RF Buche, CEO and President of GF Buche Co.

RF Buche is the CEO and President of GF Buche Co. since 2000. GF Buche Co. was established in 1905 in Lake Andes, SD by RF’s great grandfather. RF is a 4^th generation grocer. He has had the passion for the grocery business since he snuck out of the house at the age of four years old in blizzard like conditions just to walk to the store to be at work with his dad. RF has been working in the stores at every level ever since.

GF Buche Co. core focus is “supporting their local communities by winning at retail!” To accomplish this, GF Buche Co lives their core values of being the best in customer service, being growth orientated, being adaptive and always doing the right thing!

RF Buche owns and operates grocery, convenience, fast food, hardware, and auto parts stores in 23 locations in 12 different communities spread throughout South Dakota. The Buche Company employs approximately 450 team members and is planning for more growth.

In 1992, RF graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD where he also played football for the Yellow Jackets. During his professional career, Buche has been involved with most of his location’s chamber of commerce and other community events. RF Buche has served on the board of directors for the National Grocer’s Association. He currently serves on the board of South Dakota Retailers as past president. He and his wife Tammi have four children named Molly, Shannon, Gus and Gracie and one great grandchild, Tate. Gus is only 13 years old, but with having the founder’s namesake, RF is hoping he will be a 5^th generation grocer.

Stacy Mitchell, Co-Executive Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Stacy Mitchell is Co-Executive Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), a national research and advocacy organization that fights corporate control and works to build thriving, equitable communities.

Stacy founded and directs ILSR’s Independent Business Initiative, which has done pioneering research and reporting on the importance of locally owned businesses and the public policies driving their decline. Stacy has written extensively about the dangers of concentrated economic power and her articles and reports have influenced lawmakers, journalists, and advocates. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Nation, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. She’s the author of a book, Big-Box Swindle, and several influential reports, including “Walmart’s Monopolization of Local Grocery Markets,” “Amazon’s Stranglehold,” and “Monopoly Power and the Decline of Small Business.”

As an advisor to policymakers and grassroots organizations, Mitchell has developed and helped enact city, state, and federal policies that level the playing field for independent businesses and strengthen communities. In 2020, she was profiled by the New York Times for her analysis of Amazon’s power and her leadership in building a broad coalition to challenge it.

Mitchell has presented at many conferences and, in 2012, gave a popular TEDx talk on “Why We Can’t Shop Our Way to a Better Economy.”

In addition to her work at ILSR, Mitchell serves on the board of the Maine Center for Economic Policy. She lives in Portland, Maine.

Dee Davis, Founder and President of the Center for Rural Strategies

Dee Davis is the founder and president of the Center for Rural Strategies. Dee has helped design and lead national public information campaigns on topics as diverse as commercial television programming and federal banking policy.

Dee began his media career in 1973 as a trainee at Appalshop, an arts and cultural center devoted to exploring Appalachian life and social issues in Whitesburg, Kentucky. As Appalshop's executive producer, the organization created more than 50 public TV documentaries, established a media training program for Appalachian youth, and launched initiatives that use media as a strategic tool in organization and development.

Dee is the chair of the National Rural Assembly steering committee; he is a member of the Rural Advisory Committee of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Fund for Innovative Television, and Feral Arts of Brisbane, Australia. He is also a member of the Institute for Rural Journalism’s national advisory board. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Institute for Work and the Economy. Dee is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship. Dee is also the former Chair of the board of directors of Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation.

Rural Access Distribution Cooperative

The Rural Access Distribution (RAD) Cooperative is a shared service cooperative that formed to address the challenge rural grocery stores face in procuring a good selection of products at affordable prices. The pilot project, based in Walsh County, North Dakota, allows for collective wholesale purchasing between three grocery stores, one restaurant, and a community development organization from five communities. A larger store serves as the centralized redistribution hub for the other co-op members. Upcoming projects include the incorporation of online purchasing and two satellite distribution locations that utilize climate controlled lockers. If successful, the RAD Co-op could be a model for other rural communities.

RAD Co-op Speakers:

Lori Capouch, Rural Development Director for the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives

Lori Capouch is a development professional who leads rural people through the grassroots development process, empowering them to create the businesses they desire in their communities. She is the rural development director for the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) where she oversees the Rural Electric and Telecommunications Development Center located in Mandan, North Dakota.

To compliment her development work with NDAREC, Lori provides administrative services to the Rural Development Finance Corporation and the North Dakota Rural Electric Cooperative Foundation. She serves as secretary/treasurer for Dakotas America, LLC's governing board and on the North Dakota Consensus Council board of directors.

Jenna Gullickson, owner of Hoople Grocery

Jenna Gullickson is the owner of Hoople Grocery in Hoople, ND. The population of Hoople is approximately 300 people. It is primarily a farming community. She is married to her husband, Joe, and is a mother of 2 boys, Hunter (7) and Weston (4). The previous owners of the grocery store were set to retire so they decided to buy the store and keep it open for their community. With the support of the community, they have owned and operated the store since 2015.

Diana Hahn, owner of Jim's Super Valu

Diana Hahn is a second-generation grocer who owns Jim’s Super Valu in Park River, ND along with her husband, Randy. She has a Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of North Dakota and has worked in the grocery business for over 35 years. Diana was a board member of her local school district for 19 years and is currently vice president of the North Dakota Grocers Association and the RAD Coop board. She is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and Park River Community Club where she is active in many volunteer activities in her hometown. Randy and Diana were honored in 2012 as North Dakota Grocers of the Year.

Nancy Hodur, Director for the Center for Social Research at North Dakota State University

Nancy Hodur has over 25 years of professional experience in applied research, outreach education, and public policy. Hodur is Director for the Center for Social Research at North Dakota State University. Primary areas of research include socio-economic impact assessment, program evaluation, community and economic development. Research efforts have been supported by various stakeholder groups such as state and local government agencies, trade organization and non-government organizations, other university entities, and competitive grants. Research findings have been published in refereed academic journals, presented at national professional meetings and conferences and delivered to numerous constituent groups in North Dakota. She received her BA in Business Administration from Jamestown College and MS and PhD in Natural Resources Management from North Dakota State University.