are more people participating in leadership?
• Are different kinds of people (representing more sectors or parts of the community) now participating in community leadership?
• Does the community leadership reflect the community’s demographic profile?
• Are more low income people participating in community leadership?
• What changes have been made in the way your community recruits and trains new leaders? Sustains existing leaders?

Here are the monthly questions we would like you to address to meet the minimum requirements of the community blogging, please remember to identify the category in your posts as a Question of the Month and any other appropriate category—for instance this month’s question should be placed in Category 3. The answers can be from you, or better yet, invite others to blog from their perspective too. Or ask your steering committees or LeadershipPlenty or strategic planning participants to respond:

**Please answer these questions by including it in your blogs for May:**

Please choose one or two questions in this category to address on your blog: 

3. Taking action on poverty What kinds of concrete steps are being taken by your community to address poverty? How did your community make choices about the actions most likely to have an impact on poverty? How are low income involved? How does your plan for poverty reduction link with existing leaders, groups and organizations? What other partnership will help your community carry out its poverty reduction plan?

The South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service is one of several entities supporting the 2009 Economic Gardening Conference.

Speakers from around the world will take part, including Christian Gibbons, who invented the term “economic gardening.” The term refers to nurturing local business growth. Gibbons has been a leading innovator in the field since the late 1980s.

Registration for the conference costs $135 on or before April 17. The cost is $150 for those registering between April 18 and June 3, and $175 for registration after June 3.

The conference Web site with details on the event is available at this link: http://econ-gardening2009.web.officelive.com/default.aspx.
Or ask for information at your county Extension office.
The conference also has its own page on Facebook. To join it, visit this link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=70651229385.

Registration costs include meals, materials, and tours associated with the conference. The Web site includes information about presentations, activities, and links to lodging options in the area.

The fair was originally planned for April 4 but postponed due to poor weather.

The South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service will host “Teaming Up: A Resource Fair for Horizons Communities.” It features exhibitors from a wide range of rural life and economic development agencies.

The event begins at 9 a.m. at the Kings Inn in Pierre. Registration is $20 for all non-Horizons Project members and the deadline to register is April 22. The fee includes lunch, materials, and snacks.

To register, or for more information, call or e-mail South Dakota Cooperative Extension Specialist and state Horizons Project Director Kari Fruechte, at (605) 688-4946 or Kari.Fruechte@sdstate.edu.

Speakers at the event include Shawn Irvine and John McArdle, the recipients of the 2007 Northwest Area Foundation Great Strides Award. They will present a live video presentation about community successes in the town of Independence, Ore.

Horizons Project Director Kari Fruechte said the event offers a chance for citizens of communities who have benefitted from the Horizons Project to share their ideas and strategies for positive change.

“In towns and cities across the state, and across the U.S., members have come together to creatively reduce poverty,” said Fruechte. “This resource fair is a great way for other communities to take away lessons from their experiences.”

The Northwest Area Foundation is the funding sponsor of the Horizons Project, which the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service has put into action in the state.

Here are the monthly questions we would like you to address to meet the minimum requirements of the community blogging, please remember to identify the category in your posts as a Question of the Month and any other appropriate category—for instance this month’s question should be placed in Category 10.

The answers can be from you, or better yet, invite others to blog from their perspective too. Or ask your steering committees or LeadershipPlenty participants to respond:

**Please answer these questions by including it in your blogs for April:**

Please choose one or two questions in this category to address on your blog: 

10. Building skills and mobilizing around community 

How has your community changed since joining Horizons? 

Is your community more hopeful about the future?  How do you know? 

What evidence do you have that community members see poverty as a community issue? Are more people involved in creating ideas, plans and taking actions on behalf of the community?  What difference does this make?  

What new partnerships have been created (within your community, or between your community and others)?