NERCRD agritourism research brief featured in Mainebiz story

A feature story written by Renee Cordes and published in MaineBiz includes research on agritourism that was published by NERCRD. The story, which also features a quote by one of the research authors, Jason Entsminger (University of Maine), provides insights into the latest data on Maine agritourism farms, and interviews the managers of several different Maine-based agricultural operations that have incorporated agritourism activities into their business models.

Penn State Extension’s Land Use Webinar Series resumes with a focus on improving rural communities’ response to homelessness

July 10, 2024

July 17, 2024 from 12:00-1:15 p.m. ET – “Improving Rural Communities Response to Homelessness” is the first webinar in the Penn State Extension Summer/Fall 2024 Land Use Webinar series that runs monthly from July through November 2024.

High-speed internet linked to more farms offering agritourism

June 25, 2024

The availability and adoption of high-speed broadband appears to boost the number of farms offering agritourism activities, according to a new study led by NERCRD researchers. Their findings, the researchers said, bolster the argument for expanding broadband availability in support of farm operators who want to benefit from the growing consumer interest in on-farm experiences.

Welcoming Stephen Alessi to the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development

June 4, 2024

The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD) is pleased to announce that Stephen Alessi has joined the Center as Associate Director, effective June 3, 2024. In this role, Alessi will lead the NERCRD’s outreach and Extension-oriented activities by fostering and strengthening the Center’s relationships with Northeast land-grant universities and rural development partners, and by identifying and responding to opportunities for cross-state collaborations and sharing of programs.

New data briefs document recent changes in U.S. agritourism and direct-to-consumer sales sectors

June 4, 2024

Researchers from the University of Maine and Penn State have released a set of comprehensive data briefs that shed light on two small but important sectors of U.S. agriculture — agritourism and direct-to-consumer sales — utilizing data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The briefs, published by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, provide valuable insights into the current status of these sectors and also document recent trends, both nationally and for each state.

Catching up with NERCRD small-grant recipients: The UNH “Downtowns and Trails” team celebrates five years of programming!

May 29, 2024

In 2017, a multi-state team led by Shannon Rogers (University of New Hampshire) was awarded a NERCRD small grant to develop a knowledge-sharing network in New England to help communities capitalize on the potential benefits of trails for fostering vibrant downtowns. Now they’re celebrating five years of programming, and marked the occasion by publishing a new, retrospective report. Click to learn more about the impacts and outcomes of this innovative Extension program!

Agritourism Research and Extension Collaborative honored with USDA NIFA National Partnership Award

May 22, 2024

Congratulations to members of the Agritourism Research and Extension Collaborative, who were recognized with a 2023 USDA NIFA Partnership Award for their multi-state work advancing agritourism! The award honors the collective efforts of a network of individuals that spans more than a dozen states at 11 Land-Grant Universities, and two community partner organizations who collaborated on several projects to advance agritourism nationally.

NERCRD Director invited to participate in USDA Rural Prosperity Roundtable

April 29, 2024

NERCRD Director Stephan Goetz served on a roundtable discussion about rural prosperity with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Xochitl Torres Small and other governmental and non-governmental partners in agriculture to discuss efforts by USDA to create additional income opportunities for producers and entrepreneurs and more. Goetz spoke about the role of the Regional Rural Development Centers in supporting rural prosperity. 

Caregiving data for Northeast U.S. region now available

April 29, 2024

NERCRD partnered with the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) to deploy a survey in the Northeast on “Caregiving Across the Lifecourse.” The data include responses from 4,480 Northeast households in the Northeast U.S., and is available online.

New Publication from National Extension Tourism Network Highlights Opportunities for Extension in Outdoor Recreation Economies

April 25, 2024

Outdoor Recreation is a growing sector of the U.S. economy, and building the recreation economy in the U.S. has been identified as one of the USDA’s top priorities . Recreation economies are intertwined with multiple community domains, and therefore pose an opportunity for the Cooperative Extension System, which is uniquely positioned to assist communities with […]

Innovation linked to international exports for both rural and urban firms

March 28, 2024

U.S. firms actively engaged in creating innovative products or processes are more likely to expand into international markets, according to new NERCRD-led research. The findings, which apply to both rural and urban companies, could inform efforts aimed at boosting U.S. exports.