Academic Affairs Blog

Our Final Day in Alnwick

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The SCSU Delegation

On our last day in Alnwick, we had additional opportunity to visit with area residents and proprietors to witness how they have used creativity and ingenuity to adapt to economic challenges. The proprietors of Doxford Farm, a 500 acre working farm situated amidst an unspoiled wooded countryside, shared with us how they converted workers cottages to be accommodations for visitors in the area. In our conversations, owner Sarah Shell shared with us how they have been impacted by local changes, including the development of the Alnwick Gardens and the tourism to the Alnwick Castle. Her generosity in opening her home, business and insights to us gave us new perspectives regarding the challenges to effectively engaging community members when developing new ventures.

As a delegation, we spent the remainder of our time in Alnwick capturing some final glimpses of the area and processing our observations thus far. While we will need time to further digest the many wonderful experiences here, several lessons are immediately clear:

• The incredible opportunity available to us in St. Cloud due to the richness of our social and physical assets;
  
• The presence of multiple models of sustainability and economic growth and development; and
  
• The importance of involving the community in all aspects of change.
  

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