Iowa Farm Bureau

Emerge Marketing Solutions Celebrated for Commitment to Vitality of Rural Iowa Communities Emerge Marketing Solutions, a business most would envision in a large major metropolitan area, instead calls the rural town of Manning home, telling the great stories of Iowa communities and working to revitalize rural Iowa. In just three years since its founding, Emerge Marketing Solutions has developed a client list of 60 communities and not-for-profit organizations with countless success stories and has now earned Iowa Farm Bureau’s Renew Rural Iowa (RRI) Entrepreneur Award.
“My whole life I wanted to be an entrepreneur and start a business that impacts the community I live in,” says Shelly Greving, owner and operator of Emerge Marketing Solutions. “After spending some time living in different communities in Iowa, I decided that it wasn’t just one community I was destined to serve, it’s the entire state, and we can bring light to the opportunities that exist in rural Iowa.”
The mission of Emerge is the epitome of RRI, seeking opportunities to promote vitality and foster the economic growth of rural Iowa communities. Greving’s primary clients include communities, non-profit organizations, rural-based businesses, and agricultural clients. Emerge and its staff of 16 offer clients a full package of marketing tools from the creative to copy for clients’ print, social media and website design. Rural hospitals, libraries, tourism departments, chambers of commerce and small Iowa communities are some of the entities aided by Emerge Marketing Solutions.
Rural Carroll County has been an ideal fit for Greving’s booming business, but there have been challenges along the way, particularly connecting to the 24/7 global marketplace. “A few years ago it was really hard with no data, no speed and no fiber, and I took that for granted,” Greving recalls. “I went and worked from the market in Manning almost daily and went to public libraries and other places with reliable Internet coverage, but cybersecurity was a major risk. Thankfully, now we have Internet that’s as fast as I’d ever want or need; it’s very dependable and solid.”
Despite the upgraded rural connectivity and growth of fiber, Greving still struggles with poor cell phone coverage, highlighting one of the many extra hurdles rural-based businesses face. Even with some added challenges for the home-based business, there is no place the Grevings would rather be to contribute to the community. Shelly works tirelessly to promote the rural communities and local businesses and her husband, John, serves as the town’s veterinarian.
Kevin Boyle, a Carroll County Farm Bureau board member and executive vice president of Templeton Savings Bank, is grateful for the Grevings’ service to the community. “It’s not only the business, but the whole family has made a huge impact here in Manning,” Boyle says. “We’re very fortunate that Emerge came to our community to start their business. Shelly’s husband, John, is our local veterinarian, so their impact in this community and the number of people they touch is huge.”
Sara Slater with the Audubon County Economic Development and Tourism Group nominated Shelly and Emerge for the RRI award because of their shared goal and mission. “Our goal is to help our existing businesses continue to grow and attract new businesses that can contribute jobs, housing, and education, because they all go together,” says Slater. “Shelly is very passionate about her work and represents what we believe in -- the sense of community, the fantastic communities in rural Iowa, hard work, and the never-quit-attitude.”
RRI is an Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) initiative supporting new and existing businesses through education, mentoring, and financial resources. Since its inception, RRI has helped create more than $125M in economic impact for rural communities.
“Through Iowa Farm Bureau’s RRI program, we’ve had the opportunity to work with Shelly often and have enjoyed a front row seat to watch her success,” says Sandy Ehrig, Iowa Farm Bureau’s economic development administrator. “Many personal relationships and networking connections are formed between entrepreneurs through our RRI programs and seminars, and it was great to work with Shelly during a recent ‘Journey to Your Vision’ seminar where she was able to network and gain valuable insight to help grow her successful company.”
For more information about RRI and the next RRI Business Success Seminar, “The Journey to Your Vision,” on November 12 in Fairfield, and the RRI Pathways, a searchable technology that connects entrepreneurs with resources, go to http://programs.iowafarmbureau.com/RRI/.

Carroll Broadcasting:
In 2018, the Manning food pantry provided 624 individuals and 296 households with food and necessary supplies. This coming Tuesday, Oct. 22, the Manning Rotary will be helping stock those shelves again in their third annual Pack the Pantry event at 3:30 p.m. in the Heartland Market on West Street. Those interested in forming a three-member team to participate still have one more day to get registered, with entry forms due Friday, Oct. 18. You can gather co-workers, family members, friends and other organizations to pitch in. The teams will then predetermine a dollar amount for their shopping goal and race through the store in just five minutes to pick up items they believe will get them as close as possible to that number. All the money raised from these shopping tickets will then be used to purchase items for the pantry. The successful team will receive bragging rights and the traveling trophy for the next year. In addition, the IKM-Manning Wolf Pack Pantry provides fresh, frozen and non-perishable food items to those living within the district on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and again from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments may also be made through the contact information included below. For more information or to register a Pack the Pantry team, contact Kara Havick or Katie Wall. Details on how to do so and a listing of additional items needed at the Wolf Pack Pantry can also be found here.

Carroll Broadcasting:City and county leaders gathered in Manning Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the completion of a substantial natural gas pipeline expansion. It has been nearly a decade since community leaders identified limited access to natural gas as a potential hindrance to economic growth. Manning Municipal Utilities General Manager, Jeremy Carroll, said the community almost immediately began working to develop a way to increase natural gas availability to their customers. Carroll says they are now only a few weeks away from seeing the project finished.
Carroll added he is proud to say they managed to do all this without utilizing eminent domain. About three more miles of the 10-inch pipeline needs to be laid to connect the 24.2-mile expansion to the utility’s existing infrastructure in Templeton. Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Director, Debi Durham, participated in a ceremonial valve-turning to mark the project’s end. She said there are always reasons not to pursue projects or expansions, but Manning has a reputation throughout the state of being a community that finds ways to get things done.

The utility initially hoped to have natural gas flowing by no later than Oct. 1, but permitting issues slowed down construction. The pipeline should be operation by no later than the end of the month, and Manning Municipal Utilities will then begin supplying natural gas to customers in Arcadia and potentially beyond.

Story and audio here

Carroll Broadcasting
For the past eight years, Debi Durham has been a champion of economic improvement throughout the entire state, leading the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and now the Iowa Finance Authority. She and her team have nurtured invaluable public-private partnerships and reeled in development projects worth a billion dollars, and they are only just beginning. On Wednesday, Oct. 9, Durham will be the keynote speaker for the Carroll Area Development Corporation’s (CADC) Annual Partners Luncheon. Executive Director, Shannon Landauer, says the state recently did an exercise in New York to showcase the Iowa lifestyle, and it was an eye-opener for many.
That video can be found below. The visit by Durham is timely as new initiatives in the county and through the Carroll Chamber of Commerce are being rolled out. One of these is being developed around the different alcoholic products being produced right here.

More details and a sneak preview of Alcohology will be coming soon. Following the luncheon on Oct. 9, Durham will travel to Manning for a valve-turning ceremony, celebrating the completion of the Manning Municipal Utilities natural gas line expansion. The public is invited to attend this event as Durham will give a brief speech and refreshments will follow. A photo timeline of the project will also be displayed.

Link to story and audio

Carroll Broadcasting
One of the three task forces formed as a portion of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Empower Rural Iowa Initiative will meet this week in our region. Lt. Gov., Adam Gregg, will be leading the Growing Rural Iowa task force meeting at the Hausbarn Konfrenz Centre in Manning on Wednesday, Sept. 18. The group, which includes local leaders Ron Reischl of Manning and Justin Wagner of Harlan, will convene the meeting at 1:30 p.m. as they work toward their mission of encouraging leadership development and strategic development in rural communities. This is one of three task forces formed within the initiative. The Investing in Rural Iowa Task Force is focused on making recommendations for ways to improve access to quality housing in rural Iowa and the Connecting Rural Iowa Task Force explores effective and sustainable ways to finance rural connectivity. Gregg, a co-chair of Empower Rural Iowa, adds these are merely starting points for the groups and they will broaden their scope and work on other issues in the years to come. Reynolds says the initiative is meant to help create concrete solutions to the unique challenges faced in rural portions of the state and to ensure that there is opportunity in every corner of Iowa.

Carroll Broadcasting
Ever wonder what today’s students are getting to do in their classrooms on a daily basis? Have you heard all the talk about 21st Century technologies and curriculums that place an emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)? Well if you want to get a first-hand look that helps answer these questions and many more, you are invited to Explore STEM next week in the parking lot of the IKM-Manning school building in Manning. A DNR trailer and Iowa State University’s FLEx virtual reality will be on hand, along with the Iowa Corn Trailer, local representatives from the ambulance, police and utility departments as well as Puck Enterprises. Attendees will see drone demonstrations, thermal imagery and GPS tools as well as a crop monster used during ag in the classroom presentations. The Tuesday, Sept. 10 event will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will include a free meal of pork sandwiches, chips and cookies.

Carroll Broadcasting
A special community grill-out has been planned as a way to not only raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association, but to also celebrate Grandparents’ Day and the opening of a new memory care unit at Manning Senior Living. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8, meals will be provided for a free-will donation at their location, 203 11th Street in Manning. There will also be giveaways throughout the day.

Carroll Broadcasting
The IKM-Manning Community School District Board of Education has selected HAILA Architecture, Structure and Planning, Ltd. as consultants in the development of a long-term Facilities Master Plan. The next steps in the process are workshops and a kick-off meeting, which will be held for all interested district residents on Thursday, Sept. 5 beginning at 6 p.m. in the high school auditorium in Manning. HAILA will outline the process during the presentation and provide a projected timeline. Buildings will be assessed prior to the Thursday meeting with other workshops slated for October, November and December with a proposed completion date for the Master Plan in January of 2020. Community members, parents and students are encouraged to attend. An outline of the process is included below.

Link to story

Carroll Broadcasting
The Nebraska Iowa Spyder Riders (NISR) had done some scouting ahead of time, and decided that Manning would be a lunch stop on their latest ride, taking place this Friday, Aug. 23. Spyderfest 2019 will feature more than 100 riders from eleven states on over 80 different bikes that are designed with one back wheel and two front wheels. The group will arrive in Manning at approximately 10:30 a.m., meeting at the Freedom Rock on Highway 141. Lunch will be served at the Trestle Park before the group travels back to the Freedom Rock and the Hausbarn-Heritage Park.

Carroll Broadcasting

IKM-Manning Community School District Superintendent, Trevor Miller, shares his time in that position with the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton District as well, but a change in that school system effective this year will be a benefit for IKM-Manning.
This will now be a 50/50 split, with two days in one district one week and then three in it the next. Just like all other schools in the listening area, IKM-Manning will be starting classes on the first date available, Aug. 23, with a full day of school. Miller says it will be a nice one-day transition to start the year and then come back after a couple day break for the full week. New teachers will be starting this Friday, Aug. 16 and returning staff on Aug. 19. This year brings a smaller number of new instructors than last.

Enrollment at the school has gone up the last few years and Miller attributes this somewhat to a return of younger people to the communities. And whether new or returning, students will notice some work was done at the various buildings over the summer break.
Probably one of the most exciting things for the 2019/20 school year is the introduction of a pilot program with Green Hills Area Education Agency called Rising Hope Academy. The classroom will be located in Manning and serve up to eight students, not only from the IKM-Manning district, but from surrounding ones as well. Miller says with all the mental health issues and stresses of today, it is great to be able to take part in an initiative that provides support and a conducive learning environment closer to home. Miller says he is truly looking forward to spending more time in the district and in the classrooms and he is excited to work with staff on how to utilize the $25,000 awarded through a Bayer-Monsanto grant in support of their Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) program. He adds their goals for 2019/20 are to look to improve and innovate for the best interests of the students and give them a variety of opportunities to be future ready and successful after high school. A link to the IKM-Manning website for back-to-school details and important dates can be found below.
___________________________________
https://www.ikm-manning.k12.ia.us/

Link to story and audio