The USDA has announced Rural Business Opportunity grants of up to $250,000 to support economic development in local and regional economies around food, energy and natural resources.  The projects are expected to represent a collaboration within a self-defined region of a wide range of institutions and organizations.  The Federal Register notice is attached but to save you some time, the key areas of interest to be supported include:

1.  Local and regional food systems
that encourage agriculture and related
industries in new wealth creation—

What happens when an irresistible force meets an unmovable object? 
What happens to the status quo when millions of people, one by one,
post their views, share their experiences, and cast their votes via
forums and exchanges on the Internet?  Barack Obama is elected
president, climate change becomes a universal concern, and Susan Boyle,
previously unknown, gains global stardom overnight.  Who would have
thought such outcomes were possible in light of conventional wisdom to
the contrary?  Yet, these illustrate the power people have through

The book Ripples from the Zambezi by Ernesto Sirolli keeps coming to my mind with all the discussion about our economy.