Russians tour city for economic development ideas

By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET — A group of 10 Russian visitors, part of Bryant University’s Community Connections program, toured Pawtucket last week to learn more about farmer’s markets, mill re-use and other economic development concepts.

Actually, it is agricultural economic development that the foreign visitors were interested in. While an urban city like Pawtucket wouldn’t seem to have much to offer to students of agriculture, the recent successes of its two farmers markets, along with its numerous mill transformations and local tourist attractions such as Slater Mill and the Blackstone River, provided valuable lessons.
Ilacqua Joseph, an economics professor at Bryant University, said the school has offered the Community Connections program since 2000. It is sponsored by grant money obtained through the U.S. Agency for International Development (US AID).
Joseph, who is involved in the program, said that among the group are two mayors, three farmers, and some business people who are involved in rural economic development. The visitors are living with private host families and will be visiting the New England area for three weeks. Despite most of the visitors speaking little or no English, they are traveling with translators who relay the information to them in their native language. 
The visitors are all from Stavropol Krai, a rural farming region in the southwest corner of Russia that is surrounded by mountains and mineral springs. Soil for farming is very fertile in the valley, but with unemployment at about 13 percent, many residents have moved to the cities.  The purpose of the program is to provide ideas on promoting rural economic development through grants and other funding sources and with activities that combine agriculture with tourism and entertainment.
Joseph said that while in Rhode Island, the group had visited Providence and viewed a “Waterfire” event, and had met with officials from the Rhode Island Livestock Association and the Rhody Fresh Dairy operation.  In Pawtucket, they heard about the farmer’s markets, toured Slater Mill and watched a video presentation from the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council that shows how tourism can be linked with a natural resource like the Blackstone River corridor.
Herb Weiss, the city’s Economic and Cultural Affairs Officer, spoke to the group about Pawtucket’s success in finding new uses for its many abandoned mill buildings as living space and artists studios. He also pointed out the importance of capitalizing on tourist attractions which already exist in a local area, such as Slater Mill and the Pawtucket Red Sox and McCoy Stadium. He gave each of the Russian visitors a Paw Sox baseball that had been signed by Pawtucket Mayor James E. Doyle as a souvenir.
Barney Heath, assistant Planning Director, outlined the phenomenal success of the city’s wintertime farmers’ market that had been held inside at the Hope Artiste Village. He spoke of how the city has begun a summertime version held outdoors next to Slater Mill on Main Street that is also drawing large crowds. He also mentioned how “cross marketing” can be used to draw visitors from one event such as this to other cultural attractions and eateries in the downtown area.
“All of this was very interesting to them,” said Joseph. He noted that there are many efforts going on in Russia now to privatize the large collective farms that existed for so long.  “The idea of buying local and selling local was of particular interest to them. They are excited about the idea of eliminating the ‘middle man,” he said.
Joseph said the program helps the participants to develop plans of action that they can take back with them and implement. “Hopefully, when they get home, they can change something they are doing in the economy in their community,” he said.
In addition to seminars and cultural events that promote economic development, Joseph said the group has also been made aware of places like Amos House and Job Corps that show community involvement in people’s well being.
Gerard Bertrand, executive director of the Rhode Island Rural Development Council, said that Pawtucket was chosen as a place to bring the Russian visitors because the city has “embraced the idea of farmers markets as well as the cultural and artisan concepts that give life and healthy foods to the city residents.” He added, “We applaud the commitment of Pawtucket to these ventures and wish them continued growth and success for local businesses.”
Bertrand said that the group had made a stop at Salisbury Farms, where they saw people picking strawberries, and then taking them to be weighed and paying the farmer for the strawberries they had just picked. “They were very amused at the concept of ‘pick your own,” said Bertrand. “They said, in Russia, we must pay people to come to the farms to pick our vegetables before they spoil!”
Bertrand added that the group was similarly impressed with members of the Rhode Island Livestock Association who not only sell meats at the farmers markets, but also offer locally produced food and dairy products from their farms. He said the Russian visitors remarked on how a number of the Livestock Association members had coolers on the premises featuring such items as Rhody Fresh Milk, eggs from their free range chickens, and freshly prepared and frozen chickens from the farm.