The South Plains Stronger Economies Together (SET) team met with with USDA-Rural Development Regional Community Economic Development Coordinator, Greg Dale Wednesday, April 20, in Tulia. The team discussed progress in implementing their regional SET plan and learned about opportunities for USDA Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) funding.
Communities across Texas are invited to take advantage of a regional economic development initiative offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the Prairie View Cooperative Extension Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development. The Stronger Economics Together (SET) helps rural communities capitalize on the strengths of the region to create jobs, wealth and economic development. More information is available at http://communities.tamu.edu/stronger-economies-together-set/.
I was visiting the Lands of America Blog site the other day to see their post about our Texas Equine Study, and I was drawn to this post with beautiful topographical pix. I happen to think we have the most beautiful country in the world, and when I fly, I am in the window seat hoping for a clear sky and snapping photos. I love the transition from irrigated “crop circles” (as my city friends call them) to rough grasslands to winding rivers and forests before hitting the… Read More →
Many of our rural communities tell us about the need for home repair and home ownership. Here is a video on USDA home loan programs. Interested in learning more? See http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/all-programs/single-family-housing-programs.
Texas horse owners are invited to participate in a study of the Texas equine industry. The study asks about horse ownership, participation in horse-related activities, boarding facilities, and horse-related expenditures. Owners of businesses that serve the equine industry, such as feed stores, training facilities, farriers, and veterinarians, are also invited to participate in the survey. The online survey can be accessed from the link: http://bit.ly/1R61UuH. Individuals, especially those with complex businesses may which to complete a paper copy of the survey available at: Texas_Equine_Industry_Paper_Questionnaire. The survey will remain… Read More →
A colleague recently reported on the effects of Certificate of Need (CON) laws on the number of rural hospitals and on quality of care: Farmer Hayek on Regulation and Rural Hospitals Farmer Hayek on CON Laws and Rural Health Care Quality I hear a lot about the presence and quality of rural hospitals, and these Farmer Hayek posts present a couple of interesting perspectives related to one aspect of health care regulation.
This morning, my final email reminder went out for the Rural Leaders and Economies Survey. Mail reminders went out late last week. If you’d like to participate, click here. I took a quick peek at the results-to-date. There were comments about struggle in our rural towns, but what stood out was that our rural leaders are truly INSPIRING people–people you want to meet, to know, to learn from and to emulate. Take a quick look at these comments, just a few gems among a treasure trove: “I was… Read More →
Yesterday, I kicked off a new study of Rural Leaders and Economies. If that topic sounds interesting, you are welcome to participate here: http://tinyurl.com/qh3xo79 The purpose of this study is (1) to gauge rural leaders’ attitudes about local economies and potential new leaders and (2) to identify opportunities for communities to deepen citizen engagement and strengthen rural communities and economies. Results of the study will guide the development of Extension programming and publications to help communities identify and develop new rural leaders and to disseminate best practices in… Read More →
Need a quick look at how your county stacks up against the rest of the state? Or maybe you need to generate a quick graphic to accompany a community report. The Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America from USDA-ERS displays statistics on people, jobs, veterans, and county types. Data have been updated to reflect the latest population, poverty, and American Community Survey statistics.
We cannot have prosperous places without addressing poverty. David McGranahan of USDA ERS will be discussing factors affecting rural child poverty. See the USDA maps of child poverty rates below. Texas has high rates of child poverty and persistent child poverty with rates 20%+ over the past 30 years. I hope you will be able to join the ERS webinar to see how our policies and practices affect poverty in our communities. Wednesday, July 22, 2015, Noon Central For More info: http://www.ers.usda.gov/conferences/the-geography-of-the-recent-growth-in-rural-child-poverty.aspx Using the official poverty measure, child… Read More →