Regards 2 Rural 2026

Rural Development Initiatives (RDI)’s 14th bi-annual Regards 2 Rural conference was last week, from March 15-17, 2026! Over 350 attendees from across the PNW were able to get together at the Riverhouse Lodge in Bend, Oregon. This event initiated important conversations about rural issues, the best ways to address them, and promoted networking among countless foundations, nonprofits, tribal members, and organizations working to support rural communities.

Photo by: Memory Lane Photography, K’Lynn Lane

A fun addition this year was the mobile tours offered on March 15. RDI collaborated with two other conferences in Bend, which happened to each have one overlapping day. Some attendees from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition conferences joined us on tour buses to nearby towns like Prineville, OR and Sisters, OR. In Sisters, we were able to meet and hear from two producers, Seed to Table and Lazy Z Ranch Wines, about what they do, the difficulties they’ve dealt with, and how they operate their businesses. In Prineville, the tour showed the numerous massive data centers in the area and explained how the town has shifted away from timber and into a data center hub.

The next two days consisted of various panels, presentations, and networking opportunities. We were able to hear from the Smithsonian Institution’s founding director of the Smithsonian's Rural Initiative, various community members who led a Community Heart & Soul process in their towns, Energy Trust of Oregon about incentives and why equitable energy and appliance reliability is important, The Ford Family Foundation, The Roundhouse Foundation, RDI board members, and many more amazing organizations and knowledgeable individuals.