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Monday Mailing

Year 24 • Issue 6 23 October 2017 1. Event: RDI's SW Oregon Rural Skill Builder – Saturday, December 2, 9:00am – 4:00pm 2. Going Beyond Local Food 3. This Breathing Exercise Can Help You Stay Focused at Work 4. Oregon’s First Farm Conservation Program Passes Legislature 5. Thin Ice – Exploring Mount Hood’s Glacier Caves 6. New Toolkit Connects City Planning and Environmental Justice 7. Webinar: Creating Healthy Places For Healthy People - Tuesday, Nov 14, 10:00am - 11:30am 8. A Mesmerizing Interactive History of the High-Rise 9. Farm Commons Tutorials 10. Online Course: No-Cost Training in Location Analytics 11. Funding Opportunities from USDA Rural and Community Development Resource List 1. Event: RDI's SW Oregon Rural Skill Builder – Saturday, December 2, 9:00am – 4:00pm Rural communities are facing more complex situations than urban areas. Building new and advanced skills gives those, who work on behalf of rural places, the tools needed to be effective leaders.

Join us at Rural Skill Builder! Learn to be bold, be courageous, and be a savvy leader in complex situations. Don't miss the opportunity to gain new skills and network with other rural leaders in your region.

Quote of the Week: “If we are to succeed in saving the planet, the battle will be won or lost at the local level.” ~Governor Tom McCall Oregon Fast Fact: Oregon has more than 7,000 bridges, including 53 covered bridges.

Location: Village Green Resort and Gardens, 725 Row River Road, Cottage Grove, OR 97424 Registration Cost: $25 For more information about this event, click here.

2. Going Beyond Local Food In many cities around the world, the local food movement has been instrumental in putting food on the agenda.

However, is local better than global?

A European research project called GLAMUR explored further the question. “What was at the beginning a simple question turned out to be not so simple”, explains Gianluca Brunori, from the University of Pisa (Italy), who coordinated the project.

The conclusion of the project is that, well, nothing is clear-cut. And cities should rather focus on bringing anyone – local and global food chains actors – on the path to sustainability.

To access the full story, click here.

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3. This Breathing Exercise Can Help You Stay Focused at Work What if there were something you could do right this minute to improve how engaged, productive, and creative you are at work? As it turns out, there is, and you’re already doing it—breathing.

Breathing transforms a stretchy exercise session into a holistic rebalancing. Meditation itself is grounded in breath. Which means the easiest stress-relieving and mind-enhancing exercise we can do is simply breathing better.

A Breath of Fresh Air at Work Major companies are making investments in their employees’ health and wellness, which in some cases includes offering yoga and meditation at work. Here at Upping Your Elvis, our creative leadership company, we’ve found the majority of senior executives we’ve worked with say that learning how to breathe properly has changed their lives.

Indeed, for such a simple habit the benefits can be surprising. Bill Reilly, marketing director of Apple Pay, said in a Harvard Business Review profile that by taking three deep breaths each time he sat down at his desk helped him relax during the course of a busy day. Over time, those three breaths turned into several minutes a day, then into a 30-minute meditation session. Reilly found it rebooted his perspective and helped him come up with new ideas and solutions to problems.

To access the full story, click here.

4. Oregon’s First Farm Conservation Program Passes Legislature Salem, Oregon -- Today, the Oregon House and Senate passed a landmark bill launching a new farm and ranch land protection program for the state. HB 3249 will create the Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program, Oregon’s first voluntary program to help farmers and ranchers conserve working lands and the fish and wildlife habitat they support.

The Oregon Agricultural Heritage Program bill (OAHP) was developed during a two-year effort by the following six statewide organizations that represent agriculture and natural resource conservation: Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts, Oregon Association of Conservation Districts, Oregon Cattlemen's Association, Oregon Farm Bureau, Sustainable Northwest, and The Nature Conservancy.

“The diverse groups and bi-partisan support that rallied behind HB 3249 really speaks to the importance of Oregon’s agricultural heritage for all Oregonians,“ said Representative Brad Witt (DClatskanie). “We have to decide whether we want to preserve those lands and their ecological benefits, or to allow them to be fragmented and sold off in a way that harms the agricultural and conservation purposes of these lands.”

To access the full story, click here.

5. Thin Ice – Exploring Mount Hood’s Glacier Caves On the slopes of Mount Hood, six explorers set off in a line up the Sandy Glacier. Eddy Cartaya pulls ahead of the group, a stony expression on his face.

He’s wearing a white helmet with his name and “Cave Rescue” printed on it. Cartaya is worried because the sun is starting to rise and hit the ice.

His climbing partner Brent McGregor follows at a more reasonable pace. The bearded 60-year-old takes in the morning and smiles.

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“One of the best sounds in alpine mountaineering is the sound of crampons and ice axes on good firm snow,” he says.

To access the full story, click here.

6. New Toolkit Connects City Planning and Environmental Justice National City, California, which sits just 11 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego County, is characterized more by industrial brownfield sites and sky-high asthma rates than the region’s iconic palm trees and sandy beaches. With demographics that skew low-income and highminority, two freeways that slice through the metro within several thousand feet of each other, more fast food restaurants than grocery stores, and a port of entry cutting residents off from their waterfront, it’s a textbook example of how land use policies can cement historic health inequities and stymie civil rights.

But National City was also the first city in California to pioneer an innovative environmental justice policy recently mandated for all municipalities throughout the state. SB 1000, approved by Governor Jerry Brown last September, requires that cities consider environmental justice in their planning process — formally, that they create environmental justice “elements,” much like housing elements — as part of their general plan. Spurred in part by childhood asthma rates nearly 60 percent higher than the county average, as well as high numbers of diabetes- and coronary heart disease-related deaths, National City residents began pushing for such an element in 2005. Their success is laid out in a toolkit and guide of best practices released this month by the California Environmental Justice Alliance (CEJA), which co-sponsored SB 1000.

To access the full story, click here.

7. Webinar: Creating Healthy Places For Healthy People - Tuesday, Nov 14, 10:00am - 11:30am Through the Healthy Places for Healthy People program, EPA has been helping local communities and health care officials create walkable, healthy and economically vibrant downtowns and neighborhoods that improve health, protect the environment and support economic growth. This webinar will look at the connections among economic, human and environmental health factors and present case studies on the lessons learned to date, as well as ideas on how local communities can create programs and partnerships that can lead to healthier community outcomes.

Speakers will include: Stephanie Bertaina, from the U.S. EPA Office of Sustainable Communities; Kate Ange, Alana Braiser, and Caroline Dwyer with Renaissance Planning. .

To register for this webinar click here.

8. A Mesmerizing Interactive History of the High-Rise Told over four parts meant to evoke chapters in a storybook using films, photos, archive materials, text, and miniature games, this "Op-Doc" is a short masterclass in the 2,500-year global history of vertical living.

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"A Short History of the Highrise" tells the technical, social, and cultural history of vertical living in a spellbinding series of short films with rhyming narration, intricate animation, and interactive materials. It starts with Roman experiments in apartment living for the working poor made of mud and timber, and continues through the cliff dwellings of Arizona, stacked circular buildings of rural China, and Yemen's medieval "Manhattan of the Desert". An in-depth examination of the modern era of high-rise construction begins with the "game changing" invention of the elevator.

To access the series, click here.

9. Farm Commons Tutorials Farm Commons delivers fast-paced tutorials that help farmers move forward on the legal issues that affect their farm operation. Their tutorials are engaging and practical- this isn’t just theoretical learning!

To access a list of tutorials, click here.

10. Online Course: No-Cost Training in Location Analytics Here's your chance to learn how location-based information can help you question, analyze, interpret, and visualize data to make better-informed decisions.

Location analytics uses the locational component of business data to improve users’ understanding of their market, customers, and business processes. Organizations throughout the world use location analytics to make better decisions and gain a competitive advantage. This free, instructor-led MOOC explores the capabilities of Esri Business Analyst Online.

Course Highlights • Case studies from leading organizations using location analytics • Hands-on exercises, quizzes, and discussions • Certificate available upon completion • Free enrollment The course runs for six weeks and includes one to two hours of content per week. Students who complete all content earn a certificate of completion from Esri. The course runs from November 1 to December 12, 2017.

To register for this free, instructor-led MOOC, click here.

11. Funding Opportunities from USDA Rural and Community Development Resource List Hearst Foundations — Purpose: Support well-established nonprofits that address issues within four major areas: education, health, culture, and social service. Eligibility: Well-established nonprofits, generally with an operating budget of $1 million or more. Funding: Varies. Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Ford Family Foundation Technical Assistance Grants — Purpose: Assist efforts to develop leadership expertise, engage in planning efforts, or advance collaborations. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations, projects must be predominately (60% or more) for the benefit of residents of rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, CA, communities with populations of 35,000 or less. Funding: Grants typically range from $1,000 to $5,000; a 20% cash match is required. Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Ford Family Foundation Community Building Grants — Purpose: Support efforts to build the future of rural communities by increasing connections, building capacity, and taking community-led Page 4 of 7

action. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations, projects must be predominately (60% or more) for the benefit of residents of rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, CA, communities with populations of 35,000 or less. Funding: Grants range from $500 to $25,000. Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Ford Family Foundation Community Building Spaces Grants — Purpose: Fund the development of public spaces, including through land acquisition, purchasing buildings, construction and renovations, among other activities. Eligibility: 501(c)3 Small or rural communities with populations under 35,000. Funding: Grants range from $50,000 to $250,000. Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Ford Family Foundation Good Neighbor Grants — Purpose: Address unexpected needs or simple projects. Eligibility: Small or rural communities with populations under 35,000. Funding: Grants range from $1,000 and $10,000. Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Small Business Administration (SBA) General Small Business 7a Loans — Purpose: Provide loans to small businesses (including small healthcare practices) for working capital, equipment purchase, real estate purchase, building construction or renovation, business acquisition, and debt refinancing. Eligibility: Dependent upon specific aspects of the business and its principals. Funding: The average loan amount is $371,628; the maximum loan amount is $5 million. Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grants — Purpose: Provide assistance with a specific emergency, including fire, flood, or an unexpected medical issue. Eligibility: Artists in the disciplines of painting, sculpture, or printmaking. Funding: One-time grants up to $15,000. Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize — Purpose: Honor collaborative, community-based efforts that are prioritizing health and empowering people in the community to live healthier lives. Eligibility: Towns, cities, counties, federally-recognized tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations serving and representing the interests of Native Hawaiians in Hawaii, or regions (contiguous towns, cities or counties); prizes will honor entire communities, not single organizations or initiatives. Funding: $25,000 prize, up to 10 awards are expected. Application (Essay) Deadline: November 3, 2017.

Annie's Grants for Gardens — Purpose: Support the development of edible garden projects that help connect kids to nutritious food. Eligibility: Public schools, public charter schools, private 501(c)3 schools, private charter 501(c)3 schools, 501(c)3 or charity nonprofits supporting a garden at a public or nonprofit private school, or school districts supporting a garden at a public or nonprofit private school. Funding: Varies. Application Deadline: November 11, 2017.

Whole Kids Foundation US Gardens Grant Program — Purpose: Support a new or existing edible garden. Eligibility: K-12 schools or 501(c)3 nonprofits. Funding: Individual grants of $2,000.

Application Deadline: November 15, 2017.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Assessment Grants — Purpose: Inventory, characterize, assess, and conduct planning (including cleanup planning) and community involvement related to brownfield sites. Eligibility: State, local, and tribal governments, with the exception of certain Alaskan tribes; general purpose units of local government; land clearance authorities or other quasi-governmental entities; regional councils or redevelopment agencies; or states and legislatures. Funding: Up to $33.5 million is available nationwide; 145 grant awards are expected. Application Deadline: November 16, 2017.

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Safer School Garden Grant — Purpose: Provide funding to start a school garden with the goals of encouraging children to be active outside and to engage students in learning about nutrition and the environment. Eligibility: Schools. Funding: Grants of $500. Application Deadline: December 1, 2017.

The Rural Broadband Association (NTCA) Smart Rural Community Collaboration Challenge — Purpose: Support the development and implementation of innovative broadbandenabled solutions to support rural commerce, healthcare, public safety, economic development, education, energy, or other community-oriented initiatives. Eligibility: Telecommunication companies that are NTCA members. Funding: Individual awards of up to $5,000. Application Deadline: December 1, 2017.

USDA Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program — Purpose: Fund clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. Eligibility: Most state and local government entities, private nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes. Funding: Long-term, low-interest loans and limited grants; amounts vary. Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

USDA Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal Loan Guarantees Program — Purpose: Provide loan guarantees that helps private lenders provide affordable financing to qualified borrowers to improve access to clean, reliable water and waste disposal systems for households and businesses in rural areas. Eligibility: Most state and local government entities, private nonprofits, and federally recognized tribes. Funding: Up to a 90 percent loan guarantee. Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Community Facilities Fund — Purpose: Help develop and improve essential community facilities (such as hospitals, healthcare centers, educational facilities, etc.) in rural areas. Eligibility: Nonprofits and public entities; facilities must be located in rural areas with a population under 20,000; preference will be given for highpoverty or persistent poverty areas. Funding: Individual awards of $100,000 to $8 million.

Application Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.

Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) Community Facilities Loan Program — Purpose: Help develop and improve essential community facilities (such as public and nonprofit office buildings, treatment centers, emergency and transitional housing, assisted living, human services, public safety, child care, education, and cultural facilities) in the rural West through shortterm loans for early property acquisition and pre-development, interim construction costs, and longterm permanent financing. Eligibility: Priority given to loan applications for projects that incorporate significant green methods and materials. Funding: Varies. Application Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.

Department of Commerce (DOC) Economic Development Administration (EDA) Economic Development Assistance Programs — Purpose: Support economic development, foster job creation, and attract private investment in economically distressed areas of the United States.

Eligibility: Native American tribal governments or organizations, state governments, private institutions of higher education, nonprofits (other than institutions of higher education), special district governments, county governments, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, city or township governments, and others that vary by program. Funding: Awards range from $100,000 to $3 million. Application Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis.

Youth Service America (YSA) Be Fearless Be Kind Grants — Purpose: Encourage young people to stand up for others, include everyone, and take action when they see a problem by supporting youth-led community projects that address meaningful local and global issues through awareness, service, advocacy, and philanthropy and that give young people an opportunity to put their empathy, Page 6 of 7

passion, and creativity into action as they help make the world a better place. Eligibility: Nonprofits and K-12 schools. Funding: Grants of $500; $1,000; or $2,000. Application Deadline: October 31, 2017.

The Catholic Campaign For Human Development (CCHD) — Purpose: Support organizations led by low-income individuals as they work to break the cycle of poverty and improve their communities. Community Development Grants support nonprofit organizations that nurture the participation of people living in poverty to change structures and policies that affect their lives; Economic Development Grants support economic development institutions that include the voice of the poor and marginalized in developing new businesses that offer good jobs or develop assets that will be owned by local communities. Eligibility: Nonprofits and economic development institutions. Funding: Grants range from $25,000 to $75,000. Pre-application Deadline: November 1, 2017

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