May 14, 2024
We love small-town events
(duh)
and we love the people who make those events happen
(also
duh.) Thus, we love this whole episode. We get to talk to Jeremy
Nelson about an amazing market he’s started and grown in his small
town of Arthur, ND, and it's become kind of a whole thing. This
episode is a transparent, honest look at what it looks like to do
something big in a small town!
About Jeremy:
Jeremy was born in Northfield, MN and earned my BA in social
studies secondary education in 2000 from Bethel College in St.
Paul. He began his teaching career in St. Charles, MN, and spent
six years teaching history along with several other courses, some
of which were outside of his licensure area
(welcome
to small rural schools!), and helped create the girls' soccer
program.
Jeremy married his wife, Amanda, on New Year's Eve 2003 and they
moved to Fargo, ND, in June of 2007 to pursue a career opportunity
for Amanda. He continued his teaching career at Park Christian
School in Moorhead, MN that fall and is now wrapping up his 17th
year at that school.
In 2017 they moved our family into a big old house in Arthur, ND,
about 35 miles NNW of Fargo. In 2018, he received his Masters
Degree in administration from Minnesota State University Moorhead,
and in 2020 he stepped into the role of community coordinator for
the City of Arthur, a fantastic side hustle that has allowed him to
exercise his administrative chops. While in that position, he’s
been in charge of a monthly newsletter, submitting grant requests
for municipal projects, and organizing a variety of community
events.
One big idea he brought to life is the Arthur Market, a farmer's
and maker's market held three times each year. Started in 2020 as
simply an event under the community coordinator position, the
Arthur Market has grown to such an extent that during the winter of
2023/2024 he worked to establish it as a separate nonprofit LLC in
the state of North Dakota. The heart of the organization is to
support, promote, and collaborate with local small businesses in
order to create a thriving rural community.
In this episode, we
cover:
-
What the Arthur Market is and who it’s for
-
Lessons he’s learned heading into year five of the
market
-
Why he decided it was time to create a separate nonprofit for the
market
-
Why impact is the lens he uses when thinking about community
events
-
Why having a sandbox mentality is so important
Links and Resources Mentioned:
(Website coming soon!)