Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development

 

 

Archive for Economic Development, Resilience, and Innovation

Climate Change and Decarbonization: Firm-level Insights from the 2023 Annual Business Survey and Implications for Rural Communities

The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is perhaps the greatest sociotechnical challenge humanity has faced. Federal expenditures in 2023 supporting the transition exceed $369bn, and yet remarkably little information exists about why or how firms are transitioning to new energy forms. The much lower energy density of renewables will create new land use […]
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USDA to fund analysis of how U.S. businesses approach decarbonization

October 3, 2024

NERCRD researchers and their collaborators will receive $650,000 over three years to study why, how and where U.S. businesses are developing and adopting renewable energy sources — a process known as decarbonization — and how these decisions could affect rural communities.

Insights and oversights: Behind the data on agritourism and direct sales in the United States

Abstract: Agritourism is growing worldwide as farmers and ranchers seek alternative sources of revenue, and consumer demand for agricultural experiences is on the rise. Understanding this sector is important for policymakers, researchers, agricultural service providers, and others seeking to support farm viability and rural entrepreneurship. However, in the U.S., this support is hampered by the lack of a clear definition and consistent, comprehensive means for measuring the agritourism sector. The best available data for the U.S. are from the quinquennial U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS)’s Census of Agriculture. However, the two questions used by the Census of Agriculture that relate to agritourism are worded in ways that limit a comprehensive understanding of the size and scope of the sector. To illustrate the limitations, we highlight cases from two U.S. states (Texas and Vermont), where different forms of agritourism are present. One such form, hunting, is included in the USDA’s economic assessments of agritourism; another, pick-your-own berries, is not. Along with tastings and purchases of locally grown products, this falls in the category of direct sales. The discrep­ancy can result in misrepresentation and misinter­pretation of the data in analyses and subsequent publications with distorted policy recommenda­tions related to agritourism. We discuss these cases alongside recommendations on how to more accurately measure, and support, agritourism development in the U.S.

Authors: Chadley R. Hollas, Claudia Schmidt, Zheng Tian, Stephan J. Goetz, and Lisa Chase

Publication: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development   Date Published: August 26, 2024

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Land-Grant University Capacity to Support Recreation Economies in National Forest Gateway Communities

This report was developed by Doug Arbogast, Rural Tourism Specialist, West Virginia University Extension Service, with support from the Extension Foundation, Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDCs), and the members of the National Extension Outdoor Recreation Working Group (NEORWG). It describes findings from an assessment conducted in 2024 of the capacity of Land Grant Universities to provide both Extension and research support for the development of recreation economies, and to determine the places in each RRDC region best positioned to deploy resources for program implementation.

Land-Grant University Capacity to Support Recreation EconomiesDownload

Authors: Doug Arbogast, West Virginia University

Publication: Published by Extension Foundation and NERCRD   Date Published: September 20, 2024

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Did the U.S. Fracking Boom Shale-Shock Regional Patenting?

Download a 1-page summary of this research here.

The shale boom of the early 21st century turned the U.S. into an energy powerhouse and significantly disrupted local economies with shale resources. This study examines the impacts of the U.S. shale boom on regional patenting at a commuting zone level. The shale boom may negatively affect patents if it crowds out labor and capital investments in other non-energy industries. Our findings show that a one standard deviation increase in non-vertical well density decreases patent intensity by 3.74% of the mean. Areas with higher drilling densities have lower levels of patented innovation compared to their counterfactuals. This paper contributes to the existing literature related to the “natural resource curse.” We provide new evidence based on regional patenting, which is an important indicator for regional innovation and long-term economic growth.

Authors: Luyi Han, John V. Winters

Publication: Growth and Change   Date Published: September 17, 2024

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Cloud computing and rural globalization: Evidence for the U.S. nonfarm economy

Abstract: We use confidential firm-level data to examine the association between export intensity and subscription to cloud computer services – a technology that often requires very high-speed broadband. Our focus on rural nonfarm exports is motivated by the increasing concentration of manufacturing—the dominant export sector—in nonmetropolitan counties and the large public investment in extending high-speed broadband to underserved parts of the U.S. We find that cloud computing is associated with higher export intensity that is consistent with exporting activity placing new demands on IT-enabled functions such as order fulfillment and tracking, marketing, or document control.

Read a news release about this research here.

Authors: Luyi Han, Timothy Wojan, Stephan J. Goetz

Publication: Telecommunications Policy   Date Published: June 15, 2024

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Leveraging Federal Data Collections for Analysis of the Causes and Consequences of Place-Based Innovation with Small Area Innovation Rate Estimation

The focus of this two-year, $300,000 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is to develop a new method for accurately measuring innovation activity in small geographic regions. The research team endeavors to shed light on the factors that promote or hinder innovation among firms in different U.S. locations, as well as facilitate more targeted and effective local interventions to foster economic growth and social well-being.
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Researchers earn NSF grant to measure local innovation activity

August 13, 2024

A team of researchers — including NERCRD’s Zheng Tian and Stephan Goetz, and their collaborator Timothy Wojan, an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) fellow — were awarded a two-year, $300,000 grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a new method for accurately measuring innovation activity in small geographic regions.

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US companies’ global market reach linked to cloud computing use

August 12, 2024

U.S. firms that use cloud computing services are more likely to export their products and services, according to a new study by researchers at NERCRD and U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The team said the findings were stronger for firms located outside of large cities and demonstrate the need for expanded availability of the high-speed internet required for cloud computing to support economic development.
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New Research Snapshots shed light on the economic and social impacts of caregivers in the North Central and Northeast U.S.

July 18, 2024

A multi-state team of researchers has released preliminary findings from a groundbreaking survey that examined the caregiving experiences of households in the North Central and Northeast regions of the U.S. The findings were released as two regionally focused “Research Snapshots,” which provide insights into caregiver demographics, who is receiving care, the financial and personal impacts […]
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