Publications
A collection of all publications authored or co-authored by Center staff and/or partners. This collection is a work in progress—if you don’t find a publication you’re looking for, please search for it, or email us at nercrd@psu.edu.
Publications by type:
Publications by topic:
Innovation, Broadly Measured, and Its Effects on Business and Community Economic Health
A summary of “Firm and Regional Economic Outcomes Associated with a New, Broad Measure of Business Innovation,” by Brian Whitacre, Devon Meadowcroft, and Roberto Gallardo, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, June 2019, 1–23.
Key Takeaways
- Using a broad definition of innovation allows researchers to compare the
- innovation activity of businesses across different industries and locations, including rural and urban.
- Innovation, even when defined broadly, is positively associated with economic benefits at both the business and the regional level.
- Therefore, future policies should promote innovation activities that are included in the broader measure of innovation described here.
Authors: Kristen Devlin and Stephan J. Goetz
Publication: NERCRD Innovation Issues Brief Series Date Published: June 4, 2019
Tags: Innovation Issues Briefs, rural innovation
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Strengthening Economic Resilience in Appalachia
The economies of many counties and subregions in Appalachia have historically depended on a few dominant industries, such as mining or manufacturing. In recent years, Appalachian coal production has plummeted, resulting in devastating impacts on families, communities, counties, and states. It is critical to understand how coal-impacted communities can transform and diversify their economies and build resilience against future economic shocks.
Authors: Fritz Boettner, Evan Fedorko, Evan Hansen, Stephan J. Goetz, Yicheol Han, Christine Gyovai, Emily Carlson, Alexandria Sentilles
Publication: Appalachian Regional Commission Date Published: February 1, 2019
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Financial Impact of Penn State Extension’s Know Your Numbers Dairy Program
Dairy-related Extension programming is important in many states, but the economic impact of such programming has received little attention. We examined the impact of Know Your Numbers, an educational program offered by the Penn State Extension Dairy Team. Using follow-up evaluation data and the economic impact tool IMPLAN, we estimated that the program had a total financial impact of $9.5 million and an employment impact of 69 jobs in 2014. The overall financial impacts of the Dairy Team, given its abundance of other programming, likely are significantly higher. Our approach for estimating the economic impact of an Extension program can be used by others to understand and demonstrate the value of their work.
Authors: Aaron Berger, Timothy W. Kelsey, Stephan J. Goetz, Robert C. Goodling Jr., Virginia A. Ishler
Publication: Journal of Extension Date Published: February 1, 2019
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2018 Annual Report
This report summarizes annual accomplishments and activities at the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development.
Authors: Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
Date Published: February 1, 2019
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Excess Competition among Food Hubs
Food hubs offer a novel solution to connect small and mid-sized local farms, which individually
lack the scale to profitably market their products. Because many food hubs rely on grants and
philanthropy to provide services and are not necessarily profit-driven, markets may unintentionally
oversaturate due to overinvestment. We use a firm-entry model to estimate the average U.S. county
population necessary for one, two, and three food hubs to break even. Our findings suggest
that policy makers and philanthropists need to consider the carrying capacity of the local food
environment and population prior to supporting additional food hubs.
Authors: Rebecca Cleary, Stephan J. Goetz, Dawn Thilmany McFadden, Houtian Ge
Publication: Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics Date Published: January 1, 2019
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Health Insurance and National Farm Policy
In the midst of national healthcare debates, there has been little discussion of how health, healthcare costs and access, and health insurance fit into national agriculture policy efforts to build a more vibrant and resilient farm economy. Yet Inwood (2015) found that 65% of commercial farmers identified the cost of health insurance as the most serious threat to their farm, more significant than the cost of land, inputs, market conditions, or development pressure. In order to grow the next generation of farmers and increase rural prosperity, there is a need to understand how healthcare costs, access, and insurance affect both agriculture and rural development.
Authors: Shoshanah Inwood, Alana Knudson, Florence A. Becot, Bonnie Braun, Stephan J. Goetz, Jane M. Kolodinsky, Scott Loveridge, Katlyn Morris, Jason Parker, Bob Parsons, Rachel Welborn, Don E. Albrecht
Publication: Choices Date Published: March 1, 2018
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2017 Annual Report
This report summarizes annual accomplishments and activities at the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development.
Authors: Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
Date Published: February 1, 2018
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2016 Annual Report
This report summarizes annual accomplishments and activities at the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development.
Authors: Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development
Date Published: February 1, 2017
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The Impact Indicators Tips Booklet
A 38-page document written by George Morse, Charles French, and Scott Chazdon that explores practical and credible methods for using the "but for" rule to document Extension Community Development Impacts. A four-page introduction to the booklet is also available.
Authors: George Morse, Charlie French, Scott Chazdon
Publication: Published by NERCRD Date Published: October 17, 2016
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