Economic Development

  • Exeter NH waterfront

Strengthening Local and Regional Economies


Cooperative Extension helps to strengthen local and regional economies by providing communities and organizations with programs and educational resources aimed at growing and sustaining existing businesses, cultivating an entrepreneurial ecosystem, enhancing Main Street, supporting diverse housing, enhancing the quality of life, and building community vibrancy. 


Business Retention and Engagement

Building the local economy by identifying and addressing the needs, challenges and opportunities of business.

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Business and Entrepreneurship

Bringing best practices and guidance for steps that communities can take to become friendly to entrepreneurs and innovators.

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Owners of Burnt Timber Tavern

Main Street Revitalization & Resiliency

Innovative programs for local leadership to look at assets, create a vision and focus on strengthening place. 

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Studley's Florist in Rochester NH

Workforce Development

Research and programs that bring to light workforce needs and opportunities within communities. 

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Articles

Practical Strategies for Community Organizations with Limited Evaluation Resources
Many community-serving organizations struggle to capture the impacts of their work. Reasons include the lack of a formal system or structure by which ... Learn More
Market System Development is a sector-focused approach, aiming to grow targeted industries by addressing the challenges that the industry is facing. E... Learn More
Individuals from over twenty groups, organizations, and municipalities from the greater Franklin-Northfield-Tilton “Foothills” region of New Hampshire... Learn More
Derek Ferland, Sullivan County Manager and Becky Levy, Extension's Community & Economic Development Field Specialist in Sullivan County joined Steve S... Learn More
An Interview with Jen Hunter of the Plymouth Family Resource Center
Municipalities are often on the front lines. Over the past year, we have heard that one of the most difficult challenges for towns is to meet the need... Learn More
Many communities in New Hampshire have traditional downtowns or village centers; places that are the heart of the city or town. These areas are define... Learn More

Resources

A vibrant community relies on several key components, including economic vitality, community health, natural resources and recreation, community engag... Learn More
Many communities have trails in close proximity to their downtowns/village centers/business districts. We share the opportunities and challenges of wo... Learn More
Over a series of months, we worked with the Hopkinton, New Hampshire community on how to better connect its trails with its business center, the Villa... Learn More
The town of Antrim, New Hampshire conducted a two-day community visioning session on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14, 2023. The forum utilized... Learn More
Cultivating Farm Experiences is a four-part Zoom webinar series that examines agritourism. Each session focuses on the different aspects of incorporat... Learn More
A story map is a web map that combines mapping with text, photos, multimedia and functionality to generate a stand-alone resource. Story maps use geog... Learn More