In particular, this relates to rural depopulation and the skills of the people remaining within the community. The lack of value-added raises a very interesting question about the development of the rural communities and citizen awareness and education, as well some of the government policies on both sides of the border with respect to exports. This is a concern that relates to rural communities as well as the productivity of agriculture and the skills of the individual. Local attitude was identified as a stressor by survey respondents. This is very important on the Great Plains because it determines what happens at the grassroots level.
Local attitude can be negative, but it can also have a very positive influence.
One example of positive local attitude is Country Lane Candles, a small company in southern Manitoba. Before developing the business, the owners had taken a good look at the resources and opportunities available to them. They came up with the idea of using what was considered waste streams from some of the other industries in the area and channeled it into a lucrative business opportunity. They use corn stalks to heat a boiler that is fed water from a nearby creek. This heated water is used to melt beeswax, which is then converted into designer candles.