By Doug Bowers, Editor

ERS Rural America No. 164. March 2002

About this magazine

Rural America is a quarterly publication of the Economic Research Service that features articles covering a wide range of topics related to rural development as well as updates of rural social and economic trends.

In this report ...

Articles are in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.

Contents, 58 kb

Foreword, 59 kb

Feature Articles

• Transportation in Rural America: Issues for the 21st Century (649kb)—In the last 25 years, transportation in rural America has been transformed by deregulation, devolution of Federal responsibilities to State and local governments, and traffic growth created by the booming economy of the 1990s. All modes of rural transportation-highways, passenger service (transit, intercity bus, and passenger rail service), trucking, inland waterways, rail freight service, and passenger air service -have been affected. By linking rural residents with distant jobs and services and by enabling commercial shipping, transportation is a cornerstone of rural economic development. However, rural transportation is still beset by higher commuting and shipping costs due to widely dispersed population and industry. For more information, contact Dennis Brown

• The Nation's Inland Waterway System and Rural America(287kb)—The Nation's inland waterway system-the internal network of rivers and the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway, plus coastal waterways -provides a low-cost means of transporting bulky goods over long distances. Inland waterways, critical in moving farm commodities, inputs, and other raw materials, face a number of challenges. These include the deterioration of many locks and dams, particularly on the Upper Mississippi - Illinois River system, and the controversy over the best use of the waterway system in the Pacific Northwest. For more information contact Dennis Brown.

• Residence and Farm Experience Influence Perception of Agriculture:A Survey of North Central Residents (156kb)—Inhabitants of the North Central region have a favorable view of agriculture, regarding farmers as beneficial to the local economy and good environmental stewards. Survey respondents felt that existing environmental regulations are appropriate; that consolidation of agriculture will hurt the environment, society, and local economies; and that government should do more to help local farmers stay in business. Rural nonfarm residents, versus those residing on a farm or in a town or city, were more convinced of farmers' positive impact on the local economy, but were less concerned about the effect of farm consolidation.

• Rural Community Response to Closure or Downsizing of a Major Employer (159kb)— Rural communities across the country are sometimes forced to cope with the closure or downsizing of a major employer. Five communities in Minnesota and North Dakota recently coped with these events. Interviews with community leaders, together with a survey of almost 600 residents, revealed that community adjustments were facilitated by the presence of an active local or regional economic development organization, by substantial lead time prior to the closure or downsizing, and by cohesive local leadership with connections to State and regional organizations.

• Rural Poverty Rate Stayed Under 15 Percent in 1999 (194kb)—Dean Jolliffe

• Rates of Food Insecurity and Hunger Unchaged in Rural Households (99kb)—Mark Nord

• Nonfarm Jobs and Earnings Grew Faster in Metro than Nonmetro Areas in 1999 (1,327kb)—Linda Ghelfi

• Rural Reliance on Transfers Income Remained Steady During the 1990's (171kb)—Linda Ghelfi

• Entire report (2,768 kb)

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