Overview

USDA Rural Development in Louisiana, in cooperation with the Southern Rural Development Center, is hosting a rural development conference for key agency representatives in Louisiana and the Southern region. This institute is designed for professionals who are, or wish to become, actively involved in rural development work at the local, multi-parish (county), state or regional level. This conference will provide participants a more in-depth understanding of topics that are vital to the long-term health of rural areas--job creation and innovation, education challenges, population diversity and building on local resources and assets.

The Southern Institute for Rural Development has previously been held in Athens, Georgia in 2001 and in Fort Myers, Florida in 2003.