Publications

Rural Tourism During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on U.S. tourism, but its effects were not uniform across the country. A study conducted by researchers from Penn State and West Virginia University reveals that some rural communities actually experienced employment gains in the leisure and hospitality sector during this period. Learn more in this NERCRD Digest.

Authors: NERCRD Staff

Publication: NERCRD Digest Date Published: August 20, 2024

Tags: COVID-19, NERCRD Digest, outdoor recreation, tourism

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Tourism and Outdoor Recreation

Tourism, hospitality, and outdoor recreation make up rapidly growing segments of the U.S. economy and offer an important economic growth strategy to rural and urban communities of all sizes. NERCRD conducts research on the role of tourism in economic resilience. NERCRD also provides critical support to groups working in this area. Learn more in this NERCRD Digest.

Authors: NERCRD staff

Publication: NERCRD Digest Date Published: August 16, 2024

Tags: NERCRD Digest, outdoor recreation, tourism

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Innovation in Rural Firms

Innovation lies at the heart of most entrepreneurial activity, and the goal of NERCRD’s work in this area is to deepen the understanding of whether and how entrepreneurial innovation can mitigate the growing economic threats facing rural U.S. workers and communities. Through a USDA NIFA-funded project, which ran from May 2018 through April 2023, the research team used a newly available dataset that, for the first time, allowed for in-depth research to examine the roles of different types of innovation in the success of rural businesses. Learn more in this NERCRD Digest.

Authors: NERCRD Staff

Publication: NERCRD Digest Date Published: August 15, 2025

Tags: NERCRD Digest, rural innovation

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Advancing Agritourism

Agritourism is an opportunity for rural communities and farm operators to benefit from the growing consumer interest in on-farm experiences. NERCRD engages in several research and outreach efforts aimed at making this opportunity more accessible. Learn more in this NERCRD Digest.

Authors: NERCRD staff

Publication: NERCRD Digest Date Published: August 15, 2024

Tags: agritourism, NERCRD Digest

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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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The economic and social well-being of caregivers in the Northeast Region 

This “Research Snapshot” shares preliminary findings on the social and economic impacts of caregiving and reveal some of the unique data points available in 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. This publication provides insights into caregiver demographics, who is receiving care, the financial and personal impacts of caregiving, and the types of supports that caregivers seek. 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.

To access a version of this brief that focuses on the North Central U.S. region, click here.

Authors: Florence Becot, Shoshanah Inwood, Emily Southard

Publication: NERCRD Research Brief Date Published: July 10, 2024

Tags: caregiving

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Direct-to-Consumer Sales of Agrifood Products by US Farms: Data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture

A new data brief by Jason S. Entsminger (University of Maine) and Claudia Schmidt (Penn State and NERCRD) provides a snapshot of the direct-to-consumer sales of agrifood products, and documents recent changes across the industry. The data brief, which was published by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD), is available below:

Authors: Jason S. Entsminger and Claudia Schmidt

Publication: NERCRD Data Brief Series Date Published: June 3, 2024

Tags: agritourism, data brief

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Agritourism and Recreational Services on US Farms: Data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture

A new data brief by Jason S. Entsminger (University of Maine) and Claudia Schmidt (Penn State and NERCRD) provides a snapshot of the national agritourism landscape and documents recent changes across the industry. The data brief, which was published by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (NERCRD), is available below:

Authors: Jason S. Entsminger and Claudia Schmidt

Publication: NERCRD Data Brief Series Date Published: May 7, 2024

Tags: agritourism, data brief

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How export performance is mediated by innovation, owner characteristics, and location

Abstract: We investigate how innovation affects rural nonfarm exports, and thus the U.S. trade deficit. Previous European studies indicate a positive link between R&D expenditures, patented innovation, and exports, but no comparable U.S. firm-level research exists. Using data from the Longitudinal Firm Trade Transactions Database and Annual Business Survey, we examine the relationship between innovation and exports for the United States. Employing a two-stage selection model to address endogeneity concerns, our findings suggest a significant connection between innovation and export. The study contributes to understanding the pivotal role of rural nonfarm exports and highlights policy implications for both trade and rural innovation.

Authors: Luyi Han, Timothy R. Wojan, Zheng Tian, Stephan J. Goetz

Publication: Economics Letters Date Published: March 28, 2024

Tags: rural innovation

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Testing biasedness of self-reported microbusiness innovation in the annual business survey

This study tests for potential bias in self-reported innovation due to the inclusion of a research and development (R&D) module that only microbusinesses (less than 10 employees) receive in the Annual Business Survey (ABS). Previous research found that respondents to combined innovation/R&D surveys reported innovation at lower rates than respondents to innovation-only surveys. A regression discontinuity design is used to test whether microbusinesses, which constitute a significant portion of U.S. firms with employees, are less likely to report innovation compared to other small businesses. In the vicinity of the 10-employee threshold, the study does not detect statistically significant biases for new-to-market and new-to-business product innovation. Statistical power analysis confirms the nonexistence of biases with a high power. Comparing the survey design of ABS to earlier combined innovation/R&D surveys provides valuable insights for the proposed integration of multiple Federal surveys into a single enterprise platform survey. The findings also have important implications for the accuracy and reliability of innovation data used as an input to policymaking and business development strategies in the United States.

Authors: Luyi Han, Zheng Tian, Timothy R. Wojan, and Stephan J. Goetz

Publication: Plos ONE Date Published: January 12, 2024

Tags: rural innovation

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