When we hear of rural in the media, the story is often the same- another school being shut down, farmers struggling to make ends meet after a poor harvest, or other telling signs of rural decline. I grew up on a farm in central Alberta and I grew up hearing stories like these. It should come as no surprise that I imagined I would eventually have to leave my rural community in order to go to school and get a job. However, I was also aware of a sharp contrast between the “rural” that I saw portrayed in news stories and the “rural” that my family and I lived. Ours was not a life of hardships or wanting. Sure we did not have all the amenities of our urban friends but I certainly did not grow up feeling that my life was lacking.

Nevertheless, the story, as I knew it, remained the same. To be successful, I would need to leave; rural was quickly becoming a thing of the past. And I had every intention of leaving. But in a state of uncertainty following my final year of high school, I opted to stay at home and go to the nearby Augustana Campus of the University of Alberta until I could figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I had every intention of only staying there for one year but I, like so many other Augustana students with similar intentions, ended up finishing a full degree program.

It was this past summer, as a participant in Augustana’s Rural Capacity Internship program, that I was finally able to fully appreciate my rural upbringing and start to imagine a different rural story. The Rural Capacity Internship places student interns in rural communities for the summer. Throughout the internship, the students and community supervisors collaborate, developing projects to address the community’s capacity issues. Talking with other interns, I could see how excited they were to return to their own rural homes to work for the summer.

Through my internship blog and Twitter account, I began to connect with other people, from across Canada and outside the country, who saw rural communities not as something less than urban but as unique and valuable in their own right. It was a completely refreshing experience. I couldn’t help but think, wouldn’t it have been great to know about these allies of rural when I was growing up? Wouldn’t it have been great to hear the other side of the story- to hear of the rural communities that are thriving and resilient, not just the ones on decline?

With these thoughts in mind, I came up with the idea for the #ReasonsRuralRocks hashtag. I had neither a profound strategy nor high expectations. But the response was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. Within minutes of sharing a few of my own reasons why I think rural rocks, people were joining the conversation with their favourite things about rural. I never could have predicted how much this sharing of rural appreciation has inspired me. Every time I see a new reason, I fall in love with my rural home all over again. Through #ReasonsRuralRocks I have been able to connect with even more rural enthusiasts.

The point of #ReasonsRuralRocks is not to disregard the challenges that rural communities face. The Rural Capacity Internship program and other initiatives like this exist because of a demonstrated need to address issues that rural communities face. I want to make it clear that I am altogether aware that there are many problems associated with rural. I understand that there is nothing to be gained from taking a head-in-the-sand stance when it comes to these problems. But I also whole-heartedly believe that nothing good will come from fixating on the negative. If all we ever hear about is how broken rural is, how will we ever be able to imagine a better future for our communities?

I think, as is most often the case, what we need is a balanced approach. There should be room to both recognize the challenges but also to celebrate rural achievements. Rural is not second-class urban. Rural is where I grew up and where I will choose to live. Rural is where neighbours know each other and where you can always find a helping hand. So I ask, if you love rural please do not be afraid to let people know. There are people out there who need to hear your side of the rural story- especially young people. One of the challenges most rural communities face is youth retention. Young people need to hear about the positives of rural. We won’t be afraid to deal with the challenges rural faces, if we are able to see that they are places worth fighting for.

Having a sense of connectedness to people and place. Quiet reflection under a sky that doesn’t end. Vacations consisting of camping in the “back 40”. Owning land and having the responsibility to ensure its sustainability. My family, proudly farming in Alberta since 1901. These are my Reasons Rural Rocks. I’d love to hear yours!

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