WERA_OLD1005: Western Rural Development
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
WERA_OLD1005: Western Rural Development
Duration: 10/01/2005 to 09/30/2010
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
Although vast areas of the West are sparsely populated, the West is considered the most urbanized region of the country because the highest proportion of its population lives in metropolitan areas (defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as having populations greater than 100,000). Rural places were originally settled by people whose livelihoods depended upon natural resource extraction (mining, timber harvest, fisheries, etc.). Employment in these activities peaked in the early 1900s (McGrannahan, 2004, page 135). In an increasingly integrated global economy, farm employment has declined by 70%, and other resource industries have declined by 50% (Freduenberg, 1992) since that time. Traditional jobs in resource extraction and manufacturing have largely been replaced by service industry jobs. National data indicate that rural manufacturing today is often based on low wage/low skill level strategies.
The geographically fluid capital resulting from globalization has impacted rural areas. McMichael (1996) argued that communities characterized by relative isolation, specialization in one or two industries with relatively well-paying low skills jobs, and outside ownership are extremely vulnerable to economic misfortune and decline.
Between 1990 and 2000 the U.S. population grew by 13.2%. Western states showed dramatic increase (Nevada, 66.3%; Arizona, 40%; Colorado, 30.6%) as well as slow growth (Wyoming, 8.9%). Demographic shifts are also taking place. Between 1990 and 2000, the national Latino population grew by about 58%. This rate was 4.4 times higher than overall national growth, 10 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic whites, and 3 times faster than rate for African Americans (Saenz & Torres, 2004, pp 57).
Demographic and economic changes in the rural West give rise to community development challenges. In 2004, deans, directors, department heads and CARET members participated in a western study to identify and prioritize challenges faced by rural citizens. Results published by Michael Harrington of the WDA showed that rural economic development ranked 5th; niche and value added products ranked 6th; land use and planning ranked 7th; and policy issues ranked 8th. The first four ranked issues were water; nutrition, obesity, and diabetes; sustainable production systems; and plant and animal diseases.
Korsching & Allen (2004) found that entrepreneurism offers a solution to rural economic challenges. Entrepreneurism takes place when individuals mobilize their assets, capitol, and networks to meet market demands. Korsching and Allen also found that communities play a role in fostering the emergence of entrepreneurial activity. If community networks are diverse and dense, and if there is a sense of shared risk, entrepreneurs are more likely to take risks that may result in success.
The proposed Multistate Research Coordinating Committee will provide a platform for focused community development leading to strengthened rural economies. National and regional stakeholders include Land Grant University research faculty; Cooperative Extension faculty who can identify specific research questions, and extend resultant knowledge; private sector entities including financial institutions and business clusters; State agency personnel mandated to increase economic activity and wage/skill levels; non-profit organizations focused on rural development activities, and; rural citizens working to improve their economic and social structure to create a positive, sustainable future.
Objectives
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Collaborate with community residents, research faculty, Extension faculty, private sector representatives, NGOs and state agency representatives to identify current focused, multistate community development research areas, as well as future areas of work, which might include regional clustered development, agricultural and eco-tourism, enterprise development (off-farm and on farm/ranch), or alternative forestry products and markets.
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Develop funding support for research programs through grants and contracts, that could include National Research Initiative (NRI), foundation RFPs, or agency and private sector contracts.
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Develop funding support for development of tailored outreach materials (including highly focused curricula) in areas such as regional economic clusters, entrepreneurial development, or value added opportunities to be delivered by cooperative extension and other partners.
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Disseminate research findings and outreach materials to land grant institutions and rural communities via policy briefs, websites (on-demand training), professional journals, and private sector or agency newsletters and conferences.
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Deliver training and technical assistance to extension, federal, state and NGO audiences.
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Catalyze new relationships between land grant faculty and rural development partners nationally and throughout the Western region. Relationships could include joint publications, joint research conferences, policy analysis and recommendations, or joint curriculum development and delivery.
Procedures and Activities
Activities to ensure collaboration among research faculty, extension faculty, private sector representatives and NGOs will be developed to include all groups in the regional meetings and participation on specific research or extension projects as deemed appropriate by the representatives and the committee.
Activities will include multi-state grant proposals supporting rural development. Indicators of success will include the number and amount of the grants received.
Activities will include development and submission of grants and contracts to fund outreach activities. Success indicators will include the number of grants developed and the amount of dollars received.
Activities to disseminate research and outreach materials will be organized across the region. Success indicators will include the number of policy briefs developed, websites offering information, professional journal publications and the number of citations in private sector and agency newsletters and conferences.
Activities will include delivering training and technical assistance to extension, federal, state and NGO audiences. Success indicators will include the number of trainings delivered and the breadth of participation in the trainings by diverse partners.
Activities will include co-sponsored publications, conferences, and curriculum development. Indicators of success will include the number of co-sponsored activities.
Activities will include specific measurement of community changes such as per capita income, and number of businesses, farms, and ranches.
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
- Cutting edge research focused on the unique challenges and opportunities of rural development in the West that will facilitate more vibrant, economically viable rural communities in the West.
- Multistate collaboration on issues of relevance to economic development, quality of life, niche markets, regional economic clusters, and enterprise development in rural communities.
- Development, synthesis, and dissemination of extension curricula based on peer-reviewed, cutting edge rural development research.
- Collaborative development of future funding proposals that will enhance the research and Extension capacity of western rural development professionals.
- Engagement of the private sector, NGOs, and land grant faculty, and integration of their respective interests and objectives into a focused community development research and Extension agenda for the future. Collaborators will include, but are not limited to, community economic developers, county commissioners, lenders, state agencies, USDA Rural Development and local RC&Ds, Land Grant University faculty, and cooperative extension.
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
1. Disseminate research findings and outreach materials to land grant institutions and rural communities via policy briefs, websites (on-demand training), professional journals, private sector and agency newsletters and conferences.
2. Deliver training and technical assistance to extension, federal, state, NGO, and local community audiences.
3. Catalyze new relationships between land grant faculty and rural development partners nationally and throughout the Western region. Relationships could include joint publications, joint research conferences, policy analysis and recommendations, or joint curriculum development and delivery.
Organization/Governance
The directors of the various participating state institutions support the participating researchers, who are the members of the coordinating committee. The project is considered a Western Regional coordinating committee project, but will have substantial participation by states in other regions of the U.S. and USDA-ARS researchers. The coordinating committee officers are a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and Secretary. Unless he/she declines to serve, the Vice-Chairperson will succeed the Chairperson. The Secretary is elected annually and the previous Secretary will succeed the Vice-Chairperson, unless he/she declines to serve. An election will be held if any officer declines to serve in his/her office. The officers will be elected from the officially designated representatives. The Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors select the Administrative Advisor who has no voting rights.
The coordinating committee will meet annually, unless otherwise planned, at a place and on a date designated by a majority vote of the committee. Minutes will be recorded and an annual progress report will be prepared by the coordinating committee and submitted through proper channels.
The coordinating committee will develop a budget for proposed research and Extension projects focused on rural development.
Literature Cited
Freudenburg, W.R. 1992. Addictive Economies: Extractive Industries and Vulnerable Localities in a Changing World Economy. Rural Sociology 57(3):305-32.
Korsching, P.F. & J.C. Allen. 2004. Locality based entrepreneurship: A strategy for community economic vitality. Community Development Journal, Vol. 39(4):385-400.
McGrannahan, D.A. 2004. How People Make a Living in Rural America. Chapter 10, In: Challenges for Rural America in the Twenty-First Century. (Eds. D.L. Brown and L.E. Swanson) The Pennsylvania State University Press. University Park, PA.
_____ 1999. Natural Amenities Drive Rural Population Change. Agricultural Economic Report 781. October, Food and Rural Economies Division, Economic Research Service. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, D.C.
McMichael, P. 1996. Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective. Pine Forge Press. Thousand Oaks, CA.
Saenz, R. and C.C. Torres. 2004. Latinos in Rural America. Pp. 57-70. In: Challenges for Rural America in the Twenty-First Century. (Eds. D.L. Brown and L.E. Swanson). The Pennsylvania State University Press. University Park, PA.