About The Mississippi River Hills
Association
The
MISSISSIPPI RIVER HILLS
is a distinct ecological
region (darker area on map) surrounding a scenic section of the
Mississippi River. An association comprised of food producers,
wineries and vineyards, local governments, artists, and other
stakeholders are working together to develop a regional identity,
and to use that identity to expand and market the products of this
region. This unique approach combines support to small-scale
entrepreneurs with a “buy local” philosophy and European-style
appellations (literally, “the name of the place,”). We like to say
that the project is like great art – we can’t always describe it
neatly, but we know what it is.
Beginnings
The region began organizing
as the pilot of the Missouri Regional Cuisines Project (MRCP) in
2005. The MRCP, founded by Dr. Elizabeth Barham at the University
of Missouri, seeks to market Missouri wine and food products using
distinct labels of origin based on ecological regions of the state. Labels of origin have been
used for centuries in European countries to identify food and wine
products based on the region in which they are produced -- allowing
the consumer to distinguish among the unique tastes and attributes
of products from different areas. This identification of Missouri
products will mean greater recognition and economic opportunities
for our state's food producers, tourism industry, and rural
communities.
Late in 2005, the regional
group, which was comprised of Extension personnel and regional
stakeholders, applied to what is now the ExCEED program at the
University of Missouri. The region was accepted in to the first
year’s cohort group of five regions. ExCEED
uses “multi-disciplinary and geographically based
teams to facilitate entrepreneurship as a rural economic development
strategy in selected communities throughout Missouri.” With the
ExCEED designation came a grant – a perk no longer available to new
ExCEED communities – that funded the start-up of the Mississippi
River Hills Association.
Regional participants
formed the Mississippi River Hills Association (MRHA) in March of
2007. They have received their state tax-exempt status and are
working on incorporating as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation.
The Mississippi River Hills Association has been incubated at a
University of Missouri Extension office, which provides office space
and other forms of support. Through the initial ExCEED grant, a
part-time coordinator was secured to manage the day-to-day
operations of the MRHA. A board of directors oversees the continued
development of the project. The board consists of two
representatives from each of the six counties and two
representatives from each of the six identified stakeholder groups.
Those stakeholders are identified as artisans, hospitality and
tourism, local governments, food producers, retailers of locally
produced goods, and wineries and vineyards. A team of Extension
faculty provides technical assistance, and works closely with the
MRHA board on developing and providing resources and educational
programs to the regional stakeholders.
Underpinnings
Vision
The MISSISSIPPI RIVER HILLS
ASSOCIATION strives to enhance the economic, cultural, historical,
and educational value of the region.
Purpose
The MISSISSIPPI RIVER HILLS
ASSOCIATION (MRHA) works to promote, protect, enhance and market the
agricultural products, foods, wines, arts, crafts, sites and
services within the region.
Core Values
1.
Preserving and protecting our unique regional identity
2.
Honoring regional customs, culture, and traditions
3.
Strengthening the regional economy by supporting entrepreneurship,
agriculture, and by developing
rural and specialty tourism markets
4.
Promoting conservation of the environment
5.
Preserving and sharing the beauty and history of the region’s
natural and agricultural landscapes
6.
Sharing information and resources locally and with other regions
Long-Term
Goals
-
Increase
regional cooperation & communication
-
Change the views of economic
development to one that encourages and supports entrepreneurship
-
Increase viable career opportunities
for youth
-
Increase the number of successful
entrepreneurs
-
Increase the amount of visitors and
tourists, and of repeat visitors
-
Encourage research that will benefit
the region
-
Increase the number and quality of
economic relationships between producers, retailers, and
consumers.
Board of
Directors
The MRHA is governed by a board of
directors, elected by the membership, that represent each of the six
counties and each of the identified stakeholder groups.
Current board members are:
|
Steve Frye, President
Octavia Scharenborg, Vice-President
Brenda Carrow, Secretary / Treasurer
Steve Baetje
Debbie Baker
Elmer Bollinger
Julie Bricknell
Sara Drost
Bob Eckenfels |
Jeff Hutson
Jennifer Johnson
Keith
Kinkade
Lynda Lorenz
Judy McGee
Teresa Meier
Quantella Anderson Noto
Kenny Wilson |
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