Rural Economic Development

OBJECTIVE: Identify, examine, and develop enterprises and practices that support economic vitality for healthy rural and urban communities.

Subobjectives

A. Identify strategies and development opportunities to support the economic vitality of rural communities, including their successful co-existence with urban areas

• Identify siting strategies for intensive agricultural facilities, rural manufacturing plants, rural subdivisions, and preservation areas
• Identify recreational and tourism opportunities and evaluate their socioeconomic benefits
• Identify development of coal resources that protect the environment while expanding rewards to landowners
• Measure the economic benefits derived from locating various value-added agricultural processing plants in an area
• Identify opportunities for business incubator sites and programs and suggest entrepreneurial activities for these sites
• Research barriers to such forms of market access as direct farmer marketing
• Identify and evaluate opportunities for cooperation among small farmers to reduce costs and capitalize on individual economic advantages for the group

B. Examine economic components, governmental policies and regulations and other factors impacting agricultural-based enterprises

• Identify methods to facilitate succession or intergenerational transfers of family owned and operated businesses
• Evaluate income tax laws (land equity exchange) and other public policy for their impact on land values, rental rates, and first time landowners
• Evaluate tax abatement, zoning, and public facility grant programs for their impact on development of rural areas and the potential to utilize these programs to spur rural development

C. Develop models to strengthen rural communities through training and educational programs, youth development and infrastructure enhancement

• Determine the value of various public transportation facilities to a community or area to evaluate using public investment and subsidies
• Identify adult and youth education and/or training programs that would bring economic growth to a community
• Identify programs to stimulate non-farm employment that are compatible with and provide supplemental income to farm families
  

Expanding Agricultural Markets | Rural Economic Development | Agricultural Production Systems | Human Nutrition and Food Safety | Natural Resources and Environment