Connecting Assets to Priorities This is the slide that introduces the session topic. Have this slide up when participants arrive. Time: 1 minute Connecting Assets to Priorities Identifying and Using Local Assets to Support Your Plan

Outline of Session Topics USDA Programs Related to this Priority Community Capitals Framework Community Assets 1 2 Briefly outline the topics to be covered in this session. Overview of USDA programs related to this USDA Ag & Rural Prosperity priority Explain the components of the community capitals framework Assess the assets locally available to support the priority Time: 2 minutes 3

Connecting Priorities to Assets: A Crucial Step in Selecting Your Goals Opportunities Assets in the Region Goals to Pursue Identifying the local assets to address the selected priorities is important. Thinking through these at the beginning may help launching an initiative much easier. This can also help identify projects that have the most support vs. ones where extra effort will be needed to gain the needed resources. All in all, having a good understanding of the breadth of assets can be a valuable way to determine which opportunities could be pursued more quickly and which ones may take more time as you develop a stronger base of assets. Time: 2 minutes

USDA Overview This slide is a transition point to allow USDA staff to share programs relevant to this priority. Time: 1 minute

Overview of Resources USDA Resources: Rural Development (RD) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Insert slides from USDA if available OR simply turn over to the representative leading this section and use this slide as the backdrop. If you use this slide, be sure to update this slide prior to the session with the federal agencies and other funding agencies in the room. Help them keep time for the session Time: 30 minutes Materials: Timekeeping signs: 5 minutes, 1 minutes, time over Additional note: Encourage agencies to bring materials to share at a table that participants can browse at their leisure.

Community Capitals Framework This is a section divider to signal transition to the next topic. Time: 1 minute

Seven Community Capitals The Community Capitals Framework helps uncover an even wider array of assets that might be available in the community by focusing attention on SEVEN types of capitals, or assets, that can be invested in the community. Strong and resilient communities are ones that have worked to build these seven community capitals. The diagram shows the seven components: Natural, Cultural, Human, Social, Political, Financial and Built. Distribute the Seven Community Capitals overview handout, and have participants follow along as you briefly discuss the different capitals. Briefly define the capitals and ensure that all have a good understanding before moving forward. Let the group know that it’s important to keep the strengths and limitations of the various community capitals in mind when determining the opportunities or goals the community hopes to pursue. Handout: Seven Community Capitals Time: 10 minutes Sources: Flora and Flora (2008); Flora, Flora and Fey (2004); Jacobs (2011a, 2011b, 2011c, 2011d); Flage and Hauser-Lindstrom (2007); Emory, Fey and Flora (2006).

Community Assets: What Is Available Related to this Priority? Distribute the handout: Seven Community Capitals Map Have each person work on identifying the community capital assets available in the community that can assist in addressing the identified priority. If people are working in the same community, they are welcome to work together. Handout: Seven Community Capitals Map Time: 20 minutes .

Debrief What is one unique asset you considered? What new insights did you gain from this process? Ask participants to reflect on their map and identify the 2-3 most unique or “ah ha” assets they mapped. What was an asset they hadn’t considered before? Quickly get these responses and chart on a flipchart. These may inspire others to consider missing assets from their communities. Finally, ask what new insights were gained from the process. If this is the: First of two asset mapping breakouts, tell individuals that they will be repeating this process for their second priority in the next session. Tell them to take this one along and watch for overlaps between the two maps. Second of two asset mapping breakouts, ask if they saw any interesting overlaps between the two priority asset maps. Time: 10 minutes

Questions and Discussion Be sure to tell participants to bring these handouts with them for the remaining Summit sessions as work will build on these throughout the process.