GREAT FALLS — Rural economic development professionals from across the country and the world have gathered in Great Falls for the International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC) Rural Retreat.
The three-day event spotlights rural innovation, infrastructure, and agriculture in Montana.
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“Learning from each other, networking, sharing best practices, sharing the challenges that we all face and making sure that we can learn from one another,” explained IEDC Board Liasson Jamie Richards.
Around 400 leaders, including economic officials, developers, and partners, took part in the retreat.
The theme, “Rural Recharged: New Energy, New Possibilities,” reflects the group’s focus on strengthening rural communities.
A major highlight of the retreat is a series of field tours through Montana’s Golden Triangle — a region known nationally for its high-quality wheat production and expansive role in the global agricultural supply chain.
Attendees got a first-hand look at everything from clean-energy at dams and grain elevators to value-added ag operations and rural projects.
“Even though we're from all over the country, we all have the same issues: workforce, housing, infrastructure, all those type of things,” said Dennis Fraise, an economic development coordinator from rural Iowa. “It's really a chance to get outside of our normal areas and connect with other economic developers and find out the things they do.”
Activities throughout the retreat include workshops, seminars, and networking sessions.
The nearly 400 participants loaded up on tour buses on Tuesday and set out across North Central Montana, touring the heart of Great Falls, and traveling as far out as Cut Bank and White Sulphur Springs.
“We're out in the community exploring,” Richards added. “We're calling these immersive experiences so that everyone can get a hands-on look and feel about what it means to do this type of economic development in a rural community.”
IEDC organizers say the retreat is designed to be more than a conference. It’s a chance to bring visibility to the challenges and successes of rural America.
