Targeting population and business growth in rural PEI

Central Bedeque, PE – The growth of rural communities comes in large part through population and business development. Since 1995, the Central Development Corporation (CDC) has been dedicated to working with communities and business to grow a stronger economy in central Prince Edward Island. Now, the CDC is building on its work by implementing the Welcoming Communities Program, a project designed to attract and retain newcomers to rural PEI and by introducing the Community Capacity Fund, an initiative that supports the delivery of consulting and strategic planning services to rural not-for-profit organizations.

 

Today, the Honourable Wayne Easter, Member of Parliament for Malpeque, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), along with the Honourable Pat Murphy, PEI Minister of Rural and Regional Development, announced more than $200,000 to support these two projects.

 

This investment builds on commitments made by the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic provinces to drive economic growth in the region through the Atlantic Growth Strategy, by supporting strategic initiatives and organizations that encourage rural development and immigration.

 

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.