Publications

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

Explaining the Urban-Rural Export Gap: Evidence from U.S. Firms

Abstract: The U.S. urban-rural export gap is important given the share of manufactured goods in exports, the rural concentration of manufacturing activity, and recent federal investments in place-based policy. These investments raise questions about the size of the export gap and whether it is explained by differences in endowments or inherent rural disadvantages. Confidential trade data linked with business survey data alongside county-level variables allow an Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition of the export gapUrban factors compensate for a less trade favorable industry mix, including the advantages of urban scale in export performance which may be insurmountable for rural areas.

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

Publication: Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Date Published: March 30, 2025

Tags: rural innovation

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

The Complex Picture of Caregivers’ Health and Well-Being in the Northeast Region

Caregiving can be both a source of joy and stress for caregivers due to the lived realities of care provision and financial implications. In this brief, we explore the emotional and financial well-being of caregivers and assess differences across type of caregiving provided, gender, race-ethnicity, household income level, and geographic location.

Authors: Elena Pojman, Florence Becot, and Shoshanah Inwood

Publication: Published by NERCRD Date Published: October 17, 2024

Tags: caregiving

What supports do caregivers in the Northeast use and what support do they still need?

Providing care to children and adults requires time and resources. This brief explores the supports that caregivers use and the supports they still need. Since the caregiving needs of children and adults vary, this analysis includes variations on supports used based on the type of care provided.

Authors: Emily Southard, Florence Becot, Shoshanah Inwood

Publication: Published by NERCRD Date Published: October 1, 2024

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. To illustrate the limitations, we highlight cases from two U.S. states (Texas and Vermont), where different forms of agritourism are present.

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

Tags: agritourism

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. Arbogast’s analysis also includes two map resources:

• A data dashboard showing USDA RD investments already made in counties that contain a national forest.
• A map designed to identify opportunities for USDA Partnerships (Extension, Forest Service, and Rural Development) to support the development of recreation economies in gateway communities to U.S. National Forests. This map’s layers include Land Grant institutions that responded to the recreation economy survey, USDA Rural Development locations, USDA Forest Service locations, National Forest gateway communities, and regions served by the National Extension Tourism Network and the RRDCs.

Authors: Doug Arbogast, West Virginia University

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

Tags: neorwg, NET, outdoor recreation

2023 National Extension Tourism Conference Proceedings

With administrative support from the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, the National Extension Tourism Network (NET) has published proceedings from its 2023 national conference, which took place in Milwaukee, WI, September 24-27, 2023.

Authors: Edited by: Lisa Chase, Natalie Chin, Douglas Arbogast, Gwynn Stewart, Ann Savage, Mercedes Fraser

Publication: Published by the National Extension Tourism Network Date Published: September 18, 2024

Tags: NET

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

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

Tags: natural resources, research, rural innovation

Determining the optimal food hub location in the fresh produce supply chain

Abstract

Purpose: Using recent US regional data associated with food system operations, this study aims at building optimization and econometric models to incorporate varying influential factors on food hub location decisions and generate effective facility location solutions.

Design/methodology/approach: Mathematical optimization and econometric models have been commonly used to identify hub location decisions, and each is associated with specific strengths to handle uncertainty. This paper develops an optimization model and a hurdle model of the US fresh produce sector to compare the hub location solutions between these two modeling approaches.

Findings: Econometric modeling and mathematical optimization are complementary approaches. While there is a divergence between the results of the optimization model and the econometric model, the optimization solution is largely confirmed by the econometric solution. A combination of the results of the two models might lead to improved decision-making.

Practical implications: This study suggests a future direction in which model development can move forward, for example, to explore and expose how to make the existing modeling techniques easier to use and more accessible to decision-makers.

Social implications: The models and results provide information that is currently limited and is useful to help inform sustainable decisions of various stakeholders interested in the development of regional food systems, regional infrastructure investment and operational strategies for food hubs.

Originality/value: This study sheds light on how the application of complementary modeling approaches improves the effectiveness of facility location solutions. This study offers new perspectives on elaborating key features to encompass facility location issues by applying interdisciplinary approaches.

Authors: Houtian Ge, Jing Yi, Stephan J. Goetz, Rebecca Cleary, Miguel I. Gómez

Publication: Journal of Modelling in Management Date Published: August 13, 2024

Tags: EFSNE, food hub, supply chain