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.

Extension Opioid Crisis Response Workgroup releases report

February 6, 2019

In many states, universities within the land-grant system are responding to the opioid crisis. However, the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) felt that a coordinated land-grant effort could provide a more comprehensive and effective strategy for addressing the ongoing crisis, and created the Extension Opioid Crisis Response Workgroup (EOCRW) to develop a strategic framework to guide Extension activities related to addressing the crisis nationwide. The EOCRW has issued a final report that summarizes their process and activities, findings, and recommendations.

USDA launches high-speed broadband e-connectivity resource guide

February 6, 2019

Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett recently announced the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched a new toolkit to help support the deployment of high-speed broadband e-Connectivity in rural communities. The e-Connectivity Toolkit features 27 USDA programs that support broadband deployment. The guide allows customers to identify their type of e-Connectivity project and locate resources that the federal government offers for planning, equipment, construction, research, and other e-Connectivity projects.

Report: Pennsylvania population trends mirror employment changes since 2000

February 5, 2019

Changes in the distribution of Pennsylvania’s population — largely toward the state’s southeastern quadrant — reflect challenges that policymakers need to address to promote and maintain statewide prosperity, suggests a new report compiled by economists in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

New webinar series explores community-based stakeholder engagement in natural resources

February 4, 2019

The multi-disciplinary Water for Agriculture project is hosting a webinar on February 19 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Voluntary Stewardship Program. The webinar will offer an on-the-ground example of diverse interests engaging in a collaborative process to address issues around preserving agriculture while protecting natural resources like water and fish. It is the first in a series intended to encourage sharing of scholarship and practitioners’ experience with community-based stakeholder engagement in natural resources.

APLU launches “Rural Engagement for Resilient Communities” learning exchange forum

February 2, 2019

The APLU invites you to join a group of university leaders making a difference in rural communities. This Learning Exchange Forum will be a series of monthly phone calls for members to exchange best practices, engage philanthropic, private sector, and government funders, and more. Co-chaired by Sheila Martin, APLU, and Michael Gaffney, Washington State University, the group will hold a monthly discussion every third Tuesday at 12:00 noon Eastern time, beginning February 19, 2019.

Call for proposals for the 2019 Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation conference

January 2, 2019

The National Extension Tourism Design Team is accepting presentation proposals for the 2019 Sustainable Tourism & Outdoor Recreation Conference, scheduled for October 8-11, 2019 in Astoria, OR. The conference will provide a forum for Extension professionals, academic faculty, and others working in the broad area of tourism and recreation, including tourism service providers and businesses, to share programs, initiatives, research, and success stories, and network with other professionals.

Goetz named president-elect of North American Regional Science Council

December 11, 2018

Stephan Goetz, professor of agricultural and regional economics in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, was appointed president-elect of the North American Regional Science Council (NARSC) last month.

Farewell to longtime NERCRD research associate Yicheol Han

December 11, 2018

Congratulations to longtime NERCRD research associate, Yicheol Han, who has accepted a position as a research fellow at the Korea Rural Economic Institute in Nasu-si, South Korea. Han (known by many as “Char”) will be leaving the Center at the end of the month, after more than seven years of very productive service.

Multi-state project sheds light on rural population change following the Great Recession

December 10, 2018

A new publication features the research highlights and findings of a multi-state project titled “The Great Recession, Its Aftermath, and Patterns of Rural and Small Town Demographic Change, 2012-2017.” The research team, which included NERCRD Technical Advisory Committee Member László J. Kulcsár and many other colleagues from the region, carried out important first steps in developing policies that address the current and future needs of rural people, places, and institutions. Read the impact statement and learn more about the team’s findings here (links to PDF).

Commentary offers new thinking about regional food systems

December 7, 2018

In the fall issue of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, Kate Clancy and Kathy Ruhf discuss “regional” as an essential and distinct framework for advancing sustainable food systems. In their commentary, the authors offer an update to their 2010 examination of the value of regional thinking and the regional scale in food systems. They also share six suggestions for working at the regional scale. Clancy and Ruhf both were members of the leadership team of the “Enhancing Food Security in the Northeast through Regional Food Systems” (EFSNE) project.