What can the New Rural Economy Project (NRE) of CRRF do for you? Here are a couple of resources that will help you explore some options.

The presentation at the 2023 AGM provides a review of key questions about the NRE plus a selected Table of Contents. You can access the material via this link.

The panel at the CRRF National Conference on June 23, 2023, addressed this question. Check out the items below to see what was said.

• The Introduction by Anna Woodrow
• A description of the NRE Project, its origin, activities, insights, and opportunities by Bill Reimer.
• A discussion of continuing research and collaboration rooted in the NRE project by Laura Ryser-Murphy.
• An account of the ways in which Lana Sullivan has made use of perspectives and skills developed in the NRE project to research and administration in other domains.
• Examples of the ways in which the NRE introduced David Connell to collaborative research, supported his PhD thesis, and continues to inform his methodology and teaching.
• A story of the way in which the NRE perspectives, network, and information has supported Evan Curley’s PhD research.
• Questions and responses that emerged in response to the panel presentations.
  • How did you organize and conduct the case studies?
  • What advice would you give to someone wishing to examine rural and remote issues today?
• Conclusion by Anna Woodrow.
• A flyer listing basic information.

To explore options or request further information check the following links.

• CRRF’n the Archives page
• http://nre.concordia.ca
• Email: crrf.archive@gmail.com

The CRRF Archives are under construction. Thanks to a generous offer from the University of Guelph, the archives will be housed within the Archives and Special Collections of the library once the COVID-19 restrictions are removed and we have organized the materials according to their requirements.

The work of preparation has been underway for many months. This includes the following activities.

• Physical copies of materials have been collected from key participants in ARRG and CRRF activities. They are partially curated and packed in boxes in Guelph and Vancouver.
• Electronic materials have also been collected and are being prepared for curating.
• Physical and electronic materials from CRRF projects (such as the New Rural Economy Project-NRE) have been collected and are ready for curation.
• The initial design and organization of the CRRF Fonds is partially completed. It will serve as a basis for the curating process.

The lengthy process of curation has begun. The results will not be publicly available until the core materials are cataloged, but you can view some of the interesting items by checking out the CRRF’n the Archives page. Each month we will post some items from the Archives.

Selected materials from the New Rural Economy project of CRRF are available via http://nre.concordia.ca. This is a legacy site that includes many documents, research instruments, field site descriptions, insights, and photos from the 11-year project.

How can you help?

• If you have any items related to the history of ARRG, CRRF, the NRE, or other CRRF-related projects, please contact Bill Reimer to arrange for their addition. This includes documents, correspondence, presentations, photos, videos, audio materials, and even stories or anecdotes .
• Consider making a financial contribution to CRRF–with a request that part or all of the funds be given priority-designation to the Archives. It will go primarily to support student(s) to help with the curating process.
• Consider various ways in which the CRRF Archive materials can be used. Student papers and theses are good options, but formal journal articles are also possible–with foci on the organization of research, partnership development, research-community collaboration, as well as the more substantive insights that have emerged from CRRF activities.
• Consider helping with the curation and organization process.

Contact me if you are interested in following up on any of these items.

Bill Reimer, CRRF Archivist