rural economy
Vilsack: Financial stress on the rise as farm income falls
Despite the strong foundation of the farm sector, "it is clear financial stress is increasing and some producers are more exposed to financial risk," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in Senate testimony that balanced concern with falling farm income with a valedictory list of the administration's eight-year record in agriculture.
Poverty not so bad in rural America, says a different Census report
Rural America is in better economic shape than the Census Bureau said in its annual report on income and poverty, says the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The think tank says rural and urban America enjoyed a decline in poverty and a rise in household incomes during 2015, according to a Census report issued two days after the bureau painted a picture of diverging conditions.
Rural Americans far more likely to be politically alienated
The huge difference in the way urbanites and rural residents view government and society is the "San Andreas fault" of American politics, says the Daily Yonder in summarizing a study by two University of Virginia researchers. Rural Americans are twice as likely to feel left behind as urban residents, with the highest levels of disaffection found among males, Baby Boomers and those in the least populated parts of the country.
Vilsack urges governors to invest in rural areas
During a panel discussion at the summer meeting of the National Governors Association, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urged state governments to alter the "extraction economy" of sending goods and people to the city, said the Des Moines Register. One step to bolster rural areas, Vilsack said, would be for governors to work with schools and large institutions to buy food locally.
Four years of decline in rural population may be ending
The latest Census Bureau estimates of people living in each county raise the possibility that four years of modest population loss in rural America may be ending, says the USDA. "The 2014-15 improvement in non-metro population change coincides with rural economic recovery and suggests that this first-ever period of overall population decline, from 2010 to 2015, may be ending," says Amber Waves, a USDA publication.
Rural America not hatching new businesses
In the long recovery from the recession of 2008-09, one big thing is missing in rural and small-town America: new businesses. "Rural areas have seen their business formation fall off a cliff," says the Washington Post, citing a net loss of businesses in nearly two of every three rural counties from 2010-14, a much worse situation than what happened in the wake of previous recessions.
Rural investment fund to focus on food and agribusiness
A new private investment fund has the potential to put $100 million into small food and agriculture businesses in rural America. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the creation of the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund at a White House conference on rural business. It will be the fourth Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC) created with USDA assistance since 2014 with the goal of directing private-sector capital into rural economic growth.
Decline in rural population easing
The first-ever overall decline in the number of people living in rural America may be ending, says USDA, drawing on Census Bureau estimates of population by county.
Worldwide migration to cities shaping the future of agriculture
As the global population zooms toward an estimated 9.7 billion people at mid-century, a 34-percent increase in 35 years, more and more of them will live in cities. "By 2050, 66 percent of the world's people are expected to live in cities, fueling unprecedented demand for food," says a report by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
‘Rural America at a Glance’ — still recovering from recession
More people are finding work but job totals in rural America remain below pre-recession levels, says the USDA in "Rural America at a Glance," an annual digest of the rural economy.
USDA pays part of veterinarians’ school loans
Some 49 veterinarians will receive $4.5 million from the USDA toward their school loans in exchange for their working for three years in parts of rural America that are short of veterinary coverage.
Political diversity grows in often-conservative rural America
A political rule of thumb is that rural America is socially and fiscally conservative, so Republicans fare well in rural districts. "Voting trends in this vast area are far from monolithic," say two University of New Hampshire researchers, who say there are important pockets of Democratic strength and they are gaining population.
Two of three rural counties gained jobs in past year
"Two out of every three rural counties gained jobs between June 2014 and June of this year," reports the Daily Yonder, drawing on data released by the Labor Department.
Rural infrastructure fund makes first investments
The first round of funding for rural infrastructure projects was released by the year-old U.S. Rural Infrastructure Opportunity Fund that mixes public and private capital, said the USDA.
Rural unemployment rate is down
"Job gains in rural America have returned," says the Daily Yonder, citing Labor Department data that show there were 232,000 more jobs in rural counties than one year earlier.
Bangladesh organizer Abed wins World Food Prize
The founder of a rural development organization active in 11 countries, Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangladesh, is the winner of the $250,000 World Food Prize.
Recreational amenities not as strong a draw for rural counties
So-called recreation counties - areas with parks, beautiful scenery and room for outdoor activities - are still the fastest-growing type of rural county, but their growth rate has slowed dramatically since the 2008-09 recession, says the Daily Yonder.
Rural counties lose population, just barely this time
"Rural America continued to lose population last year," says the Carsey School of Public Policy, after perusing the new Census Bureau report on domestic migration.