Article on New Hampshire’s “quiet” innovation highlights NERCRD research

In this opinion piece written for the New Hampshire Business Review, Dr. Charlie French (University of New Hampshire Extension) cites NERCRD research on “latent” or hidden innovation, and provides several examples of “quiet innovation” from rural New Hampshire communities that are leading to gains in employment, income, and quality of life. Dr. French leads UNH Extension’s Community and Economic Development team.

RRDCs Release Findings from Stakeholder Survey on Priorities and Capacities for Rural Community, Economic, and Workforce Development

January 26, 2022

The nation’s four Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs) released findings this week from a national survey of rural development stakeholders. Conducted in the fall of 2021, the survey is part of a year-long Listening Session Initiative aimed at identifying key priorities and critical investments for rural communities’ recovery and growth.

Funded Ph.D. opportunity in recreation/leisure, parks, and tourism or related field (WVU)

January 19, 2022

The School of Natural Resources at West Virginia University (WVU) invites Ph.D. applications for a funded project (USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture) that aims to better understand tourism sustainability indicators as related to COVID-19 in rural gateway communities in eastern US.

Farewell to longtime NERCRD scholar, Dr. Sarah Rocker

December 9, 2021

Congratulations to former NERCRD Postdoctoral Scholar Dr. Sarah Rocker, who accepted a position as a National Program Leader with USDA NIFA, effective November 22. Rocker’s three-year tenure with the NERCRD ended on September 1.

NERCRD welcomes new members to its Board and TAC, and thanks outgoing members for their service

December 7, 2021

The NERCRD annual meeting that took place virtually November 4-5, 2021, marked a change in the makeup of the Board of Directors and Technical Advisory Committee as follows.

NERCRD 2021 Annual Meeting sets stage for 2022 plan of work

December 7, 2021

Members of the Northeast Center’s Board of Directors (BOD) and Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) met virtually in early November to review the Center’s progress towards its goals and adopt the 2022 plan of work. In the upcoming year, NERCRD priority issues are: labor and workforce development; economic development, resilience, and innovation; tourism; food systems and agriculture; and general capacity building. To support these issues NERCRD will also prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion; climate change; and rural-urban interactions as cross-cutting areas.

NERCRD selected to lead two projects under New Technologies for Agricultural Extension program

December 7, 2021

NERCRD was selected recently to lead two projects under the New Technologies for Agricultural Extension (NTAE) program. The NTAE program is made possible by funding from USDA NIFA through a partnership with Oklahoma State University and the Extension Foundation. In addition to funding, selected projects receive engagement and technical support from the Extension Foundation.

Food pantries essential for reducing hunger among middle-class in 2020

October 22, 2021

Food pantries, soup kitchens, and other community food services played a critical role in helping Americans meet their food needs, especially during the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research by researchers at the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development. They found that middle-class Americans benefited the most from these services, demonstrating a key role these programs can play in times of crisis.

RRDCs launch national survey on rural community, economic, and workforce development priorities

September 20, 2021

The four Regional Rural Development Centers invite professionals working on issues of community, economic, and workforce development to participate in a national survey. The survey is the first phase of a listening sessions process aimed at identifying key priorities and critical investments for rural communities’ recovery and growth. The process is being implemented by the RRDCs with support from the Extension Foundation through the New Technologies for Agricultural Extension accelerator program.

New NERCRD data brief shows household food insufficiency has fallen below pre-pandemic level

September 9, 2021

Following an initial increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. food insufficiency rates have fallen to levels below those in the year prior to the pandemic. At the end of August 2021, and the beginning of Hunger Action Month, the national average household food insufficiency rate has declined to a pandemic-era low of 7.8% according to the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey. A new NERCRD COVID-19 Data Report examines these changes and provides detailed data for the Northeast U.S. states.

Choices magazine special issue focuses on COVID-19 impacts on Rural America

July 27, 2021

Choices magazine, which covers food, farms and resource use and is published by the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), has just released a special themed issue on “Rural Development Implications One Year After COVID-19.” The issue contains eight peer-reviewed papers that explore the pandemic’s effects on aspects of rural life ranging from employment and childcare to recreational trail use and farming.