Promising Opportunities: A Fresh Look at Opportunities for Rural Communities
In 2004, we published and released a report highlighting economic development strategies that were working for communities across the rural Great Plains. Fresh Promises focused on these opportunities and divided them into six categories that are crucial for viable rural communities, especially ones that are agriculturally-based. These categories are again highlighted in this report—one that looks at potential legislation that is necessary for these economic opportunities to be replicated in other communities, regions, and states.
This report, though intended to address issues that the 2007 Farm Bill should and could address, includes proposals that could easily be modified for use at the state level. We have also included some state policies that are currently in place and could be replicated in other states, or at the federal level. It is our hope that policymakers will take these ideas and examples and create opportunities for their rural constituents.
Rural economic development has been neglected for too long. The mission of United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, “to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for all rural Americans” is not reflected in funding for rural economic development initiatives. Three percent of the current fiscal year United States Department of Agriculture budget is dedicated to rural development. Of that three percent, 10 percent is devoted to rural business development—less than one percent of the entire United States Department of Agriculture’s budget (the remainder going to rural housing and utility programs).
View this report as an iPaper Document.
Download a PDF of the full report at the link below.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Promising Opportunities.pdf | 294.52 KB |
