By: Melody Fagelogo and Adwoa Kankam
July 23, 2025
“Sustainable Economic Development can be accomplished through clearly understanding the needs of the region and clearly communicating those needs effectively”
– Merilyn Crewe
This summer, the Rural Development Institute (RDI) offered us the opportunity to work as Summer Interns on various community projects, and we were privileged to be contribute to the Small Towns, Big Stories Podcast series that explored how rural communities are embracing emerging technologies, utilizing data more effectively, and building local capacity to drive innovative community development. This storytelling series highlights the voices of community leaders across southwestern Manitoba. Engaging with Economic Development Officers, agricultural experts, and dedicated volunteers offered us unique insights into how community leaders are contributing to the growth and resilience of their communities. We recorded on-site in Neepawa, met guests in Brandon, and conducted virtual interviews, allowing us to capture authentic, on-the-ground stories. This series is comprised of seven episodes; each promises to offer a unique perspective on how rural Manitobans are using technology and data to shape their futures.
Photos captured during the Visit to Russ Edwards School of Agriculture and Environment at the Assiniboine College in Brandon, Manitoba (Image 1 from left to right: Nicole Breedon, Adwoa Kankam, Melody Fagelogo)
The Small Towns, Big Stories Podcast plays a vital role in knowledge mobilization by transforming local insights and lived experiences into accessible, shareable content that can inform, inspire, and influence broader audiences. By capturing first-hand accounts, the series turns practical, place-based knowledge into a resource that researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and community members can learn from and apply within their contexts.
The process of recording the podcast series revealed how resilient rural communities are; hence, through storytelling, the project aspires to bridge the gap between academic research, community practice, and inform future policy development. This conversational approach is both engaging and easy to access, encouraging critical understandings around rural innovation, data use, technology adoption, and capacity building. By highlighting what’s working on the ground in southwestern Manitoba, the Small Towns, Big Stories Podcast becomes a valuable tool for sparking dialogue, shaping decisions, and supporting the broader goals of rural revitalization, not just in Manitoba, but in small communities across Canada and beyond.
What makes the Small Towns, Big Stories Podcast unique is the way it combines storytelling, technology, and hands-on collaboration to produce and share meaningful rural narratives. As first-time podcast creators, our team has taken full ownership of the production process; including organization, recording and editing – thus demonstrating a grassroots, do-it-yourself approach to digital storytelling. Each team member is responsible for managing two full episodes, including show notes, content editing, and quality control, ensuring a personalized and diverse perspective throughout the series. We have embraced accessible tools and platforms to enhance both the production and distribution of the series. All audio editing is being done using the Descript audio editing platform to allow us to shape each episode with precision and creativity.
The final episodes will be published on open access streaming platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Audible, increasing visibility and accessibility to a wide audience. Additionally, we are exploring the creation of a scannable barcode that can link directly to the podcast – a simple yet effective way to mobilize knowledge and engage listeners in public and professional spaces. To keep our ideas organized and focused, we also developed a custom storyboard sheet, which has helped us structure episodes, track themes, and stay aligned with our storytelling goals. As an addition to these episodes, the podcast production team will be collaborating with RDI Director – Dr. Wayne Kelly – and other invited guests to produce a reflective episode following the conference. This episode will allow the team to explore the complexities of podcast production, and various emerging themes that arose during each episode.
As we look ahead, the Small Towns, Big Stories is entering an exciting stage of post-production and public sharing. Each team member will take the lead in finalizing their assigned episodes as we gear up for the official release. We plan to release trailers for each episode ahead of the CRRF conference, with release dates to be determined by the production team. Stay tuned for the launch of the Podcast series trailer, followed by the full series rollout. We hope the voices captured in these conversations will carry messages that resonate deeply, sparking reflection, dialogue, and action within and beyond rural communities. Ultimately, we seek to make the Small Towns, Big Stories Podcast more than just a podcast; it will be a platform for rural voices, a showcase of innovation, and a meaningful contribution to the national conversation on rural revitalization.
This podcast series was produced in accompaniment with the 2025 Canadian Rural Revitalization Conference (see the CRRF website here) – hosted by Brandon University and supported by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council.