Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

At the annual meeting, general business (acknowledgements, old business follow-up, announcements, elections, plans for upcoming meetings) was quickly dispatched in order to devote the bulk of the time on a focused discussion about how to extend our expertise as applied economists to identify more clearly the value-added by experiment station supported social science research, particularly applied economic analysis. The group was inspired by the Bush Administration's current interest in competitive versus formula-funded research. It is important to correctly measure how well society is served by research under either type of mechanism. In part, discussion focused on how to prepare more correct and more compelling "impact" statements. Five different analytical and evaluative perspectives, appropriate for a wide array of different activities with different impacts were identified and outlined in a special work program for 2005-06. Five teams were formed to prepare five papers. Each team will write a "White Paper" that provides a primer on, critical literature review, and a demonstration of one evaluative approach as applied to at least one actual NE-1011 activity. The white papers will be discussed at the next NE-1011 annual meetings, and will be disseminated in multiple ways. These include presentations at meetings of ESCOP and ECOP, publication in a special issue of the JRAP (Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy) if possible, as well as posted on the two websites: http://www.agls.uidaho.edu/scooke/ne1011.htm and http://cenet.aers.psu.edu/default.asp. Three research paper sessions were also held in which twelve research papers were presented and formally discussed. The topics included: how new jobs are allocated across commuters, in-migrants, and local residents; rural poverty over time, the shift from higher to lower wage jobs, the actual efficacy of "trickle down" prosperity, how a better definition of rurality affects research and policy, how to apply network analytical tools to community development issues, new theories for analyzing human resource management, economic impacts of mad cow disease scares in USA, telecommunication issues, and new social accounting techniques focusing on disabled people. Detailed meeting minutes are attached.

Objective 1: To better understand the emerging opportunities and threats to the economic structure of non-metropolitan communities arising from forces that change the size or structure of rural markets. We focus on electronic commerce, financial liberalization, and health care. Work was conducted on direct marketing and local food systems, focusing on their connections to increasing value-added activities by farmers and ranchers, as well as analyzing consumer interest in Colorado food products. The range of activities analyzed included the marketing to chefs in Northern Colorado, new product development by beef producers on the West Slope of the Rockies, and retailing strategies to promote local products and provide better access to consumers for relatively small producers. Two NE-1011 projects focused on ocean-based activities. One effort studied the policies and programs available to enhance the sustainability of the South Carolina shrimp trawling industry. Analysis was conducted to determine the economic viability of local processing facilities to capture value added, and the applicability of niche marketing programs to increase sales of locally caught shrimp to S.C. tourists. The findings of the economic analysis of the shrimp trawling industry was presented to S.C. industry members. The industry is now undertaking a marketing program focused on the coastal counties, and industry members in the northern part of the S.C. coast can make good use of this analysis in their investigation of the viability of a cooperative effort to establish and manage another processing facility. A comprehensive survey of commercial fishermen participating in cooperative research through the Northeast Consortium was conducted to understand what fishermen think about their projects and the relative importance of this program to themselves and their communities. The results showed that fishermen strongly favor cooperative research, but sometimes feel inconvenienced by conflicting schedules or bad weather, which occasionally results in opportunity costs. Respondents felt like they were realizing benefits from cooperative research in addition to the money that they receive for their participation. Some of the most frequently cited benefits were forming trust and relationships with scientists and managers, gathering more accurate data, developing better gear technology, and increasing their personal knowledge. Fishermen also felt that the use of cooperative research data by management would provide benefits in the form of better management regulations. An economic impact model was used to show that Northeast Consortium funding cooperative research funding has a positive economic impact throughout the regional economy. The Northeast Consortium has distributed approximately $7.2 million to fund commercial fishermen participating in cooperative research over the last four years. The total economic contribution of cooperative research to fishing communities equaled $12,674,735 (Direct + Indirect + Induced). The relative non-economic contribution to fishing communities equaled over $16 million. In sum, the total regional contribution of the Northeast Consortium cooperative research funding was over $28 million. The committee studies all rural sectors, not just farming, ranching, fisheries, or foresters. An industrial location model for the intermountain west is being developed to estimate probabilities of industrial sector location in a specific intermountain west county and procedures have been developed to complete cluster industrial targeting. The City of Sparks, Nevada, has used the cluster industrial targeting study in its economic development program. Another focus of the project is on e-commerce and rural health care. With respect to e-commerce, innovative research about a change in national sales tax policies that may have significantly different affects on rural retail or wholesaling businesses as well as state or local tax revenues. Missouri has signed onto the national agreement for the "streamlined sales tax," but has not enacted any legislation. Implementing a streamlined sales tax will be necessary if states wish to be able to tax internet and catalog sales. Preliminary analysis indicates that the streamlined sales tax would provide increased tax revenues to rural areas. The tax revenue increase may not be as dramatic as expected in rural areas that lack the broadband necessary for ease in internet shopping, or where residents do not shop on-line as much as their urban counterparts. Another effort measured the economic impact on income, employment and output of Monadnock Community Hospital, a rural hospital located in Peterborough, NH. The total economic effects of the hospital on its primary service area were $14.4 million in income, 509 jobs, and $70.4 million in total output. For the total service area, the hospital's total effects on income, employment, and output were $18.2 million, 648 jobs, and $79.3 million, respectively. The impact of the hospital's purchases from the total service area was analyzed separately. Those purchases contributed $2.8 million in income, 76 jobs, and $6.2 million in output to the economy of the total service area. Efforts were continued to document and model the forces of change that are restructuring health care markets in the rural west. That research focuses on the development of a typology of market structures associated with rural health services in six western states where federal lands are a significant component of the land ownership structure within a county or region. Interviews with stakeholders and policymakers within the identified states have been completed and formal analysis of market structure typologies is on-going. The rural health market typology research is expected to provide federal, state and local healthcare policy professionals with a better understanding of how policy interventions actually impact access to, and quality of, health care delivery systems in rural markets. This understanding will lead to more effective design of healthcare policy in a context that is compatible with incentives that reside in rural healthcare market structures. County and sub-county inter-industry models were developed and applied to estimate economic impacts of the local health care sector on county and sub-county economies. The health sector impact analysis has been used by rural hospitals considering Critical Access hospital (CAH) designation. Objective 2: To determine the root causes of changes in rural labor markets, the employment and demographic growth that are likely to occur in the future, and the degree to which these factors are modified by workforce development policies. Research was completed on the role of local school quality on county labor force quality. The findings indicate a positive correlation between county labor force quality (as reflected in share of adults with college degree in 2000) and local school quality in 1980-1990 (as measured by test scores, pupil-teacher ratios, and spending per student). However, the impact of improved labor force quality on nonmetro county employment was small. This may be legacy of a history of recruitment of low-wage, low-skill industries to rural areas. Research also was continued on the impact of metropolitan regional innovation systems (RIS) on nearby nonmetro counties. Preliminary findings indicate that nonmetro areas near centers of innovative activity benefited primarily by attracting new residents as opposed to new jobs. Focus group discussions were conducted with agricultural managers in dairy, greenhouse, and nursery production and in landscaping to learn about labor management practices. Also employed were labor management case studies undertaken with six dairy farms, four greenhouses, six nurseries, and four landscape contractors. The six dairy cases have been analyzed in a resource-based theory framework to study its applicability to labor management on farms. The resource-based theory provides a useful framework for analyzing labor management questions in agriculture and a basis for management recommendations to increase competitiveness. The results provide an empirical basis for developing both testable hypotheses and survey items understandable to agricultural producers and their employees. The data gained through the focus group discussions and the case studies enables a deeper understanding of how agricultural actors conceptualize their work. Based on the knowledge gained through the case analysis, previously develop workshop material were further refined and tailored to include specific recommendations for agricultural managers. These materials have been presented to producers and extension educators in Michigan and shared with extension educators in other states. They have also been used to create human resource management risk education material for The State University of New Jersey (Rutgers) Commodity Partnership Agreement in conjunction with the USDA Risk Management Agency and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, which is to be broadly distributed to agricultural producers. In using these materials, agricultural managers will be able to increase labor productivity by 30% and reduce risk. In addition, employee well-being and safety on farms will increase. Work was begun on an analysis entitled "U.S. Wages and Salaries: A Decomposition of the Sources of Change Between 1978, 1988, & 1998" using U.S. Bureau of Economic Activity, regional economic data of wages and employment by industry. Wages grew about 6% over this twenty year time span and not at all between 1978 and 1988. This slow growth in wages came at a time when the returns to proprietors and capital were increasing much faster. Was the lack of growth in wages associated with the "wage effect" associated with low productivity and institutional changes in how wages are distributed or was it the result of an "industry effect" in which bad jobs replaced good ones? Preliminary results show that the wage effect was positive between 1978-1988 and 1988-1998. However the industry effect was consistently negative over each of these time periods. Results also show that the distribution of wages by sector became more unequal. By knowing the extent of these effects on the U.S. economy, we can use the information as a baseline to compare changes in the regional and state economies of the U.S. to see if they are affected more or less by these forces than the nation as a whole. This will help states and regions tailor their economic development policies to compliment those of the nation and to be consistent with the needs of their region. The affordability of childcare in rural and urban Minnesota was analyzed with the objective to determine what proportion of childcare providers were affordable to families of different income levels. Certain rural counties in Minnesota, typically those with lower median income, were more likely to face childcare affordability problems. Childcare affordability is an issue of concern in many communities, as child care impacts both workforce availability and school readiness. Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) was analyzed to compare the impact of employment growth on labor market outcomes in rural versus urban areas. This study finds that better economic conditions are associated with higher wages for less educated workers. A second project uses a county-level database on employment, commuting and labor force in Minnesota from the 1990 and 2000 Census. Using a model developed by North Carolina researchers involved in this multi-state project, the results suggest that local labor markets adjust to labor demand shocks through changes to in-commuting and out-commuting, labor force participation, and unemployment. A research project concerning human capital (labor) development investigated one mechanism via which public spending density may affect performance, by focusing on school size and student performance. The research suggests a new way to obtain more efficient and cost-effective schools that does not require consolidating across towns. The one-room school house model appears to be more efficient after all. Researchers have been working I/O tables and models of county labor markets which illustrates how econometric models of county labor markets may be conjoined with county input-output models for improved economic and labor market impact analysis. As a result, community development personnel and regional economists have a new and better procedure for using input-output analysis to include labor impacts and fiscal impacts. Research on economic and demographic changes in rural communities was extended by collecting interview and survey data from three rural North Dakota communities that had experienced economic development stemming from either manufacturing or exported services facilities, as well as for two communities that had not experienced major new development projects during the 1990s. Improved job opportunities and enhanced incomes were generally seen as major positive effects of each of the new economic development initiatives. Further, aside from some management and engineering positions, most of the plant jobs appeared to represent employment opportunities for area workers, rather than being taken primarily by in-migrants. Residents' incomes were enhanced both by the plants' jobs and payroll (which often represented second incomes for area households) and by increased incomes for area farmers (in the case of agricultural processing facilities). Because most of the plant jobs were taken by persons already living in the area, the new plants did not lead to substantial in-migration or major population growth in the host communities. Rather, a reoccurring comment by local leaders was that the plant in their community had stabilized the local economy and population. Comparison of population trends in the development and control communities supports the perception of local informants that the economic development initiatives served to stabilize local populations. Research was conducted on the extent to which county employment growth in 13 southern states is divided between current residents, in-migrants, and (non-resident) commuters. The research employed a labor market model that explicitly accounts for movements of workers across county lines - in conjunction with labor market adjustments that occur within a county - when an exogenous labor demand shock takes place. Estimation results are consistent with a priori expectations concerning the impact of relative wages, relative housing prices and employment shocks on commuting and unemployment. It was concluded that the fiscal impacts of employment growth associated with changes in residential demands for publicly provided services and residential provision of property tax revenues will be substantially smaller than is commonly supposed. Signficant rural-urban differences were found to exist. A relatively greater fraction of new jobs in metro counties are filled by (non-resident) in-commuters than is the case for rural counties, while employment growth in rural counties appears to be accommodated to a relatively greater degree by reductions in out-commuting. Evidence is also presented indicating that labor force growth (and, by extension, population growth and residential development) in rural counties is substantially more sensitive to employment growth in nearby counties than is the case for urban counties. Thus, while employment growth in rural counties may lead to smaller fiscal impacts than is often supposed, employment growth in nearby counties represents an important countervailing factor that also tends to be overlooked in economic and fiscal impact analyses. These research findings represent an important input into current debates over desirable economic development stategies, land use planning, and "smart growth." Because of this, they have already elicited significant interest on the part of policy makers and local government officials throughout North Carolina. That North Carolina's experience is similar to that of the Southern region as a whole promises to engender similar interest across a wider cross-section of states. Research on rural labor markets included initiation of a project to examine the changing market conditions for hardwood processors in Pennsylvania and adjacent states, and the labor force needs of processors in the face of these changes. A survey of hardwood processors was completed, with analysis to be finished in 2005. Hardwood processors will benefit from the study on labor needs within this industry, an important industry in Pennsylvania and adjacent states. Ongoing research continued on rural-urban differentials in the effects of welfare reform, through the collection of data on low-income individuals participating in a project within Pennsylvania to connect low-income individuals with employers and with community mentors. A survey of employers was undertaken as part of this project, to better understand employer perceptions of the problems they face in hiring these workers. Given current interest in the effects of marriage on the `outcomes' of recipients of public assistance, the existing project is being expanded to assess the public assistance-work-marriage nexus that is at the heart of current proposals for welfare policy. Policy research is also being undertaken on the effects of immigration policy on farm workers in the U.S., focusing on differences in economic well-being measures between international shuttlers (those who reside principally in Mexico and migrate to the U.S. to work on farms part of the year) versus `settled' workers who reside year-round in the U.S. The work assesses the provision of benefits by employers and access to public assistance programs, as well as the longer-term effects of migration status on schooling and farm worker health. Using data from the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS), results show that those who `shuttle' are more likely to receive health benefits in the form of health insurance and health care in the case of injury or illness occurring as the result of farm work. On the other hand, settled workers are more likely to receive other employer-provided and public support, although public assistance support is very low in the population. Researchers working in collaboration with the RUPRI Rural Poverty Research Center documented trends and explored the factors that reduced poverty rates and led counties out of persistent poverty status during the 1990s. A critical review of the literature on rural poverty confirmed the higher prevalence of poverty in nonmetro areas and found that while both compositional (individual) and contextual (structural) factors are at play, a complete explanation of poverty rates and changes remains elusive. This study was the first attempt to model determinants of poverty change using tract-level data in the United States across two census years. Results suggest that job growth does have a poverty-reducing effect, and that this effect is larger in high-poverty tracts. The negative effect of being located in a poverty pocket is most pronounced in low-poverty tracts, but the poverty-reducing effect of job growth is also greatest for low-poverty tracts surrounded by high poverty. Social capital appears to be most important in contributing to poverty decline in high-poverty areas. It also enhances the impact of job growth in medium poverty areas. Results from a study using the Current Population Survey, a national sample of households, suggest that, holding demographics constant, changes in welfare and social policy during the 1990s contributed to the employment increases but not to poverty reduction for both rural and urban single mothers. They also suggest that differences between urban and rural single mothers in age, race, and education resulted in the policy changes having less effect on rural single mother work and poverty. Researchers examined why some U.S. households are asset poor; that is, why households have insufficient resources to invest in their future or to sustain household members at a basic level during times of economic disruption. A random-effects logistic model of the probability that an individual is asset poor at a given point in time as a function of household-level (e.g. gender and race of the household head; family structure) and place-level (region and metropolitan or nonmetropolitan county) variables was developed. The central finding was that place of residence is an important determinant of asset poverty, above and beyond the influence of household characteristics. Living in a central metropolitan county and in a nonmetropolitan area is associated with a higher risk of being asset poor, all else being equal Objective 3: To understand the effects of public policy on rural areas and rural industries. Researchers found that states responded to the recent fiscal crisis by depleting reserves, cutting spending--even in traditionally protected areas such as K-12 education--implementing aggressive Medicaid cost-containment, and raising some fees and taxes. While state tax revenues are beginning to grow modestly, revenues are well below their pre-crisis levels. States have not yet enacted tax reform that could hold back the eroding sales and corporate tax bases, and property taxes are likely to suffer declining support from an aging taxpayer population. At the same time, pressure persists to increase state spending, particularly on the big-ticket categories of education and Medicaid. In sum, the costs of providing the public services demanded by citizens and mandated by higher levels of governments are likely to exceed revenues generated by the current state and local tax system. Budget crises are likely to become an annual occurrence, and finding solutions will become increasing more difficult. The analysis will provide state and local officials with important information about helping rural economies. Economic development strategies are often focused locally, but the results suggest that given the mobility of workers, strategies may be more effective at the regional or multi-region level within and across states. Patterns of farmland change and the effects of export policy and subsidies on the amount and location of change in non-metropolitan vs. metropolitan counties were examined. Regarding rural labor and the structure of agriculture industry, efforts this year consisted of analyzing 50 years of trends in farms and farmland in the continental US. Using counties as the unit, data was collected on key variables from the Ag Censuses 1949-1997. Confirming the general trend of decreasing number of farms and farmland during the 50 years, the focus of this particular effort was on comparing these processes between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. This research was presented at a USDA-ERS briefing conference that included various federal agency personnel as well as non-profit, non-governmental community development agency personnel in January 2004, with subsequent work to become a chapter in a forthcoming book. Another line of research was begun to examine a timely aspect of community health-local fiscal crisis. Data was collected for all general purpose local governmental units in New York (counties, cities, towns and villages)from the NYS Office of the Controller's annual fiscal reports. Compiled into a local government data base, we have information on revenues, expenditures, debt, and capital outlays from 1977 to 2002 for most of these units. Indicators of fiscal condition have been constructed and presented to staff members of the NYS Office of Controller. Research on factors influencing household location decisions and residential property values was completed in 2004. A conjoint survey to identify trade-offs that households make in selecting a residential location. The same dataset was used to consider how residential demand changed immediately after 9/11. Model estimation that deal with the effects of livestock facilities on residential property values was completed in 2004. Other research completed in 2004 focused on the causes of urbanization and rural-to-urban land use change. This research uses parcel-level land use change data (from Ohio and Maryland respectively) to estimate a spatially explicit model of residential land conversion and then use the parameter estimates to predict how the spatial pattern of land conversion changes under alternative scenarios. Land use policy personnel and local officials will gain a clearer understanding of factors that affect land use conversion. Agricultural and community leaders will gain a better understanding of the amenity value of farmland. An analysis, conducted using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, calls into question the standard view that nonmetro poverty is worse than metro poverty. Understanding the extent and incidence of transitory versus persistent poverty is important for developing strategies that target poor populations. The county government study has already been used by the National Association of Counties (NACo) and by many county governments throughout the United States to better understand trends in local government budgets. While the effects of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on agriculture are well understood, economic assessments of the market value of conservation benefits from the program accruing to rural economies remains largely undocumented. One of the conservation benefits of the program is wildlife habitat, which has bolstered upland bird, waterfowl, and big game populations and contributed to increased consumptive and non-consumptive wildlife based recreation. A recent study addressed the net economic effects of decreased agricultural activity and increased recreational activity associated with the CRP in six rural areas of North Dakota from 1996 through 2000. The (negative) effects of the CRP on agricultural revenues were based on the level of economic activity that would have occurred in the absence of the program. The net change in revenues from CRP land returning to agricultural production in the six study areas was estimated at $50.2 million annually or $37 per CRP-acre in the study areas. Additional recreational (hunting) revenues in the study areas were estimated at $12.8 million annually or $9.45 per CRP-acre (i.e., 26 percent of the agricultural losses). The net economic effect of the CRP (comparing losses of agricultural revenues and gains in recreational expenditures) indicated that several areas of the state are not as economically burdened by the CRP as previous research has suggested. A data base using the 2002 Census of Governments has been compiled that compares all 50 states on major state and local taxes and expenditures. The database is ready for distribution to any member of NE-1011 that requests it, as has been done in the past. Presentations have been made on state and local public finance and also on municipal finance and economic development financing options available to local governments. Missouri and Texas are using Value at Risk, a technique from the private sector, to evaluate the risk of public revenue portfolios and the implications of that risk for rainy day funds for local governments. Case studies of two municipalities have been completed and a paper presented at a professional meeting. Presentations on the local economies in two regions resulted in interviews with the Columbia Tribune and the St. Louis Post Dispatch. A presentation on the St. Louis economy and labor force was re-broadcast several times on Public TV in the St. Louis area. The on-line training, "Local Economic Analysis," has been taken by local economic developers in Missouri and by extension field faculty in several states. Analysis from the course was presented to 45 elected officials and chamber officers in the State of Washington. The emphasis was on how the information could be used to promote local growth. Some examples of how the course have been used can be found on the website: http://stevens.wsu.edu/Community/econdevresc.htm A project was completed on capital needs for rural economic growth which highlighted the importance of human, social, and public capital improvements for enhanced competitiveness in the global economy. The research examining the rural global competitiveness provides insight to community and state leaders about the issues they need to address to sustain economic vitality in the coming years. Another study further examined the factors which lead to growth in the level of human capital attainment. Improvements in human capital and public capital (infrastructure) will be essential for economic growth. In addition, communities must create stronger bonds between businesses, institutions, and residents. State and local governments all over the country are in an intense competition to attract footloose industry. Objective 4: To identify community characteristics associated with viable and healthy rural communities and investigate policy alternatives to enhance these characteristics. Four state teams are collaborating in the collection and analysis of the first (known) cross-section survey of community network data (Iowa, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Oregon). The surveys were completed during calendar 2004. Data was collected on the community networks in three relations (money, income and support) in 58 towns. Researchers have also collected most of the desired side information on all 58 towns, have opened a project website, and have outlined the metadata and the anonymization approach. This effort will deliver a set of publicly available metadata and data on the networks of 60 towns across the USA, augmented with side information on history, natural resources, scenic endowments, sectoral economic activity, location, demographics, proximity to market centers, and local fiscal policies, in forms that guarantee the anonymity of the surveyed towns and entities within those towns. Another research project engaging NE-1011 participants in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Missouri on the impact of retirees on rural areas continues to have impacts. Missouri was contacted by the Louisiana Governor's Office to provide insights into plans to restructure Louisiana's cultural, art, ecotourism and tourism departments. Of particular interest was the issue of how to market to retirees and encourage them to migrate to the state.

Altman, Ira J. and Thomas G. Johnson, Samuel J. Orr and Phillip C. Badger. 2004. Financial Feasibility and Economic Impacts of an Anaerobic Digester System: The Case of Haubenschild Farms . Community Policy Analysis Center Report R-2004-14. October. Bangsund, Dean A., Nancy M. Hodur, and F. Larry Leistritz. 2004. "Agricultural and Recreational Impacts of the Conservation Reserve Program in North Dakota," Journal of Environmental Management (in press). Barkley, David L., Mark S. Henry and Brian Gantt. "The South Carolina Shrimp Trawling Industry: 2003 Survey Results." REDRL Research Report 09-2004-01, Regional Economic Development Research Laboratory, Clemson University, September 2004. Barkley, David L., Mark S. Henry, and Ferdinand DiFurio. "Does School Quality Contribute to Local Labor Force Quality?" REDRL Research Report 03-2004-01, Regional Economic Development Research Laboratory, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, March 2004. Barney, J., T.Whitlow and J. Francis, (forthcoming 2005) "Visualizing Value Systems: Exploring Property Value and Eco-system Services in Constructed Three Dimensional Space." In Geographic Information and Critical Geographic Research. Temple University Press. Philadelphia, PA. 2004. Bao, Shuming, Mark S. Henry, and David L. Barkley. Identifying Urban-Rural Linkages: Tests for Spatial Effects in the Carlino-Mills Model. in Advancess of Spatial Econometrics, Luc Anselin, R. Florax, and S. J. Rey (editors), Springer: New York, 2004, pp. 321-334. Bitsch, V. and Harsh, S.B. 2004. Labor risk attributes in the green industry: Business owners' and managers' perspectives. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 36:731-745. Bitsch, V. 2004. Focus group discussions as a research and extension method: The case of personnel management issues in horticultural businesses. Acta Horticulturae 655:461-469. Bitsch, V., Harsh, S.B. and Mugera, A.W. 2004. Top managers share employee tips and traps: A recent Michigan survey shows what tactics work and don't work with employees on their farms. Hoard's Dairyman-The National Dairy Farm Magazine 149 (3), February 10, 2004, p. 95. Brewin, D. 2004. Three Essays in Regional Economics that Consider the Importance of Space, Agglomeration, and Income. Ph.D. Dissertation. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. 201 pp. Burkey, Jake and Thomas R. Harris. 2004. "Modeling a Share or Proportion with Logit and Tobit: The Effect of Outcommuting on Retail Sales". The Review of Regional Studies, Vol. 33, Nos. 3, pp: 328-342. Carrion-Flores, Carmen and Elena G. Irwin (2004). Determinants of Residential Land Use Conversion and Sprawl at the Rural-Urban Fringe. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 86(4): 889-904. Crandall, Mindy S. and Bruce A. Weber, "Local Social and Economic Conditions, Spatial Concentrations of Poverty and Poverty Dynamics", American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 86(5):1276-1281, December 2004. Davis, E.E. and Li, N. 2004. Child Care Affordability in Minnesota: Is There a Crisis? CURA Reporter, Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota, August. Eiswerth, Mark E., Tim D. Darden, Wayne S. Johnson, Jean Agapoff, and Thomas R. Harris. "Input-Output Modeling, Outdoor Recreation, and the Economic Impacts of Weeds", Weed Science. (Accepted for Publication). Fadali, Elizabeth, Thomas R. Harris, and Buddy Borden. "Socioeconomic Profile for Winnemucca Study Area and Balance of Humboldt County", February 2004, UCED 2003/04-29. Fadali, Elizabeth, Jerry Buk, and Thomas R. Harris. "Mineral County Survey of Residents", February 2004, UCED 2003/04-30. Fadali, Elizabeth, Thomas R. Harris, and John Nolan. "Emergency Medical Technician Test Score Analysis", April 2004, UCED 2004/05-04. Fadali, Elizabeth, Thomas R. Harris, Buddy Borden, and Mike Havercamp. "Socio-Economic Profile for East and West Lincoln County Study Area." April 2004, UCED 2004/05-05. Fadali, Elizabeth, Thomas R. Harris, Buddy Borden, and Jim Lopez. "Socio-Economic Profile for City of Ely Study Area and Baker-Leander Study Area." January 2004, UCED 2004/05-06. Fadali, Elizabeth, Thomas R. Harris, and Al Circelli, Jr. "Nevada Horse Owner Survey Results", October 2004. UCED 2004/05-16. Fannin, J. Matthew and Thomas G. Johnson. 2004. "The Regional Spillover Effects of Knowledge Production on Missouri Counties," Annual Meeting of the Southern Regional Science Association, New Orleans, Louisiana, March. Fawson C. and Herzberg R. 2004. Estimating Demand and Supply Response to Tuition Tax Credits for Private School Tuition in Utah. http://www.le.state.ut.us/documents/Final%20Report-pdf.pdf. Findeis, J. 2004. Understanding Farm Households: The New Census of Agriculture. 2004 Ag Outlook Forum Proceedings, Washington, DC. Fisher, Monica G., and Bruce A. Weber, "Does Economic Vulnerability Depend on Place of Residence? Asset Poverty across Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas", The Review of Regional Studies, 34(3), 2004 (in press). Francis, Joe and David Kay, 2003. "Measuring Local Governmental Fiscal Stress." New York State Sociological Association. Siena College. Loudonville, NY. Oct. 17-18, 2003. Francis, Joe and David Kay, 2003. "Structural Factors Affecting Local Governmental Fiscal Stress." 23rd Annual Conference, North East Section of the Regional Science Association (NERSA). State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY. Nov. 6-8, 2003. Harris, Thomas R. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Humboldt County", January 2004, UCED 2003/04-20. Harris, Thomas R. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for White Pine County: Part I", January 2004, UCED 2003/04-21. Harris, Thomas R. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Elko County: Part I", January 2004, UCED 2003/04-22. Harris, Thomas R., "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Lander County: Part I", February 2004, UCED 2003/04-31. Harris, Thomas R., Tabor Griswold, Marianne Serguson, John Packham, and Caroline Ford." Economic Impact and Linkages of the Local Health Care Sector on the Economy of White Pine County", January 2004, UCED 2003/04-23. Harris, Thomas, Tabor Griswold, Marianne Segurson, John Packham, and Caroline Ford, "Economic Impact and Linkages of the Local Health Care Sector on the Economy of Lander County, Nevada", January 2004, UCED 2003/04-24. Harris, Thomas R. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Elko County: Part IV: Current and Future Employment, Output, and Occupation Forecasts", March 2004, UCED 2003/04-33. Harris, Thomas R. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Lincoln County: Part I", April 2004, UCED 2004/05-01. Harris, Thomas R. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Lander County: Part III: Economic Base and Change for the Battle Mountain Study Area and Austin Study Area", May 2004. UCED 2004/05-07. Harris, Thomas R. and Joan Wright. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Lander County: Part V: Additional Information", May 2004, UCED 2004/05-08. Harris, Thomas R., Michael Havercamp, and Buddy Borden. "Lincoln County Strategic Tourism Plan." June 2004, UCED 2004/05-09. Harris, Thomas R. and Jeffery Hardcastle. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Humboldt County: Part IV: Current and Future Employment, Output, and Occupation Forecasts". June 2004. UCED 2004/05-10. Harris, Thomas R. and Jeffery Hardcastle. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for White Pine County: Part IV: Current and Future Employment, Output, and Occupation Forecasts", June 2004, UCED 2004/05-11. Harris, Thomas R., Jeffery Hardcastle, Buddy Borden, and Michael Havercamp. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Lincoln County: Part IV: Current and Future Employment, Output, and Occupation Forecasts." June 2004, UCED 2004/05-12. Harris, Thomas R. Harris and Jeffery Hardcastle. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Lander County: Part IV: Current and Future Employment, Output, and Occupation Forecasts." June 2004, UCED 2004/05-13. Harris, Thomas R., Gaylene Nevers, Elizabeth Fadali, and Joan Wright. "Industrial Targeting for Economic Development, City of Sparks." June 2004, UCED 2004/05-14. Harris, Thomas R. and Joan Wright. "Estimating Economic Impacts of Cattle Ranching and Farming on the White Pine County Economy." October 2004, UCED 2004/05-15 Harris, Thomas R. and Brian Bonnenfant. "Estimated Employment Impacts of Airports in Douglas County and Carson City", December 2004, UCED 2004/05-19. Henry, Mark, Haizhen Li and David Barkley. 2004. "Human Capital and Rural Growth in The Southern United States: 1970-2000." Review of Regional Studies. Volume 34, Winter 2004. Irwin, Elena G. and Nancy E. Bockstael (2004). Land Use Externalities, Growth Management Policies, and Urban Sprawl. Regional Science and Urban Economics, 34(6): 705-25. Johnson, Thomas G. 2005. What would an ideal rural land use policy look like?. Chapter 20, in Goetz et al. (eds.) Land Use Problems and Conflicts . Routledge, London. Forthcoming. Johnson, Thomas G. and James K. Scott. 2004. A Comprehensive Approach to the Assessment of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Projects, Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting, and Financial Management. Johnson, Thomas G. 2004. "Economic Development Indicators: Measuring How Rural Communities are Changed by Economic Development Programs," Washington, DC, October. Johnson, Thomas G. 2004. "An Overview of American Rural Life," Paper presented to Making Agriculture Productive and Profitable, American Farm Bureau, Dallas Texas, March. Johnson, Thomas G. "Economic Opportunity Analysis: A Case Study," Paper presented at the Industry Targeting Workshop, Orlando, Florida, 12-02-2004. Johnson, Thomas G. "Economic Trends in Rural America," Presentation to the Rural Policy Forum, Little Rock, Arkansas, 08-14-2004. Johnson, Thomas G. 2004. "The Rural Economy in a Changed World," Presentation to the Legislative Rural Policy Academy, Salt Lake City, Utah, July. Johnson, Thomas G. 2004. "Quality of Life Issues in Rural America," Taking the Pulse of Rural America, Tucson, Arizona, January. Kay, David and Joe Francis, 2004. "Fiscal Conditions in New York Cities: Trends and Structural Influences." Southern Regional Science Association. New Orleans, LA. March 11-13, 2004. Leistritz, F. Larry, Dean A. Bangsund, and Nancy M. Hodur. 2003. "Agricultural and Recreational Impacts of the Conservation Reserve Program in Rural North Dakota," paper presented at 42nd Annual Meeting of Western Regional Science Association, Tucson, AZ, Febr. 26-March 1. Lobao, Linda and David S. Kraybill (2005, accepted). The Emerging Roles of County Governments in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas: Findings from a National Survey. Economic Development Quarterly. Miller, Kathleen and Bruce Weber, How Do Persistent Poverty Dynamics and Demographics Vary Across the Rural-Urban Continuum, Measuring Rural Diversity Series Vol. 1 (1), Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University, January 2004. http://srdc.msstate.edu/measuring/series/miller_weber.pdf Morris, Douglas E. and Cynthia L. Belowski, Land Use Change Taxes: The Changing Relation to Abated Property Taxes. Abstract, Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Vol. 32, No. 2 (October, 2003). Morrow-Jones, Hazel, Elena G. Irwin and Brian Roe (2004). Consumer Preferences for Neotraditional Neighborhood Characteristics. Housing Policy Debate, 15(1): 171-202. Mugera, A.W. 2004. Managing human resources on six dairy farms in Michigan: A resource-based perspective. Plan B Research Paper. Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University. Nevers, Gaylene and Thomas R. Harris. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Elko County: Part III: Economic Base and Change", March 2004, UCED 2003/04-32. Nevers, Gaylene, Thomas R. Harris, and Elizabeth Fadali. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Humboldt County: Part III: Economic Base and Change", March 2004, UCED 2003/04-36. Nevers, Gaylene, Thomas R. Harris, and Elizabeth Fadali. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Lander County: Part III: Economic Base and Change." March 2004, UCED 2003/04-37. Nevers, Gaylene, Thomas R. Harris, and Elizabeth Fadali. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for White Pine County: Part III: Economic Base and Change", March 2004, UCED 2003/04-38. Niell, Rebecca and Thomas R. Harris. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for Elko County: Part II: Changing Business Counts fro 1998 to 2001", January 2004, UCED 2003/04-27. Niell, Rebecca and Thomas R. Harris. "Analysis of Socio-Economic Data and Trends for White Pine County: Part II: Changing Business Counts fro 1998 to 2001". April 2004, UCED 2004/05-03. Orr, Samuel J. and Thomas G. Johnson and Daniel C. Badger. 2004. Biopower Decision Tools Project Report Development Guide. Community Policy Analysis Center Report R-2004-13. September. Pagoulatos, A., Goetz, S. J., Debertin, D. L., and Johanssen, T. 2004. Interactions Between Economic Growth and Environmental Quality in U.S. Counties," Growth and Change, 35(1): 90-108. Pfeffer, Max, Joe Francis and Zev Ross, 2004. "Urbanization and Land Use Contestation at the Rural/Urban Fringe." Population Change and Rural Society Conference, Economic Research Service, USDA. Washington, D.C. January 29-30, 2004. Rainey, Daniel V., Kenneth L. Robinson, Ivye Allen, and Ralph D. Christy. 2004. "Essential Public and Private Capital for Sustainable Community Development." In Achieving Sustainable Communities in a Global Economy. Ralph D. Christy, editor. P. 159-178. World Scientific Publishers. Rainey, Daniel V. and Olga I. Murova. 2003. "Arkansas Public School Districts Efficiency Estimation: Is Restructuring Necessary," Educational Research and Policy Studies Journal. Vol. 3(4): 1-22. Rainey, Daniel V., and Olga I. Murova. 2004. "Factors Influencing Education Achievement". Applied Economics. Vol. 2404. Rainey, Daniel V., and Olga I. Murova, 2004. "Data Envelopment Analysis of Efficiency Estimation in Public Schools", Empirical Economic Letters. Vol. Renkow, Mitch. 2004. "Economic Impacts of Residential Development: Lessons from Chatham County." NC State Economist (November). Renkow, Mitch. 2004. "Population, Employment, and Mobility In The Rural South." SRDC Policy Series Paper No. 3, Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State, MS. Renkow, Mitch. 2004. "Population Growth in the Worker Mobility in the South: Implications for Smart Growth." Southern Perspectives 7(4): 4-5. Rightmyre, Vickie and Darryl Chatman and Thomas G. Johnson. 2004. Rural Entrepreneurship Initiative: Survey Results for Albany, Missouri. Community Policy Analysis Center Report R-2004-01. August. (A total of 12 reports for 12 different communities). Rightmyre, Vickie and Darryl Chatman and Thomas G. Johnson. 2005. Growing Entrepreneurs From the Ground Up: A Community-Based Approach to Growing Your Own Businesses. Missouri Rural Development Partners. February. http://www.cpac.missouri.edu/REI/REIGuidebook_Cover1.pdf Roe, Brian, Elena G. Irwin, and Hazel A. Morrow-Jones (2004). Estimating the Benefits of Farmland Preservation to Homeowners: Results of a Conjoint Analysis of Housing Choice. Land Economics, 80: 55-75. (senior authorship joint between Roe and Irwin) Rupasingha, A. and Goetz, S. J. 2004. County Amenities and Migration. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 33(2): 198-207. Salin, Victoria, Eunice Patron, Judith I. Stallmann. "Rainy Day Funds for Municipalities Estimated with Value at Risk." North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International. Seattle, Washington. November 2004. Scribner, Kevin P. The Economic Impact of Monadnock Community Hospital. Master of Science Directed Research. University of New Hampshire, Department of Resource Economics and Development, Durham, May 2004, 53pp. Shields, Martin, Judith I. Stallmann and Steven C. Deller. "The Economic and Fiscal Impacts of the Elderly on a Small Rural Region." Journal of the Community Development Society. 34(1):85-106. 2003 Stallmann, Judith I. "Evaluating Tax Systems." Missouri Legislative Academy, Report 17-2004. March, 2004. Legislative Brief http://www.truman.missouri.edu/ipp/mla/publications/htmldocs/17-2004evaluatingtaxsystems.htm Stallmann, Judith I. "Understanding Missouri's Job Loss." Invited presentation. Missouri Community Development Society. Jefferson City, Missouri. January, 2003. This was presented in several other venues also. Stallmann, Judith I. "Spatial Distribution of the Streamlined Sales and Use Taxes Impacts." Southern Regional Science Association. New Orleans, Louisiana. March, 2004. Stallmann, Judith I. Evaluation of Major State Taxes in Missouri. Missouri Legislative Academy, Report 31-2004. May, 2004 Legislative Brief http://www.truman.missouri.edu/ipp/mla/publications/htmldocs/31-2004judiths.htm Swaminathan, H. and Findeis, J. L. 2004. Poverty Interventions and Poverty in Rural America. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 86(5): 1289-1296. Trauth, Kathleen M. and Thomas G. Johnson, Christine M. Poulos, Vickie M. Rightmyre, D. Scott Adams, Guohua Li and Hao Wang. 2004. Identification and Development of User Requirements to Support Robust Corridor Investment Models. Midwest Transportation Consortium. September. Thilmany, D. and P. Watson. The Increasing Role of Direct Marketing and Farmers Markets for Western US Producers. Western Economics Forum 3(December 2004)19-25. Thilmany, D. Direct Food Marketing to Restaurants through Existing Farmers Market Alliances: The Case of Colorado Crop to Cuisine. Review of Agricultural Economics. 26(September 2004) 404-17. Thilmany, D. Agricultural Workers Trends and Issues in the Mountain West. 2004 Journal of American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. Summer 2004. pp 49-56. Thilmany, D. and E. Garner. Agricultural Statistics. Invited chapter for Encyclopedia of Social Measurement. Kimberly Kempf-Leonard, Editor-in-Chief. Academic Press. November 2004. pp. 53-58. Thilmany, D. 2004. "American Farmland Trust and Colorado State University. A Curriculum for Niche Beef Marketing and Production." (Major contributor with Wendy Umberger, Amanda Ziehl, Tom Field, John Scanga and Martha Sullins). Thilmany, D. 2004. "Golf in Colorado: An Independent Study of the 2002 Economic Impact and Environmental Aspects of Golf in Colorado. Report to the Colorado Golf Association." (with S. Davies, P. Watson, Peter Elzi, Ned Prosser and Amanda Cramer). Thilmany, D. Colorado Homestead Ranches: A Business Plan Overview and Market Analysis. Report to Colorado Homestead Ranches and USDA Rural Development Value Added Grant. December 2004 (with Josh Wilson, Amanda Ziehl, Ed Sparling and Wendy Umberger). Thilmany, D. 2004. "Colorado Institute of Public Policy. Bio-Pharming in Colorado: A Guide to Issues for Making Informed Choices." Working Committee Member and Major Contributor. Ulimwengu, John and David S. Kraybill (2004). Poverty Over Time and Location: An Examination of Metro-Nonmetro Differences. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 86(5): 1282-1288. Wang, Q. 2004. Essays on Welfare Use, the Wage Gap and Unemployment Transitions in the United States. Ph.D. Dissertation, University Park: The Pennsylvania State University. 300 pp Weber, Bruce, Mark Edwards and Greg Duncan, "Single Mother Work and Poverty Under Welfare Reform: Are Policy Impacts Different In Rural Areas?" Eastern Economic Journal, 30(1):31-51, Winter 2004 Weber, Bruce and Leif Jensen, Poverty and Place: A Critical Review of Rural Poverty Literature Working Paper 04-03, RUPRI Rural Poverty Research Center, Corvallis OR, June 2004 http://rupri.org/rprc/wp0403.pdf Wright, Joan and Thomas R. Harris. "Socioeconomic Profile for the Battle Mountain and Austin Study Area", March 2004, UCED 2003/04-34. Wright, Joan, Thomas R. Harris, Buddy Borden, and Jim Lopez. "Socioeconomic Profile for City of Elko Study Area and Rest of Elko County Study Area." March 2004, UCED 2003/04-35. Wright, Joan, Thomas R. Harris, and Bob Shriver. "The Economic Contribution of Military Installations to the State of Nevada Economy." December 2004, UCED 2004/05-17. Yeo, JunHo and D. Holland. 2004. Economic Growth in Washington: An Examination of Migration Response and a Test of Model Accuracy. International Regional Science Review, 27(2):205-237, 2004.