Luverne: Home of the VIP

Since the summer of 1999, the people of Luverne have been exploring ways to strengthen their community. Through the Blandin Community Investment Partnership (BCIP) process of priority setting, resource inventory, and implementation planning, the VIP (vision, involvement, promise) project has emerged. A commitment to the youth and land of this rural town, VIP project components include a visionary plan, the involvement of energized citizens, and the promise of a hopeful, secure future. VIP encompasses the indomitable spirit of the landscape.

Luverne residents have creatively combined their needs and assets in a plan for:

* environmental and economic resurgence,
* a prairie education center,
* development of youth leadership programs and
* expanded childcare services.

According to Dave Smith, the director of the Luverne Chamber of Commerce, “The BCIP process has created community buy-in and provided a resounding ‘yes’ for the priorities the people of Luverne have chosen.”

Prairie Spirit, Let it Grow!

The prairie is the focus of a major effort underway to reclaim and restore native vegetation to this area. The picturesque image of a prairie, a golden sway of grasses and brightly colored flowers, is soon to become the reality for this hopeful town. In conjunction with the United States Fish and Wildlife Department the VIP project participants will return hundreds of acres to their origins. Ambitious planners would like to expand a local bison ranch, allowing the buffalo to roam wild through restored prairie.

While the need for ecological balance drives these plans, economic development and expansion are also community priorities addressed in the VIP project. How do native plants connect to economics? They link through the desire people have to experience wilderness and learn more about the land. In other words, the connection is tourism.

The Jim Brandenburg Photography Gallery is a unique resource located in Luverne. World-renowned for his nature photography, Brandenburg’s gallery draws many admirers. The Chamber of Commerce, which owns the gallery, thinks it can draw even more attention when paired with the attraction of a native prairie.

In downtown Luverne, next to the gallery, the Prairie Learning Center will be a place for:

* nature displays,
* speakers and
* presentations.

All of the proceeds from the gallery support prairie projects like land acquisition, publicity efforts, and an interpretive bike path.

While these investments will create a healthier environment and boost the economy, the people of Luverne have envisioned an even bigger goal: solid support for young people. They hope to develop a place to help working parents cope with busy schedules through increased childcare hours. During these expanded times, high school peer helpers and senior citizens will work together to provide a learning environment for children in a community web that supports families.

Youth Will Lead the Way

In many aspects, youth are an integral part of creating and sustaining this web. A leadership program designed to build character and empower people has a program director and twenty young people involved. Youth development will also be fostered through participation in seasonal seminars, designed to help people develop skills to implement their dreams and guide the community into the future.

Spirit of the Prairie

The community goals of environmental stewardship and development of young leaders intersect inthe Spirit of the Prairie, an innovative and experiential project based in the schools. Next to the high school in Luverne there are eleven acres of land that, with the help of the students, will be returned to native prairie. Each first grader will receive a “prairie plot” for which he or she is responsible. Throughout the students’ school years in Luverne, each person will plant and nurture this land, reclaiming its fertile roots.

Along with being a potentially profound experience in shaping young people’s respect for the natural world, these plots will provide entrepreneurial opportunities. Native prairie plant seeds are in demand by people who would like to populate backyards with prairie leaves and flowers. Luverne students will be able to sell the seeds from their plots and contribute to a scholarship or community assistance fund. The youth are truly involved in developing the vision of a healthier Luverne, vitally contributing to the VIP project.

Long-term Commitment

Luverne community members have seen positive results from the skills acquired through Blandin leadership training and sharing stories and strategies with other communities. The challenge, Dave Smith explains, is “to sustain the priorities over the long run and provide tangible results.” Luverne is populated with many generous and committed people, demonstrated by the over 125 service organizations in the area. The people are willing to put time, money, and good faith into the resurgence of the prairie spirit in their community.