Publications

Economic and Quality of Life Data for the Upper Valley Region of New Hampshire/Vermont

This report presents sustainable tourism indicators identified from public data sources in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire/Vermont.

Authors: Luyi Han, Stephan Goetz, Daniel Eades, and Doug Arbogast

Publication: Published by NERCRD Date Published: December 12, 2025

Tags: data brief, outdoor recreation, tourism, TRIP

Economic and Quality of Life Indicators for Monongahela National Forest

This report presents sustainable tourism indicators identified from public data sources in the Monongahela National Forest (Mon Forest) region of West Virginia. More from this project here.

Authors: Luyi Han, Stephan J. Goetz, Daniel Eades, and Doug Arbogast

Publication: NERCRD publication Date Published: October 24, 2025

Tags: data brief, outdoor recreation, tourism, TRIP

Land Grant Community and Economic Development Capacity in the Northeast

This report summarizes the findings of an inventory conducted in 2024-2025 aimed at understanding the capacity of the Land Grant Institutions in the Northeast U.S. to conduct research and Extension programming that corresponds with the priority areas of the NERCRD, which at the time of this study included:

• Food Systems, Nutrition Security, and Agriculture
• Economic Development, Resilience, and Innovation
• Tourism and Outdoor Recreation

A companion poster, which was presented at the 2025 National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals (NACDEP) conference in Charleston, WV, is available here.

Authors: Stephen Alessi

Publication: NERCRD publication Date Published: March 30, 2025

Tags: Extension

Economic and Quality of Life Indicators for Allegheny National Forest Counties in Pennsylvania

This report analyzes sustainable tourism indicators in Pennsylvania’s five-county
Allegheny National Forest region (Cameron, Elk, Warren, McKean, and Forest Counties) as part
of a USDA-funded multi-state project examining rural gateway community resilience. More from this project here.

Authors: Han, Luyi; Goetz, Stephan J.; Eades, Daniel; Arbogast, Doug

Publication: Published by NERCRD Date Published: August 1, 2025

Tags: data brief, outdoor recreation, tourism, TRIP

Fostering Sustainable Growth in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest

The Allegheny National Forest region offers significant potential for sustainable tourism growth by balancing environmental protection and economic development. Researchers from West Virginia University and Penn State and their local collaborators drew on the perspectives of ANF visitors and residents in a survey conducted in 2024. This article shares key findings from the survey.

Authors: Claudia Schmidt, Douglas Arbogast, Jinyang Deng, and Stephan J. Goetz

Publication: Penn State Extension Date Published: June 25, 2025

Tags: outdoor recreation, tourism, TRIP

Rural-Suburban-Urban Differences in Caregiving in the Northeast U.S. Region

This “Research Snapshot” describes the caregiving experience for rural, suburban, and urban caregivers in the Northeast region of the U.S., as reported by households as part of the “NER-Stat: Caregiving Survey” — a regional household survey that the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) conducted in collaboration with Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD), The Ohio State University and the National Farm Medicine Center. The survey was conducted in 2023 with 4,480 responses from the 13 states of the Northeast Region through a Qualtrics online panel. The dataset that this brief draws upon is also available online here: https://purr.purdue.edu/publications/4491/1

To learn more about this research and to access other briefs in this caregiving series, click here.

Authors: Elena Pojman and Florence Becot

Publication: NERCRD Research Brief Date Published: June 24, 2025

Tags: caregiving

Insights on Agritourism Among Producers in Western U.S. States: Evidence from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey

This report presents findings from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey. A total of 136 survey participants identified themselves as being in a Western region states by reporting the postal (ZIP) code of their farm. (To access the national-level findings, visit this page.) This survey is part of a larger project aimed at defining and enhancing the agritourism support system in the United States.

Authors: Jason Entsminger, Claudia Schmidt, Sarah Cornelisse, and Jackie Schweichler

Publication: NERCRD Research Brief Date Published: June 3, 2025

Tags: agritourism, agritourism data brief, data brief

Insights on Agritourism Among Maine Producers: Evidence from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey

This report presents Maine-specific findings from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey, conducted in part to address the type of knowledge gaps just identified. The online survey was open from March through August 2024, and 2,139 agritourism operators across the United States responded. A total of 94 survey participants identified themselves as being in Maine by reporting the postal (ZIP) code of their farm.

Authors: Jason Entsminger (University of Maine); Claudia Schmidt (Penn State and NERCRD); Sarah Cornelisse and Jackie Schweichler (Penn State)

Publication: Published by NERCRD Date Published: May 2, 2025

Tags: agritourism, agritourism data brief, data brief, survey

Insights on Agritourism Among US Producers: Evidence from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey 

This report presents findings from the 2024 National Agritourism Producer Survey. This survey is part of a larger project aimed at defining and enhancing the agritourism support system in the United States. The primary objective of conducting this survey was to identify areas where targeted interventions and programs can support agritourism development across the country.

Authors: Claudia Schmidt (Penn State and NERCRD), Jason Entsminger (University of Maine), Sarah Cornelisse and Jackie Schweichler (Penn State)

Publication: Published by NERCRD Date Published: April 21, 2025

Tags: agritourism, agritourism data brief, data brief, survey

Minority-Owned Businesses: Insights from States in the Northeastern Region

This research report was developed as part of the USDA NIFA-funded project, “Factors Affecting the Success of Female and Minority Rural Entrepreneurs and Rural Economic Vitality.” The project, led by Dr. Heather M. Stephens, West Virginia University, seeks to provide insights into female and minority entrepreneurship to help key stakeholders develop policies and programs to support their success. This report provides detailed information about minority-owned businesses in the Northeast region. By highlighting the differences in minority entrepreneurship across the region, this report can support the development of policies to promote minority business development.

Authors: Xiaoyin Li, Heather M. Stephens, and Stephan J. Goetz

Publication: NERCRD Data Brief Date Published: October 22, 2024

Tags: entrepreneurship, minority entrepreneurship