In an exciting development for rural communities, the Rural Grocery Store Learning Cohort is set to double in size following a successful pilot phase. This initiative, a joint venture of the Center for Rural Affairs, University of Nebraska Cooperative Development Center, and UNL Rural Prosperity Nebraska, is designed to support rural grocery store owners through education, networking, and financial assistance.
Targeting rural grocery store owners, managers, and board members, the six-month program provides online skill-building sessions, opportunities for networking, and avenues for financial support. A significant incentive is offered to participants who complete half of the educational sessions: a grant of $10,000 or more to invest back into their grocery operations.
The program’s curriculum, developed by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Development Center, comprises eight to nine Zoom sessions. These sessions cover various topics, including financial management, strategies for profitability, management optimization, marketing, and community engagement.
The initiative arose after a legislative setback in 2024, when a bill proposing grants for rural grocery stores did not pass. This prompted the founding organizations to explore innovative solutions to maintain food access in rural Nebraska. They pondered, “How can we creatively address those challenges to ensure that our citizens in Nebraska have access to the foods that they need to be able to stay in these spaces?”
Deborah Solie, a senior project associate at the Center for Rural Affairs, emphasized the importance of this initiative. Speaking to Nebraska FARMcast, she highlighted the goal of forming a network for rural grocers to facilitate learning, communication, and mutual support in overcoming shared challenges.
