GROW Nebraska is partnering with The Nebraska Department of Economic Development’s Travel and Tourism Division  on the 2012 Nebraska Passport project and 2012 GROW Book. Are you interested in learning how you can grow your tourism-based business? Visit our web site at www.grownebraska.org/benefits.

Three Nebraska city sites and one program were recognized last week for their inclusion in the National Park Service’s national Underground Railroad program.

Kathy McKillip, director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development’s Travel and Tourism Division, will be on hand for a 12:30 p.m. ribbon cutting ceremony at the Old Freighters Museum, 407 N. 14th St., Nebraska City.

The ceremony, sponsored by the Nebraska City Tourism & Commerce office, will commemorate the new Network to Freedom listings in Nebraska. The National Park Service’s Network to Freedom program coordinates preservation and education efforts of Underground Railroad sites nationwide.

Last year, Arlington High School teacher Barry Jurgensen and his students conducted research on sites related to the Underground Railroad. Three of the Nebraska City sites, along with one program, Dr. Sara Crook’s portrayal of Barbara Mayhew, were added to the Network to Freedom program last August. The sites are:

• The Nuckolls Residence, where two slaves, Eliza Grayson and Celia, owned by Stephen F. Nuckolls escaped on Nov. 26, 1858.
• The Majors Residence, the site of the escape of six slaves, owned by Alexander Majors, in 1860.
• Camp Creek Cemetery, where Barbara (Kagy) Mahew Bradway is buried. She and her husband lived in Mayhew Cabin when it was part of the Underground Railroad.

The new listings will complement the Mayhew Cabin, which is already part of the Network to Freedom.

The Mayhew Cabin Foundation recently received funding from the Nelson Family Foundation of Nebraska City to install outdoor markers recognizing the history of the new Network to Freedom sites and creating a driving tour.

This opportunity is brought to you by GROW Nebraska partner University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. GROW Nebraska has other great resources available. To learn more about becoming a member visit our web site at www.grownebraska.org/benefits.

To accommodate the busy summer schedules, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln 2012 Big Red Camp for Entrepreneurship has been shortened.  It will now begin Sunday June 10 and run till Thursday morning, June 14.  With the shortened camp the cost will also decrease to $100 per camper, after completion of a brief scholarship application,  available at 4h.unl.edu/web/4hcamps/campfinance.  Scholarship applications are to be completed and included with the online camp registration, bigredcamps.unl.edu by May 15th.  Space is limited and will fill on a first-come basis.

The Biggggg Red Camp for Entrepreneurship is a residential camp with campers staying and eating on campus, enjoying evening group activities such as touring the Memorial Stadium and going to Champions Fun Center.  During the day, campers will attend sessions and will gain business skills to help drive their business ideas into action.  Camp activities include sessions with UNL faculty and business professionals, along with a variety of group activities, including visiting area businesses, working on creative and innovative ideas and exploring business concepts, just to name a few.  Campers will also focus on creating or fine-tuning their own business ideas to really make them grow!

Plan now to attend the Big Red Camp and build your entrepreneurial skills.  Apply online at bigredcamps.unl.edu.  Remember to submit your scholarship application along with your registration.

Questions about the camp?  Contact Marilyn Schlake, Extension Educator & Camp Director, 402-472-4138 or mschlake1@unl.edu or Adam Kruger at akruger@huskers.unl.edu.

Holbrook, NE (May 7, 2012) – When Sheryll Hickman was diagnosed with cancer, she decided that she had a lot of ideas for paintings she would like to do and needed to “kick it in high gear.” The result of this decision was the creation of her own business, Sheryll Hickman, Artist. This positive outlook and commitment to overcome any obstacle is one of the reasons Hickman was chosen as the GROW Nebraska 2012 Member Mentor of the Year. Hickman has been a member of GROW Nebraska for eight years during which she has spearheaded several projects including helping manage the Kearney GROW Nebraska Store.

“I always encourage new members and members that come in to the store so they will be positive and know how great it is to have an organization such as GROW,” Hickman said.

Janell Anderson Ehrke, CEO and founder of GROW Nebraska, says Hickman has given much to the program. “Sheryll is a perfect example of what GROW Nebraska is all about. We believe you can live anywhere in Nebraska and make a successful living by promoting your product or service to a global market.”

Hickman has partnered with other GROW Nebraska members to expand her product line.  Currently RCK Creations and More creates coasters with her crane paintings on them. In addition to being able to collaborate with other members, Hickman said that GROW has helped her get exposure for her paintings which has drastically increased her sales.  She also said, “One benefit that really helped was exposure on NTV.”

The primary products Hickman creates are vases with hand-painted crane pictures.  She has recently begun making crane jewelry and will have 30 items ready for exhibit at the Loft on East campus in November of 2012.  Hickman was presented with this award at the recent GROW Nebraska MarkeTECH Conference in North Platte.

GROW Nebraska’s mission is to maximize the state’s entrepreneurial and small business spirit, create an economically viable and sustainable environment for entrepreneurs, and generate social awareness through promotion, marketing and education.  To find out more about GROW Nebraska call 888.GROW.NEB (476.9632), or e-mail info@grownebraska.org.

This blog was provided by Teri of Ricky and Lucy’s Country Greenhouse, who is featured on this year’s GROW Nebraska Passport Tour. Be sure to stop by and see her greenhouse! Do you want to be included in the 2013 Passport Tour? Learn about this and other benefits of GROW Nebraska at www.grownebraska.org/benefits.

The 2012 Nebraska Passport program encourages travelers to explore Nebraska and is sponsored by the Department of Economic Development’s Travel and Tourism department.

This is your chance to get out and explore the great state of Nebraska, create your own adventure and win prizes while your at it!

Travelers can choose over 80 Nebraska locations to visit and have their passports stamped which can be redeemed for prizes like T-shirts, a $25 Grow Nebraska gift card, a Canon Powershot digital camera and even an iPad drawing. Travelers have until September 3o, 2012 to visit and redeem their stamps for prizes.

We are thrilled to be a part of this unique program.  Visit www.nebraskapassport.com for all the details, tour stops and prize information.  We’re looking forward to seeing you on your Nebraskan adventure!

P.S. If you have a passport book, the Ricky and Lucy’s Country Greenhouse phone number needs to be corrected to 308-254-2204.

GROW Nebraska has a microloan program in conjunction with REAP. We would like to congratulate Dena on this wonderful award!

WHO: U.S. Small Business Administration Nebraska District Director Leon Milobar; Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) North Platte Director Jason Tuller; Rural Enterprise Assistance Project (REAP) Business Specialist Dena Beck.

WHAT: The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Nebraska District Office invites members of the press and other dignitaries to attend an awards ceremony recognizing (REAP) Business Specialist Dena Beck as the SBA’s Nebraska 3rd Congressional District Financial Services Champion of the Year for 2012.

Beck was nominated for the award by NBDC North Platte Director Jason Tuller.

The SBA Nebraska District Office named one outstanding financial services provider to represent the 3rd congressional district based on the amount and quality of assistance given small businesses to obtain financing outside of normal duties, advocacy for changes in the financial services industry to assist small companies, encouragement of the flow of investment capital to small ventures, active support for legislative or regulatory action with measurable results designed to help small firms.

WHERE: Nebraska Economic Developers Association Spring Conference, Divots Conference Center, 4200 W. Norfolk Ave., Norfolk, Neb.

WHEN: May 10, 2012, Noon, CST.

Background on Event Principal:

Over the past six years working for REAP in her 16-county central Nebraska area of responsibility, Beck has helped provide 45 small business microloans for $475,100 through REAP, and contributed consulting and loan packaging assistance for another 14 loans for $1.1 million. Her work was crucial in creating and helping companies keep more than 88 jobs in rural Nebraska.

In Fiscal 2011 alone, Beck placed 14 microloans through REAP for $222,900, and helped leverage three more for $553,000, creating and keeping more than 27 jobs in Nebraska as a result. Moreover, she provided 204 consulting sessions to small businesses from consignment stores, to restaurants, grocery stores, marketing firms and many more to help them start and succeed. She offered 290 follow-up sessions to clients after the loan to ensure their continued success. As a result of these small business consulting efforts alone, she helped her clients keep and create nearly 35 more jobs in the state.

As the creator and co-author of the bi-annual Small Business Needs Assessment statewide survey Beck’s efforts have helped resource providers statewide better align their program offerings to meet the needs of entrepreneurs across the state. She has taken her advocacy work directly to Washington, D.C. for face-to-face meetings with legislators and other policy makers to move forward the interests of small businesses, and to Lincoln, where she worked to include microenterprises in the Business Innovation Act, a recent state law which, among other provisions, will help expand small business and entrepreneur outreach efforts for new and existing companies to expand product lines, create spinoffs and create a stronger link between industry and higher education in Nebraska.

Beck also contributes to a vibrant small business community in Nebraska as former director of the Minden Chamber of Commerce and the Kearney County Economic Development Agency.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in horticulture therapy from Kansas State University and a master’s degree in organizational management with minors in entrepreneurship and economic development from Peru State College and is a graduate of the Heartland Institute of Economic Development. She is active in several advisory and resource groups, the PK Partnership, South Platte United Chambers of Commerce, Nebraska Economic Developers Association, Central & South West Nebraska Development Districts and past service on advisory councils including GROW Nebraska and the University of Nebraska at Kearney College of Business and Technology’s Center for Rural Research and Development.

Note on REAP’s microlending in Nebraska:

According to numbers provided by Jody Raskin, the SBA’s chief of Microenterprise Development Branch, REAP, based in Lyons, Neb., made 68 loans to small businesses in the state in 2011, the ninth-most loans of more than 150 microlenders in the country for the year. REAP’s effort contributed to $538 million in loans nationwide from SBA-affiliated microlenders.

The SBA’s microloan program, which began in 1992 to help start-ups and existing small businesses, has enjoyed a low overall default rate (around three percent) and has created or kept on payrolls more than 155,000 jobs. The SBA provides loan funding on generous terms to these community-focused non-profits who in turn lend up to $50,000 per project; often, loans are as small as a few hundred or few thousand dollars. More than 98 percent of the loans REAP made are to rural Nebraska small businesses, with an average loan amount of just over $9,000.

Note on SBA Lending in Nebraska: Since Oct. 1, nearly 260 SBA-backed loans for $82.2 million have been approved for small businesses in Nebraska, creating more than 900 new jobs and helping keep more than 3,500 jobs in the state.

This blog is brought to you by member Sher Marchman-Day of Day Dreams. Sher offers custom sewing and alterations, handmade gifts and crafts that are eco-friendly (green), repurposed and/or recycled materials.  She also provides fundraising bears (Aware Bears) to non-profit organizations for awareness raising events/efforts. Children’s Mental Health Awareness is one of her most passionate causes, as discussed in the blog below. Do you have information you would like to share on the GROW Nebraska blog? Learn about that and other benefits of GROW Nebraska benefits at www.grownebraska.org/benefits.

May is just days away and not only is it filled with our own family birthdays and Mother’s Day, it is a special month of the year dedicated for Children’s Mental Health Awareness.  Family organizations everywhere will be actively promoting statistics, events and awareness raising activities regarding children’s mental health and/or behavioral disorders.  This year the focus is not only on awareness of children’s mental health but a strong focus is putting an end to bullying. Click here for more information on the bullying prevention focus.

I have long been an advocate for children tapping into their creative abilities so today I thought I would share with you a few ways children can create something positive and meaningful; these projects are for children of all ages in groups, communities, within their families or with their BFF’s. What do crafts have to do with bullying and/or mental health awareness?  Children want and need to feel creative and see the products of their work and imagination.  They want and need to express themselves and through the simple application of art (and it can be Green Art) they can express several feelings at once.  They want and need approval of those in their lives; the simple act of making something with a child can help with   1) Self – Esteem  2) Self – Worth  3) Achievement 4) Accomplishment  5) Validation 6) Sharing time with others and more.

It’s easy to start a conversation on how to stop bullying or find out if your child is being bullied by working with a child on any of the crafts.  It’s a good time for talking and sharing. Approach the topic of bullying and see how much they share with you…perhaps more than you were aware of. It’s also a good way to get groups of youth together and start the conversation of bullying and how to stop it.  Action begins with sharing and talking about a topic that you want to see action taken with.  Take 30 minutes from your day to take action!

Learn to make your own recycled (seed) paper.
www.craft-project.com

Links to Crafts for Kids (with a nod from me for being Green & Creative!)

The Learning Channel – 16 Top Green Crafts to Do With Your Kids
A fun link to navigate to as it offers some great ideas including how to see what earth worms do for us!

Family Fun – Recycled Crafts for Kids to Do
My favorite on this page is the pin ball machine!  A little dangerous perhaps, but still fun!

The Zoo is Getting Crafty!
What a fabulous idea for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day!  A bird feeder made from recyclables!

20 Crafty Ways to Re-Use Plastic Bottles
You will be glad you navigated to this link!  The monster container is a must do.

You get the idea from the links I shared.  Any time is valuable time with your children or children in the community.  Get the talk started; get the bullying stopped.  A little time makes all the difference in their lives.

Wishing you heaps of inspiration!

Sher

Moblicate is a proud member of GROW Nebraska. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Contact us at info@grownebraska.org to learn how.

With the 2012 GROW Nebraska MarkeTECH conference now in the books I was excited to get back to work and apply some of the things that I learned.  One of my main goals was to get my hands around my social media and how to use it to promote my brand.  At the conference I learned a lot and got some validation that I was moving in the right direction with some things that I had already started.  When I got back I made sure to post on my social platforms, like some new friends on Facebook and give GROW big thanks on their page for putting on the event.

I learned that one of the main reasons to use social media is that the more stuff out there about you, the more Google likes you, and the more Google likes you the higher you get in the search rankings.  When you Google “Nebraska products” of course you find GROW right on the top.  They have had a site for over a decade and post stuff like mad to keep everyone up-to-date.

What really surprised me was when I put what I do with my city and state in the search bar for my business Moblicate.  Prior to joining GROW I had tried this and had to go through every result until page 7 where I found myself near the bottom.  I wasn’t too surprised.  I am a one-and-a-half person company.  That means I do almost everything and my corporate advisor, also known as my wife, pitches in when needed and keeps me moving in the right direction.  In addition to this, my company is very new.  We opened earlier this year and we are still knocking the dust off.  Imagine my surprise when I found myself in the #4 and #6 spots on the first page.  I then tried what I do and Nebraska in the search bar and found that I had the number 4, 5 and 6 spots.

It was great to find out that what I was doing was working.  The best part is that it didn’t take years or even much effort to accomplish.  I learned that being linked to well established sites that are linked to other well established sites makes you move up on Google faster than a four-year-old chasing a Snickers truck.  If you add in some postings on social media and some videos your listing can move as fast as the same four-year-old after eating a fistful of those Snickers from the truck that he caught.

So if you have not Googled your business lately give it a try, but make sure to include your city and or Nebraska in the search.  If you are not near the top try pumping up your social media posts or maybe putting a video of your product or location on YouTube.  After you have found your company and made your plan to move up, check out “mobile apps Nebraska”.   You will find me happily in spots 4, 5 and 6.

GROW Nebraska partner the Nebraska Department of Economic Development’s Division of Travel and Tourism has state national publications looking for some of the below story ideas. Did you know GROW Nebraska can help tourism businesses reach their full potential? Learn more at www.grownebraska.org/benefits.

A magazine is writing about indoor adventures for the winter and looking for Nebraska facilities or attractions to feature: things like indoor sports leagues, climbing walls, skate parks, golf, etc. Do you have a suggestion? If you know of any please send information to shannon.j.peterson@nebraska.gov.

They are also looking for new the “best new stuff” for another magazine, so if you know of attractions, restaurants and places to stay that are new or will be majorly revamped between January 2012 and January 2013, let them know at shannon.j.peterson@nebraska.gov.

And, if you have an idea for a great, untold story relating to tourism in Nebraska, send those ideas too!

Keep up on other media requests such as this on their Tourism Industry Facebook page. I encourage you to go www.facebook.com/NebraskaTourismIndustry, like the page, then check back occasionally for media requests. They also post articles, tourism events, social media and public relations tips, and other helpful items related to travel and tourism.

Thank you in advance for all your ideas!

Gov. Dave Heineman kicked off See Nebraska Week by announcing the 2012 Nebraska Passport program which promotes opportunities for summer travel across the state. The Governor declared May 5-12 as See Nebraska Week and highlighted vacation and travel options for travelers throughout Nebraska.

“The 2012 Passport’s 80 unique stops highlight many of the great attractions that make our state an exciting place to explore,” said Gov. Heineman. “Travelers will find that their lodging, dining and entertainment dollars go further in Nebraska. We encourage Nebraskans and those in surrounding states to get out and explore Nebraska this year.”

The 2012 Nebraska Passport program highlights destinations throughout the state. Travelers are encouraged to pick up a souvenir passport at one of 80 participating locations and collect stamps from each location visited to win prizes. Tourists who travel to the featured locations receive a stamp at each stop. At the end of the trip, visitors can send in a tear-out page from the passport. If visitors complete an interest tour, they get a Passport T-shirt. If visitors collect 25 stamps, they get a $25 GROW Nebraska gift card; and if visitors get 40 stamps, they receive a Canon Powershot digital camera. A grand-prize drawing for an Apple iPad will be held in October.

This is the third year of the passport program which began with 27 stops along the state’s scenic byways in 2010. In 2011, it expanded to 33 stops across the entire state. This year’s passport has expanded to 80 stops organized into 10 special interest tours: culinary, culture, family fun, festivals, golf, GROW Nebraska, parks, unique accommodations, water adventure and wineries.

The passport promotion highlights destinations including: 51st Annual Wilber Czech Fest, The The Prairie Club golf course in Valentine, Sehnert’s Bakery & Bieroc Cafe in McCook, Lake McConaughy Visitor/Water Interpretive Center in Ogallala, High Plains Homestead in Crawford, Pawnee Plunge Water Park in Columbus and Mac’s Creek Winery & Vineyards in Lexington. See a full list of participants here.

Other vacation options include historic attractions, opportunities to take in scenic views along scenic byways, waterways and recreational trails, tours of the state’s 25 wineries, local festivals and other special events, and farms and ranches offering hunting and other sporting opportunities. Nebraska’s eight state parks and 65 state recreation areas provide additional opportunities for outdoor activities.

The tourism and travel industry has an important economic impact on the state. According to the U.S. Travel Association, tourism is the third largest revenue producer behind agriculture and manufacturing, and generates more than $4 billion a year. Total travel expenditures in Nebraska have increased by more than $2.4 billion from 1990 to 2011.

According to the Division of Tourism, in 2011, tourism accounted for more than 45,600 jobs statewide in areas including bed and breakfast owners, outfitters that provide canoeing and kayaking along the Niobrara River, taxi drivers, hotel employees, and people who work at attractions around the state from Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo to Minden’s Pioneer Village.

Nebraska remains one of the most cost-effective destinations in the nation for travelers. Interactive maps, road trip ideas, trip planners and more are available online at VisitNebraska.gov. Travelers can find out more about the 2012 Passport at www.nebraskapassport.com and connect with Nebraska Tourism through the Visit Nebraska Facebook page at www.facebook.com/visitnebraska, on Twitter @NebraskaTourism and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/nebraskatourism.

GROW Nebraska member Lakota Crafter’s Cooperative helps artists and crafters to make a life-enhancing wage through traditional Native American and contemporary items. Their organization is trying to raise funds to be able to provide their ‘Home Garden Boxes’ again this spring to Lakota families and communities. A Home Garden Box contains a variety of vegetable plants, flowers, seeds and other useful items (like fertilizer, printed information, etc.) to assist families to start their own garden. Their goal this year is 100 boxes sponsored at $40 each (or $4,000 total raised).  If you can help, thanks in advance very much.  A $100 donation will supply 3 Lakota families with boxes.

The group is also working on a gathering to assist in helping the Lakota community. Lakota Hope Ministry (formerly known as the ABOUT group) will draw together local leaders and Association of Gospel Rescue Missions (AGRM) representatives to brainstorm solutions to critical community issues. The May 5 lunch gathering will be at its Lakota Hope Center/Green Tipi Gardens site in Whiteclay.

“The purpose of the gathering is to bring together local, state and tribal officials and civic leaders who have an interest in seeing the deplorable human and street conditions in Whiteclay resolved,” said Bruce BonFleur, Lakota Hope Ministry Director. “AGRM national and regional officials, who will tour the Pine Ridge Reservation and Whiteclay, will help evaluate the local level of support and commitment and provide valuable input to help make these important changes reality.”

AGRM, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the nation’s oldest and largest Christian-based rescue mission association. More than 200 rescue missions across America are affiliated with the organization.

“AGRM members have an incredible record of success in literally saving the addicted, the homeless, the destitute and the hopeless from some of the worst street situations you can imagine—places just like Whiteclay,” BonFleur said. “In fact, AGRM’s particular ‘ministry of hospitality’ model remains among the most effective methods of saving such people and even developing some of them into responsible workers and staff counselors.”

Lakota Hope and other ministries have been working for eight years to help improve local citizens’ lives, BonFleur said. He hopes that the meeting with AGRM representatives and political leaders, law enforcement officers, health and social service agents, and area pastors will significantly boost these efforts and propel the community and its people toward genuine change.

“All of the protests, politicizing and procrastinating have done nearly nothing to alleviate the human suffering that has existed here too long,” BonFleur said. “We believe that it is still possible in this country for a group of concerned and committed people—those in decision-making positions—to come together in a positive atmosphere and solve anything—even a situation like Whiteclay. And with God’s help, it will be done!”

For more information about AGRM or Lakota Hope Ministry, visit their websites at www.agrm.org and www.lakotahope.org.  Persons interested in becoming involved may contact BonFleur at 308.862.4555.

Help support this great organization by donating through their newly-added donations tab on their web site.