A large crowd of people of all ages gathered around food trucks in a parking lot at a rural community event, with a bouncy house on the left and trees and open sky in the background.

20 good things about being rural

ByBecky McCray

At the 2023 Rural Renewal Symposium, Dr. Mark Felts from East Central University in Oklahoma led a session called Rurality as an Asset. That word “rurality” is just the academic way of saying “being rural.” 

He was inspired by hearing a news interviewer ask a state official, “What’s the elevator pitch for young professionals to move to Oklahoma?” and the official answered, “We’re getting better.” 

Dr. Felts said, “We need a better elevator speech.” So he made up this exercise and used it at the symposium:

Make a list of assets that make a place rural. Assets, or good things. 

We came up with a list that included nature access, interconnectedness, safety, local living, and slower pace. In all, we came up with 20 different assets of rural places that would make for a better elevator speech than just “we’re getting better.” 

You can make a similar list in your town. You’ll never think of all of them on your own, so use Dr. Felts’ exercise at an event or with a group. Then use these assets as your elevator pitch when you talk to young people, or newcomers or someone considering moving. 

And ask them what they would add to the list! 

If you want help to take these asset lists and expand them into telling your story, Deb walks you through that in our free video, Rural People and Place with Melody Warnick.