Join Our Upcoming Event

/ Videos / Re-writing the Rural Narrative:The Brain Gain of Rural America - Vilas County EDC & Ben Winchester

Re-writing the Rural Narrative:The Brain Gain of Rural America - Vilas County EDC & Ben Winchester



Featured Speaker: Ben Winchester, Senior Research Fellow at the U of MN Extension, Center for Community Vitality & Nationally-recognized expert featured on PBS and in the NY Times.

Something is Happening in Rural America.  

“If small towns are dying, then why can’t I find a new house to buy?”

The headlines can be disparaging about rural America. It is often much more apparent - or visual when a hardware or grocery store closes in a small town or we see the loss of 18-year-olds who leave their small towns after high school.  

The Vilas County Economic Development Corporation is at the forefront of Wisconsin’s Northwoods initiatives to grow its economy and population, supporting current data and socio-economic trends that the rural “narrative” is changing. . . for the better.  Those moving into rural communities offset and surpass the numbers of those moving way.

Since the 1970s there’s been a “rural rebound”. This emerging trend has seen a growing number of people moving from urban to rural living. Now, with the Covid-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty, and social unrest this trend is accelerating, particularly in highly sought after vacation destinations like Vilas County. 

Join us as Ben explores how the population shift is supported by increasing broadband access, the benefits of working remotely, changing work practices, slower place of life, safety and security, and lower costs of living and housing - thus the “Brain Gain” of 30 to 49-year-olds moving to rural America.  

“No-one is moving to small towns for pity. They are moving for what you are, and, more importantly, will be.” ~ Ben Winchester

For more information contact Kathy Schmitz, Executive Director, Vilas County Economic Development, at [email protected] 


See More Videos




Conover Backyard Feed Store

Take a minute to meet our fabulous Vilas County business owners in our new VCEDC Business Minute series!

View

Land O'Lakes Artisans (LOLA)

Take a minute to meet our fabulous Vilas County business owners in our new VCEDC Business Minute series!

View

Northland Pines

Take a minute to meet our fabulous Vilas County business owners in our new VCEDC Business Minute series!

View

Dan Beihoff - Eagle River Roasters

Dan Beihoff found his paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Kayla and Keith Anderson - Iconik Etchings and Innovations

Kayla and Keith Anderson found their paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Robin and Patrick Indermuehle - Conover Gardens

Robin and Patrick Indermuehle found their paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Rick Wilson - Pukall Lumber Company

Rick Wilson found his paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Tasha Sookochoff - Wander Wild Farm

Tasha found her paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Steven Bartling - Bartlings Manitowish Cranberry Co

Steven found his paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View


Bre & Joel - Aqualand Alehouse

Bre & Joel found their paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Financial Resources for Your Current or New Business

Vilas County Economic Development Corporation Lunch and Learn: Financial Resources for Your Current or New Business

View

Grow Your Business with Online Sales

Vilas County Economic Development Corporation Lunch and Learn: Grow Your Business with Online Sales

View

Jo Buck - Eagle Baking

Jo found her paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Emily & Adam Krauklis - Sportsman's Motel & Resort

Emily & Adam found their paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Dr Doug Tansor - Up North Wellness Center

Dr. Doug found his paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Amanda Cowart - Lemon Zest

Amanda found her paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Ryli and Josh

Ryli and Josh found their paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Luke Olejniczak - Private Chef

Luke found his paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Remote Working - Thriving in the Evolving Workplace!

Vilas County Economic Development Corporation Lunch and Learn: Remote Working - Thriving in the Evolving Workplace!

View

VCEDC Lunch and Learn: Start or Grow Your Business

Business planning, financial resources, marketing, websites, hiring and managing staff, contracts? We're here to help!

View

Helen Bryner of Cre'ate

Helen found her paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Diane Gagliano of Top of the Hill Huskies

Diane found her paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Christie Terkelson and Joe Reed of Northfork Fin & Filet

Christie & Joe found their paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Sarah and Tom Zidek of Hooked & Tagged and Northern Joy

Sarah & Tom found their paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Haley and Dylan of Boulder Junction Coffee Company

Haley & Dylan found their paradise in Vilas County.

Interested in starting or growing a business in Northern Wisconsin? Watch our series of videos with real entrepreneurs, remote workers and business owners.

View

Wendy Baumann

Speaker: Wendy K. Baumann, President/Chief Visionary Officer - Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)

View

Marsha McVicker

Speaker: Marsha McVicker, Founder/CEO of LYLA (formerly Errand Solutions)

View

Junea Rocha

Speaker: Junea Rocha, Frozen Foods/Brazi Bites Co-Founder. ABC’s Shark Tank entrepreneur. Forbes contributor

View

Rebecca Nelsen of The Northwoods Review

Rebecca found paradise in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

View

Drew Frisk of Arbre Technologies

Drew and Kate found paradise in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

View

VCEDC Remote Worker Meet Up - Broadband

VCEDC Remote Worker Meet-Up - The State of Broadband in Vilas County

Featured Speaker: Bill Niemuth

View

Eric and Becky of Old World Charm B&B

Eric and Becky found their paradise in Vilas County.

View

Carol Marshall of Texas Children's Hospital

Carol found paradise in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

View




Brad and Rubie Gauthier of Sitecast.com

Brad and Rubie found paradise in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

View

See All Videos

Want to learn why Vilas County is one of the best places to live, work, and play?

Reach out to the folks at the Vilas County Economic Development Corporation today!

Contact Us

Want to learn why Vilas County is one of the best places to live, work, and play?

We can email you a PDF highlighting many of the wonderful aspects of our area.

Download this 8-page PDF article here: