Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

1. Team members presented a session at the National Regional Science Association, presenting our continuing macro-level analysis and model refinement. 2. The team outlined a proposal to submit to the NRI and a second proposal to resubmit to NSF, based on the reviews of our previous proposals to these same agencies. 3. We decided to limit our case studies to the Beale Codes 6-9, which are rural and remote, and to eliminate counties containing college towns. 4. The team decided to include Mary Emery as co-PI to conduct the field research throughout the region and Corry Bregendahl to conduct the N-Vivo analysis of the interviews and focus groups in order to provide quality control. 5. The next meeting will be with the National Regional Science Association meeting in New York City, November 22-23, 2008.

Our articles from the session last year are in press in the Journal of Regional Science and in Regional Science. An additional article and book chapter are in press for a 2008 publication date. We submitted a grant proposal to NSF, which was not funded. Using the reviewer comments for both out last NRI submission and the NSF submission, we have outlined two new proposals. Because the NRI will be integrated, we will build on the Extension linkages of the NCRCRD to make the data gathering more action oriented and to develop modules to be used in on-line and face to face graduate courses on rural development, research methods, and rural poverty. We continued our association with the Regional Science Association International, which continues our link to a multi-disciplinary group interested in this issue. As a member of the Advisory Committee for the National Symposium on Poverty and Economic Security, we are sharing our results on the working poor and new poor in the planning work. In addition, the NCRCRD is convening research working groups on: " New Immigrants and Rural Communities (scholars from Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Oregon, New York, and North Carolina). Initial work funded by the Northwest Area Foundation includes Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota. " The Impact of Visioning on rural community change, funded by the Farm Foundation in collaboration with scholars from throughout the region " The community conditions under which entrepreneurship contributes to community economic development. " Working with Extension program leaders to develop an integrated NRI project on environmental contributions to childhood obesity and ways to overcome them. " NC 506 -- Took on the leadership of Team 4 -- the impact of ethanol production on rural communities (Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, and Michigan are part of the team, with the NCRCRD working with collaborators in Nebraska, Missouri, South Dakota, Indiana and Illinois for additional case studies) " Working with 4-H Extension educators throughout the nation to develop a research project on how the structures and processes in 4-H contribute to intergenerational bridging social capital and community development. Short-term Outcomes: Three major Foundations have adopted the capitals framework in their programming and evaluation. Grant received from the Northwest Area Foundation for examining the impact of ICE raids (Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota) Grant received from the Farm Foundation for a research seminar on visioning and rural development (includes all states in the region). Sub-contract received from the NC-506 to lead and coordinate team 4 (the social impacts team) Two major Foundations and one Federal agency (USDA/Rural Development/ Rural Utilities are using our model as a basis of determining community readiness for different kinds of investments. 4-H has adopted the Community Capitals Framework in designing program evaluation. We are contact with our Extension colleagues in the extreme rural and remote counties. Outputs: " One session presenting our design and results at the National Regional Science Association. " Three articles published " Identification of the outlier counties for the North Central region that are also rural and remote. Activities: The team refined its multi-state multivariate model through a series of iterations and discussions. Milestones: Receive grants for different stages of regional research projects (3 received to date). Outside investments in rural communities that intend to address the condition of the working poor are made by market, state and civil society based on the degree of readiness identified by the research. Rural communities and regions invest local resources in more effective ways to reduce working poverty. Return on investments in rural communities increases.

Brooks, Trevor; Michael McCurry; and Donna Hess. 2007. "Working Poverty." South Dakota State University Rural Life and Census Data Center Newsletter (1). http://sdrurallife.sdstate.edu/working%20poverty%20newsletter.pdf. Green, Gary Paul. 2007. Workforce Development Networks in Rural Areas: Building the High Road. Cheltenham, UK and Northhampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing. Green, Gary Paul and Anna Haines. 2007. Asset Building and Community Development, 2nd Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Green, Gary Paul and Landy Sanchez. 2007. Does manufacturing still matter? Population Research and Policy Review 26 (5/6): 529-551.